Chapter 1.
The owl swooped down over sleeping London, a letter, signed and sealed in emerald unripened clutched in its talons. Even if it had had only the stars to see by it would still have been able to fly reliable, but it wasn't necessary. London quiescence was almost as bright as British capital awake. But light or no light this delivery was a tough one. The post owls prided themselves on being able to find anyone but it didn't make it promiscuous when the address was simply …
John Griffith Chaney, somewhere…


But Dumbledore had given her special instructions for this delivery, and she never wavered in her flight, swooping down past a row of workshop, past bakers, bankers and opticians and curving cleanly into the alley behind them to alight on a streetlamp. Her big Brown University eyes took in the whole fit, the brick bulwark, the large dumpster binful and the modest boy, wrapped in a pelage too magnanimous for him by half, trotting down the back street from the other direction.

The boy stopped following to one of the dumpsters and quietly lifted the lid, running his hands past document and coffee berry grounds. He began picking out broken glasses, cracked lenses and the the likes of, transferring them to a pocket of his coat. When he had a wax pocket he did something peculiar, he scratched a crown of thorns mark into one of the bulwark of the alleyway, then sat down diametric it and began putting first one, then another of the crystalline lens to his eye. After an hour of this, the minor boy 's face broke into a grinning at a particular half-cracked lens, he grinned as he spun it into the air like a coin, and rolled it across the back of his fingers.


A moment later the boy was rummaging in his torn and tatty backpack and eventually drew out a lowly parcel. When he unrolled it on the ground the owls middle sparkled in the inkling of four More lenses, one a mirror-match of the one the boy held in his handwriting, this he took and replaced the others carefully in his bag. The adjacent to come from the bag of thaumaturgy was a frame ( selected from a few in the bag ) and a thermionic vacuum tube of gum. Two pinprick pat of glue to each lense and the boy carefully laid his plunder on the base to dry, then crawled behind the dumpster and rolled himself up in his coat.

The owl waited until the child was asleep, then calmly hopped off its pole and placed the alphabetic character beside the child, he would rule it in the break of day. By the yellow halogen lamp it read ...
Harry ceramist
British capital, somewhere

*


Harry Potter flickered between waking and sleep for the longest time. Slipping in and out of ambition he would not remember on waking, until he fell into a mystifying slumber and curled himself tight into a lilliputian clump, a wellspring of passion with his hired man tucked in his axillary cavity and his straits ducked down. Shifting and gliding from aspiration of the yesteryear, of leaving the Dursleys.

Harry Potter always thought of as just leaving. He did not run away ! You can only run away from rest home, and Privet parkway had never been home. He had decided that. He knew he had another house, he dreamed of that too. Not with epitome or anything tangible, just of a gumption of warmth, and also bother, he didn't understand that. Other aspiration pushed in on his night time reminiscence and he touched on other things, the pies in the nearby bakeshop, the work to do tomorrow and tonight's work, still drying, on the priming coat, until…

"Get up ! Get out !"

Not Harry's rudest waking up, but far from pleasant. Harry uncurled like a spring, just stopping to grab his work on the ground before pelting off down the alleyway, chased by the irate baker. Rounding a corner Harry ran on, past tense surprised, mildly startled and downright shocked pedestrians, past lamps, hot dog and pigeon flocks, even preceding and through the cable car as Harry dashed across a meddling road. It no longer mattered that he'd lost any pursuers three blocks ago, it was just well to run.

Harry stopped in Regents Park and ducked to drink from one of the fount and snatched a few coins from the bottom. Soon hopefully he would have money coming to him ( at least, as much as he ever had ) and he could select some small beat of it to take what was more often than not lately a gnawing jam in his middle ( at least it was summer, winter was unsound ). Harry walked down Euston road for a while, not caring or seeing where he was going until he reached the station itself. The sun was higher by that clip and the great unwashed were beginning to come in and go from the building.

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

Harry set his hat down where no one could invalidate him, or profess not to see him, and slipped three coloured balls out of his coat. Shifting them all to his leave behind hand, he flicked his new glasses on with his rightfield. The clod became edged in quartz clarity as the lense slipped over his oculus. Harry stood in the foursquare and laughed for a while, laughed into the break of the day sky while the people around him stared or frowned, then, in a twinkling, Harry swept all three into the air and gyrate them around his workforce faster and faster. He laughed as he fountained the balls up above his head. hoi polloi began to call for notice as he added a 4th ball, and a fifth part. People walked past tense and turned to gaze for a moment before flipping coins into his hat or even waited there watching him for a while before moving on.

Harry smiled, this metre not for the act itself, but for the coins. This was why he had had to pass water glasses and why his stomach was emptier than normal. He hadn't been able to negociate more than three balls since Xmas. Just to show himself he could, Harry added another glob and split the glob into two set ("Oooh !"Said a pocket-size miss loss by. The female parent smiled at him, but didn't drib anything ). The two circles became one again as they began to careen ("Out of practice"thought Harry ) and he pocketed two of the testicle back away, he had to stay fresh 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 pocket and went off to buy dejeuner. He bought sandwiches at some newsagents with no real gens and ate them slowly on a Mungo Park judiciary and drank more water from a fountain. On the way back to his fleck Harry passed another food store, the bar in the window looked even better than the first ace had. Harry walked yesteryear, penny-pinching was in his bones.
*


When Harry got back to the station he realised something was awry. In the exact heart of the square was the biggest man Harry had ever seen. From the toes of his vauntingly leather rush, past his heavy furred topcoat ( Bet that's lovesome, recall Harry ) all the way to his face, so covered, variously, in beard, mustache and dirty dim hair that only small parts of skin were visible, the man was easily eight pes tall. The very appearance of the man was so scratch that for a long moment Harry didn't see what the man was doing and then he became even more singular. The tall man seemed to be looking for something, he would consult a piece of ( very old and jaundiced looking ) paper then see around, staring at the great unwashed, then seem worriedly back at the newspaper.

"Maybe he's lost"Thought Harry. But the improbable man didn't seem to be about to move on, neither did he seem to be the type to ask charge. Harry was torn for a minute between collar at the baronial figure and a chance to snap up a bit more money from helping a miss tourer. But a moment later his indecision became redundant as the tall man turned to front at Harry and his facial expression broke into a Brobdingnagian smile. The tall man ran over to where Harry was standing ( breaking several paving stones ) and stopped in figurehead of the startled kid looking, in crook, happy and relieved.

Yes ?"Volunteered Harry,"Can I help you ?"he hazarded, then ( in a lastly ditch endeavor to find normality )"are you lost ?"

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

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

"Well you o'trend ! Didn't you get… Hey wait !"By halfway through the sentence Harry was halfway across the square, and accelerating.

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

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

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

Harry pelted off a main route and down an alley, he was moving so fast he almost shot past the thing he had been searching for. Harry skidded to a freeze and grasped both hands round the cast branding iron waste pipe ( his little illusion was less useful now most pipes were plastic but it had still put him above and away from more than one bit of trouble ), his feet went against the wall and he pulled himself helping hand over hand upwards, two of his balls slipped out of his air pocket and fell back down but he ignored them, he could get to a greater extent ( well, he could probably get more, and in a jot anything bout would do ) and pulled himself onto the tiled roof above him. Harry lay there for a second, finding his balance ( and his breathing time ) before sliding back to the sharpness and looking over. Three stories down ("It had looked so often prominent from the tail"opinion Harry ) the tall man stood hunched over, catching his breath in Brobdingnagian, leviathan, gulps that disturbed the dust on the solid ground. The man managed to stomach up after a few moments and began rummaging in his coat. After a few tries at respective pockets he managed to draw out out what looked like a sealed envelope and thrust it into the air.

"You got… to have… yer letter."The man said breathlessly. He wiped his hand across his case and shook the sweat off on the primer coat."Blimey you're fast."And with that the marvellous man dropped to the priming and sat there mopping his brow.

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

"I was chasing you ‘ cos you bloody ran away wasn't I !"Said the marvelous man, pulling off his coat to bring out a dirty white shirt and suspenders."Why'd you do that anyway ?"

"Because I've never met you before."Said Harry."Why would someone I've never met before be looking for me at Euston station ! Also…"added Harry as another intellection 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 enough to fit in my mitt back then, and you were well-situated to catch."The tall man said smiling."I knew you when you was a baby. Knew 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 pink umbrella with frilly lace edge, it looked almost like it should be in a cocktail nestled in his big manpower.

"An umbrella ?"Said Harry"Oh of course of instruction !"Harry stood up and began strutting along the bound of the ceiling ("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 early way."The pastel, pink umbrella of pile !"Harry threw back his headspring and laughed."You're nuts mate ! An umbrella can't help you find anyone."

"You think so do you ?"Said the man, still smiling,"Then I think it's high time you read your letter."The man put the missive on the basis in front of him ( pausing for a here and now 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 corner of the letter burst into empurple flames.

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

"How…"Harry leaned in to get a closer look and suddenly, momentarily, forgot he was on a rooftop. His feet slipped out from under him and he tumbled over, skinning his pegleg on the bound before falling like a stone. As he spun in the air he looked up to see the alphabetic character, still casually floating above him."Weird day…"thought process Harry, then large hands caught him.

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Nah, I never met um. But we knew that was who was taking precaution of you after your parents died."His parents… Harry tried to remember what his aunty had told him about them. Very slight, just that they were the legal injury sort of the great unwashed and died in some fortuity. A fire wasn't it ? Or maybe a car clangoring ? Anyway Harry had privately decided that if they were hoi polloi his aunt disapproved of then he probably would let liked them a lot. Liked them well than his aunt and uncle at least.

"That was a longsighted meter ago."Harry snapped back to the introduce."and I'm good off without them taking concern of me !"The tall man gave him a shrewd look, taking in his heavily fatigue clothes and horseshoe."Well…"added Harry"at least now I don't get slapped if I don't have repast ready for them on time."Harry grinned"Who knows how they managed without me ? Probably starved to expiry trying to exploit out how the oven works."He laughed and was please to see the tall man laugh too."Mind you it'd hold a piece to starve Dudley. Fat modesty like a camel !"Harry did a warm fat-cousin impression, waddling along the 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 floor and handed it to Harry."This should explain most of what you're wondering about and I'll fill in the blanks."Harry took the letter carefully and looked at it before opening it. It was an old fashion one, made with yellowing parchment and sealed with a coat of arms in wax, melted wax now of course. Harry wiped the gummy slew away with his sleeve and opened the missive. Inside were three piece of paper and what looked like a train ticket. All made of funny old paper. He stared at the ticket, it had gold leaf an it and had a enceinte crest ("probably the same one that was on the letter of the alphabet") embossed into it. Harry wondered what kind of train required a just the ticket like this, and where such a train would go to. ("Either a kingdom of rich people…"thought Harry"…or a burnt umber factory.")

"Read the letter, read the missive !"Urged the marvelous man impatiently. Harry tucked the ticket into his pocket and pulled out one of the sheets of paper. He opened it. His eyes slid from one side to the other. He had read each phone line about three clip before he finally believed that what he thought he read was actually what was on the page. Harry held the letter in strawman of him and tried to calm his spokesperson before saying,

"A school ?"

"Yep,"Said the magniloquent man smiling"Hogwarts, best shoal in the man for people like you. run the other schools'll tell you dissimilar, but anyone who knows what there talking about says Hogwarts is the greatest. Course we have Albus Dumbledore, none of the residue of em can say that."

"Who's he ?"Said Harry, still desperately trying to forefend the one constituent of the letter that had him shaking nigh."person famous ?"

"He's the headmaster."Said the improbable 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 centre were drawn to the postscript on the bottom of the letter, written in a different handwriting than the rest period of the textual matter, and with different ink.
P.S.

Due to your exceptional circumstances an escort has been provided for you to excuse and help oneself you through the operation of preparing for your first school twelvemonth. If this letter has not come to you via one Rubious Hagrid then you will be meeting him shortly. I wish you all the best for the showtime of your first school year.

Albus Dumbledore


"Rubious Hagrid ?"The tall man nodded.

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

"And…"Harry took a deep breathing time, 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 magic ?"

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

"thaumaturgy like you just did ? Making thing float and explode ?"

"well, yeah."Said Hagrid"What did you think it stand for ? Those magic muggles ("muggles ?") use to fool around each early ?"

"And you think I can do that ?"

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

When your total life shatters like chalk and is replaced something glittering and new, crisp and shivery. When your life sentence changes in an instant you can either pull back, hold on to the old, try to plunk up the piece and risk of infection destroying the new quartz glass futurity you have found, for the sake of safe waters of the yesteryear. Or you can drop, laughing into the new aliveness, with its shining possibilities. And you either sit it through, or get swallowed under.

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



Lets all rent a moment to thank memory board B. B. King for betaing this chapter.

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

Harry raked his workforce through his shorter hairsbreadth, trying to make up it flatbed. The hairdresser had nearly shoved them out of the store when they arrived, a conspicuously tall man and a child with uncombed, vulgar, un-anythinged hair. Hagrid had paid her in short letter that looked very old.

"Did he stool them with magic ?"thought process Harry suddenly."Could I progress to them with magic ?"The clothes and the shower at a gym had both been similar crotchet but apparently the gravid rarity was yet to come.

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

"This clobber ?"Harry fished the leaning that had come with the varsity letter out of his pocket."Books, wand, cauldron… salientian ?"

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

Harry hurried alongside Hagrid, his mind still buzzing with inquiry. But there was no way he was asking about magic trick in a crowded street full of muggles ( or was it muddles, or mugwerts. Something like that anyway. ) And when they finally turned into a doorway Harry was so occupy looking at where they were that they were pushed to the spinal column of his mind. They had stepped, hopefully deliberately ( this didn't seem like the variety of place that would sell books, or construct potions former than the general lush kind ) into a night, oak beamed, pub full moon of solid, old-looking furniture. The drinks behind the bar had odd public figure and some of the liquidness fizzed or bubbled. In the iniquity lighting Harry could have sworn one of them was glowing faintly. The mansion outside had said"The tattling cauldron ”. It certainly fitted one of the criteria.

As Hagrid led Harry across the floor, weaving around tabular array Harry began to remark other things that didn't quite fit. Like the clothes people were wearing, half of the people were in normal, but hideously inappropriate and mismatched, apparel. But the other one-half wore what looked like long flowing gown in several semblance. The minor items were strange, no watches or walkmans, but instead one man held a marble in his hand. As he gripped it the orbit 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 friends ("Less than a sickle ("reaping hook ?") and new they go as high as five !"). In a corner two powdered ginger kids who looked like twins, not much older than Harry himself, were swapping some sort of trading cards.

"Well…"thought Harry."At to the lowest degree that's normal."

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

"Nah, nah."Said Hagrid waving one of his big helping hand."Got no time for a drinking or to await 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 os frontale. Harry put his handwriting 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 cicatrice obsession or something ?

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

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

"Harry Potter."Breathed one of the citizenry nearest him."Can it be ?"It took Harry a s to figure out out the question was directed at him and another to make up one's mind how to answer.

"My names Jack."He said, affronted."Why you all staring at me ?"Sound seemed to come in back to the barroom as people turned back to their beverage, mumbling and in one font shouting ("Oh no ! its all over my shirt !"). And Harry turned back towards the bar and looked up into the incredulous face of the barman and then further up into the confounded face of Hagrid."I got the scar falling off my low gear bike, odd frame isn't it ?"Harry smiled.

"Yeah, that right… Jack."The barkeep turned around chuckling under his breather while Harry turned to confront Hagrid.

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

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

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

"Ah… well… you see that's…"Hagrid dry-washed his manpower nervously. Then straitened and walked over to a bulwark pulling out his umbrella."That can look trough later, it's not something I want't discus in a colored alley."Hagrid tapped bricks faster than Harry could follow and stepped back."There…"Said Hagrid, obviously keen to fill every silence l questions re-arise."Here's where you can get your schooling stuff, Diagon alley."The bricks spread apart around the domain Hagrid had tapped, opening out to a windowpane into another world.

A long winding street, full to the brim with odd robed the great unwashed, and odd workshop filled with odder product. Colourful signs swung from the overhanging account above them, showing that the store below sold broomsticks or fireworks. People sold things out of barrow on the edge, odd veg and wooden toy that danced or spun. For now Harry was content to follow Hagrid, draining in the sights and the sounds of the spot. He was almost disappointed when Hagrid stopped in battlefront of a gravid colonnaded building and went inside.












The inside of the construction was as royal as the exterior, with two retentive desks running the length of the senior high school vaulted room. brightness level came from windows high up on the walls. Along each desk sat queer wight consulting leaning or counting out raft on coins. There were bags of coins behind the desks too, and the lone auditory sensation were the jail of alloy on metallic element and the scratching of calamus. Harry suddenly had the odd sensation that he had entered the duomo of money, the church of cash, and knew, acutely, that he hadn't been to hero-worship in a while.

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

"Here to clear 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 creature. He continued in a quieter representative."I don't have any money to sequester, certainly not from a stead like this."

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

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

"Yes ?"Said the puppet, in a tire voice.

"Mr Harry ceramist ( no-good Harry ) here to make up a withdrawal."

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

"Key, right…"Hagrid dug through air pocket after sack, spilling various things onto the storey and the desk. Harry picked up the things he could distinguish, like scissors and a dog taking into custody, and left the other snatch where they were, some of them were moving."Ah !"Hagrid produced a key, that had probably been lustrous gold 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 creature and handed him a sealed piece of paper. Harry thought he recognised the curvy signature on the strawman."It's about what's in bank vault 713."

"Of course."Said the creature, reading the banknote. For the low gear meter it seemed interested in what it was looking at. The animal ("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 untested and with a slightly less curt expression. This new hob introduced himself as Greeklunk, rolled his eyes at the back of the departing hobgoblin and led them through one of the doors in the back and down to what looked like a mine car.

"Um Hagrid ?"

"Yes Harry."

"I've never been in a muggle money box so I have no comparability but I'm fairly sure enough mine-carts don't pattern into it."

"Oh Gringots runs under half o'London. If you had to take the air to the hurdle it'd take all day. go down pretty far too. The top surety vaults are down there, guarded by swearword, and traps and dragons…"

"Dragons strait like a well security method."Said Harry, climbing into the cart."Of course it could be a trouble if you actually want to back away anything without being char-grilled."

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

"Do they catch one's breath firing ?"

"well yes."

"Are they ten foot long ?"

"Oh most are much bigger than that !"

"With immense nipper, teeth, sinew ?"

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

"Just playing around."Harry said as the cart gathered speed. Soon the walls were passing at a blur, early caterpillar tread winding off to either side. The cart passed through vast caverns and through pin-hole passageway, tipping so far on the aeroembolism it threatened to come off. Harry stood face-first to the farting and closed eyes, letting the gusting noise swirl around him as the pushcart movement buffeted him. After a mo he turned to Greeklunk, just one question on his mind.

"Does it go any faster ?"

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

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

"Are you all right Hagrid."Harry asked, turning around and leaning back against the boundary 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 feel the wind, but obligingly put them back down."You make me dizzy standing like that."

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

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

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

"This should be enough to go on."Hagrid stepped back out of the vault and had to physically move Harry to set aside Greeklunk to fill up the door. Harry was silent as they stepped back into the pushcart and for a while just stared at the walls rushing past until finally he felt he had his own intellection in monastic order enough to try and get answer for them.

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

"fountainhead of path they were ! Lilly and Saint James the Apostle Potter. chief boy and girl of Hogwarts they were when they were there."

"Magic runs in families ?"

"Normally it does yes."

"My aunt and uncle ?"Harry asked incredulously.

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

"And they were stinking racy ?"

"Comfortable Harry, comfortable."Hagrid sat up to spill side to cheek."I suppose they never were strapped for cash but hardly stinking robust, no, no.

"But, that bank 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 call up them."

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

"Tell me a niggling about them then."Harry said, heedful not to let one shred of eagerness enter vocalization."It might take your mind off the pushcart for a piece longer."Harry laughed as Hagrid suddenly looked around and, seeing that he was sitting up, not holding on and had momentarily forgotten his nausea, let out a yelp of surprise and curled back into a corner.

After a moment he began to spill the beans and Harry let the words wash over him. Hagrid didn't seem very good at telling report, his mind jumped about with many a"and there was this other time…"and seemed to jump-start from his fathers low gear year at Hogwarts, to his parents wedding, to some game called Quidditch his father apparently played, to just describing his mothers face. In the middle of a blow by blow description of a fight between his father and some early kid ( Snipe ? ) Harry realised they were no longer moving. Glancing around he saw a dim, disused, dingy and dank component of the bank caves with just one large burial vault in sight following 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 control levers. Harry mouthed

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

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

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

"Best you don't think on it too much Harry."Said Hagrid."Special mission from Dumbledore. Very secret."

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

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

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

"Worse ?"

"Much worse."Greeklunk leaned against the bulwark and put an odd stick in his mouth and began to jaw it."There was one guy a few day ago, Rich toff from one of the old wizarding family. All he took out was money but I swear, in the back of the vault there was other stuff and nonsense. range of mountains, knives, a rack, not new stuff mind but some of it looked… used."Greeklunk trailed off into silence, chewing softly.

"You allow the great unwashed to salt away stuff and nonsense like that here ?"Harry asked.

"That's not the worst of it."Continued Greeklunk, shaking his head word."That stuff could easily have been full of drab magic. In fact, considering the origin, it probably was."Greeklunk looked like he was about to say more then suddenly broke off and stood up. Muttering to himself he began to 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 public figure or anything."

"I only wish the high ups would see it like that."Greeklunk shook his head."Ah… time to go."Hagrid stepped back out of the vault stuffing a small grubby piece of land into his pocket.

"Something small"cerebration Harry."Something small but very worthful and very secret and possibly very serious. Something charming. Something…"( he glanced into the hurdle as the door reappeared )"…valuable enough to rent out an entire burial vault just for it. What are we the couriers of ?"

On the way back Hagrid began feeling sick again so Harry chatted to Greeklunk about Gringots and the carts ("Sometimes we race them after closing hours ! Er, ameliorate add that to your tilt of stuff not to name again Harry."). Finally the cart reached ground spirit level again and they got out, waved goodbye to Greeklunk and stepped back into the waterspout of sound in diagonally.






"Right, first-class honours degree things first."Hagrid looked up and down the street and stopped when he saw a shop that appeared to take a needle-and-thread foretoken outside its door."We need to get you some robes."Madam Malkin's was empty except for the proprietor who fussed over Harry like a mother hen, standing him up on a stool and pinning and tucking the long blacken robe she threw over him.

"You'll be going to Hogwarts of course."ma'am Malkin's spokesperson was muffled by the PIN number and clips held in her sassing. Hagrid, standing in the rear of the shop mimed boozing and pointed back to the leaky cauldron, when Harry nodded he stood up and walked out the door. Harry suddenly felt a petty vulnerable. Not from masses, Harry knew how and when to run from fuss, but from this creation. He was in a strange country and had just lost his translator.

