Harry moved quickly once he was out of the humanity sight and slipped into Gringots. He got money out more quickly than he should have by simply ignoring the queue and asking for Greeklunk. His old goblin conversance quickly helped him refill his sac for another class. While he was down in the vault Harry stuck his jersey in his bag and instead took out a long robe with a hood. At Greeklunk's confused manifestation 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 school shopping quickly. When he walked back past Fortescue's the wizard was still there, showing the waitress a long cicatrix on his arm.

*

Harry stood in the country lane and rechecked the letter he held in his script. He was sure he was at to the lowest degree in the right small town and probably on the right road. It was just that the road went a farsighted way in both directions and Ron's advice on getting to his house had been rather wispy. 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 engine.

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

"Down the lane, turn left at the co-op."The man said without looking up."And state the man I need my wrench back."

*

Harry had to resist the impulse to break into a run as he caught pile of the Weasley sign of the zodiac. Outside it in the overgrown garden he could see three boy working, flinging something he couldn't make out over the garden wall. Harry smiled, they were expecting him today but he hadn't exactly been able to give them an take time. As he walked closer the room access to the house opened and mollie Weasley ( Ron had told him all about his family ) emerged, carrying a tray with drink on it. Behind her a unseasoned young woman ( must be Ginny ) stepped outside and leaned against the doorjamb looking bored. None of them seemed to have noticed him yet, or maybe the tan had changed his visual aspect a bit. As he stepped up to the presence logic gate he spread his arms wide.

"Aloha !"

"Harry !"Ron jumped in surprise"You ‘ re here."The twins jumped up too and ran to fit him, but the most utmost chemical reaction came from the youngest Weasley. Ginny went drained White person under her whisker and her mouth seemed to move as if she was trying to say something then she bolted through the still clear door.

"She has some variety of protest to aloha ?"Harry asked the ginger crowd.

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

"Ron, be decent to your sister."Mrs Weasley's voice was posterior for a moment then turned voiced again as she turned back to Harry."She ‘ s just shy Harry. I ‘ m certain she ‘ ll get over it the more she sees of you."

"Probably."Agreed Harry"The Italian sandwich thing doesn ‘ t stopping point. I ‘ ve been told on ingeminate occasions that I ‘ m a monumental disappointment."

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

"Snape."

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

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

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

*

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

"Ginny."She stiffened and looked like she was about to fly."Don't run away please."He walked around and sat next to her on the couch. She looked like a small gnawer confronted by a snake in the grass, eyes spacious open and too dash to run."Can you tell me why you run every time I try to spill to you or enter the room ?"silence, except for the twitching she could hold been petrified."looking Ginny I don't know what it is but could you please talk to me. We ‘ re going to be going to school together for the side by side six years. Could you lecture to me. Please."

"Y… you…"Harry had to tense to get word her faint whisper."you destroyed you-know-who."

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

"You ‘ ve got the scar."

"I ‘ ve got a lot of scars. Which one in specific ?"Ginny reached out to point at his forehead and Harry brushed away the tomentum to divulge the scar. 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, last twelvemonth. Back before she liked us."

"And that turned out OK."

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

"No Ron but I think I do mean I need to take drastic legal action to correct this situation."Harry thought for a moment then latched onto a vivid plan. An amazing plan. Possibly the greatest plan he had ever devised."You have a few ling here right ?"

"Five net fourth dimension I looked. My old one, the twins, Percy's and one Charlie left here."

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

"But Harry you can ‘ t play Quidditch. The last metre you got on a Scots heather you made a gross jester of yourself."

"Exactly !"

*

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

"You have to travel along through."Ron made a jabbing gesture with the flat tire of his hand. That meant stick to through Harry knew, the hand signals were about all he ‘ d picked up during the game."Just concentrate on following through. That was the problem that time."

"No Ron, the job was that I flew into a tree."Harry tumbled to the reason and spat out a leaf."What's the signal for ‘ You're about to fly into a Sir Herbert Beerbohm 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 connect the twins. Ginny was sitting a little way of life away watching them, when Harry had fallen out of the tree she had jumped up in shock. But as Ron and the similitude had begun laughing at him he had seen a phantasm 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 foot back on solid ground.

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

"Aye aye senior pilot !"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 evenfall off if I tried."Harry began moving off to the right and saw his friend shoot away with the Quaffle. After a moment Ron turned and chucked it ahead of him. He rushed forward to watch it, fumbled it, then snagged it in one deal.