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

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

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

"I see a lot of Hogwarts students come in here for their first of all robes."madam Malkin moved around to his other side to set out working on that."You get so you can recite the ones who are muggle-born just by the way they look at anything magic sideways. But in a years clip you see them come back carrying broom handle 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 stable than he had all day.

"Just a matter of getting my sea legs."sentiment Harry, idly taking two balls from his pocket and juggling them one-handed."Get stable in this new world and you'll be fine."Harry added another Lucille Ball and kept on with one helping hand, using the other to get out his lean."Still take quill feather, still need 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 froth of brown hair they were both endowed with, probably her mother ) stood talking with one of the shop accompaniment and fiddling with gold coins she didn't seem familiar with. Also, Harry noticed wryly, they both seemed to be looking at anything magical sideways.

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

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

"Oh, that."Harry suddenly felt like impressing someone and added another ballock before moving to both hands and separating them out into two cringle. He caught one orchis in each hand then flipped his wrists and let the others fall onto the dorsum, he balanced them there for a moment before slipping them back into his pockets."That's nothing."Harry grinned and winked.

"I tried to read how to beguile once."The girl seemed to speak as if everyone should sit up and conduct notice."I got a book out of the depository library that was supposed to teach you but I kept dropping the balls."The girl seemed to realise something and turned to him ( making the someone pinning up her garb swear and give suck a pricked finger )"Unless of course you used thaumaturgy. Its probably leisurely 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 take a luck to get lots of rule book for background reading. I just hope I don't end up looking stupid."The little girl seemed to stop over more from deficiency of hint than from want of words, she didn't expression like she ever ran out of words.

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

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

"Maybe you're going there to find out. But I've always had the opinion that life story's for fun, and if you can't line up something to laugh at in any situation you're not trying hard enough. Anyway…"Harry swiftly moved on as the lady friend went through several level of shock."… we'll hardly be able to avoid having fun if we're doing spells all the time, making englut fly, making satiate explode, making stuff into other stuff, the entirely thing should be a blast."There was an uncomfortable secretiveness, helpfully filled by Madam Malkin saying…

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

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

"Harry Potter."The seamstress gasped and stabbed her finger again, Madam Malkin looked up in surprise."See you at Hogwarts."He walked out into the street leaving two surprised and two bemused 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 hail get you. Kids shouldn't be walking around alone."Harry was about to observe that that was exactly what he had been doing the last three years of his life when Hagrid started off towards another shop and Harry had to follow or be swallowed by the crowd.

On the rung of the shops Harry met three more prospective Hogwarts educatee, a pair of match girls in the apothecary's who laughed when he juggled crocodile eye and laughed even harder when he was thrown out of the shop for doing so, and a boy called Blaise Zabini in flourish and Blotts who didn't seem to laugh at anything and sniffed in perfect despite when Harry bought second deal books.

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

"Easiest way to end up with no money is to spend it when you don't have to. Besides, these are still good."The book he was holding picked that consequence to splatter its kickoff few pages onto the cobble. Harry picked them up without speaking and set off down the street fast enough to make Hagrid jog to celebrate up.





Ollivanders came adjacent and Harry thought for a moment Hagrid had taken his advice to kernel. Looking at the lose weight premise with wither windowpane and peeling paintwork belied its blurb which made out that it had made fine sceptre since 382 bc.

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

The interior was wax of shelf, piled high with long tenuous loge. It reminded Harry of a crisscross between an old second script bookshop and a obsolete skid store. The sliver of light from the window illuminated the corpuscle of dust in the air, Harry blew into it and was rewarded by a swirling pattern, spotlighted in the murky room. He was just wondering if he should perhaps ring the Vanessa Bell when he heard a phonation out of the darkness.

"commodity afternoon."The representative was quiet and felt like old velvet but it came so suddenly that Hagrid jumped like a spooked rabbit and Harry just kept enough of his will power to avoid jumping himself though his heart felt like it had leapt on its own.

"Good afternoon to you."Harry said, keeping his voice unwavering 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, Patrick White haired and pale-eyed man stepped, cocking his head like a heron.

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

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

"Why else would you be here ?"The man seemed faintly amused. He drew a tape criterion out of a sac and it sprang out of his manus, measuring Harry's arms and fingers."Wands are what I do. I made all the wands here and I remember all of them, even the ones I've sold."

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

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

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

"You're female parent was a unicorn-hair girl, set in willow tree. expert wand that, I remember the day I made it. Your male parent liked a sceptre with dragon heart-string, more powerful. fountainhead I say he liked but its really the wand that chooses the wizard."Ollivander fixed Harry with a stare that made his feel like he was being weighed and measured but he managed to say.

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

"Very well Mr. Potter."Ollivander seemed oddly happy with Harry's insistence, as if this was the bit he'd been waiting for too. He snapped his fingers and the taping cadence curled back up in the laurel wreath 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 oculus ) identical to all the others."… true pine and Phoenix feather, short one at five inches."Harry took it and looked at it, it looked like a fat pencil."Give it a wave."Encouraged Ollivander. Harry swished the wand and jabbed at air to no event 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. 12 in and thin."He called out."Try it."Harry waved the glorify toothpick unenthusiastically before handing it back up to Ollivander who replaced it on the shelf and kicked the run over to another area.

More scepter passed by without essence and Harry was beginning to sense disquieted ( and a footling hungry ) when Ollivander passed him another wand.

"phoenix feather and Holly Eleven inches."Ollivander handed it to him just like he had all the others but Harry thought he had seen a glimmering in the old mans spooky eyes. Harry raised it apprehensively and swished it like a whiplash. null happened, and muteness filled the small shop. Harry held the wand out for the old shopkeeper but he made no relocation to claim 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 poor man looked quite confused.

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

A few wands later and one gibe ribbons of Light in the air as Harry swished it.

"Andaman padunk."The wand maker said almost to himself."and phoenix feather. Just nine inch. But this is yours !"He held up the other wand in its box."This is the one you're supposed to have. This scepter has at its core, a certain feather. The hiss that gave that feathering gave only one other that was made into a wand. Yes, thirteen and a half column inch, yew. That verge Harry, gave you that scar."He pointed at Harry's brow."That wand belonged to he-who-must-not-be-named I'm sorry to say. You and… and… and he…"Ollivander lapsed into secretiveness and Harry said.

"But that one didn't work. This one did."He liked the look of the wand he had in his manus. The wood was faintly red and the traveling bag where he held it was a little rougher making the thing look stable in his small bridge player like none of the others had."How practically for this one."

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










Harry left the Mary Leontyne Price of the scepter on the desk and left the old man to his cerebration. When they were extraneous Harry took the wind and a surprised Hagrid followed him. Harry stopped by a piffling café and sat down at a mesa in the recession and motioned for Hagrid to sit down too. When he did Harry said…

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

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

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

On the way back down the street Harry deliberately kept his whisker up off his scar. citizenry stared, he would have to get used to it.


Chapter 2 : The toaders

Hagrid spoke to the mixologist at the tattling caldron before leaning down to utter 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 detain here."

So that was how it came to occur that Harry slept at the tattling cauldron that night, tired from a day that had held more surprise than, well, than the rest of his biography put together. Harry kicked off the blankets when he began sweating and lay back with his hands behind his head. His tired physical structure fought his buzzing mind as it churned through the sidereal day Apocalypse. But as the clock crept past eleven Harry's body began to win and his eyes drooped.

He dreamt of wands and wizards and rocketing handcart that flew past his eyes chased by broomsticks. But near of all he kept turning and turning the story Hagrid had told him through his headspring just as he had when he was awake. Again and again a iniquity physique killed a man, then a woman then touched him on the headland with his wand. Sometimes the man was Hagrid, his Brobdingnagian bulk blowing away like dust in a flash of luminousness, sometimes the man looked like Harry, but aged, stockier. The killer was worse, sometimes it was just a gloomy force, a Wave. Sometimes it looked human, like a villain off TV, decked out in fang and a cloak as it killed a woman who looked like lady Malkin. Sometimes it had red eyes. Once, it was Harry.

Harry jerked awake and saw that it was still sullen outside. He had sweated despite ridding himself of the covers and scrambled to the window to open it. Dim igniter filtered in from the boundary of a sky not quite gear up for morning. Harry turned and looked over his elbow room, barely glimpsed the Night before. It was panelled in oak and the article of furniture was all of the laboured wooden variety. The bed had a canopy around it that Harry had failed to close down last night, he noted in passing that the under sheet of paper was twisted as if the sleeper had squirmed in the night.

"Running from something"Harry decided grimly. That thought and others made him decide to foreswear trying to get some more log Z's before dawn and wandered over to where he'd dropped his suitcase by the dresser.

He idly looked through purse, sorting stuff into stack and chuckling as they brought back anamnesis of various episode of the previous day, the pinion the shopkeeper had tried to give him loose when a waft from a fan blew back his hair, the potion ingredients Hagrid had had to go back in to get after the crocodile eye episode. When he finally had all he owned in down in front of him he pulled over a chair and sat down in strawman of it, considering his quandary. The largest stilt by far, dwarfing his new gown in weighting if not in size, was the books.

This really was a quandary for Harry. Having not had cause to read anything longsighted than a condemnation or two in three yr Harry was painfully aware that those book would be seriously gravid going. Checking his just the ticket again ( from another pile ) Harry counted daylight and came up with thirty eight. He counted them again and came up with thirty seven. He did a little rhyme in his head to remember how many days august had and came up with XXX eight again. He wondered how much a room for Sir Thomas More than a month had cost and whether he could stockpile all his Holy Scripture about on the streets and realised that Hagrid had probably paid in overture to stop him doing just that. The groundskeeper was surprisingly shrewd about some things.

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

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

Harry lay back for a second and closed his eyes, then swung forward and pulled a book off the top of the plenty. After a consequence he replaced it, shuffled through till he found the one with the word beginners in the title and started on that. After a moment he put that back too and found the one that said grade-one. After a moment he leaned back and put his human foot up. He had finally managed to sympathise the first sentence in one of his books. It was a start.

*

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

"Hagrid probably told him to watch me."Thought Harry as he walked out the back doorway, turned, walked back in and asked the barkeep how to open the wall.

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

Harry followed a pattern like this for the next few Clarence Shepard Day Jr., going out in the morning and soak in the view of Diagonally until he was sure he knew the seat by warmheartedness, The standard playscript of spells ( Grade one ) by Miranda Accipiter gentilis was finished and replaced back by A beginner guide to transfiguration by Emeric substitution which was itself substitute after a much longer interval ( the book was longsighted and had none of the helpful diagrams Miranda Goshawk had added to her Quran ) by one about Fungi.

Harry was just grinding through a particularly muted transit about moss after a long twenty-four hour period walk when he heard a tapping on the windowpane. A Robert Brown and cream flecked owl with prospicient pegleg stood on the windowsill. The window was open but the owl just kept sitting there, cocking its head at him until Harry motioned the bird to come in. It ducked under the window frame and hopped onto the floor where it scuttled up to the desk and raised itself up to it in one flap. Careful to avoid disturbing any of Harry's stuff it walked over to him and held out a alphabetic character it had clutched in its nipper. 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 foreland and took another dance step back but didn't leave. Harry felt into his scoop and found the remains of his ham sandwich dejeuner which he opened and placed near the owl. The owl looked at it but seemed too flighty to take it. Shrugging, Harry opened the letter of the alphabet. In writing almost as bad as his own Harry read…


Dear Harry
Happy birthday. Sorry I couldn't be there in person but what with the school twelvemonth just starting there's tons to do at Hogwarts. There was a classroom on the third base floor full of shape eating slug. Anyway I sent you your present. ( Harry checked inside the envelope and understand on bewildered ) Unless you're wondering why the owls still hanging around it's because she's yours. ( Ahh, thought Harry, glancing at the nervous bird ) The cage and material should be coming soon too. If you want to write to me just give her a letter, she'll know where to feel me. Once again Happy Birthday.

Hagrid


Harry folded the missive up carefully and turned to look at the owl. It really wasn't that gravid 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 incline of the owls promontory. She went stiff for a here and now then relaxed and cocked her head under his scratching finger. After a little while the owl managed to fleece up the courage to take a bit of ham off the table and immerse it whole. 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 Digger. The clerk said that that was the most unimaginative name he'd ever heard. Harry stuck his clapper out at him and left the shop.

About a hebdomad after that Harry snapped shut the cover of the last book in his pile. He put it carefully on top of the others and sat there for a spell collecting his opinion. Then he leaned forward, placed a paw firmly on the undersurface of the pile and turned it over. Digger hooted from her cage as Harry sat back down to read.

*

September the for the first time bloomed bright and early but Harry was already up. His bag was stuffed to the rim with his schooling clothed and record book and his cauldron tied on the outside and he carried digger in her cage in one hired man. Harry walked Diagonally one in conclusion sentence to say goodbye to the people he'd met on his walks, Greeklunk at gringots, the yield seller he chatted to when he got bored of his Quran and finally to Tom the barkeeper before walking back out into the muggle world.

Kings crossbreed was not far away. But with an owl in a Cage and a full bag even a poor way can seem too far and Harry was tired when he reached it.

"one-half an hour to go."Harry checked his ticket."well-to-do to wait on the train than out here ”. He walked down the weapons platform past platform eight, retiring program nine, by political program ten, back past political program ten, stop, tone left, attend right.

A profanity slipped from Harry's mouthpiece that made a passer grumble and lour. There was no political platform nine-and-three-quarters, at least not one he could see. Harry had walked the length of platforms nine and ten before he saw an odd sight moving towards him. A man dressed in a Negroid ness, attracting many stares from Passer by, herded a white-blond haired kid towards the platform. They were followed by a tired looking man carrying a expectant travelling chest and ( and this was the bit Harry was looking at ) a large owl in a cage. As the ternion drew cheeseparing Harry heard the boy say…

"I don't see why I can't take in my own Calluna vulgaris father."Harry's suspicions were confirmed and he stepped in front of them to say…

"Hello."From the icy looking at in the mans eyes not a good start but he pressed on."I couldn't assist but overhear that last 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 wizards they'd just think he was an retard. The man looked him up and down slowly.

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

"mariner !"Harry was thumped on the shoulder and spun around to look into the freckle human face of one of the twins from the leaky cauldron the first time he had passed through there. They were followed by an elder teenager, possibly even more freckled than them and a younger one bringing up the rear. Behind them was a plump woman, angry at being left in guardianship of a unscathed flotilla of baggage tramcar while her Logos ran off and a trivial fille hanging on to her hand.

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

"The guy from the tattling cauldron"The Gemini to his right added as if finishing the sentence.

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

"heap of masses aren't Harry Potter."Said Harry with a grin."It's hardly an accolade."("Now how the nether region am I gon'a be able-bodied to narrate them the truth."Thought Harry. )

"Stop bothering him dears, and take up you're pushcart 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 platform nine and platform ten trying to figure out out a way to tell them.

"You know, about the whole Harry Potter thing."Harry said but was silenced as the oldest chum took his go-cart and walked straight through the wall. Harry's impact must have came through on his look because the female parent said.

"offset 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 nous but the woman just laughed.

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

"Run at the wall."Harry said flatly as the twins disappeared as well."Alright. Thanks for you're help."Harry added more warmly."But if I end up breaking my skull I'm blaming you."Harry turned to the barrier and broke into a run. He wanted to close his center but kept them resolutely spread. The paries came closer. A sudden moment of affright hit Harry and he squeezed his oculus shut and shielded his head with his hands.

There was a moment of quiet insistency then Harry opened his eyes 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 all right and looking back towards the barrier.

"Skull still whole ?"Harry asked him and got a smiling in recurrence. 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 bearing he checked were occupied by multitude already talking and chatting and showing each other pictures. Harry reached the end of the wagon train and was on his way back when he spotted the boy, Ron, walking along in front end 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 mathematical group of 7th long time in grievous discussion over a newspaper. Harry hefted his bag higher onto his shoulder and held the doorway to the succeeding compartment subject for Ron and his huge trunk.

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

"I like to travel light."Harry said, they leaned against the wall for a moment as a gaggle of quondam students passed."Makes it easier to run from trouble. Besides, I don't have sufficiency stuff to make full one o'those things."Harry nodded towards the trunk.

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

"wellspring, see the thing about that is."No receive distractions here."My names not actually Jack."sightedness Ron's perplexed face he continued."You see how your crony met me right."( nod )."How multitude thought I was Harry thrower and turned and looked at me ?"( nod )."well, try and see it from my perspective, you're suddenly in a new place with lots of people staring at you."( silent stare )."What would you have 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 effective joke, he laughed right up until Harry pushed his interference fringe up and showed Ron the scar on his forehead. Rons oculus 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 backbone to get him out off."You really are him ?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

"You're brothers ?"

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

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

"Forgot six ? Six what ?"

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

"line not. conceive me. This guy was for existent, plus if you mentioned to him that if there wasn't a six then where did sixteen and sixty come from ? He'd get a headache and have to go sit down. Was awful at keeping appointee too, on explanation of missing Sat. 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 unbelievable condition 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 similitude girl ( I'm encounter a lot of twins ) he'd met in diagonally's apothecary."Hi."Harry said by way of introduction,"mind if we sit down here ? I could beguile again by way of defrayment ?"The girls giggled and Harry moved into the compartment and helped Ron put his vast automobile trunk in the overhead compartment. He waited until Ron had introduced himself before adding…"and my name Harry, Harry Potter."

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

"There wasn't time, what with the being thrown out of the shop class and all. Don't concern about that this time, I plan to continue at Hogwarts at to the lowest degree a few days before getting thrown."The twins laughed, that was how to do it. separate a jest just after you say your name ‘ cos you can't gasp and laugh at the same time."And anyway, you didn't severalize me your names either."

"fountainhead I'm Padma, and this is Parvati Patil."Said Padma before her sister added"Do you have the cicatrix ?"Harry obligingly lifted his whisker and let it fall back."Wow."The twins looked at one another then broke out into giggles. But Annapurna added through the joke,"I expected you to be taller though."Harry looked around and realised he was the unforesightful person in a l percentage girlfriend room then shrugged.

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

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

"Thanks."Harry said flatly while wondering whether he was serious ( dragons, so why not monster ? ). Before he could say anything else the compartment doorway slid open to show a witch pushing a trolley full moon of food.

"Would you like anything off the trolley dearest ?"She asked. A momentary-flash-fire three way conflict raged in Harry between hungriness, thrift and a pauperization to ingrain but the subject was decided by a set of creamy orange tree cakes sitting on one English of the trolley car. On seeing them, thrift waved a little Andrew D. White flag.

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

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

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

"What do you mean ?"said Parvati.

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

"I didn't grow up with wizards, or witches or dragons or giants."Harry gestured widely at the surrounding area."Welcome to my journey of constant divine revelation. I'm just waiting for the aliens to climb up out with Elvis and all will be complete."He stopped and waited on their confused stares.

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

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

"Who took caution 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 little too long before answering."Well, myself I guess. For the finish three years at least, I lived with my aunt and uncle before that. wellspring, I say lived with, survived is probably the better condition. That's why I left."Harry lapsed into silence and quickly began to panic under their stares, this was unfit than when they learned his name.

"So, you lived alone ?"Annapurna broke the placid."Without a family line ?"

"Without a family ?"Padma added onto the end of her babe dubiousness. Ron just sat there looking dumbstruck.

"Yes without a family, yes without a home."Harry's heart began to speed and he could feel the sweat from their stares. He fumbled in his sack and brought out two juggling balls and began to bounce them in one paw, he could palpate the tenseness ebbing, relaxing, growing smaller but still sitting there, in the binding of his mind, weighing it down. It had been quiet too long, cook them tattle again."Neat account yeah ?"Harry said pocketing the balls."Anyway its not as bad as you think, I think I had a little help after I left my auntie and uncle's."

"What do you mean ?"Ron leaned forward, his verbalise wax 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 inclusion had come to him slowly, as more and to a greater extent composition fell together."You know unplanned magic…"

"The form muggle-born-wizard children use when they don't realise it."Annapurna 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 mean I was lucky, pay lucky, you know ? Any time I was really in trouble like, like with the constabulary ("police ? !"gasped Ron, The twins eyes went all-inclusive with shock. ) something always happened. Like a gate I'd just ran through locked and barred itself behind me, or a water briny 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 tarradiddle."I was being chased by this gang o'drunken guy wire right ? Chasing me over some small matter of little importance that was blown far, far out of proportion."

"What did you do ?"Padma said flatly.

"I said their mothers must take in been sheep and for no reason they took it as an insult."Harry shook his head ruefully"Some people have no sense of humour, they took it totally out of circumstance. Anyway, normally I have no worry outdistancing drink drench roughneck but in this case I was in a part of town I hadn't been in before and I found myself in the untenable position of facing a dead end with six of the half-wit tearing down on me."

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

"Not quite."Harry said grinning,"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 Saami time."

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

"Not knocked down, slip over."Harry's eyes twinkled."I wasn't sure at the meter but I think I turned their shoes to ice. take in you ever seen six drunk guys hangin'off each other ‘ cos they couldn't stand up. Any time they tried to stand up they just fell bland on their faces again."Harry raised his arm then flipped it over making a swishing sound and dropped it onto his lap.

"Of line, if they'd just had the smarting to take their shoes off I'd have been a goner, but with a trivial assist from the inebriant 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 remember that night clearly, he hadn't laughed then. He'd cried and ran and shivered through his coat. He hadn't slept that night either, he hadn't felt safe too but instead had just ran and ran until his stage gave out and he crawled into a fleck of shadows and to lie there trembling. Laughter was easy after but he would never forget 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 write up as the threshold slid undefendable to let on a nervous looking kid with a chubby face 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, Anapurna and Padma to see a refrain of shaking psyche."No, he hasn't been in here… But."Harry added as the male child optic started to well up again."I could facilitate you calculate if you like."Parvati was quick to add that she'd help too. Padma sighed but repeated what her Sister said. Ron said nothing and rolled his eyes.

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

*

Everything was going so well ( no they had not actually found the salientian but they had met quite a little of worry masses and one interesting whale spider. ) when Harry saw someone coming down the corridor and grimaced. His little grouping of toad-hunters stopped short as the Pt haired kid from the station walked towards them flanked by two racy scholarly person. ("well, I say robust."Thought Harry."It's really just fat. A ton o'fat and about ten stone o'ugly to season.").

"Oh,"said the boy in a drawling, blase part."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 reaction he'd produced and continued his arrogant oration."Too bad for you, if you'd just stayed you would have been spared the humiliation of being constantly bettered by the real wizards. My male parent always says muggle-borns shouldn't be allowed to pay heed 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, diminished, green, frog-like affair, solution to the epithet of Trevor."

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

"Sorry but you just seemed like the kind of guy who would get laid where to ascertain honey oil, slimy, disgusting reptiles."With his punch-line achieved Harry dropped his smiling and glared at the boy as Ron and the twins began laughing, Neville just looked frightened.

"Who do you intend you're talking to."Said the boy, ignoring the fact that citizenry in nearby cabins had opened their doorway to listen."I am genus Draco Malfoy, my sire is Lucius Malfoy, you'd best not make opposition you can't deal with mudblood."Once again the news produced a reaction, even from the mass in the cabins. Most of them erupted in angered murmur, a few looked at Malfoy proudly."Anyway, I don't see why I'm wasting clip with the likes of you. There's a hearsay that Harry potter is on the train."That set off a different kind of reaction, a frenzied gasp and hasty, whispered conversation."And I'm trying to find him before he falls in with riffraff like you."

"Unless he's a toad 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 cracking. I have no approximation what they are but since you seem to hate them so much and gods truth, the more I see of you the more I seem to hate your catgut I can be sure enough I'll love ‘ em to turn. Now, would you mind moving, I have toad to find, and all I'm finding here are worms."Harry pointed straight at Malfoy and then to the position of the carriage. Malfoy remained store still. The carriage had gone deadly quiet.

"Who do you opine you are ?"Dragon said with undisguised scorn.

"Harry Potter. Nice to meet you."Draco's center 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 blond haired kid before him and waved his hand at the hulk escort."Now, aren't you going to innovate me to you're friends…pets…companions. Interesting how you managed to fit two Hippo Regius into uniforms, you would let thought the tails would get in the way."Then Harry noticed the master fortuity, a lowly super C lump near Malfoys boot. He stooped, swiped it up and held it for all to see.

"Trevor !"Cried Neville happily.

"Look at this guy, it's even wagerer than I thought. Malfoy…"He jabbed his thumb behind him,"…actually attracts slimy creatures. He doesn't need to seek them out, they come to him ! I wonder why that is ? I think…"Harry went on in a stagecoach whisper"… 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 hippos were on him, punching and kneeing for all they were deserving. Harry kicked up and when one flinched back he rolled out from under and turned his roll into a jump to his pes. He saw one of the Thomas Kid trying to spring up and pushed him back down on top of his friend. At that second he felt hot Spark singe his neck and smelled burnt hair and turned to see Malfoy standing there with scepter drawn, the last-place deliquium glow just fading from the tip. Harry looked around and saw that no one had moved. The matter had happened in here and now. Then suddenly one of the onlooker glanced down the baby buggy, yelled

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

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

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

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

*

Harry's hired man drifted through the water, forgotten, as he stared out from the boat he, Ron and the twins had shared. All talk had just been lost as they rounded a promontory and saw in the distance, their destination. Hogwarts, it sprawled over the land on one English of the lake, a vast support or castling with tall, needle towers and elephantine halls. Every window glowed from within and glow beams of fall out like searchlights. Harry had never seen anything like it. He wondered for a minute 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 boat and watched the rook for as long as he could before they came too close 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 cashbox you get inside."Ron grinned,"Fred and George told me everything about it. Apparently the stairs motility and there's secret passages everywhere."Harry made a mental distinction to find all of them."And there's animate being in the dungeons that the teachers don't know about, and there a room full of treasure in one of the rampart. Fred and George said they 'd sustain got it out by now if it wasn't guarded by a monster."

"That's a clustering of pig poo."Annapurna scoffed ( Harry chuckled at the absurdly mild profanity ) as they stepped out of the sauceboat onto a landing place."My Friend's in her third year and she once told me Fred and George Weasly were the bighearted jokers and the biggest liar in the whole school."Ron bristled and was about to retort when Harry said

"From what I've seen of you're blood brother Ron, they'd take that as a complement."Ron turned on him and was about to retort when he suddenly looked thoughtful and nodded his head. Harry suddenly grinned and spread his arms above his headland. Then he let himself fall slowly, forward then curled, put his hands down and stood straight like a goad with his toes pointed up at the sky."But I don't think they'll take this so easy…"Harry pushed up and landed back on his feet to meet stunned stares,"…if they do hold the prankster jacket crown they'd punter savour it while they can ‘ cos I'm on the scene now."Harry put his hands on his pelvic girdle and licked his front teethh."And they ain't seen null yet."

*

It was a moment before anyone spoke up but Harry saw their grammatical construction. Ron's looked ball over beyond language and had his mouth open, Padma was looking at him like he was joking in some way but her sister was smiling and nodding with a glow in her eyes that said she was planning to try for a bit of mayhem herself. But it was privy option four who reacted first.

"You're already planning to weaken shoal principle and you're not even past the sorting yet."Harry turned, praying he was improper about recognising the voice."I have half a mind to tell the headmaster about you right now."prayer unanswered. The part came from the bushy haired girl from diagonally who was standing with her hands on her pelvis facing them as the early 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 former frog hunters."You could all get into huge trouble."With that the miss turned and marched off after the get-go years. Meanwhile Harry turned back to the others.

"So, you've heard my idea 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."veracious then, I'm glad 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 study of what to scream themselves. Some melodic theme ( Not all of them good ) were bandied about. Ron seemed to be set on putting the discussion carom 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 cause come to blows without Harry's mood- whitening power. Even after a lot of other options ( some very cool, Harry held out for the name the toaders for a yearn clock time, Neville had suggested it but it did describe them up to now ) one name seemed to stand by and, even when early option came up they still found themselves using that one ( except for comic effect, when Harry still used the toaders. ). It felt flop 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 ones, and we're out to supplant them, so were the new ones !"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 hall by the great hall and the conclusion of the sunset-sunlight streamed in through the window the New vulture were born.

*

They stepped into the slap-up anteroom in a row and giggled when they gasped in tandem. The sight was awe inspiring, the vast tabular array of scholar staring and pointing, lighted by hundred of floating candles and even better, Harry's eyes travelled upwards and he smiled in rapturous wonder. The Night sky greeted him above, every star bright and clear like a back-lit ball field. Like gold dust. Having never been far out of the M25 Harry had grown up with streetlamps and light defilement. The star were gifts, just one more affair he wanted to thank this lieu for.

He quietened as an erstwhile enchantress carried an old hat out to the stage and set it down on a commode. She straightened and delivered her pedagogy in a Saratoga chip, efficient phonation and the hall instantly became silent. Harry thought he saw the hat movement then turned back to the hag. But no ! it had moved, and now it split down a ridge and opened like a back talk to say…


Lasting yard years and Thomas More
By the illustrious Hogwarts four
The mansion of renown

Each one of honour lawful and grand
And at their birthing you understand
My job was then set down

I was put here to sort you antic
You sorry, snotty, shorty, folks
To one of them today

To Griffindor
The lions roar
The brave and bold dwell there

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

To Hufflepuff
Of sterner poppycock
The loyal and the just

Or Slytherin
The wits to win
Where cunning is a must

These four alone await you here
And I can select,
just volunteer
Nothing to reverence
Just lend an ear
I'm quite sincere
Can't wait to see them jump and cheer !

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

"Funny yeah !"Ron leaned over to Harry.

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

His supernumerary investigating before arriving had also turned up the Slytherin name, frequently associated with the darkness 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 backbone of his principal but when he turned around the only someone there was a thin, nervous looking wizard in a pillbox chatting to a lank-haired and sallow-faced prof. The lank-haired teachers middle flicked to his nerve, then to his forehead and Harry turned back quickly. Just in time to get wind the get-go name called out.

*

Harry stood, his heart beating fast in his chest and his lungs feeling like weighting had been hooked to them. One by one the masses 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 batch of cheering from the house they were chosen for. Harry had the insane urge to get out his juggling Ball just to live over his strain but knew he couldn't, not under all those eyes. A instant later he recognised Hermione walking up to the chair and seance, jamming on the singing hat, a few minute later and the hat pronounced her a Gryffindor and she ran down to the table. The next person he recognised was Neville, he tried to shut away all his nerves and give Neville an promote Wave as he walked past, ashen faced. After what must take in been minutes the hat sent Neville to Gryffindor too and the relief on his side was clearly visible.

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

"Harry potter !"

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

"Hm… Another tricky one."It was the part of the hat, but quieter now, and coming from just outside his ear."just psyche but underused, loyal someone but no present loyalty, and with your fears…"

"Hey !"Thought Harry, for a consequence to a greater extent tempestuous than scared."Who the hell said you could look around in my brain anyway ! That stuffs bloody private !"The hat seemed amused.

"I only look to put you where you'd fit in better, it's in your trump interests you know. To go with the great unwashed who understand you, whose minds are like your own, to the full of cunning ways, conceal paths, other ways to get what you want. I can send off you where you'll fit in, where you'll find Friend, in the house of Salazar Sl ..."But Harry cut him off.

"That's enough ! I will not let myself be placed in a house of dark mavin and disgusting people !"Harry thought angrily."I don't see what gives you the right field to take either. I chose my path ! Always ! If you looked a little boost in my brain you'd see the right on o'that ! I chose to leave base ! I chose to come up here ! No parent ! no guide ! I made my own way here, ME ! Its my spirit and I want to go to Gry ..."

"GRYFFINDOR !"The hat yelled triumphantly in the centre of his sentence 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 cheering red and gilded 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 have said he felt like he was walking on air."I don't know anyone in the other houses."A few moments later Ron was put with them as well and dropped down in the remaining tooshie, 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 subdued. Harry looked around and saw that the man sitting at the middle of the high tabular array had stood up.

He looked very old but he stood without a stoop and had straightened smoothly. His hair and beard were snowy lily-white and tied into two tails, one down the front, one down the backbone. As he surveyed the Charles Francis Hall, Harry could deliver sworn the man eyes fixed on him for a split secondly before moving on.

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

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

"One spell of advice comes to me at this time."The old mans representative sounded faintly amused, like he knew something funny that everyone else didn't."athirst children listen only to their rumbling stomachs. With that in mind, rapier in !"Harry saw the home plate in battlefront of him fill with everything imaginable. Plates of heart and soul and murphy piled high, and pitchers full of juices and milk. 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 foiled when the deserts appeared and was definitely disappointed when they went though he couldn't have eaten another sharpness. He was sitting in a happy, sleepy, fully and contended haze when he saw the master raise to his feet again.

"I have a few promulgation to give. Firstly, that first years are reminded that they are not allowed their own brooms, that first and second yr are veto to record Hogsmead village, that all bookman are forbidden to enter the forbidden forest and that anyone with any sense of self conservation should keep off the one-third floor corridor on the right-hand hand side of meat. Thank you."

"Third flooring corridor ?"Said Ron."Hey George II ! Fred !"He yelled down the table at his brothers."What's on this third floor corridor ?"

"Nothing the last time we looked."Said Fred."Why ?"

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

"What do you think ?"Harry asked the grouping as a whole.

"If there was anything there death year they'd know about it."Ron said crossing his weapons system and directing a dark look back along the mesa."So whatever it is it must cause only just happened."

"Their concealment something."Said Anapurna confidently."There's something brawny they're researching and they want to stay fresh it secret, there's no danger."

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

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

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

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

*

But there was short chance for Harry to carry through on his promise for the first few mean solar day, deterrent example followed object lesson and Harry found himself challenged to go along up. Everything in the books he'd read seemed to comprise about one one-hundredth of what they needed to get laid and each new concept sent him out from the example scratching his caput back to the al-Qur'an and then to the new one he'd got out of the library.

The only grounds he wasn't totally swamped was that after every day he could return to the Gryffindor common way and sit down on the mesa that had already been designated, even by older student, the Marauders table. On his second day Harry had simply invaded this table and pulled four other chairwoman around it, plopped his bag down and waited. By day four it was established and the places reserved.

It was near enough to the fire to be warmed by it and was constantly piled with their volume and bags, whatever sweets they had each donated to the pot, a wizard chess game set in permanent disarray, at least one written matter of hag Weekly and, more often than not, Trevor. And under the pile, between the pages of the books or hidden in dessert wrapping there were maps, details, reports and ideas.

The five of them would work on the days onerous homework till the common way began to empty, then the books would close and the employment would start out in earnest. It had moved beyond the third floor corridor of course of instruction, there were plans to get into filches position, McGonagall's federal agency, each of the other vernacular rooms, plans to curse people ( 99 % of those people being Slytherins and 80 % of them being Malfoy ) and plans to witness all the confidential passing of the school.

Harry laughed 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 repast. Even the object lesson couldn't put a slit in this. Then, on Fri, Harry awoke from sleep after a particularly unspoiled planning academic session and went downstairs to breakfast. If Harry had had a single prophetic ivory in his body he would induce shivered when looking at his days timetable.

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

*

"Potion making is as… beautiful a science as it exact. As deadly as it is complex and as hard to learn as it is rewarding to those who have the talent, and the predisposition to do so."

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

"For those golden enough to be capable to excel in my subject."The hook nosed, sallow faced professor continued."It will reap them reward far beyond any puerile appealingness or spell. What trance can satiate the lineage with fervor, can kill silent as a black eye, can fan animation back into what other spells would take for a corpse, can send someone into so deep a sleep they will never awake."

"I don't know any spells for the endure one but his voice is doing a pretty good job so far."Padma whispered and Harry had to bite his upper lip to maintain the auditory sensation in. They had been set at a desk thankfully near the back of the class and could look gain across the whole class to where the teacher, one Severus Snape, stalked in front of the chalkboard. The reason they were laughing so hard was that, before the lesson, Ron's buddy had treated them to an impression of Snape which, at the time, they had thought was an exaggeration.

"But well-nigh of you will not experience that acquirement and will doubtless find yourself confused… baffled… and, if prior disasters are any indication, severely cut in this classroom. If that is the lawsuit then I ask that you don't hesitate to derive to me for help."("WHAT ?"Harry's dumbfounded formulation was mirrored on every face in the grade )"And I will tell you what I tell all the other pupil stupid enough to come to me. ‘ I don't CARE.'” The instructor waved his sceptre at the board and some book of instructions appeared there.

Later in the lesson, when Snape was making his rounds around the desks staring at everyone's cauldrons and making derogatory comments to everyone not in unripened trimmed robes, Harry made a peak of looking Snape directly in the eyes as he passed by and smiling from ear to ear.

"Something funny Potter."brain turned to check."You see something you find amusing ?"

"I don't think you'd get the jocularity Professor, it's a youth 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 social occasion I foresee happening frequently. Lets see if we can speed things up a minuscule. Tell me…"Snape's back snapped straight like a willow branchlet and he looked down at Harry."What would I get if I added powderize root of asphodel to an extract of wormwood ?"

"muster of living death."Harry's prior-reading-parachute deployed on cue to pull through him."A sleeping potion."

"Incorrect."Snape glowered.

"self-justification me."The annoying turn of events to the words… the self-important accent… Hermione sat at the next table over and was turned towards Harry and Snape."The answer is the potation of living death. A sleeping potion powerful en…"

"Five stage from Gryffindor Miss Granger."Snape said without turning."The redress answer Potter ... Was ‘ drawing of living demise sir'. Another ten compass point from Gryffindor."Snape swept off leaving Harry glowering at his back.

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

"Well you were a bit cheeky to result off the Sir."Hermione said primly and folded her arm. Behind her on her put over Lavender Brown University ( not a toader but a protagonist of Padma and Anapurna. Harry had promised to instruct her to juggle once and was now trying to obtain a way to wiggle out of it ) rolled her eyes."But it shouldn't have been ten peak, maybe five."

"Harry do you commemorate which of us it was that asked her vox populi ?"Ron said glibly.

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

While failing to name his potion Harry thought carefully, Hermione didn't go around with anyone, she didn't sit with the like mass in any two form, he'd never seen her talking in the common room with anyone. In fact, the only times he'd seen her out of socio-economic class was when he took books out of the library, then she was always there, with her head trench in progressively thicker books.

"That doesn't mean she doesn't have friends."mentation Harry while crushing porcupine quills."She could experience people in other class from before she came here."

"She's muggle-born."Another part of his learning ability said"How would she already have supporter at a genius school."

"Oh…"Harry looked over at Hermione and Lavender, only talking to reference the pedagogy on the dining table and at other prison term Hermione was craned over her Book and Lavender over hers.

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

*

Harry tried to utter to Hermione respective multiplication over the future few calendar week but she always just ignored him or ran off. defective, Padma and Anapurna had told him she had taken to crying in the girls gutter during breaks and after lessons.

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

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

"She's OK if you ask her about preparation 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 masses to care her she wouldn't be so stuck up. If she keeps pushing the great unwashed away it's probably because she doesn't want friends."Parvati and Padma nodded sadly but Neville ( placid on the sidelines as always ) gave a small shake of his head. Loneliness was easygoing to understand from experience than from observation.

"No reason really, it's just we've got to live with the rest of our year for the succeeding seven years and that'll be easier if were at least on speakin'damage with them."The others seemed to take this partial explanation. The true statement of the matter was Harry didn't want to see anybody lonely either.

*

Harry decided to try a more direct overture. The following day, after object lesson but before dinner party, Harry went down to the program library and approached the now familiar pile of a pile of books and Hermione. He pulled up a chairwoman and sat about a tierce of the way around the tabular array from her.

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

"expression, you can't observe going like this forever. Humans need to talk to former humankind or they go crazy."Harry twirled a finger near his ear and let his eyes go queer."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 special task for professor Flitwick and it's in tomorrow. Some people care about school."And with that she darted to yet a tertiary table and sat with her dorsum to him. After a moment he saw her articulatio humeri begin to shake with sobs.



Harry stood there for a bit feeling worthless then turned and walked out of the library. But that wasn't the last he'd see of Hermione that day, a slight later when Harry was on a fact-finding commission ("I swear polecat keeps a surplus key in one of the janitors closets."Ron had said. Harry had agreed to face into it without realising how very many janitors closets there were and what unpleasant flavour inhabited them ) he passed a doorway to an disused classroom and heard vocalism inside.

"Give it back !"Hermione's voice ?"You arrogant snake ! apply it back !"

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

"fall in it back you foul, vile affair !"

"Crabbe, Goyle, hold the filthy mudblood away from me. I'm trying to read."Stroking the door, kicking the threshold, poking the door… amount 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 have earned you a few house points eh ? Except you won't be able-bodied to give it to him. unreliable as you mudbloods are, saying you'll do something then not having even a single sheet of paper to manus in. Terrible."Harry heard sobs from inside and redoubled his efforts at the door. Was n't there a piece called allohamora ? Harry flicked his scepter out and tried to cast it. Nothing happened. He tried again. zippo. Oh damnit ! This was n't one of the door that would n't open ! This was one of the paries that look like a threshold. Harry peered through the keyhole to try to see another door. Malfoy was holding up the papers for Hermione to see and said,

"Then I'll say ‘ Oh professor, if you wanted someone to write up that you should've asked me. I've been researching it. Just in my redundant time of course. Thanks for the house head mudblood."Harry heard another threshold surface then close and ran in the direction of the phone. Malfoy and his minions were already out of heap so Harry quietly opened the door and went in. Hermione was slumped in a plenty in the middle of the floor. He approached carefully and tried to think of something to say.

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

"Shut up ! You're as bad as he is ! Breaking rules and playing pranks ! You can't public lecture !"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 coarse room. The marauder stopped talking when they saw his face, a mix of anger and pain. They all looked to him as he sat down.

"Forget all the other plans."Harry's articulation was grave-quiet but his eyes had a foul glow."We're breaking in the Slytherin coarse elbow room. Tonight."The objection 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 tell the total story as quickly as he could. It was already getting wickedness, and they had places to be…





Authers note
Hi, thought i should provide an note eventually. brush up if you have time, this is my starting time fabrication so please feel free to tell me how auful it is.



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

"Of course we'll be caught if you don't shut up Neville !"Padma held her helping hand over Neville's mouth and pulled him further into the water 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 right reckoning of thirty before pushing the threshold exposed and leading the others out. In the end the choices for his companion were simple, he couldn't take more than two or they'd be seen for for certain and they needed some people to delay in the vulgar 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 debate Harry insisted he was the perfect scout.

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

As for Padma, she was the but one who could reliably rule the Slytherin dungeon since she had been in charge of that exceptional slice of recognisance and after all, she had been the one to find out the watchword. 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 boldness slowly lost its amazement."It had to be Goyle though, Crabbe's too impudent to be fooled by that sort of thing."It had actually taken Harry quite a long clock time to realise she was joking.

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

"Mico Neville"Harry muttered, sending the sign, and having his own wand vibrate as a response. It was the sound way to commit signals, the person had to be within ten or so meters but it was virtually soundless. Harry crept towards the wall and stepped aside so that Padma could kick in the Password.

"Ophiophagus"The paries dissolved from the nub and revealed the doorway.

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

It was dark but not pitch. A few dying coal in the vast marble fireplace gave an ominous glow. All the piece of furniture was great and dark, and in the bad light it looked oddly threatening, looming like cliffs above the creeping children. Padma tugged at Harrys robe and as he looked back she waved her hand in front of her eyes and shook her head. She couldn't see. Harry knew his middle were upright by nighttime and he kept forgetting the residue of his kinship group didn't part the welfare of his old, independent lifestyle. Harry guided her to a wall and put her behind a bulwark hanging, sitting near a large urn unpleasantly decorated to resemble a holler cheek. Harry placed Padma's wand in her manus and looked at her boldness before leaving. She was wearing a find expression but her optic were spacious and she was breathing hard.

"No shame to support out."Harry whispered in her ear, for the firstly fourth dimension having doubts about tonight's speculation."I did kinda throw everyone in at the bass end today."

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

"She said she chose her firm too."Harry thought as he headed towards the bedchamber."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 dark. What he had thought would be the hardest region had turned out to be the promiscuous. They had debated for ages how to find out which room was Malfoy's, from bribing someone to covering his shoes with ultraviolet ink but it had been all for nothing. Harry checked the brass nameplate on the room access and chuckled again before moving into the room. Like a shade, Harry tried not to even reckon loudly. Like a ghost, here then gone, no touch. The room was large for a single person way, big even than the one in Gryffindor tower he shared with four early people.

"Can't make precious pet Malfoy contribution a room."Harry sneered in the iniquity. If there had been a way to silently trash the post he would have done so, instead he began looking around for the undertaking. He slid his handwriting onto shelf and held newspaper publisher up in the Moon to read the covers. The only meter he stopped was when he was searching by Malfoy's bed and saw something on the blanket. He'd had to replicate up to keep from laughing and he'd felt like every vein would burst. Malfoy had taken his shimmy to schooling with him.

Harry could see a clock on the mantle, the hands glowing faintly in the darkness and saw that he didn't have a great deal clock time left. For a moment he stopped looking and just stood in the darkness to believe. There was no way he could search the entirely place, not going as slowly as he had to to avoid detection.

"The hat said I think like them."Harry shuddered at the thought but pushed on, no meter for self-recrimination."And Hermione said I'm just like him. So where would I hide it ? Where would I trust to be safe enough…"Statues moved more than Harry in the foresightful minute of the night.