"I got it ! I got…"Thump !

Harry struck the background hard and rolled to a diaphragm in the longsighted Gunter Grass.

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

"There didn ‘ t used to be four of you."Harry pointed at her with a shaking hand."arrest being four of you, person… girl… Where am I ?"Harry blinked and looked around blurrily. A small racket brought him back to the pose and he looked forward. Ginny had her hand over her sassing and was trying hard not to express mirth. minuscule strait kept escaping like steam out of a kettle.

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

The four Weasley's carried him off the delivery and Fred and George I ( who seemed to sustain experience with head injuries for some reasonableness ) pronounced him fine.

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

"bettor idea."Harry tossed his Scots heather to Ginny."You take my spot. I am never ever ever ever ever ever getting on one of those again. From now on I walk where I need to go."

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

"Ron…"Harry pitched his articulation to match Mrs Weasley's"Be squeamish to your sister ! And besides, your selection are me or her."

"Welcome to the team Ginny."

*

"See ! No one can beat my team !"Harry grinned and slapped his chest as the biz drew to an functionary close.

"What do you mean 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 sweeping manus gesture."And we all played a section in that."

"And your region is ?"

"Cheerleader. I really should get some pompoms."



preeminence : Right, thats the second year started.

Interesting intelligence about Dumbledore, but it makes sensory faculty when you look back on it. Energy Department kind of shuffling it more tragic however. The hero 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 act against Grindlewald was interesting too and puts the wholly matter in a new Inner Light. What if Grindlewald was well cognisant of Dumbledores spirit and used him to gain power in rubber ? Knowing replete wellspring 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 put-on but thats fine 'cos anyone who laughed is just as nerdy.






Kings mark was crowded beyond feeling as the Weasley kin group crossed the station towards platform nine and three quarter.

"precipitation up."Mrs Weasley herded her various armorial bearing towards the barrier."right field. semen everyone, while the muggles aren't looking."One by one the red-header jibe through the barrier. Harry waited until lastly, as the summer had drawn to a stopping point 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 enjoy my final stage import of freedom."She disappeared through the roadblock and Harry took a deep breath. There wasn't much more he could do to put this off. He started running forwards, lowered his head and closed his eyes as he reached the barrier.

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

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

Harry stayed on the floor despite the odd looks he was getting. There didn't seem to be a great deal point in getting up. The clock ticked over the hour. The power train was leaving.

Harry looked down platform ten and thought he saw a wisp of heater ascent from beyond the tracks. Where was the wizards platform anyway ? A mad melodic theme struck Harry and he was stood back up in a flash. His fundament seemed to incite of their own accord and he took first one then another halting gradation along the platform. Another wisp of smoke. He broke into a run and willed his legs to hold him truehearted and faster.

"it's a steam train."Harry dodged past a startled director at the end of the political program and jumped down onto the tracks."It takes a while to hotfoot up."He pumped his legs for duplicate speed.

"digger !"Harry reached onto his backpack and flicked his owl's Cage unresolved."taking into custody me up at Hogwarts !"Harry shooting to the edge of the caravan tracks and looked down. The normal, muggle train rails coming out of kings cross were raised up on a sort of long bridge deck, raising them several account above the city streets. Harry glanced down in meter to see the end of the Hogwarts express mail squeeze itself out from between the bricks of the bridge and head off down a cartroad that looked disused. Up ahead the track rose up and joined with the others, if Harry was going to do it, he ‘ d have to do it now.

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

He crashed into the top of the survive carriage and hung onto it for dear life. The gear was beginning to break up up swiftness and Harry crawled to the edge. Thankfully the carriages window was exposed. Harry swung his bag in through it then slid down into it himself.

"Harry thrower. Nice to meet you."He said to the aghast first years who's carriage he'd dropped into."See you at Hogwarts !"Harry walked shakily out the door. Once he was safely in the corridor he leaned against the wall and slid down till he was on the floor. He wanted to get up and find his acquaintance but for some grounds none of his branch seemed to work. He caught a glimpse of himself in the methamphetamine in front of him and blinked in seismic disturbance. He looked a crash ! roue ran down the left face of his cheek and was matted into the hair above.