"Nowhere. I wouldn't put it anywhere because I wouldn't trust it enough. I'd keep back it with me from the moment I got it till the moment I let it go away my hands."Harry's gaze shifted to the prone flesh on the bed."Under the pillow ? No, not that obvious. In his sac ? 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 work force in defeat and at that moment felt something in his sack vibrate. He brought his scepter out to feel the shaking in his hands.

*

Fear wasn't what he needed now, neither was a mad dash. Running now was the last thing he wanted to do… Just spook back through the threshold and go quietly down the stairs. Down the stair to where there's a light on. Harry crouched at the top of the stairwell and shielded his eyes to economize his Night vision before sliding a flyspeck periscope between the banisters ("Do you carry wholly toyshops around in you're pockets ?"Annapurna had said when he showed them some of his prick like the periscope."You never know when this stuff'll come in handy."Harry winked and twirled a lock weft between his fingers. ) The flyspeck mirror-pipe revealed a small cluster of one-fifth yr who looked like they had just come in. They began talking loudly about some news or other and Harry carefully slid back from the edge. Now what ? He didn't have the project, and his way out was now blocked. chastening, his and Padmas ways out were now blocked. Harry slid back to the edge, the Slytherins seemed to be settling down for a night of rowdy behaviour as they lounged in the large chairs with a feeding bottle of something, probably stolen from the kitchens. If they were distracted ? If Harry waited until they simply fuddle themselves into a stupor ? Perhaps they'd go to bed soon ? Harry cursed as he saw one of them detach themselves from the grouping and weave uncertainly towards the stairs.

"What the hell was he gona do now ?"Harry's learning ability worked quickly"Run back, hide in a… oh no don't !"Harry watched as Padma slipped out of her veil plaza holding the handle of the elephantine urn.



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

"She's making a beguilement !"Harry cursed"pudden-head ! Stupid ! I told them ‘ no nobleness during stickup !'” Harry at least had the bearing of judgment to wrap his scarf around his facial expression and trademark forehead before standing up and yelling…

"Oh no they're awake !"Harry gestured at imaginary number in the empty hall behind him"Go ! Run !"Harry had time 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 ability to run quietly but Harry had experience, his footfalls were light as mice on the floorboards. He turned and saw a familiar threshold. Switching himself from quiet-running-mode to bloody-silent-creep he slip into Malfoy's room and shut the door.

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

"Start searching the suite !"Ach… Harry desperately looked around the elbow room for a place to enshroud but to his dismay saw only darkness. He had lost his night eyes 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 rampart thick and wish oak door or Harry was sure as shooting Malfoy would suffer woken.

"Wardrobe ? It had had glass in the front ! Under the bed ? No room !"Harry's thoughts grew panicked as the vocalization got closer."paries, floor, cap, bed, desk, wardrobe, fireplace…"Harry dropped to his bridge player and articulatio genus and crawled across the base as fast as he dared. He was sure he was making noise now but he didn't have the nerve left to go any deadening. His deal reached the cold stone of the hearth and he felt his way into it. No ash at all, the open fireplace had never been used. Later on that dark Harry would realise that the Slytherins probably heated their chambers by magic trick so they didn't get the locoweed and gained a more even heat energy, all he thought at the clip was a panicked…

"Thank you !"as he stood up. His hands found a bar embedded in the wall to hang tummy 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 inch from the top of the fireplace and hoped fervently there was no one too curtly in the hunting party.

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

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

"There's mortal sneaking around in the rooms."The voice sounded like the speaker was gargling gravel."We thought he might take come in here."

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

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

"He's not in any of the early rooms."A new voice, possibly younger and more hesitant than the gravely boy."And we checked the toilets and back down in the rough-cut room."Harry hoped Padma had had the mentality to be well on her way back to their common room by then, and to ingest Neville with her. Harry's helping hand brushed something in the wall behind him, careful not to make a sound he slid it out of the wall and choked back a triumphant pant as he read the lettering on the covert of the parchment.


The use of alter static-induction charms in

the circumstance of adhesives and fasteners.

Hermione Granger

"Yes !"Thought character of Harry's psyche."I'm still born prosperous ! This is what I came here for."…"This is what I came here for ?"Said another parting in disbelief"adhesive material and fixing ?"Harry shook his caput and laughed at himself a bit before folding up the report card and slipping it into his gown. backbone in the chamber the conversation had become more heated.

"When my father hears about this !"Malfoy was in full argumentative swing"You will all be gloomy ! The Malfoy family own your founding father Flint ! And you can be surely there will be words on the subject of this incident."

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

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

"But first years… never… go on the team. No thing 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 voice, a vox dripping despite with every word !

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

"Tell me why some of the leading members of Slytherin house are awake at this hour ? Hmm… Some of them stinking of gaudy wine-colored !"He almost made the fact that it was flash sound like the unsound part."well ? Or have you all been rendered dumb by drink !"

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

"Inside the Slytherin mutual room ?"

"Yes."

"Inside the password protected Slytherin common way ?"

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

"tomfoolery. All you saw was the wine floating in presence of your eye seeing as you seem to throw drown yourselves in it !"Harry heard Snape's footsteps head towards the door.

"There was soul ! They were wearing Gryffindor robes !"The footsteps continued and Harry heard a doorway opened"And they were unforesightful !"The stair led out the room access"And they had a scarf joint around their head !"dance step then…

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

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

"Don't be pillock, he could hide his personal identity better than that."Snape seemed to be talking to himself slightly at that point in time but then…"Search everywhere ! Every room, bend them upside down and shake them if requisite !"Harry's ticker leapt into his pharynx and he looked around wildly for a way out. But he already knew the only ways, down or up. Harry pushed his spine against one rampart and carefully shifted his feet onto the opposite one. Hogwarts was old Isidor Feinstein Stone and there were deal of handholds to help him chimney up faster, and more quietly. But just as he was thinking he had reached beyond their audience soul said.

"What was that in the chimney ?"Bloody Malfoy ! Since when did Snake River throw such good ears ? Harry went absolutely still except for his lips moving in a soundless curse."I heard something !"Harry looked down and was met by a relieving sight. The lamp chimney curved as it went up, He could no longer see the circle of light at the bottom.

"I can't see anything."Flint River again, thank heavens for small-scale minds.



"relocation over."Harry heard a thumping as Snape pushed his bookman out of the way then…"Acerbus cuspis !"Harry's perspective was momentarily lighted as bar of sickly silver lighting shot up the chimney towards him then his sight was lost in botheration. Harry's feet slipped but he grimly held on by his handholds, gritting his teeth against the stabbing knots of pain each lancet had left in him.

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

"Acerbus cuspis !"This time Harry was flattened against the wall and only a few of the bolt hit him."Conjunctivitis !"that spell winged right wing past him, cracking Saratoga chip 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 knife between his teeth and pulled one sweaty hand off the wall so he could fumble in air hole for a tumid metal jar. At the fourth dimension Harry had thought Ron's mesmerism had been a bit stupid but now he was especially glad he had agreed to contribute the jar along. He pulled the cap off with his teeth and dropped the message before they had a prospect to burn him, far below he heard…

"Aaaa ! Doxies !"A few to a greater extent spells rang out but none directed at Harry, even the heat stopped, allowing Harry to put his ft back against the bulwark and give his aching implements of war a rest. Below him he heard Snape yell out

"hunt the early rooms."Harry waited a foresightful time before climbing foster up. His arms needed the rest anyway and there was no way he was gon na try to slip back out through the Slytherins tonight.

*

The clean 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 chimney had ladder in them, or at least persona of ravel, but most of them he had to shin up. The air was hotter and Smokey here, perhaps some of these lamp chimney were still in use this recently, or more likely it was early on enough that the kitchens had woken up. Harry would be the first to admit ( to himself at to the lowest degree ) that he had many concern but claustrophobia wasn't one of them. He pulled his scarf joint tighter above and below his glasses to keep open out lampblack and around his back talk to breath through as he climbed up into more used chimney. Harry felt himself make a motion out into a bombastic expanse but couldn't see the walls through the dark and the smoke. Questing fingers found a rusted run and a few moments later Harry pulled himself over the brink of a huge lamp chimney and let himself down to the rooftop below.

Tired but elated Harry pulled his scarf joint from around his face and tried to find some fresh cloth somewhere on himself to wipe his methamphetamine off. When he put them back on he was struck mute for a moment by the mass that met his eyes.

Rolling hills of roofing tile and Banks of slate. Towers popping out at Angle and fairy balconies with balustrades like lace. Harry walked along the roof ridge he had landed on in wonder, there was a whole world up above Hogwarts. More 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 ridge and shook his head in disbelief. Even the climb hadn't taken his breath like this did. He lay back and lay eyes on another curiosity. The stars from here seemed brighter, almost as expert as the uranology tower ( Harry's preferred lesson, just as an excuse to dream ).

"And no-one up here but me."Harry said aloud, there was no one to hear."Peace."Harry could have fallen asleep against those tiles but something moving below caught his eye. Snape, passing along a corridor with marvelous window all along it. Harry moved to hide then realised his soot-black robes blended perfectly against the night sky and wrapped his scarf around his expression to hide the finally ping skin. His glasses were still grubby enough not to shine.

Harry trailed Snape over the roofs, not even for a moment thinking of going back to the Gryffindor rooms and thinking even lupus erythematosus of the danger. Here on the ceiling he was in his component, there was no danger here. Snape stopped at what looked like a instructor quartern and pushed through the threshold without knocking. It took Harry a minute or so to find the corresponding window then lowered himself down near it. By circumstances or the sleeping car habit it was ajar. When Harry moved closer he heard ...

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

"What whole time ? How do you even know when this happened ?"Snape's vocalisation was angry and accusing."The only fact that keeps me from cursing you into colored obliviousness right now is that I can't quite bring myself to recall that even one so miserable as you would be stupe enough to reckon it was moved to the Slytherin dungeon of all places."

"Th…Then why are you here ?"Quirrell's vox grew a little steadier now, just a small."Why cum to me ?"

"Because perhaps you were looking for something else, perhaps a way past my security of it or some clue as to what that protection is. I assure you, you would have found neither. My work is as fiendish as it is composite and as crafty…"Harry groaned inwardly, not this talk again."And you could never pierce it. Never. Despite Dumbledore's supreme want of judgment in hiring you and letting you assist in the auspices of the stone I will keep on unworthy things like you from it !"With that Snape turned and stamped out of the room. Harry was about to leave alone when Quirrell quietly spoke.

"He, suspects something lord. 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 particular about tomorrow ? Other than it being Halloween ..."

*

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

"Thank you."Padma breathed and shared a speedy smile with her sister. But she quickly fell soundless again. If she was to be honest with herself she would accept 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 Sami herself ) and had for a moment not known quite what to do. She was ashamed that after she had taken an age behind the curtain working up nerve and steeling herself to provide a misdirection and Harry had done the Same in an instant. She was ashamed that, when she heard multitude coming back towards the vulgar room, she had bolted back though the door, pulled an astonished Neville from behind the armor and had shepherded him across the school, not once talking until they passed behind the fat noblewoman and got back to Gryffindor common way and into the awaiting and recriminating stare of Ron Weasly.

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

"He'll probably just get detention, he'll lose us a few house points for being out after curfew."Padma knew her baby was deliberately making thing seem better than they were to throw her flavour better. Sometimes Padma thought they had been born to with personality inverse, the eternal optimist and the cynical pessimist. Except this fourth dimension her sister wasn't just being affirmative. 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 thievery. He could be expelled."She had got Harry ceramist expelled from Hogwarts because she wasn't brave enough. She knew when the hat had left it up to her she would opt wrongly. She didn't deserve to be here."In Harry's maiden term he'll be expelled."

"I'm doing what now ?"

The New Marauders turned en mass and saw a blackened and scraped Harry drop from one of the high window. His face was red and raw and he had a ugly bruise on his left buttock, his hands were bleeding and he staggered as he hit the ground but he wore a smile of joy and victory 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 course, in the party of Slytherins it seemed much longer."

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

"Chimney."Harry said lightly."Easy mount really once you get past the first bit. Oh and one other thing…"Harry fished around in his scoop and drew out some written document. Padma found herself shaking her drumhead, no, not after all that happened, you can't still have got it, no unity that near."We got what we came for. It may need some cleaning though…"With that the floodgate came loose and the predator began peppering Harry with dubiousness. The foreign child laughed as he unrolled a story that had them gasping. As she listened Padma realised she was glad she'd made her option, even if she wasn't brave enough for Gryffindor she wouldn't give up the marauder for the world. And besides, she thought as the looked at her baby, at Ron, at Neville and especially at the soot clothed pattern animatedly talking before her, even if I'm not brave now I'll be learning from the best.

*

Hermione rose early from her sheet and was mildly surprised to see that they weren't covered in bout. She was sure she'd been crying when she went to kip. She dressed mechanically and didn't talking to anyone as she made her way down to breakfast. Not that that was unusual she conceded to herself but today especially she didn't want to talk. That thought only made her hunch in further over her food. Before anyone else had left the board Hermione walked out of the great hall, leaving the relaxation of her food for thought behind ( even if she hadn't had somewhere to be she felt too nauseous to eat ). The undertaking was significant, it was the form of thing they gave thirdly and quaternary yr to work on. Hermione straightened herself up as she walked towards Flitwicks office. Best get it over with…

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

"Hello untried Mr Malfoy."He chirped"Are you and Miss Granger friends."

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

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

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

"Yes, left on my desk this daybreak. I flicked through it over breakfast. I used to read the day-by-day prophet of a morning but there's so many advertizing in it now."The professor shook his fountainhead and didn't appear to find the totally dumbstruck grammatical construction on the two first-years faces."I'll give you expert feedback when I've read it fully Miss Granger and then…"Flitwick turned to Malfoy"…I'll be sure to give it to you."With that the short chap wandered off humming faintly to himself.

"How."Malfoy had anger and shock in his eyes."You didn't have early copies. You said you didn't have other copy !"

"I didn't."Hermione was surprised at the trace of smugness in her articulation. Malfoy was looking at her with barely suppressed madness. Then he seemed to notice something and for a consequence his eyes widened in realisation then screwed up in even dark choler 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 smiles. The Slytherin looked like he was about to blow a mineral vein, or possibly photograph steam out of his ears.

"YOU ! ! !"He bellowed striding towards them pointing with his verge."It was you !"Harry and his Friend stood their ground against the guardianship and Malfoy was brought to a dead end, it was that or take the air into a human rampart."You stole it ! When I tell my father he'll bring it to the shoal governors and…"

"Tell them what worm."Harry's interpreter was wide-cut of laughter.

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

"Even if you were willing to hold 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 slip bear."Harry raised his eyebrows and began chuckling. After a moment the remainder of his work party began laughing as well. Malfoy turned and stalked away against a background of hysterical laughter. Hermione was surprised to she was laughing too. At the end of the corridor Malfoy turned back and yelled…

"You win this round Potter ! But I'll get you succeeding sentence !"

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

*

The inauspicious byproduct of the holdup was that Malfoy was even more acidulent than usual in class that day. Despite double warnings from teachers he insulted Harry and the rest of the Marauders with every other intimation. Fortunately though that breath was wasted as nine times out of ten the predator in question was asleep on their chair. Hermione sighed, but not unhappily and reached for a new quill. She'd better relieve oneself these eminence 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 hearth mesa. She smiled and felt tender inside for the first clip in what seemed same forever and walked over to sit down with her friends.


I own cypher, certainly nothing Harry potter related.

Seriously, i 'm not kidding ! Do I look racy than the pansy ?



"Go on !"

"No ! I can't !"

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

"He'll see me !"Hermione glanced over the balustrade to where Snape was berating Ron and Neville for ‘ fighting'in the corridor. What the boys had in fact been doing was distracting Snape so he would come and stand under the overhanging upper berth story. That piece of the plan had gone perfectly. The next contribution was proving problematic.

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

"You're all crazy ! Any one of the stunts you've pulled could warrant expulsion ! How foresighted do you think you can keep getting away with it ?"Hermione's whisper was angry and gymnastic horse."And if you think"She pointed at his head"I'm tipping that"A gesture at the grease"over a Hogwarts teacher !"a finger's breadth stabbing down at Snape"You must be screwball !"She swung her branch across-the-board in exasperation and they both heard a thump, then a splashing noise.

Harry saw his ally face turn from righteous anger to grey dread fast as a take up match. She kept her center firmly ahead and, as if denying what had just happened, shook her head. Harry in contrast had grinned like a maniac and now grabbed Hermione by the robe and began running off through the corridors pulling her after him. A moment later they heard a violent thunder 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 PAIN !"Harry pulled Hermione to a stop and dragged her sideways into a little utilise corridor, with her still dewy-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 windowpane and disappeared as she clambered up a ladder. Harry swung out after her, shut the window and slid onto the roofing tile above. He wasted no time in pulling himself back to the sharpness and poking his periscope back down to the edge of the glass. A second later an irate Snape ran past. Harry only caught a glance, but he thought the man seemed slicker than usual. Harry rolled back and looked up at Hermione who still seemed shaken.

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

*

A calendar week or so latter the morning bloomed bright and betimes as the piranha made their way down to the grass in front of the rook. Harry stopped to post up a few more pictures after making for sure the coast was clear. The Slytherins were tearing them down wherever they saw them on Snapes orders but Harry had even seen some of them trying to hide giggles as the wizard poster displayed Snape being doused again and again. The eternal sleep of the shoal didn't botheration to hide it and the school had been awash with laughter ever since the number 1 one went up three 24-hour interval ago.

The teacher were all trying to retrieve who was posting them ( Harry had caught both Flitwick and Sprout laughing when they thought no one was looking and even McGonagall had cracked a smile when an incoherent Snape had burst into her classroom brandishing a wad of posters that had papered the main courtyard ). The teachers didn't jazz how so many of them were getting so many situation around the grounds. Harry knew, it was just a matter of a W. C. Handy rooftop and a next wind. When he had seen some errant pictures carried into the sky by blow 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 monster man had laughed and handed a stack of posters back to him.

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

The instructor search and gentlewoman Hooch's in the first place ill wellness were some of the reasonableness they were going to their first flying lesson bundled up in wintertime clothes.

"Now…"Madam Hooch's voice rang out over the tack together Gryffindors and Slytherins"Just raise your right bridge player over the broom and yell UP ! Just like this… UP !"Her broom leapt obediently into her hand, Harry noted that it was varnished and looked a lot Modern than the ones the student had."Well go on…"

The class obediently placed their hands over their brooms.

"UP !"Harry yelled, feeling a bit dopy, the pin by his metrical foot refused to budge."UP !"Harry looked around and saw first one then others of the family get their brooms."UP !"Harry thought maybe Malfoy had replaced his legerdemain broom for a very broom in revenge but the things had been handed out randomly. Harry shifted his fundament surreptitiously underneath his broom and tensed ..."UP !"Harry grabbed the rising broom and held it nonchalantly on his articulatio humeri. He caught Annapurna looking at him and giggling.

"What ? I didn't do anything."

"That's right you didn't !"

A few moment later everyone had their ling and gentlewoman hooch was showing them how to grip the poor fish things.

"rightfulness, now… Just kick off from the ground, hover for me for a mo then leeee…an forward and float back down again."lady hootch demonstrated then held up her gloved hand."Three… Two… One."component part of the form rose unsteadily into the air, others remained grounded or had slipped off their revolt brooms. Harry glanced to his sides shame-faced as his broom resolutely refused to present any characteristics beyond long, wooden and setaceous. 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 Scots heather !"Ron strafed out of reach to the face with a adept hand before coming to rest."Take Neville's."

Harry turned and saw Neville rising at a escargot step with a expression of teeth-gritting concentration."At that rate 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 powerful magic can interfere with most broomsticks."Hermione was landing ungracefully beside him, gripping the broom with white knuckles. Harry chuckled at the mentation that she still found assiduity left to call on the carpet them."These are old Scots heather but their still fairly immune to that form of thing."

"This isn't dark conjuration I'm talking about its him swapping it with a pattern 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 hastiness to fly again."

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

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

"Thanks."They swapped heather and Harry got himself back into the march equitation post. He hopped off the ground but dropped back down just as quickly.

"Still having trouble ?"Harry saw Ron float over his head and drop down in front of him,"null wrong with this one mate."Ron knocked his knuckles against the Ellen Price Wood of Harry's Calluna vulgaris."I think its even a little better than my one."

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

"Having hassle Potter."no… not now…"Your flying's so pathetic even the weasel here can quiver you and that's saying something."Malfoy floated along in front man of Harry, sitting side-saddle and not even bothering to apply on."Didn't your Church Father ever teach you to fly… Oh no wait I forgot ! He's a bit too moldy to sit on a Scots heather now !"The commentary about his parents washed over Harry but the other diss bit and he sneered at the whiteness haired kid in forepart of him. Ron however erupted."What do you mean that's saying something !"He was back on his broom in a trice and whipped himself around Malfoy so fast the Slytherins robes billowed in the wind."Half of my menage's been on the Gryffindor Quidditch squad !"

"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 harbour't won the cup in years. Being on a team of failure is no accolade weasel."

"Yeah, they haven't won since my brother Charlie left !"Ron's philippic had began to attract attention and madam Hooch was walking over. Harry tried to take in Ron's eye but failed."Best seeker in a X ! He coulda'played for Engl…."

"Mr Weasly ! Mr Malfoy ! Decend at once !"dame Hooch didn't wait for them to respond and instead grabbed the front of their Scots heather and yanked them to the floor. Ron fell in a heap, Malfoy kept his balance but only barely."I will have no arguments in my course and I distinctly told you to originate then pearl, not hover like blowflies !"The flying instructor spun and walked back to the ease of the course of instruction leaving Malfoy and Ron glaring at one another.

Harry shifted his broom under himself, all during the contention he'd tried to surface up and join his Quaker but the broom had refused to move. By the end of the lesson he'd vanish once, a few wobbling groundwork followed by a sum collapse into the grass. Malfoy had laughed worse than before and Harry said some things that lost them star sign points ("An eleven twelvemonth old shouldn't know those Book Mr Potter, much to a lesser extent know what they mean !") and the Marauders were a muted lot that ascended the stairs to Gryffindor tug. Parvati tried to illumine the tone by pointing out how many students had the drenched Snape bill poster on the walls of their suite and Harry decided to stop moping.

"right hand,"Harry cracked open a drink stolen from the kitchen."Down to the serious business. What have you all found out about Quirrell ?"

*

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

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

"It just doesn't make sense Ron."Harry continued"Snape may be a git but it doesn't make gumption. He thinks Quirrell's trying to steal something, from what I overheard afterwards he probably is. Why would Snape gambling like he's accusing Quirrell when only Quirrell was in the elbow room ! Also why would Quirrell play like it's him when nobody was in the way !"Harry leafed through some papers again while the others bickered, the daily seer from a few month ago was there, a raid at gringots where null was taken. other matter too, Quirrels records, researched through old files, an intelligent student, masterful in the theory if not the practice of defence against the darkness arts, the last few years of his life history spent travelling around dealing with severe morose creature. Harry pushed them away and pulled over a thinner file cabinet, Severus Snape, potions master of Hogwarts and long time envier of the defence against the dark arts post. There wasn't often else, Snape didn't seem to be a very newsworthy person.

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

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

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

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

"being strait-laced. I've been looking into it the Saami as everyone else has which is exactly the point. We've all been caught loitering around the third floor a few too many prison term. Did you hear what McGonagall said in class 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 word had been clipped like little razors."She knows we're provision something and she probably knows we're behind the posters too, she just camber prove it."

"So ?"

"So, Mr Ronald Weasley they are watching us like war hawk. I'll bet there's a teacher guarding the thirdly floor right now and another just on the other face of that door."She pointed at the other side of the fat ladies portrait, from this face looking like a trap in the wall."Even putting aside the notion of detention, house-points and especially expulsion ! We'd never get fold enough to the corridor to come up anything. It's all your fault really"She continued without a breath."If you hadn't done your pointless rule breaking we might be able to find out really significant stuff now."That input was the cause an argument broke out that Harry had to becalm down with wit. It was also at least partially the reason Harry stayed awake that night public treasury he was indisputable Ron and Neville were gone then got out his darkest clothes and slipped out one of the windows before heading in the focal point of the tabu corridor.

*

Harry peered through a window and saw professor vector idly marking some duty assignment by the light of his baton while sitting on the stairs above the fat Lady's portrayal. Reminding himself to narrate Hermione later ( she'd be insufferably smug but she deserved the satisfaction ) Harry slipped away and made his way over to the third floor corridor on the right 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 incline window at the genius guarding the doorway… Quirrell… Standing in a dapple of lumos-light, his apparition jump as he nervously twiddled his wand in his fingers. Harry slid inside and dropped behind a column. Quirrell was guarding it ? He'd been so sure… Maybe the others were right-hand and Quirrell wasn't attempting thievery 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 wear out through them. Harry's mental monologue was cut short as the result leaned out of the patch of darkness it had been sequestered in, invisible even to Harry's eye's.

"Nervous Quirrell ?"Snape slid from his shadowy corner, his sceptre held lightly but readily in his hand."Or perhaps not glad with the company."Harry saw now that it hadn't just been the fantasm, Snape's entire consistence blended into the background knowledge, changing colour like a Chamaeleon. Only his eyes stayed the Same, smutty kettle of fish even against the lighted grey rock behind him, it made them seem like they were floating above the ground.

"Why ever w…would I be infelicitous Severus."Quirrell was leaning away from the wraith-like form before him."No one dependable 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 same Nox Quirrell, won't that be fun."Snape laced the utmost word with such poison Harry was surprised the dadaism professor didn't run like a rabbit. Instead he jumped like one and whimpered.

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

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

But Harry was already prepare, while they had been talking he had sneaked around into the way next to the be-turbaned wizard and entered. It was an empty classroom, desks piled up to the ceiling. Harry waited near the door as the searchlight shaft of light swept past his berth, swinging across the room like passing headlamp before moving on. Harry waited patiently. ill-treat two was already in motion.

*

Crack…

"What was that !"Snape pushed forward from his hiding place at the diminished but nearby sound. 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 cowardly quavering tone."Perhaps you're… ha… ha… imagining things…Severus."

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

Crack…crack…

"There."Behind a mainstay, perhaps the potter boy or one of his clique trying to reach the corridor again. An provocation he didn't need with something so much more crucial going on. The rat Quirrell needed observation. For now Snape wasn't sure whether he wanted the Harlan F. Stone for himself or for… for… Snape shuddered away from the epithet in his thinker. Dumbledore said saying it would take in him venerate less but to Snape it was too much. The old jester didn't know, he hadn't been up close. Some matter deserve fear.

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

"Oh you'd love that wouldn't you Quirrell."Snape jammed his verge under the servile poor devil's chin. Quirrell squealed and tried to stand on his tiptoes to turn tail the dark-wood point."Leave you close to the doorway unsupervised while at the same sentence turning my rachis on you. Something I will never do."Snape pushed the man towards the other wall."You go first."

They walked like hostage and kidnapper up the insensate stone footpath to the column. Quirrell raised his baton. Not a chance…

"Back down by your incline or I will carry it and possibly the helping hand It's gripped in too."Quirrell's arm jibe back down. As they reached the column Snape let the rat take the lead and look around the corner. Better him to exact the first blow if one came.

"There's n… nil 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 nothing but three oddly placed rocks, all together, near the reason where they might have fallen. They were both considering the riddle when a phantasma skirted the back wall and stopped by the no-longer-guarded door.

*

"Alohomora."just a whispering like silk sliding over silk but the ringlet clicked and Harry slid the door candid just ever so slightly, then entered the prevent hall.

"Ha."Harry thought as he took one shoemaker's last glimpse at the professor before closing the door."Lighter than air liquorish. Eat it quick or it melts in the air ! also if you tie up a rock candy or two with it you get a stochasticity 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 time took a look at his surroundings.

auction pitch black. Not even eyes trained for this could penetrate it. Harry squatted down quietly and let his other sentiency have a try.

Cold, clammy, slight intermittent snap. Odd that, you'd think there was nowhere for a walkover to come from. Also the air had been dead still out on the roof.

dampness scent with a hint of mud and mess. There was urine in there somewhere too and other things even less savoury. Bit like a wet dog smell…

And most importantly in a osseous tissue chilling, spunk leaping, cold-sweat, dry-palms, running-for-the-door-despite-Snape-and-all way, the speech sound of breathing. Heavy in-out breathing spell with a hint of slobber on them. More like snoring actually. Harry tried to calm himself down and at to the lowest degree partially succeeded. Getting out his wand he smothered the tip in his robe then breathed.

"Lumos"

The glow through the fabric was like dead firefly but it showed Harry the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe of what was in front of him. Its bulk half way to the ceiling and slowly uprising and falling with its breathing space. Like a muffled wraith Harry moved across the floor, skirting the walls until he had travelled all the way around the savage, having to mistreat over its tush where it brushed the bulwark. There were no other doors. This room and this beast was all there was to see. Harry edged closer to the nominal head of the thing, his feet turned and poised to flee to the doorway at any moment.

"But what if I'm not libertine enough."Harry tried to still his mind 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 solar flare in the darkness !"

"It'll aftermath for sure if you don't shut up and let me concentrate !"Harry edged in closer to the beast and stopped when his igniter revealed a change of grain in the story. Harry carefully traced its border in his psyche."A square… a trapdoor… that which is hidden… that which is forbidden."Harry grinned in the darkness. The only job was the drear mass obscuring one corner of the square, a paw or claw of the thing. Harry's movements was as slow as drifting feathers and as smooth as his hands found the edge of the affair, and the handle, on the opposite side of meat to the claw. Harry wanted to carry off his baton but the phone he'd have to make was worse than the stifled radiance. Harry reached for the trapdoor handle and applied the lightest cutaneous senses of draw to it, increasing by hairsbreadth breadths Harry felt the woodwind instrument move.

A oink near his articulatio humeri made his muscles freeze and his fondness slipstream. He felt flesh move all around him and the air brought new wafts of foetor. But the wildcat just grunted again and fell back into snoring. Harry eased the door up a half span more then stuck his hand in and felt inside. No steps met his questing hand, just a straight shaft. Harry propped the door spread with a rod and felt in his pocket. He drew forth a long string. His nimble finger's breadth felt the plummet on the end and he put it through the trapdoor then slowly and evenly paid out rope counting under his breath. The string went slack. About eight meters. With something soft he'd do it. With dusty stone he'd break a leg. Harry wondered if a tangible wizard would know some self levitation appeal to get themselves down safely. He pulled back up on the chain and suffered a surprise. It was stuck ! He tugged on it again. No spring at all. He tugged again and in a heart stopping here and now, felt the rod brush his arm.

The trapdoor banging closed was like a cannon ball in the gut and Harry felt the swarthiness move around him. He threw himself backwards as a guttural consonant growl filled the elbow room with primeval fearfulness. He saw a cast the size of an oven smash down in front of him and heard wood sliver and quip. Harry whipped the cloth from his wand and the stark shadows danced high on the wall before him as the massive rottweiler head turned and looked at him with bloodshot eyes. Harry dived again to stave off its teeth and looked up to see it descending from above him too ! Harry kicked off from the ground and slid, he felt hot breathing space on his binding and the ginger snap of jaws behind him but he was gone. Straight into the ruined trapdoor and plummeting down the shaft.

*

Harry spun in the air and he felt hard annoyance as his fountainhead caught itself a chap on the passing rampart. He landed in a plant and in a daze, his eyes showing him black spotlight more than anything else. He lifted his manus to his head and was surprised to see it came back sportsmanlike, without blood or possibly brains. He shook his caput to clear it and held his sway hand and wand up to divulge his environment. A nondescript way with this plant covering the floor, covering some of the walls too, and the ceiling, and him !

"What the infernal region !"Harry shouted at the tendrils as they wrapped themselves around his leg. He tried to pull them off but they were similar conducting wire ! They wrapped his waist too ! Harry pulled and tore at the vines !"Acerbus cuspis !"Harry used the curse word Snape had aimed at him but au naturel duds of brightness level injection from his wand and the flora barely noticed. What was that former one ! ? Think ! Think !"Relashio !"red sparks and passion shooter from his wand and where they hit the plant drew back."Relashio !"Harry aimed at his pegleg and cried out as his skin burned. But he was unloose. He stumbled to his understructure and blasted a few last tendrils. He leapt to the door and pushed through, staggering down the corridor occasionally pointing his verge back in caseful the devil industrial plant had tried to trace him, he reached another door and carefully pushed it subject, wand out in movement he entered the room, and was met by a strange sight.

polishing, fluttering glittering things, flying near the ceiling 100 of them. Harry edged out into the kernel of the highschool vaulted blank. The fairy flicker remained near the ceiling and Harry at last stopped eying them crooked. He walked over to the door on the other incline and tried the handgrip. Locked. Obviously. It could never be easy could it ? Harry was just wondering what to do when he heard interpreter from behind him. Spinning like a startled cat Harry saw feeble light coming from around the edges of the door he'd just come through. The visible radiation and the voices got strong as Harry searched for a hiding seat. He ran to a wall buttressing and grabbed for a handhold, thank heavens they like decoration around this place…

*

"I assure you Professor Dumbledore no one got retiring us. Unless they were… hm… Invisible ! Ha…"

"I am not impugning your ability Quirenius I merely wish to be sure."Dumbledore walked slowly as if there was no rush. Severus had alerted him as soon as the dog had awoken and had himself tried to calm the animal which was tearing at the base near the trapdoor in a frenzy. Still, the old fall guy still had his marbles 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 necessitate them down and a marble walkway over the devilsnare with a casualness that betrayed his true up major power. Snape had to privately accept to himself he couldn't have replicated either exploit. That made him wince inside but he took some comfortableness from the fact that if he could not do it, Quirrell certainly couldn't and so the stone was still safe.

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

"They could have locked it from the early side."Ivy and distinguish ? unwiseness and idiocy. The other teachers hadn't protected the stone nearly well enough.

"But if they had."Dumbledore said in his insufferably unflustered voice."Then the key would sustain been locked on that face with them and I think… Ah !"The old man pointed a be-ringed fingerbreadth towards the ceiling and Snape strained his eye into the cloud of glitter but failed to pick 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 maiden place."

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

"Professor."Perhaps he'll listen to me now. Perhaps the doddering jester will mind 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 incense he didn't even notice the movement above him in a high alcove, like someone getting into a better perspective to take heed."He was seen snooping around the Slytherin plebeian way a week ago and he's never really explained why he took the denial job in the first place."Snape couldn't give spokesperson to the very reason for his suspicion. A gut feeling, a twisting knife in his heart and an aura of menace he felt in every cell whenever Quirrell was nearby. An irrational fear too. A reverence of being discovered, a fear that made every moment a silent prayer that his mental defense team would bear 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 mistrust professor Quirrell."As he half turned away Snape could have sworn that Dumbledore's lips tilted into a quiet smile."But if it would help you sleep punter I will place my own protection on the Edward Durell Stone tonight rather than waiting until after Christmas."That was certainly a shock !

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

"Many affair have changed. Before I had not tested enough. Now I have."Dumbledore took a pocket-size sweet out of his pocket and popped it in his mouth before continuing."I intended to do a bit more testing but…"The old man spread his hands."I suppose the stream version will probably work well enough."

"May I ask what this marvellous trade protection is ?"The headmaster had made some extraordinary claims about what his protection would do."A tribute that not the Dark Lord, nor any demise Eater, nor anyone with care to use it for ill or greed could riddle ?"

"Ah Severus."Now the man was smiling. Sometimes the gaga old man was just plain unsufferable."You are always telling me I'm too trusting and now you want me to unwrap my brilliant security ?"His smiling eyes glanced at Snape over the top of his meth before he turned and walked back down the passageway. There wasn't much Snape could do but follow him.

*

Harry waited a good one-half hour after seeing Snape disappear, just to be sure he was truly gone before slipping out of his hiding situation and climbing down to the floor. With a backstairs glance around he made for the threshold and was almost there before…

"leaving already Harry ?"

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

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

"And…"

"And ?"

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

"fountainhead, the two headed dog was good."

"Last I looked it had three heads."

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

"Devilsnare has clamed older and wiser wizards than you Harry. You'd be amazed how few people can still think clearly enough to burn it away while being constricted."Dumbledore stepped forward and touched Harry's side. A moment later he nodded and touched Harry's brow with his baton. A instant later Harry felt an odd tingle filling him, the burn on his legs faded and disappeared, as did the scrapes he'd received throwing himself away from the dog."There. All better."Dumbledore moved back and folded his munition."And now I'm afraid to say I must ask the really 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 Professor Snape threatening prof Quirrell the Night before Halloween."Dumbledore just nodded as if this was pattern."Snape seemed to guess he was going to try and slip something. We…"No, better he thinks I'm the simply one to blame"I worked out that it must be what's hidden here. What you got Hagrid to collect for you the Lapp day we shopped for my shoal material. The same thing individual tried to break into Gringots to get later."

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

"Couldn't risk of infection anyone else. And besides, they all make too lots noise for this sort of work."Harry tried to picture Neville sneaking past the dog and giggled."The exclusively way I could do this was alone."The other reason of track was that after being humiliated by Malfoy on a broom handle he'd wanted to prove to himself that he could do it alone.

"Harry. As amazed as I am to say this it is possible you are going to wrick out to be more fuss than your Church Father. I never thought anyone would challenge that crown."Dumbledore's smile was back, and this time not a half one. He shook his head ruefully then frowned as if a painful memory was surfacing. But the smile was back in a here and now 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 protective cover ? What your using to protect the stone ?"

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

Harry obediently moved in front of the mirror and stared into his reflection. He wasn't alone in the mirror. Behind him stood the new piranha, some of the other students he'd talked to around the schoolhouse, Hagrid, even Malfoy for some reason, More faces he'd met and some multitude he hadn't but still felt some odd connection to, as if they were… acquaintance. As he watched he saw himself age, and the others around him too, passing through teenage years he grew taller, passing further and further, lines appeared on his face, then grey in his hair. He grew to an old man, smiling, surrounded by his ally. Then in an blink of an eye he was back as a youngster and he saw it begin again.

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

"One could desire so, but no."Dumbledore seemed pleased but faintly surprised as he looked down at Harry."The mirror shows us nothing more or LE than what we truly hope above all else. You Harry, who by your own pick lived a alone and cold childhood desire acquaintance, and fellow and more than that ..."Dumbledore took Harry by one shoulder and kneeled down to peach to him typeface to front"…you want to make love you'll keep them. You want to know that you don't have to go back to the cold life. Because that is what you most fear."

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

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

*

"So."Said Harry at a passing for conversation."How ‘ d you get past the other shelter ?"The headmaster fixed him with a vital eye.

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

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

"Hm, how do you get past a mirror ? kick downstairs 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 unproblematic that no one would suspect ! That's how I ‘ d do it."

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

*

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

"What do you mean ?"Almost no one else left in the Gryffindor uncouth room since everyone was away for the holidays, thus Harry didn't feel the need to moderate his voice when yelling back to Ron. It was just one of the fun thing they had worked out about being left behind. Of course of study Ron wouldn't have kept repose anyway. Ron had no volume control."And Merry Christmas to you to !"

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

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

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

"Nah mate."Ron shook his top dog ruefully"I can say what that one is, however you wrap them they all feel the same."Harry unwrapped the parcel and pulled out a blueing, knitted jumper. On the front were three juggling balls in red, lily-livered and super acid."My mum."Ron said holding up a alike 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 pinny on over his head and they went back up to the elbow room to get the rest of the nowadays. Of course of action Harry had sent his friends presents ( miserable Digger had been run ragged. The picayune owl was so bore to please she didn't seem to take any breaks in flight of stairs. ) but it form of failed to click in his head that he ‘ d probably get some in counter. Harry noticed one with Hermione's neat handwriting on it ( after all, he ‘ d copied off her banknote adequate times. Occasionally even with license. ) and pulled it over first.

"It ‘ ll be a book mate."

"Wow Ron, a thick, heavy, rectangular package from a known bookworm ? And just from that you can guess it's a Book ?"

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


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

Ron himself had provided Harry with an absurdly orange tree hat and Neville had found him some juggling billy club charmed to trail rainbows in the air behind them when thrown. Padma and Parvati had got him record, but it looked like they'd collaborated because the title of respect read privacy and Illusion, good luck charm of covert and Beyond allohamora, unlocking your obstacle. Most of the residue were edible things ( not that Harry minded ) and he bit into a bar of coffee while settling down to read.

*

Harry popped the instant to in conclusion of his Yule chocolates into his mouth and handed the last one to Parvarti who was skulking in the shadows nearby. At least it was a nice nighttime, Night with rainfall had been rather unpleasant. For the by few months the vulture had been working on the Quirell mystery but getting nowhere. Eventually one day when they were researching in the library Harry threw his playscript 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 rule book on ancient alchemy for the past half hour. He hadn't turned the page.

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

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

"No…"And that was when the idea had formed in Harry's mind. It was so simple he wondered why he hadn't mentation of it before."But we can encounter out."

"How ?"Neville had asked.

"We become his vestige. We watch him everywhere he goes. He ‘ s got to fall away up eventually right ?"

Organising a nighttime watch had seemed like a lot more fun than it was. In teams of two they rotated, each squad taking either the first base half of the night, the arcsecond half or having a dark off. After a calendar week and a one-half of reduced sleep the 1st twelvemonth scamp were getting a bit ratty. At least he was paired with Parvarti. She was mostly cheerful.

"This isn't working."Or not…

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

"funny you should say that…"Harry ducked low and pulled the little girl down with him as he saw the doorway to Quirrells quarters open and close, permitting the instructor to scamper off down the hall.

"Yes ! We've got him. Army of the Righteous go !"The fatigue had drained from her face 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 ceiling ridge on the English of a court."I'm not making the same 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 sideslip out a side threshold, cross the courtyard, then enter a threshold leading to the entry hall.

"Well we can't…"But Harry held up one digit to silence her and a moment later they, heard a door hatchway and closing then could clearly see the colored shape of the hotshot robes as he crossed the grounds towards the forbidden forest."What do we do now ?"

"We watch him."Harry said it without the conviction it usually held and with a respectable dose 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 chance to object."Besides, I've heard there are centaur in there. I wouldn't thinker seeing a centaur."

*

"Do you have it away where your going ?"Parvarti hadn't seen any centaurs, but there had seen other affair skulking between the trees. Harry looked back and wished he would hold offered some reassurance. He knew he could find the way back, well probably. He had made certain to check it at regular intervals with cold shoulder on the Tree trunks. But tracking a man through woods was zip he had even thought of doing before. They had entered the woodland at about the same berth as Quirrell and Harry had had his hope boosted by finding a step impression in mud nearby but after that nothing.

He was vaguely mindful that they should wait out for broken twig or birdcall but the sprig seemed to have no discernable features and the timber was eerily quiet. Except for the things.

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

"It ? What it ?"

"The unicorn silly !"Parvarti pointed her burglars lantern back at the folio."Oh I cant conceive of what could do such a matter ! This is unicorn line of descent Harry, and it looks fresh !"

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

It was one thing knowing awful things were out in the forest butchering nice things, quite another to take in substantiation and another still to throw them be so close that the lineage wouldn't have had time to cool in the Nox air. He looked at his friend and was suppressed to see no fear in her nerve, only anger that something would bruise a unicorn.

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

"This way."Said Harry in numb tonicity and pointed at the ground ahead. In the mud there, clear for all to see, was the cad of a boot print. Harry didn't want to hold even to himself that his first instinct on seeing the print was to head the other way. That or run for the hills."Alright. Close the shutter on the twinkle right down, we can see the blood well enough. And go slow."Parvarti did as she was told and they set off again into the timberland. Harry couldn't have told anyone afterwards how long they had walked, it seemed like an eternity. The splashes of blood grew big and more frequent, the further they went until.

"!"Harry stopped all in and put his hand out directly in social movement of the former piranha. There was a glade up ahead, bathed in the gibbous Moon and the night air carried sounds to them. It sounded like an obscene slurping and gurgling and along with it there were the strait of swoon apparent motion. Harry pointed left, around the edge of the clearing then once again put up a single digit. 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 awfully sight. The unicorn was splayed on the floor like it had been run to priming and a cloaked physique hunched over it, drinking its descent out through its wounds.

A tug on Harry's sleeve brought him back to the consequence and he crouched back down with Parvarti. Her facial expression was a picture of anger and she mimed jumping over the log while brandishing her lantern. Harry shook his fountainhead firmly. What the Hades was she thinking ? She gestured more firmly then touched her heart and made a pumping motion. What was that supposed to mean ? She opened her mouth and mouthed something to him but he couldn't evidence what. She did it again more overdraw and the meaning hit him with sickening certainty.

"It's still alive !"
Harry looked over the log again and saw what he had missed the for the first time sentence. The Unicorns chest was indeed still moving up and down and its breath disturbed the detritus near its head. He sat back down and made the heart pumping motion while nodding, he'd seen it too. Obviously Parvarti wanted to relieve the brute if possible. Harry stuck his finger in the poop between them and wrote one word.

HAGRID

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

misdirection

*

Without farther ado he moved further around the clearing so that when he ran he would take the thing away from the direction Parvarti would have to go to get supporter. He was gladiola to see her moving off too, rather than arguing with his decision. Harry wrapped the scarf joint round his heading again and tucked it in so it wouldn't unravel. This would do, he thought. No gumption waiting around. He got out his wand, took careful aim and yelled

"Acerbus cuspis !"

The cloaked physical body was caught off guard and some of Harry's faint spears had hit it. It flinched back, more surprised than suffering then an new noise came from its exhaust hood, a drawn out thirsty audio. Like a Snake River having a rat dangled in its face. Wonderful, thought Harry as the thing rose up, Uncle Vernon always said I was vermin.

It was as if that thought snapped him out of his fear paralysis and he ran, away from the clearing and the matter. He moved without thinking, ft slamming on square primer coat where potential and pushing off roots 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 woodland where the tree were different bod, older, newfangled, taller, more than brush they all shot by him in an instant, too fast for him to see properly. He did notice that they weren ‘ t meeting any brute and thought that they were probably scared of the affair behind him.

He reached a thick stand of trees and thicket and slipped in sideways. Here he risked a look back. Nothing. Sides ? battlefront ? zilch. Harry allowed himself a controlled breathing spell. It looked like he had lost it. Harry sat for a second on a log and let his legs relief. The weariness of the past week and the stress of the nighttime caught up to him at once and he sagged against the tree behind him. He didn't experience how prospicient he sat there, he may even give birth fallen asleep but he did roll in the hay what caused him to come to attending suddenly. A branchlet breaking nearby. Harry moved slowly and backed away from the source of the sound when a manus grabbed him from tooshie and swung him around roughly. Harry's fear of flak turned into relief, then quickly back into fear.

"Out for a midnight stroll ceramicist ?"

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

*

The boy walked in silence in figurehead of him as Snape led him back towards the castle. The appeal he'd laced the edges of the forest with had tripped, waking him and warning him that Quirrell had gone on another of his every night jaunts. But once again the little worm had eluded him and he'd been on his way back when he'd seen Potter in a rack of Tree. His sassing felt like twitching into a smile, at least some good could descend of this night's work.

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

"We are going to your oral sex of planetary house. Then to Dumbledore. Then you can explain what you were doing in the forbidden forest after hours."Snape allowed himself a moment of joy then said."Then you can go back to your elbow room and multitude for the train journey back. From which you will never return."

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

"What possible reason could that be ?"

"Same reason you are. Following Quirrell."Had that been a shot in the dark ? He tried to entrance the unacceptable child's eyes but he looked straight ahead."And unlike you I succeeded."

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

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

Insufferable, Worthless, Sneaking, COWARDLY, MANIPULATING !, WORM ! ! Snape took a moment to gather his thought before turning potter and looking directly into his eyes. There was a flash, a table, some faces… a scowl crossed the male child face for a moment then he shook his brain worriedly. Even Snape could not conceal his impact as a dummy paries appeared before him, slowly fading over the computer storage. The boy was an Occlumens ! But he couldn't know what he was doing, it must be subconscious ! With a flicker of fear his eyes were drawn to the scrape on the boy forehead. Or was it entirely subconscious ? ability would be transferred in such an consequence, slap-up power…

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

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

"Why one workweek ?"

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

"Agreed."

*

Harry breathed again and slipped in through the door. A import later he was attacked ! Visiously and unexpectedly, it took him a mo to understand it was Hermione. She had thrown her implements of war around his neck and was sobbing against his chest.

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

"rent it gentle very well. I'm alright."Harry levered her off him and took a breathing spell only to be re-bowled over as Parvarti hugged him."What the ?"

"We shouldn't have left you. And it was me who wanted to save it in the first place, 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 juke sob and said"And I broke a nail this first light !"Harry grinned and she returned to her spot at the table.

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



*

The adjacent few week were full of disappointment. Except for the Slytherins who got a temporary worker abatement from pranking. Hagrid had saved the unicorn and in thanks for their help he told them all about the properties of unicorn line of descent and what it could be used for. Snape hadn't been any help, when Harry told him the story a week later he merely nodded and told him to get out. From what they knew they could cultivate 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 suggestion as smart in the hope it would sway the boy to talk Thomas More."You said he called someone master 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 crazy ! Nuts ! He ‘ s prob'ly talking to his pillbox !"

"Or he had some variety of magical communicator in his room."Padma said scathingly."Something he was talking to somebody through."

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

"That would depend on how sophisticated it is."Hermione's representative came from behind a pile of books, shed already begun revising for the end of class exams and at least some of the early piranha seemed to want to link her."But Dumbledore could probably do it."

"Alright then."A design began to take form in Harry's brain."Dumbledore said he had no reason to mistrust Quirrell and Snape's got no validation to evince him otherwise. If we get this communicator then they've got the proof they need and they can move to stop Quirrell."

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

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

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

"The spellchecker seems to call back it is."

"What's a spellchecker ?"

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

"I really need to revise."

*

But the opportunity didn't come for a long while. Quirrell had begun sleeping with his windowpane closed and the lock on his doorway resisted all the tricks in beyond allohamora. ("I can't believe you gave him that."Hermione had said"Its like giving a rapscallion the key to the plantation."Ron had shot back"Yeah, or you the key to the library !") and there was nothing to be done but wait and watch for Quirrell to slip up. There was a summation slope though. Guard duty gave them slew of time to revise. Then the examination came, unspeakable and inevitable with the veneration and uncertainty that came with them.

The lonesome ace Harry was at any way well-fixed about were charms and uranology, the latter because unlike early stratum he actually paid aid and the former because ( perhaps due to his Dec 25 presents ) he was genuinely trade good at the spells. Potions was a incubus and denial against the glowering arts worse. Quirrell had taken to watching him out of the box 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 exam and their continued failing in their task it was hard to feel bad. The weather had turned to wonderful and students could always be found out sunning themselves on the skunk. Harry was just on his way to spend an good afternoon in just such a manner ( the rest of the marauder 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 heart of the day ? When the altogether school day would be capable to see him. Harry turned to where he knew he could climb up and stopped. Should he get the others ? No. Quirrell might fall and their just chance would be lost. He quickly scurried up the rampart and slipped in through the window.

The room smelled strongly of Allium sativum and indeed there were garlic clove hanging in diverse places around the way. He quickly began searching using what they knew of communication charms, mirrors were often used, sometimes gems or crystals. 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 check the sleeping room when he heard a representative behind him.

"Come into my living-room said the spider to the fly."




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


"Well, well, well."Professor Quirrell had lost his stutter and stood in front man of the lock away door with his wand pointed at Harry's thorax."You do get yourself into a great mickle of sticky situations."

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

"No !"Quirrell flicked his wand and the window banged shut. Another flick and it glowed for a moment, accompanied by a squelching speech sound."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 threshold. The 1st twelvemonth could feel the tip of Quirrells verge against the diminished of his book binding."Now walk, calmly and unhurried. To the third floor."

The corridors that were always so full of smiling students were virtually empty now. All of them outside enjoying the sun. The few he saw in the distance too far away to signal to.

"look forward."Quirrell hissed."If you attempt to discourage anyone then that person dies then you die is that clear ?"

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

"Oh that's quite wide-eyed. Your going to assist me, I knew what you and your fiddling Quaker were up to so I laid a trap. Now you are going to assist me with something, with two things actually. The first off is simple, all you have to do is work along. Lie. You're good at that yes ? The instant is a bit more coordination compound. You see…"They grew close to the corridor and Quirrell pulled him to a stop and into a obsolete schoolroom."I've spent the year devising foolproof style to get by each defence except one that still eludes me."

"Snape."Good old furtive son of a bitch Snape.

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

Harry took a lilliputian sip of the potion and instantly felt the effect. His work force seemed to grow and he pulled off his shoes as the pressure in them increased. Black haircloth grew down in front of his optic and he flicked it out of the way. After a few instant the upshot 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 darkness robe and gestured to the mirror nearby. Harry took them and walked over, stopping for a moment in shock. He looked like Snape !"Get on with it boy !"Harry struggled into the robes then did them up and allowed Quirrell to lead him towards the dreaded corridor. Harry saw professors Flitwick and Sinestra outside the door. Sinestra was sitting cross legged and appeared to be meditating in some way. Quirrell prodded him in the back. Of path, Snape would create the first move. He tried to wee-wee his voice as sneering as possible then said.

"We're here to relive you."Apparently that was all that's needed as the two teachers nodded and left the corridor murmuring goodbyes. Quirrell pulled him towards the doorway."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 seizure was no happenstance."He thinks he arranged a replacement on guard responsibility but unfortunately the owl never got through. Oh and in showcase you were wondering your cute Dumbledore is gone too, called away to the ministry. No one can help you."

"I can help me."Harry thought desperately as they entered the room with the giant dog. Its three head teacher instantly rose to observe them but Quirrell pointed his wand at the floor nearby and a harp appeared. Another complex movement and it began plucking out a simple line. The majuscule fauna eyelids drooped and it fell quickly asleep.

"Come on boy ! I haven't got all day."Quirrell pulled him forwards to the trap door then pulled it open. He whispered a lilliputian charm and a rope began curling its way out of his scepter. Quirrell seemed to throw to concentrate a great deal to pull this off and Harry backed away slowly. He felt some affair behind him and put a helping hand back to feel. It was the harmonica. Acting on instinct, Harry grabbed the harp and smashed it as hard as he could against one of the pawl whale hand. The dog awoke with a roar and bit through the mouth harp remains in a bingle chomp. Then it turned to the former interlopers in its way.

"Boy ! What do you conceive you're…"But then Quirrell was forced to champion himself as the great heads reared up above him. He screeched a single Son and bolide smacked one on the nose. Harry took the opportunity and bolted for the room access."I'm not done with you yet putter around !"Quirrell screamed. Harry glanced back in sentence to see red sparkle, then darkness.

*

"Where the infernal region is Harry ?"Ron glanced back at the castling roiled."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 dry land and sighed happily.

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

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

"For this year."

"You're actually revising for future years exams ?"Ron shook his head then yelled"Hey !"as a quaffel smacked into the side of his head teacher.

"Oh sorry Ron."Padma commented with monolithic insincerity."Were you not ready ?"

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

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

"I mean scum,"Ron's fists clenched."That your trivial fighter seems to have finally gotten into more trouble than he can plow. Oh yes, I saw a teacher carting him off. Looked furious too."

"Which teacher ?"Padma's head seemed ominously quiet in the undefendable air.

"Professor Quirrell, but don't think that… Hey !"But Ron had grabbed him by the front man of his pelage, knocking his baton away. The Aythya americana was vaguely mindful of his friends surrounding him with wands drawn. Keeping Crabbe and Goyle at bay.

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

"Th… Th… Third floor. That corridor with the maypole painting."Ron let him go. That was decently next to the dog's room.

"Mr Weasley !"McGonagall was striding across the terra firma in wrath."I never expected such violent doings from…"

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

*

"backwash up Mr Potter. Rise and radiance for the trade name new day."The sentence slid around the blacken cocoon of Harry's unconscious."Now now, that won ‘ t do. Up !"Pain blossomed in Harry's breadbasket and the sting of it pulled him back to reality. He drew himself up on the cold stone base shaking terribly. The long arm of his robe fell down over his weaponry and he realised he was back in his own consistency. Quirrell aimed another wildcat kick at Harry ‘ s chest and he sprawled on the storey again.

"You think that's nuisance Potter ?"Yep, sure seemed like it, at the very least he had a cracked rib."I can premise you to the torture whammy 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. Fires blocked both door and on a table in the centre a row of bottleful stood, twinkling in the torchlight.

"Wh… where ?"

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

"So."Thought Harry."He has the communicator on him. That must have been his superior vocalism and whoever the headmaster is he's scared of him."

Quirrell bent over the table and read with a smile…

"Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,
Two of us will facilitate you, whichever you would recover,
One among us seven will let you move ahead,
Another will delight the toper back instead,
Two among our phone number hold only nettle wine-coloured,
ternary of us are killers, waiting hidden in line.
Choose, unless you wish to outride here forevermore,
To help you in your selection, we give you these clues four :
First, however slyly the poison endeavour to hide out
You will always find some on nettle vino 's remaining side ;
second gear, different are those who stand at either end,
But if you would proceed onward, neither is your ally ;
Third, as you see clearly, all are dissimilar sizing,
Neither dwarf nor goliath holds destruction in their insides ;
twenty-five percent, the s left wing and the second on the justly
Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight."

The wizard shook his nous angrily.

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

*

"He's there !"Ron was shouting now. Heedless of the unbendable current of deep red that must have been leaving the hourglass in the great hall."He's there right now having god knows wha…"

"Mr Weasley ! If you can not control yourself I will have you dragged to my federal agency where I will flue your mother ! And we will talk about your continued presence at this school !"The argument had moved from the outside to the corridors as the deputy sheriff headmistress had failed to listen."As it is you are all already in enough trouble for just knowing about the stone ! Let alone disrespect to a Hogwarts professor. Two professors in fact as I think Professor Quirrell will want to hear about the base accusations you have made."

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

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

"Petrificus Totalus !"

The predator gang watched in utter secretiveness as their mind of family went stiff then slowly but inexorably fell backwards. Ron caught her and lowered her to the floor, ashen faced. He looked round to see Neville standing with his wand 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 person shouldn't be able to evoke fright while only moving their middle but somehow the set of them said there would be hell to pay.

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

*

"Nil for two Mr ceramist !"Harry fell choking on the trading floor as Quirrell took a sip of the potion he'd just proved was safe."Still born favourable I see."Harry fell into a fit of coughing that wracked his consistency with hurting. He pulled his school principal back and idly noticed the blood all over his arm. So, to a greater extent than a barmy rib then.

When he had refused to drink the low bottle Quirrell had used some kind of bludgeoning curse that squashed him back to the floor. As he had lain there vainly trying to get his breath back Quirrell had pulled his forefront back and tipped the potion down his throat. The secondly time he had tried to defy more and been formally introduced to the cruciatus scourge. He was ashamed to say he willingly took the bottle in shaking custody and tope a sip himself. All the metre feeling wretched and a Sir Noel Pierce Coward.

"Now."Quirrell looked down on him almost proudly."Since you seem to have learned your stead in this footling drama."The sadist looked down for a chemical reaction but Harry didn't rise to the come-on. He wasn't sure he had the DOE too even if he had wanted."I'll let you select the future one."He waved his hand over the remaining bottles and stood waiting.

Harry pulled himself up on the border of the table and tried to take a Einstein cell to bear."Hermione where are you when I need you ?"He must have said it out tawdry 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 faculty member field of study. Of course to fully apprise it I would have to do it on her as well."Harry looked from one bottle to another and a snatch of Song dynasty came back to him.

Neither midget nor hulk holds last in their inside.
Harry's eyes slid to the smallest feeding bottle in the row. His hands shook almost too often for him to take the Cork out and he spilled some as he took a sip. An instant frigidity sensation trickled down his throat and into his subdivision. But was this the forrader potion or the backward 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 pharynx and pretended to choke, falling towards the blast he took a sullen gasping breath.

"shenanigan ! 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 bluish black flame. That was all the distraction Harry needed as he clawed himself off the base and jumped headfirst into the fire.

The story on the former side knocked the wind from him but he wasn't burnt. It had been the in good order potion.

"You will pay for that !"A chain with a hooking shoot through the curtain of flames, trailing glint.

"A subterfuge shot."Harry thought muzzily."But I can't stay here."

He pulled himself up and staggered along the corridor clinging to the rampart. Quirrell continued to call behind him but he ignored it, there was a way up ahead. He walked in and barely saw the place. All he took in was the tall mirror in the centre, intimate. Without really realising what he was doing he moved towards it and fell to the ground in nominal head of it. Oh, god everything hurt. He looked up into the mirror and saw his friends familiar spirit faces surrounding him, filling the mirror-Harry with warmth and happiness.

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

He floated in the darkness for a moment then was brought back around. inherent aptitude again waking him when he was no longer alone. He turned to see a scorch name, robes in tatters and his toque unwound and trailing behind him.

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

*

"No."Harry pulled himself away from the pass on figure. Forgetting for a moment that there was nowhere to go.

"Yes ceramist. What Severus seems to have forgotten…"The wretched figure said as it stalked towards Harry on ruined legs."Is that I would much rather walk through flak than admit failure to my master. lots, very much rather."He came to a stop in front of the Mirror and pointed his blackened verge at Harry.

"No wait, this won't work."He threw the wand away like garbage."But luckily I have another."He drew out Harry's sceptre, unmutilated and pristine. He laughed at Harry's shocked side and said"Rubbed in what minuscule of the potion you let drop on the floor. It was bound to hold out better than mine. After all, phoenix feathers are meant to pass 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 bridge player rose involuntarily to the back of his head and a thrill of pain ran across his human face."But enough !"He stood in nominal head of the mirror, his prediction clear on his case."I see myself presenting the rock to my overlord. He is restoring my body, making me well again… But how do I get it ?"

"Use the boy."Quirrell grabbed his arm and jerked him back in front of the mirror. The figure of speech swam in nuisance in front man 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 world again but soon enough he was shook awake and slammed in front of the shabu.

"What do you really SEE !"

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

"Do you enjoy pain ?"Quirrell's boldness was twisted beyond recognition."Do you think even for a consequence that your small-minded defiance will actually achieve anything !"

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

*

"A chess set, what the…"

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

"Do you recall he.. ?"

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

*

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

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

Your parents were audacious Harry Potter. It didn't do them any good either.
"Oh so you know my parents too. Got any good anecdotes ?"He wasn't sure if he said that out tatty but the voice laughed.

Oh yes. Joking in the face of annoyance. That is something I think your father would do.
"Yeah."Harry said as the world began to float back into focus."But I've got my female parent eyes."He looked up but Quirrell was standing a style away, curiously with his back to him. Harry groped around for his eyeglasses.

"There by your elbow."The voice almost had a teasing musical note to it now but Harry was struck by a one head. How did he bonk ? He pulled his glasses back on and was met by his horrific result.

"Yes Harry."The fount 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. lord Voldemort. Now do what you are told and tell apart me what you see in the mirror."

Harry turned without wanting to and star 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 book binding."They don't know about this evil. This darkness. 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 lobby and Harry felt methamphetamine hydrochloride shards cut into his peel. He tried to rove but a sharp pain in his arm caught him and he stopped, quivering.

"You FOOL."He felt himself picked up and stir like a bird."You destroyed it !"He fell to the ground again and saw Quirrell rifling through the fragment, heedless of the cuts and lineage."Where is it ! Where is it ! … Gone… You knew !"The threefold oral sex came up and looked him straight in the eye."You knew that wouldn't outlet the stone !"

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

"You.. YOU ! !"The double animal stood quivering with craze."fountainhead I hope you bask your victory."The thing drew Harry's wand"Because, it is the stopping point cerebration you will ever give birth ! Avada Ked…"

"tarantelle !"

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

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

"Put the wand down."Ron's representative quaked a footling as he said it. But he kept his wand trained."verge down now !"

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

"I ‘ ve already petrified my head of house."Neville seemed to get left his stutter in the domain of fear and could address calmly now he'd moved on to terror."It can ‘ t get often worse."

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

"Children !"Quirrells blazonry twisted back, cracking turn at the articulatio cubiti to give Voldemort control of the scepter"I will not be stopped again by children !"

"Petrificus Totalus !"Hermione's voice rang out but Voldemort raised a shield disdainfully. The rebounding expletive took the young witch in the pectus and she fell like a Harlan F. Stone.

"Crucio !"Neville dropped to the land. His face a mask of painfulness.

"Crucio !"Padma fell, her munition wrapped around her chest. Screaming. He was still playing with them. He could cause Death as easily as botheration.

"Crucio !"Ron fell in his cartroad. He had tried to charge the creature.

"Im… im… obstruction !"

"Crucio !"Parvati's spell died on her scepter and she fell beside her Sister. He had to do something. He had no wand. He had no weapon… He had glass. Harry pulled his too long sleeves up around his hand and picked up a foresighted fragment.

"Pathetic creatures."The case spat the words."Unworthy of biography !"Harry stepped closer heedful not to shake up the glass on the floor."You will all die ! For defying Lord Voldemort. You will…"

"Master seem out !"But Quirrell's warning was too tardily as the tenacious shard plunged into his stomach. Him and his aggressor fell together and Harry jerked the spyglass out only to plunge it again into the wizard soma. His hands bled, the framework of the robes hadn't been nearly enough to protect them. Quirrell rolled over under him and the serpentine expression 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 straits."See you in another ten years. Do try to number back pretty next time."And plunged the shard through Voldemort's eye.

The belly laugh round out through the chamber. Rising gamy and eminent, louder and louder till the shard still on the floor shattered into George Sand. Then the organic structure slumped like a rag bird and finally lay still.

Harry fell back drained. It felt like he had zip left in his veins, felt hollow. He slumped on the floor and looked up to see five concerned faces crowding around him. They were saying something but his mind couldn't quite make sense of it. The image suddenly reminded him of something and he pointed at them with a shaky script.

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

*

"I could just study the one…"

"Ron people left those for Harry !"

vocalization ? …

"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 bring a caldron cake…"

"You so much as try it…"Harry pulled his eyes open with an effort."…and I'll hex ya finger's breadth off."

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

"well yeah."Harry shook his head to clear it before answering Hermione's doubt."Why would I not be ? How long was I asleep ?"

"solar day I ‘ m afraid mate."Ron shook his header ruefully."They had to give you sleeping potion while everything healed. Did you know you broke your arm ?"

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

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

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

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

"Oh that, that was nothing. Anyway it was Neville got us past the dickens snare !"

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

"That was a squad elbow grease. The similitude were up there too. Plus Padma worked out the dog."

"There was a give harp on the floor. What else could it possess been but music ?"

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

"Children."The 1st age turned as Albus Dumbledore stepped into the infirmary backstage."I can not envisage how please you must be that your friend is awake however,"He continued with a twinkle in his eye as he peered over his eyeglasses"…it will mean that you will let to find a new source of chocolate frogs."Ron at least had the decency to look shamefaced."Now, if you would give us some privacy I would wish to utter to your friend."The marauders filed out and Harry was left alone with the Headmaster.

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

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

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

"Although they may go out one shard out. It may need to be kept for posterity."

"So is he… gone then ?"Harry's phonation was hopeful but something in him already knew the answer.

"Nothing about this death was any dissimilar from his late one. If he survived that I believe we can sham he can survive this."

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

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

"Hireling a man who was literally double-faced ?"

"No Harry."Dumbledore fixed him with a patient role stare and Harry bit back a grin."I mean that you were ineffective to get by my last auspices. 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 Lapp thing as before."Harry shifted uncomfortably"You know, friends."

"So faced with the view of eternal life and unending wealth, your dream remained the Sami ?"

"I have a great sight of wealth now, and if perpetual life means being soul'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 discuss before I let your acquaintance back in to niggle further."

"Hm ?"

"I want you to return to your aunty and uncles house."

"No."

"Harry, I can assure…"

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

"You are 11 Harry."Professor Dumbledore put his hand on Harry's shoulder and his voice went soft."It would be negligent of me to let you allow my care without assuring myself that you would be looked after."

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

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

"You were improper. Would you care to see some scrape by way of substantiation ?"

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

"Thank you."Harry smiled and he saw a certain tension lift from the air. Harry looked down at the giving arrayed in forepart of him and picked up one."umber Gaul ? Go on, otherwise Ron ‘ ll just take all of them."

"Thank you Harry."Dumbledore took the squirming confection and stood up."Now I shall just gossip this wings other resident then leave you to yourself."

"Who ?"Harry looked around and spotted a distich 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 comical."She's just sleeping off an improperly formed Petrificus curse."

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

"Hopefully after your friends leave."

*

"Last chance for legal magic !"Fred ( or George ) yelled as he walked down the Hogwarts express. His sidekick walked beside him ringing a hand-bell up and down."I repeat ! stopping point chance for all summer !"

"You heard that Harry ?"Ron said as his comrade walked past the piranha carriage.

"Yep."And indeed he could see the John Griffith Chaney skyline around the wagon train as they pulled towards kings hybrid. He had asked Dumbledore if he could accompany his admirer on the 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 hand ?"

"And you have to gossip home."Ron said through a mouthful of confection"Chrysanthemum morifolium been bugging me about it ever since she found out."

"May just take you up on that Ron."Harry stretched as the gear 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 size.

"You brought your bag ? Why did you institute your bag…"Hermione's voice became sharp and a little scared. But the query was moot, everyone in the bearing had guessed the answer.

"Oh, fare on guys."Harry shot them a grin and slid out of the posture."Don ‘ t say me you didn ‘ t see this coming ?"

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

"The ministry can only tag me if I use magic."Harry said jumping down onto the platform."And distance counts too, I ‘ m thinking Greece or possibly Espana. Mediterranean certainly."

"You ‘ ll never get away with this Harry."Hermione spoke but all for some reason didn't quite believe it. The vulture stood in a semicircle around Harry with several versions of disbelief on their faces. But after a class they had realised that Harry mostly made his own ruler.

"What they gon na do ? turn back their shining zep ?"Harry winked and smiled his evilness brain smile."And I ‘ ve realised something. Being a homeless vagrant sounds a unharmed lot more fun if you ‘ ve got a behemoth pile of atomic number 79 resistance to fall back on. It ‘ ll just be like going somewhere fun, to sustain fun."

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

"Right, 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 traceable reference !"

"HARRY POTTER YOU GET binding here ! ! !"

"Got ta go."Harry broke into a run as the teacher appeared at the early end of the political program. He dodged between groups of students as the yells got closer and shot between pushcart. He saw his hazard, launched himself like a bricole off the trunk of an astonish student and dived through the barrier. He kept running through baron crossing, past times chemical group of astonished muggles. Running for freedom.

*

"Think he'll suffer ‘ em ?"

"Oh, Neville you know the solution to that."Padma smiled at the Chaos Harry had left in his viewing on the platform."It's the predator first ruler. ‘ You can do anything you set your mind to if you've got the cheek to see it through.'”

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

"That one too."




Phew ... one book down ! Six to go.


Harry Potter stepped back onto British people grease with a spring in his whole step and a tan fit to dim seagulls. Officially there was not take aim charming way across the TV channel save by broom or early tool of flight. However Harry had known before he had ever held a wand that the most utile things were always hidden from those in flush.

It had been by this ancient fireplace, disconnected from the sleep of the flue meshwork but with a orchestrate link to a standardized cakehole and portals around EU, through which Harry had left the country calendar week ago. An eleven class old can not book a plane tag alone much less hitch a lift on a broomstick and even if he could do so those shipway had probably been watched.

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

But to Harry protected meant trapped and the reasonableness he needed to be kept good was the very affair he needed some freedom from. So Harry ceramist had spent the majority of the summer as jack match, juggler and tumbler pigeon on various Hellenic beaches. He had explored the wizarding face of the antediluvian commonwealth too, he had watched a school of hippocampus breaching and jumping like mahimahi off the slide of Aeaea and seen the giant of Rhodes. He had walked to the Temple of Alcmeonidae at Delphi and climbed hand-over-hand up the retentive tracking vines of ivy to where it floated in the sky. Levitated above the ‘ ruins'below and concealed from muggle heart. But the seers that gathered there had seen through his disguise and greeted him as Harry potter. They had treated him with an eerie respect and he had been taken to have tea with the flow oracle. It was a meeting he would never forget…

"Sit dear one."She led him to a cushion on the level and sat down herself nearby him. She looked like she was barely a year or two older than him but he knew that if he believed that he was a jester. Only her eyes betrayed any jot that this was possibly the most powerful oracle in the man. Harry had been shocked when he first saw them, he had heard storey that the greatest seers had milky white eyes showing that they were blind to the mundane. The oracles eyes were pattern except that the iris of one was deep purple and the other lightness cat valium. Oh and the educatee ( and Harry had had to front surd to wee-wee this out ) were shaped like principal.

"Thank you Pythea."Pythea wasn't her epithet, the vaticinator held it as a title in honour of the low."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 thick center. Something in them betrayed a long-lived sadness, a pinch of the memory concealed behind. computer memory that spanned centuries.

"If you wish to encourage to a greater extent visitor your grace. Perhaps you should install stairs."He instantly felt that perhaps he was being too intimate. Harry generally ignored bureau but the quiet force of the small girl before him ( even sitting as she was, barefoot in a simple whiteness dress ) was firmly to deny. Anyway he didn't he didn't want there to be steps. Too many citizenry, especially too many tourists, would ruin this peaceable topographic point.

"Yes, that is why we do not hold them. And no, I prefer that you speak freely before me."Harry looked up confused and she laughed. It sounded like falling water."Your occlumency is quite good for one doing it unconsciously. But memory access 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 glass of water out of a improbable fluted jug.

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

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

"Mad dogs and so on…"Harry took another draft of the sweet-smelling boozing and asked."But, why did you pay for me up here ? Why am I sitting, joking, with the not bad prophesier in the world."

"I wanted to meet you myself. I ‘ ve heard about you of course of action, the boy who lived. You are not what I expected."

"Oh."Harry looked down guiltily. He knew he was a bit of a disappointing submarine sandwich but coming from her it seemed worse.

"You are anything but a dashing hopes Harry. I think you are equal to the task ahead of you, more than equal. I look into your psyche and what I see gives me great hope. You are more than than you think you are Harry, you are far more than you, or anyone else, realises. You must hope that you know the track you need to walk, not anyone else, and above all you must confide yourself."

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

"I like your eyes."

Harry coughed and spluttered and the little oracle laughed. He realised she was teasing him.

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

"Am I ?"She seemed to look far away for a moment then come back down to globe."Why do you say that ?"

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

"Do you really want to 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."proficient choice. But I think I will break you something anyway. In exchange for a futurity not told."She dipped her paw into a scoop of her dress and drew out a pendant on a braided leather cord. Harry leaned closer and saw that it was made of sea shell, glittering like it had just been plucked from the H2O. She held it out towards him.

"tomentum please."She commanded and he obediently lifted his shaggy head of hair up so that she could tie the cord behind his sunburned neck.

"What is it ?"Harry lifted the shell to wait at it nigher but it didn't have any markings at all. It looked like it was made of two designate corkscrew shells, hanging vertical from its hold. Harry looked closer and saw that the very bum point was tinged leafy vegetable and the very top tinged purpleness."Is it magic trick ?"

"Yes."

"Are you gon na tell me what it does ?"

"No."

"Meany."Harry tucked the pendant into his t-shirt and felt it drop down near his warmness.

"You ‘ ll find out what it does eventually. But you will have to determine a few things for yourself before you do. Call it a short slice of your future."She took his hand and raised him to his infantry."Now I am afraid I must say good-bye. The responsibility of my situation call."She seemed genuinely sad to see him go and Harry suddenly wondered if she was lonely up here.

Not trusting himself to verbalize Harry bowed for the first time in his lifespan and walked towards the door.

"Oh and when you go back to Hogwarts."The petty girl said as he reached for the handle."Could you tell Sybill Trelawney to terminate owling me. please ?"

Harry climbed back down and walked a little ways away before turning around and gazing back at the peacefully drifting building, floating over the horizon. power shovel flapped down on a Rock next to him and handed him a letter. He took it without reading it and slipped it in his pocket, still thinking. Then he walked over to a clump of efflorescence sprouting out of the stone nearby and picked some of the larger unity.

"Up there please."Harry nodded towards the temple while holding the bloom out to his owl."Pythea. And be careful."The owl obediently took off and Harry walked off down the road with his head still full of thoughts.

It had not been long after that when he found his way to the krybo-lakkos grocery in Athens and to the odd pottery chimney that connected to the under-flue and that could get him habitation.

*

"fin Galleon ‘ s. Here."The market keeper pointed to a pot next to his immediate payment register. Harry nodded to him while dusting himself off and dropped five of the atomic number 79 coins in the jar. This holiday had cost him surprisingly little, holidaymaker had liked his juggling on the beaches and liked his witty remarks even more. The galleons to get there and the galleons back was probably more than he'd spent the whole time in between.

Harry stepped out into a dingy alleyway and set off away from the store. Walking quickly he made for the scant end of the street where he could hear more people moving. multitude turned to stare at his bright summery vesture in the nighttime and shadowed street and he heard grumbling and muttering. A osseous handwriting fell on his berm and he broke into a run. Shadowy figures leapt out at him and more than hands tried to realise purchase, Harry broke off as his way ahead was blocked and he sprinted down a face street. He could see the bright phone of diagonally ahead of him and sprinted as tough as he could.

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

"What the… ?"But there was no time to think. anatomy were closing in and Harry dove in the opposite guidance. He slipped down another route.

More cloaked bodies seemed to pop out of every dark. The small boy dodged down another street and found himself at a dead end. The ingress to the bowling alley was blocked by a small crowd, five or so maven and witches in dark irritate robe blocked his way back.

Harry slipped his verge out of his sack into his right hand. His eye scanned the walls around him but they were straight up and down. No handholds. The crowd advanced on him with hired man out. Harry crouched down, if he was gona die he was prepared to die like a rat in a corner. Biting and scratching till the last.

"What have we here ?"A scabby and dishevelled beldame said with a cackle."Kids shouldn't be in knockturn alley. Something bad could happen."She reached out towards him and Harry's handwriting tightened on his baton.

"Stand aside hag !"A New York minute of red light shot from the former end of the alley and the beldam hair burst into flame.

She shrieked and jumped away while the others tried to put out the flaming. This left Harry with a absolved sentiment down the alley to the man standing there, his long wand out.

"Never fear Whitney Young rascal !"The man said in a booming voice."Markus Albert Michelson is here !"

*

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

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

Harry tried to pry the finger's breadth off of him but the mans grip was like a vice. Harry continued to shin until they got out into the secure haven of diagonally and he was dumped unceremoniously on the floor.

"For someone being rescued by the greatest warrior, adventurer, fan and Explorer that the world has ever known."The man put his fists on his rose hip and turn down to put his look near Harry's."You sure don't seem to eff how appearance you're grateful."

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

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

"Not to worry. I'd imagine getting stuck down a dead end in knockturn alley is a small frightening for someone not as… imposing… as me."He tucked his sceptre in his bang and Harry looked him up and down. Even without taking his hat into business relationship the man was easily seven feet marvelous and had shoulder like a ox. He wore thick leather boots and leather trousers above them, fitting tightly over muscled peg. The belt was snake skin and he had what looked like animate being teeth tied hanging off it so they clattered as he moved. Above that he wore a form fitting red vest that left his branch bare. Harry could see the sharpness of a tattoo peeking up amongst his chest whisker and another on his bicep. Further down his subdivision he wore two spike bands. To top it all off the man wore a cowboy hat over his thick blonde whisker with a long red feather tucked into the striation on one side of meat and three rifle bullets on the other.

"Who are you ?"

"thought I introduced myself before. Never mind, probably slipped your mind in all the excitement."The man struck a airs."I am Markus Maximus Michelson. Happy to make your familiarity pipsqueak."

"My gens is Harry."Odd to pick up that after a summertime of diddly-shit.

"Good to meet you little 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 worry. You trivial tyke."He ruffled Harry's hairsbreadth as if he was a little kid, earning himself Harry's ageless hatred.

"…um. The ice emollient place."Harry lied with a flat face."Their probably waiting."

"Good, good."The man grabbed his arm again and set a snappy pace through the crowd. There were a lot of people this time of day but they parted to let Markus through. Harry had hoped that when they reached Fortescue's ice pick parlour the odd wizard would leave him alone. He did cipher of the kind however and sat down at a mesa, leaning far back on his chair and tucking his thumb in his belt iteration. Harry was just wondering why he was waiting around when the ground walked up to the mesa.

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

"My little Friend here needs a coffee Sunday to calm him down. He's just been in a bit of a sticky place down knockturn alleyway. For myself just seeing you smile is all the sweet I need, and please…"he plucked a jaundiced daisy out of air and set it behind the young woman ear"…call me Maximus."

"You helped him ?"

"Oh no."Thought Harry."She was here last summer. She knows who I am."

"You saved Harry ceramist ! Oh, you ‘ re so brave and like, strong !"

"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 inviolable. Mighty is my center name."The little girl swooned and rushed off to get Harry's ice ointment. When she was gone the man turned back and fixed him with the smiling again. Harry crossed his implements of war.

"Thought your midway public figure was Maximus."

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

"My friends parents."Harry fabricated."I ‘ m living with them this summer. I didn ‘ t explain because I prefer to go under the microwave radar a bit, you know."

"Can ‘ t honestly say I do little man."Harry's Dominicus appeared and he began eating it quickly."How can you not walk down the street and feel the basking latria of the people Harry. I owe it to my legend to be seen, in the Leslie Townes Hope that I inspire new whelp like you to get 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 manus clasped together over her pectus."You're so smart as well as so hansom. You're like a poet or a radio star or something."

Harry rolled his center and finished his ice emollient quickly as the vain wizard chatted to ( or more accurately chatted up ) the girl. Harry dropped the price of the meal on the board.

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

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

*

Harry moved quickly once he was out of the mans sight and slipped into Gringots. He got money out more quickly than he should ingest by simply ignoring the queue and asking for Greeklunk. His old goblin acquaintanceship quickly helped him refill his pocket for another class. While he was down in the burial vault Harry stuck his t-shirt in his bag and instead took out a long robe with a hood. At Greeklunk's confused expression he said…

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

"Oh right. Bloody paparazzi."

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

*

Harry stood in the body politic lane and rechecked the letter he held in his manus. He was sure he was at to the lowest degree in the rightfield village and probably on the mightily road. It was just that the road went a longsighted way in both instruction and Ron's advice on getting to his theatre had been rather vague. Like he'd only really seen the surrounding countryside from the air. Harry folded the letter away and shrugged, there was always another way. He walked over to a where a farmer was sitting near his tractor, fiddling with something in the locomotive.

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

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

*

Harry had to balk the urge to bring out into a run as he caught sight of the Weasley star sign. Outside it in the grow over garden he could see three boy working, flinging something he couldn't make out over the garden rampart. Harry smiled, they were expecting him today but he hadn't exactly been able to give them an demand time. As he walked closer the door to the family opened and molly Weasley ( Ron had told him all about his family ) emerged, carrying a tray with drinks on it. Behind her a vernal lady friend ( must be Ginny ) stepped outside and leaned against the doorpost looking bored. None of them seemed to take in noticed him yet, or maybe the tan had changed his visual aspect a bit. As he stepped up to the front gate he spread his arms wide.

"ciao !"

"Harry !"Ron jumped in surprisal"You ‘ re here."The counterpart jumped up too and ran to come across him, but the most extreme reaction came from the untested Weasley. Ginny went all in white under her hair and her oral fissure seemed to move as if she was trying to say something then she bolted through the still exposed door.

"She has some sort of objection to aloha ?"Harry asked the peppiness crowd.

"Nah, mate."Ron shook his head."She ‘ s been jumping and squeaking every fourth dimension we so much as mentioned your name. hypothesis you in the physical body was just too much for her."

"Ron, be dainty to your sister."Mrs Weasley's voice was unrelenting for a consequence then turned soft again as she turned back to Harry."She ‘ s just shy Harry. I ‘ m trusted she ‘ ll get over it the more she sees of you."

"Probably."Agreed Harry"The sub thing doesn ‘ t last. I ‘ ve been told on repeated occasions that I ‘ m a monolithic disappointment."

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

"Snape."

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

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

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

*

But Ginny's odd demeanor didn't stop. Harry found that she was unequal to of staying in a elbow room that he was in and that any attempt to speak 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 magazine he decided to put a point to it.

"Ginny."She stiffened and looked like she was about to flee."Don't run away please."He walked around and sat next to her on the sofa. She looked like a small-scale gnawer confronted by a serpent, heart wide open and too scared to run."Can you tell me why you run every prison term I try to talk to you or go in the room ?"Silence, except for the twitching she could have been petrified."Look Ginny I don't know what it is but could you delight babble to me. We ‘ re going to be going to schoolhouse together for the future six old age. Could you talk to me. Please."

"Y… you…"Harry had to strain to pick up her faint whisper."you destroyed you-know-who."

"Oh you ‘ re still thinking about that ?"Harry waved his hand dismissively."That happened ages and ages ago. No one cares about that. Apparently Markus Mandy A. A. 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 fuzz to discover the scrape. But apparently this was too much for Ginny and she bolted up the stair 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, stopping point yr. Back before she liked us."

"And that turned out OK."

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

"No Ron but I think I do think I need to consume drastic action to sort out this situation."Harry thought for a moment then latched onto a magnificent plan. An puzzle plan. Possibly the greatest program he had ever devised."You have a few Scots heather here right ?"

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

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

"But Harry you can ‘ t child's play Quidditch. The finis time you got on a broom you made a gross mug of yourself."

"Exactly !"

*

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

"You have to keep abreast through."Ron made a jabbing apparent motion with the flat of his hand. That meant be through Harry knew, the hand signal were about all he ‘ d picked up during the biz."Just centralise on following through. That was the trouble that time."

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

"There isn ‘ t one, we'd have to invent it just for you."Ron helped him back on his broom and they flew back up to link the twins. Ginny was sitting a little ways away watching them, when Harry had fallen out of the tree diagram she had jumped up in jolt. But as Ron and the Twin had begun laughing at him he had seen a shadow of a grinning cross her face as well. That shadow was all that was keeping him from giving up the entire endeavour and getting his feet back on unanimous priming coat.

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

"Aye aye headwaiter !"Harry saluted and almost overbalanced.

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

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

"I got it ! I got…"thump !

Harry struck the ground hard and rolled to a catch in the long grass.

"Ow."Harry put his hand to the vertebral column of his head and sat up. Looking right into the aspect of Ginny Weasley. She had run over to see if he was alright and now stood, wide eyed before him.

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

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

The four Weasley's carried him off the delivery and Fred and George ( who seemed to have experience with point accidental injury for some reason ) pronounced him fine.

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

"Better idea."Harry tossed his broom to Ginny."You take my point. 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 vox to rival Mrs Weasley's"Be nice to your Sister ! And besides, your option are me or her."

"Welcome to the team Ginny."

*

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

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

"The team won."Harry explained with drag hand gesture."And we all played a contribution in that."

"And your part is ?"

"Cheerleader. I really should get some pompoms."



bank note : Right, thats the mo year started.

Interesting news about Dumbledore, but it makes mother wit when you look back on it. Department of Energy sort of brand it more tragical however. The friend of accepting people for who they were died without ever himself being accepted. He probably never even told anyone. The bit about how he did n't move against Grindlewald was interesting too and puts the whole thing in a new light. What if Grindlewald was well cognisant of Dumbledores spirit and used him to take in power in safety ? Knowing full well that Dumbledore was the only one who could have posibly stopped him. Ah well ...

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


# include `` standard legal disclamer.h ''

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






Riley B King interbreeding was crowded beyond opinion as the Weasley kin crossed the station towards platform nine and three quartern.

"Hurry up."Mrs Weasley herded her assorted accusation towards the barrier."right field. Come everyone, while the muggles aren't looking."One by one the redheads crack through the barrier. Harry waited until last, as the summertime had drawn to a close he had wondered if perhaps he might not be let back into the school. He had got the book list but perhaps that had been automatic.

"You go first. I ‘ m fine."Harry motioned Mrs Weasley ahead of him."I want to relish my cobbler's last moment of freedom."She disappeared through the barrier and Harry took a late breath. There wasn't much more he could do to put this off. He started running forwards, lowered his headland and closed his center as he reached the roadblock.

Crack ! Harry bounced back and fell to the flat coat gasping. The barrier hadn't opened ! He put his deal 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. LE than a minute boulder clay the railroad train was supposed to allow for."They expelled me."

Harry stayed on the level despite the odd looks he was getting. There didn't seem to be very much full stop 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 smoke rise from beyond the tracks. Where was the champion platform anyway ? A mad musical theme struck Harry and he was stood back up in a newsbreak. His feet seemed to affect of their own accordance and he took first one then another halting step along the platform. Another wisp of smoke. He broke into a run and willed his ramification to carry him faster and faster.

"it's a steam train."Harry dodged past a start music director at the end of the platform and jumped down onto the tracks."It takes a piece to belt along up."He pumped his legs for extra amphetamine.

"excavator !"Harry reached onto his backpack and flicked his owl's John Milton Cage Jr. outdoors."Catch me up at Hogwarts !"Harry shooter to the edge of the railroad train trail and looked down. The normal, muggle power train tracks coming out of business leader cross were raised up on a sorting of long bridge, raising them various stories above the city streets. Harry glanced down in time to see the end of the Hogwarts limited squeeze itself out from between the bricks of the bridge and head off down a rail that looked disused. Up ahead the track rose up and joined with the others, if Harry was going to do it, he ‘ d experience to do it now.

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

He crashed into the top of the live rig and hung onto it for dear living. The train was beginning to pick up speed and Harry crawled to the boundary. Thankfully the carriages window was open. Harry swung his bag in through it then slid down into it himself.

"Harry Potter. Nice to foregather you."He said to the aghast first of all years who's carriage he'd dropped into."See you at Hogwarts !"Harry walked shakily out the door. Once he was safely in the corridor he leaned against the wall and slid down till he was on the floor. He wanted to get up and find his friends but for some reason none of his limbs seemed to crop. He caught a glance of himself in the glass in front of him and blinked in shock absorber. He looked a wreck ! Blood ran down the left over side of his face and was matted into the haircloth above.

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

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

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

"Did you… just… saltation onto the train."

"No."Harry shook his fountainhead"No. Definitely not. You ‘ d have to be crazy to climb up on a moving train."

*

Harry moved down the train as quietly as he could. Trying to discover his champion without drawing too much care. Unfortunately talk travelled fast on the Hogwarts express and he couldn't go five steps without encountering another stare or fall out a group of educatee without them breaking out in a fit of whispering.

"So pathetic attending seeking ceramicist 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 vitality for this now."It was true. Harry would throw liked doing nothing more than simply collapsing on the floor there for the remnant of the journey."Could you please, and I mean this in the prissy potential way, bugger off and die like the diseased piece of dilate rectum flesh you are."

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

"Potter !"Harry turned and saw professor McGonagall standing in the carriage. Malfoy and his bodyguard disappeared through a room access."How in Merlin ‘ s figure did you get here ?"She grabbed him and pulled out her wand, touching it calmly to the cut on his brain then whisking away the blood on his look."I just spent an unpleasant few minute arguing with Molly Weasley who was franticly trying to get us to stop the train. She seemed to be under the opinion that the barrier had sealed with you on the other side."

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

"But then. How did you get here ?"

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

"Harry…"

"I jumped onto the train."

"YOU JUMPED ONTO THE TRAIN !"

"The roadblock had sealed up ! There wasn ‘ t any other way ! And besides, I had a head injury. I ‘ m not certainly I was in an totally noetic bod of mind."

"That is beside the point Mr ceramicist, but after the stunt you pulled at the end of net year I suppose I should not be entirely surprised."She straightened up"We will accept to discourse this further in my part at Hogwarts. At the very to the lowest degree you will meet several days detention."

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

"No Mr ceramicist. Not this time."She began walking away down the train."Go to my authority when we reach Hogwarts."

"After the sorting ?"

"As soon as you reach the castle."

"Professor please…"Alright this is McGonagall, you know how to fool McGonagall. She acts tough but she's all mushy inside."… my acquaintance's sister's getting sorted today and she ‘ s worried about it. All her brothers are in Gryffindor, whole category really. I should be there for her. Please ?"

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

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

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

*

Harry eventually found the Marauders compartment and slid the door assailable.

"hi freindlies !"

"Harry !"Hermione's back talk dropped undecided."Ron said you couldn ‘ t get onto the weapons platform !"

"Couldn't."Harry noticed Ginny sitting quietly in the street corner of the compartment. Ron had probably been told to restrain an eye on her."Had to adopt entry to the train by… other means."

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

"Couldn ‘ t forethought less. But no."

"Portkey ?"Neville seemed to cogitate for a consequence."Or a broom ?"

"No."Ron and Ginny spoke at the Same prison term 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 hired hand to her mouth and began shaking her nous."I was talking to Lavender down the other end of the train. I thought she was joking."

"What is it ?"Hermione asked and the predator seemed to fall waiting for the result.

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

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

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

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

*

The train meandered its farsighted journey through the Benny Hill and Harry ducked out of the conversations around him. His head still hurt and he didn't have the energy to think about citizenry. He leaned against the dusty windowpane as rain started to blotch down, leaving little trails on the windowpane pane of glass. He closed his eye and lay there for a long while. slight track 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 residual of his Friend were still talking amongst themselves."You ‘ re face was all scrunched up like you were dreaming."

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

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

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

"That ‘ s variety of what I ‘ m worried about."Ginny glanced at the red sharpness on Harry's robes.

"Ah."Thought Harry."My dead reckoning was correctly, and I just made that up to soften up McGonagall."

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

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

"Then tell it so."Harry looked at the young missy startled expression."You know what the sorting hat is right ?"nod."Then say it you want to be a Gryffindor. Don't take no for an answer. It's your sprightliness, don't let a hat make decision for you."Harry leaned back down and closed his middle again.

*

"What the hell ?"Ron voiced what they were all thought process as the vulture moved away from the train at Hogsmead. Ginny had left to select her little boat ride and the six champion now stood in presence of a logical argument of carriages, each drawn by a thin scaley cavalry with close leathery wings."Charlie told me the carriages 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 Asaph Hall as the sorting hat finished its Sung. She was so aflutter she wanted to prick her nails despite the face they were already worn to the pith. Well, at least she was a Weasley. Her name would be called near to last. She saw Harry on the Gryffindor table spinning three branching in the air in strawman of him. She tried to beguile his eye but failed, he was talking to his real friends. Everyone began to pay attending as Dumbledore stood up.

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

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

"Yes, send for it an old mans fancy. Now let us keep on so that we can enjoy a brainy spread after we are all done."Dumbledore sat back down but the mussitation hadn't ceased. McGonagall then took her spot, the face on her face clearly showing that the headmaster had not discussed this with her. She looked down at her paper and read…

"Weasley, Ginevra."

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

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

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

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

"No. That is how it works. Harry told me I could choose my 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 aloud ?"
Ginny lifted the brim of the hat just enough to see around the hall. There was whispering everywhere, and every face had an identical visage of traumatize amazement. Her center searched out her blood brother at the Gryffindor mesa. Walker Percy had buried his face in his handwriting and seemed to be trying to affect it all wasn't happening, Fred and George were watching her with huge evil smile and Ron, Ron just looked unconnected. Her center flickered past Ron to Harry and their gazes locked, then the boy did the uneven matter, he pulled up his sleeve, put his paw palm out and stab forward.

Follow through

Ginny glanced back at the instructor board, where every font mirrored the astonishment of the pupil. 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 deliver her vocalisation break out in whimpers."Definitely Gryffindor."And with that she pulled the hat off her head, set it down on the chairman and walked steadily towards Harry. She blanked out everything else in the hall, the whispers rising, the teachers, everything. There was a bottom 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 part but she swore his sass barely moved."feel straight ahead and don't give them any sign of the zodiac 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 hand by her side. A candy of some kind. Without a word, and before the dumb stares of the whole Hall, she brought out, unwrapped and calmly ate a liquorice wand.

Every eye in the hall turned as they heard McGonagall clear her throat then…

"Kingston, Victor."

It was as if the hall had been holding its breathing place the total fourth dimension and now let it out in a Wave of yak. Ginny felt someone clap her on the back and looked sideways into Harry's face.

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

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

The small boy with exquisitely waxed hair and sunglasses apparently named Victor Kingston had reached the hat and was looking down at it worriedly. He looked like he was about to foot it up then looked at the tables in the hall.

"Ravenclaw. I think I like Ravenclaw."

"On the plus slope you may have started a revolution."Harry had leaned in to talk 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 sister.

"We could make up some new streamer if you like."His Gemini leaned in from the other side of the board.

"Leave her twins."Harry was holding her by both shoulders away from her elderly brothers."She tricked the hat, swindled McGonagall, caused a crown of thorns house revolution and all in front of the total school !"Harry grabbed her and hugged her from behind."You can ‘ t have her ! She ‘ s ours !"

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

"He means that you ‘ re the type of person who goes for what they want and has the nerve to see it through and doesn ‘ t upkeep what the pattern say or who thinks what !"She stuck out her hand"Welcome to the Marauders."

By the end of the day Ginervrador sign of the zodiac ( as it was briefly called ) had an unusually large form of foremost class. Filch had to move some of the beds.

*

As Harry trudged back from his first hold with McGonagall that night ( polishing hundreds and hundreds of plaque buttons that were just going to be transfigured into beetle anyway ) he leaned on the paries near the portrait mess and closed his eyes for a moment.

"Harry Potter sir !"

Harry opened his eyes and immediately realised his head hurt must have been speculative than he thought. The delusion had long pointy ears and was wearing some sort of ragged textile like a toga.

"Wha… ?"

"Harry Potter should never ingest got on the geartrain !"

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

"Dobby sir. Dobby the sign of the zodiac elf."The odd little animal bowed to him, its nose almost touching the floor."Dobby is truly sorry to have caused bother for such a neat ace as Harry potter. But Harry Potter must leave Hogwarts !"

"Caused trouble ? What trouble ?"Harry slid off the wall and stood straight person. His wand was inconveniently tucked in an inside pocket, unvoiced to accomplish. Was this brute a threat ?"What are you talking about ?"

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

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

"Dobby thought that if the weapons platform closed…"

"That was you !"Harry snapped forward like a nip and caught the short beast by the arms. The thing whined and tried to break away but he held on."I could have missed the bloody caravan !"The wight nodded and whimpered a little more."I could have been killed ! Wait… knockturn alley…"Harry remembered the pencil eraser wall. The elf stiffened again and he seemed to be avoiding Harry's eyes."That was you as well ! Why WHY !"He picked the thing up and didder it roughly."Are you trying to bolt down me ? Are you ?"The elf was truly crying now and Harry let him go. The sad thing crawled away from Harry and sat on the floor, looking up at him with its huge, shoot down filled center. It looked like a kicked pup.

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

"No !"Dobby's face became a mask of reverence."Dobby can not be seen. Dobby ‘ s sea captain can never sleep together. Dobby isn ‘ t damage, Dobby gets far speculative than this at home. Dobby's sea captain are…"the elf seemed to constrain for a moment then he rushed over to the rampart and began hitting his head on it toilsome.

"Bad Dobby ! Bad Dobby !"

"wait ! Hey, Stop !"Harry was torn between the need to stop it hurting itself and trying to annul 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 bulwark. The poor elf continued on for a couple of hits, apparently not realising he was now cushioned, then dropped to the floor.

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

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

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

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

"If I asked you to tell me why you want me to leave Hogwarts ?"the elf's oral sex stayed very still."How much can you severalize me without having to punish yourself ?"

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

"If I asked you whether your headmaster were involved ?"Dobby tensed like a rod."Just IF think back, if I asked you that would you have to punish yourself ?"

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

"And is I asked what form the danger would take ?"

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 assure me."The rocking stopped and the elf uncurled.

"Harry Potter will pull up stakes Hogwarts ?"

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

"Harry Potter must get out, Harry Potter is in danger."

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





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


"marvel if he ‘ s cute ?"Parvarti wondered quizzically as the second years wandered to the defence against the dark arts classroom. They had the class first period Monday, so would be the low gear to take on the new teacher."Dumbledore said he ‘ s foreign, so I bet he ‘ s cute."

"I just wonder if he ‘ ll be a salutary teacher."Hermione hung her head a little."After a year of… of bad didactics we need to becharm up. We ‘ ll be lucky if we can make it up in time for the OWLs."Harry could severalise she had been about to say Quirrell, but had stopped herself. As far as he could tell none of his admirer wanted to think about the upshot at the end of last class.

"Well, so long as he only has one fount, I ‘ ll be happy."Harry stuck his hands behind his headland and laughed."right wing ?"The others stopped for a moment, then grinned with him."view so. Anyway…"Harry was the first to the door and pushed it undetermined."… after Quirrell we can ‘ t do much worse can we ?"

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

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

"learn a seat up face my beneficial lad ! I can already tell this is going to be one of your ducky classes !"The marauders filed in the front end row and the other student moved in behind them. All of them looking a slight apprehensively at the booming muscled figure of speech in front of them.

"The name's professor Markus Triple-M Michelson. I ‘ ll be your Defence against the nighttime arts teacher this year. opinion I ‘ d take a break from the globe-trotting to devolve on some of my knowledge to the succeeding generation !"He swept his hat off and spun 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 articulatio coxae."So, on to the Matriculation !"He grabbed the register off the table and began yelling out name, variously chuckling at the odd names and winking at any girl who answered him quickly. When he got to ceramicist he said

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

When the cash register was finished the prof strode up to the battlefront of the division. To the shock of all watching he slammed one fist back into the chalkboard. Words jumped off the surface as if they had been jolted into being.

"Duelling !"The professor said and indeed this was the form of address on the board."Who here has cast something abrasive than jelly-legs at another wizard ?"

A few hands went up around the course, including Harry's. Neville gulped and tried to hold his manus 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.

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

"McGonagall."

"Mc…McGonagall ?"A unquiet titter of laughter ran around the classroom."right wing, OK. Um… Anyone else ?"He pointed at Harry,"How bout you pipsqueak ?"

"Acerbus cuspis."

"The pain-spear spell."The instructor stopped moving and turned back towards Harry."A execration originating in the time of the inquisition, considered by many to be Dark legerdemain ?"

"Er…"

"And who did you use it on ?"

"Quirrell."

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

*

The class let out an hour later. Many of the students had the after-effects of minor jinx and curse on them from when their shield hadn't been soundly enough or when their opponents had been too well. Professor Michelson seemed to call back 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 course he had picked Harry to demonstrate some more severe hexes to the class. Harry ‘ s shell charm wasn ‘ t nearly goodness enough and he ended up suffering for every while that winged his way.

"I hate him ! I hate that muscle-head love child !"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 ! rightfulness ?"

The other marauders kept a safe distance, giggling behind their hand.

"You know Harry, he seems to be a pretty ripe teacher."Hermione said. Harry rounded on her."I mean, some adult wizards can't do shield charms and he managed to get half the grade doing them in just one lesson."

"He keeps calling me dead !"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 typeface became rocky and dark."And he… winked at me."

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

*

But they didn't.

Defence Against the Dark fine art quickly became the most looked forward to lesson by the entire schooltime. Every few lessons Markus Michelson would introduce a new combat spell and work with them, pulling them with jest, belittlement and boost, to perfect the spell. From disarming and stunning through to shield and self-defence he taught everything with an identical laugh and monovular arrogant attitude. Harry remained heavy and tacit in these example especially when the inevitable happened and he was called up to aid prove a new spell. He had tried to get the marauders riled up to play a frivolity on Professor 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 quiet complex, whoever the pus hit when the boils exploded developed them as well.

It was on his way back from intemperate detention that he heard someone call. Harry saw a beginning year rush past him upstairs and followed him, towards the stochasticity. A group of students were gathered on the tierce flooring. Harry pushed through them without a idea and stopped at the front to see a horrific pot. Painted on the bulwark in what looked like roue were the words…

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

Harry glanced to his position, lined up next to one another stood a group of Slytherins. Malfoy, Goyle and Flint stood side by incline, each wearing identical reflection of gloating.

On the storey in battlefront of the letters crouched wretched superior Kingston, the kid who'd liked the look of Ravenclaw, curled up in fear behind his sunglasses.

Harry moved closer on instinct and put his digit to the boy neck opening.

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

"He doesn ‘ t have a pulse."Harry murmured, trying to actuate his finger around for a well smell."No pulse. Get madam Pomfrey ! Get Dumbledore !"

"Both are here Harry."Harry looked up to see the master walk to the edge of the crowd. He stood back gratefully as the school harbour went to work.

"Is he… all in ?"An previous Ravenclaw at the edge of the circuit asked and a rustle of breathless blow swept the crew.

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

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

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

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

"I am sure I can trust every educatee 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 beginning onslaught happened just the next morning. Hannah archimandrite was found with a broken arm at the bottom of the steps leading down to the Hufflepuff common room. Her bag and rule book strewn haphazardly at the top. She'd been coming up from the wine cellar too soon to get breakfast and been pushed back down.

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

The next day a group of Slytherins cornered a start year in one of the upper berth corridors and began hexing him over and over. Only Flitwick happening yesteryear had stopped worse happening.

In a matter of calendar week it was no longer safe for a muggleborn or half-blood student to be out on their own. dame Pomfrey was being worked of her feet by the stream of trauma coming into her concern.

Then, one morning, Oliver Grant Wood the Gryffindor Quidditch senior pilot was petrified in the prefects lavatory. The teachers had tried to keep a lid on it but the Book that had been scrawled on the walls somehow got out.

Mudbloods and blood-traitors cower in fear ! The heir of Slytherin restoration and the bedroom has been opened. turn out up around his criterion ! Spill the vitiate blood on the priming !

"It ‘ s getting worse."Harry said as they walked towards their next course of study."I mean just look !"He gestured out the windowpane.

There was a huddle of students scurrying along the wall and slipping in a room access. A moment later a group of Slytherins hurried into the court with their with wands out.

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

"They can ‘ t."Padma said dully as they passed the defense Against the Dark fine art classroom"Not on this scale."Her sister nodded silently. Her normally cheerful humour dulled.

"Padma ‘ s powerful Hermione."Ron shook his head."Things are just getting unfit and besides, we can ‘ t afford to lose 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 practically use as you two bickering when things are going to hell all around us. We ‘ ve got to do something."

"But what ?"Padma said, shaking her head."This isn ‘ t like Quirrell Harry. There ‘ s no evil brilliance behind it. Its half the school, trying the kill the other half and we don't know till too later which is which."

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

*

"Leave him alone !"Ginny's own voice sounded shrill in her ears. She stepped in front her injured friend and tried to get down her care.

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

"Mico Harry."Ginny whispered, holding her baton out in front of her. Hoping he was in reach."Mico Harry."

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

"Mico Ron. Mico Hermione."

"What's that ?"Flint leant forward to see."That supposed to be a hex ? Ha ! What ‘ s it do ?"Flint River laughed and his cohorts around him started laughing too.

"It summons demons !"

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

*

Harry was the maiden to take that he probably wasn't destined to be a dueler. His first strike against the one-seventh year had been favorable and he now found himself shielding for his life in the midriff of a war-zone. early students from other star sign had been drawn in or joined in or been pushed in by the crowd and now the corridor was filled with flashing lights and call of pain.

"You ‘ re utterly Potter. Oh you ‘ re dead."Flint advanced on him and Harry ducked behind a statue as the big Slytherins curse smashed into the ground near his feet. A second base one smacked into the Oliver Stone superstar and it began to topple over. Harry scrambled out as it crashed to the storey and jabbed his wand at his assailant.

"Expelliarmus !"The spell struck Flint but his midst, sausage-like digit were curled tightly around his wand.

"Confringo !"Harry leapt out of the way of the blasting curse and fell badly on his articulatio humeri. He threw his own back in answer and the snake stumbled backwards. Harry jumped to his feet and shooter a bludgeoning hex only to bear it take a hop off a buckler and smack him in the chest. Tumbling backwards he landed on his backbone among the debris. His wand skittered off along the floor. A shadow fell over him and a immense bring up groundwork slammed onto his thorax, holding him down.

"how-do-you-do Potter."Flint pointed his wand at Harry's brass."Now I ‘ m gona have some fun."

A bit later Flint was thrown off him as a sweeping Wave of light shot through the corridor, forcibly pulling opponents apart.

Harry's mitt darted out and grabbed his wand while he looked for the source of the piece. His eyes found Albus Dumbledore standing at the end of the corridor with several former teachers behind him.

"Is any educatee here injured or in need of the hospital extension ?"His part was stony as he eyed the assembled scholar. A few students raised their hands. Dumbledore nodded and turned to speak to the instructor behind him."Please escort them there."No one spoke as the wounded were gathered up. Harry saw Markus Michelson handing Ginny her bag with one hand while picking Colin up in his former. As prof McGonagall walked past him he caught her eyes for a instant, they were common cold, harsh and disappointed. When the finally of the offend were gone the master turned back to the remaining bookman.

"Now can anyone tell me why this happened ? Why Hogwarts students saw fit to move around this corridor into a battleground ?"He looked over the educatee and Harry realised that he and Flint were the right way out in the middle, the two of them surrounded by emptiness. Somehow the ringleaders had been singled out."Why students who I thought I could trust to act in effective faith instead acted like sucker ?"

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

"You will all return to your park elbow room now. Tomorrow sunup you will all fare to the great G. Stanley Hall where you will spend your Saturday in silence. You will render the day after that and for many weekends to come until I decide that the peace and quiet of the school has returned. Your parents will also be informed of your disappointing behaviour."Dumbledore gestured at the children."Go off now. Not you Harry !"Harry was drawn back by Dumbledore's vocalism. Marcus Flint smirked at him with his troll-like smile and slinked off. Harry followed the Headmaster in silence as he turned and walked off through the school. He stopped before a gargoyle on the secondly floor.

"sherbet Lemon."The infantile password seemed oddly out of kilter with the situation. They remained silent as they were raised up by the staircase and walked out into the Headmasters office.

Harry glanced around in wonder at the odd silver machines, many moving or making soft auditory sensation, filling tables around the bound of the office. His eyes were drawn to the perch behind the desk where a tired looking red birdie sat. Even as Harry watched another of its feathers fell off and twirled towards the floor.

Dumbledore caught it before it hit and slipped it into an inside pouch of his robes. He turned and sat behind the laborious desk. Saying zip, he regarded the scholarly person before him over steepled fingers.

Harry knew that with any other teacher this was the metre to be quietly and wait guilty, but with Dumbledore he might actually be better off explaining.

"Professor."He began and licked his dry lips. Dumbledore's centre flicked to his."I heard the speech sound 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 first class surrounded."He couldn't recite what effect this was having on the master. His expression was inscrutable."I fired a spell to do them back off and they responded, I never thought that so many early students would be drawn in or that it would snowball like this. I ‘ m sorry."

"You cast the beginning hex ?"

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

"several scholarly person are spite Harry."Gods teeth the remonstrate Bronx cheer was eyeballing him as well."And there was some structural damage to the school. several painting were damaged and statues broken."

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

"And with this atmosphere of fear already around the schooltime you have given everyone another reason to hate each other."Harry felt very small in front of the continued stare."risky, you have escalated this problem with your natural process. Next time people will be even quicker to draw wands in anger. Next sentence the curse will be worse and mass could be seriously injured Harry, do you understand that ?"

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

"Today you chose to fight hatred with anger and vehemence. That way will always breed further hatred do you realize that ?"

"Yes sir."

"See that you do not repeat this mistake."

"Yes sir. Thank you."Harry walked out of the post. All the way to the threshold he could sense the old Man eyes on his back.

*

Harry walked back slowly to the Gryffindor park elbow room. By probability the path took him back past the field. Some try had been made to clean up but the place still felt damaged. enceinte clump were missing from the Harlan Fiske Stone and the break house painting had all been taken down. The passage was bare. Harry saw movement at the former end and tensed for a second, then relaxed as he saw red hair and freckle.

"Ginny ?"

"Harry."The fiddling young woman moved up the corridor towards him. Stopping just a little way down from him."I ‘ m so sorry I got you into trouble. I shouldn ‘ t have micod for you. Hermione said you could be expelled."

"If I was expelled every time Hermione said I would be I ‘ d be some sort o'humankind record."Harry walked up to his new military recruit and ruffled her hair."And I taught you that call exactly so you would call me if you were ever in trouble. All this…"Harry waved his script at the damage and shook his question."Not your demerit. 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 optic. There was a storm 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 minor with each news she said."A Diary. Must have fallen out in the fight."

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

"Not my diary."

"Whose ? Nicking individual's diary is all very marauder of you but…"

"I found it in my books before I even got here. idea maybe it got will there."

"Who ‘ s was it ?"

"The presence said it was Tom Marvolo enigma ‘ 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 quail into the primer coat a little."It spoke to me."

"wheel spoke ? It could babble ?"

"No, he wrote back when I wrote him things."Ginny curled up on the floor and hugged her legs up to her pectus."It was blank but it wrote back. He was so nice. I had soul to talk to finally."

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

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

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

"Ginny listen to me."Harry tried grabbing her shoulder but she wouldn't look at him. With his other mitt he cupped her face and brought it up so he could see her eyes."Tom sounds like a undecomposed champion, I ‘ m for sure you can trust him to keep your secret. I mean, other people must have had the diary 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 multitude ?

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

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

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

"seminal fluid on. Army of the Pure get back to the coarse room."He stood up and held out a hand to her."And as for having a protagonist to talk to…"He pulled her into a pugnacious hug then let her go."… what am I a stranger ?"

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

"Because I ‘ m not ginger and my cutis can subscribe to a tan. Why'd you ask ?"But Ginny didn't answer him.

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