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

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

She wordlessly handed him the cake and took the Mary Leontyne Price of them without once taking her eyes off him. When he was about to allow she finally said.

"Did you… just… saltation onto the train."

"No."Harry shook his head"No. Definitely not. You ‘ d have to be dotty to jump off on a moving train."

*

Harry moved down the wagon train as quietly as he could. Trying to feel his friends without drawing too a lot tending. Unfortunately talk travelled fast on the Hogwarts express and he couldn't go five measure without encountering another stare or go along a chemical group of scholarly person without them breaking out in a fit of whispering.

"So miserable tending seeking thrower strikes again."The interpreter 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 energy for this now."It was lawful. Harry would stimulate liked doing nothing more than simply collapsing on the floor there for the residual of the journey."Could you please, and I mean this in the skillful possible way, bugger off and die like the morbid piece of music of distended rectum anatomy you are."

"Big public lecture for a kid who can barely stand."Malfoy took a stone's throw forward and Harry retreated."And I don't see your slight admirer here to aid you today. This may just be my favourable day."The three Slytherins advanced on him and Harry drew his wand when…

"ceramicist !"Harry turned and saw professor McGonagall standing in the carriage. Malfoy and his bodyguards disappeared through a door."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 head then whisking away the blood on his face."I just spent an unpleasant few minutes arguing with Molly Weasley who was franticly trying to get us to stop the train. She seemed to be under the depression that the barrier had sealed with you on the other side."

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

"But then. How did you get here ?"

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

"Harry…"

"I jumped onto the train."

"YOU JUMPED ONTO THE TRAIN !"

"The barrier had sealed up ! There wasn ‘ t any other way ! And besides, I had a head injury. I ‘ m not trusted I was in an entirely noetic frame of mind."

"That is beside the point Mr thrower, but after the stunt you pulled at the end of terminal year I suppose I should not be entirely surprised."She straightened up"We will bear to discuss this further in my office staff at Hogwarts. At the very to the lowest degree you will receive several 24-hour interval detention."

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

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

"After the sorting ?"

"As soon as you reach the castle."

"prof please…"Alright this is McGonagall, you know how to dissipate McGonagall. She acts tough but she's all maudlin interior."… my friend's sister's getting sorted today and she ‘ s worried about it. All her brothers are in Gryffindor, wholly kinsperson really. I should be there for her. Please ?"

"Alright Mr ceramicist. 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 unfold.

"hello freindlies !"

"Harry !"Hermione's mouth dropped open."Ron said you couldn ‘ t get onto the platform !"

"Couldn't."Harry noticed Ginny sitting quietly in the niche of the compartment. Ron had probably been told to keep an eye on her."Had to acquire entering to the train by… former means."

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

"Couldn ‘ t care less. But no."

"Portkey ?"Neville seemed to believe for a moment."Or a heather ?"

"No."Ron and Ginny spoke at the same sentence 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 mitt to her lip and began shaking her head."I was talking to Lavender down the other end of the string. I thought she was joking."

"What is it ?"Hermione asked and the predator seemed to fall waiting for the answers.

"You jumped onto the top of the train."The predator turned as one to take care at him.

"Maybe."None of his Friend seemed to require to utter.

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

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

*

The power train meandered its recollective journey through the hills and Harry ducked out of the conversations around him. His brain still hurt and he didn't have the energy to entertain people. He leaned against the cold window as rainfall started to streak down, leaving petty trails on the windowpane pane. He closed his eyes and lay there for a long while. petty trails of piddle, 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 repose of his friend were still talking amongst themselves."You ‘ re expression was all scrunched up like you were dreaming."

"Oh, are we there yet."Harry kind of wanted to get back to sleep. 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 vexation. You ‘ ll love it there. deterrent example are easy, specially appealingness. Friends everywhere. Plus if any of the Slytherins bother you we can shew some blue-belly requital. We're feared by that house."

"That ‘ s variety of what I ‘ m worried about."Ginny glanced at the red boundary on Harry's robes.

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

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

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

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

*

"What the sin ?"Ron voiced what they were all thinking as the marauders moved away from the train at Hogsmead. Ginny had left to take her piddling boat ride and the six ally now stood in front man of a line of carriages, each drawn by a cut scaly horse with turn up leathery offstage."Charlie told me the coach pulled themselves ?"

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

"Still think this is weird."

*

Ginny Weasley stood fidgeting in strawman of the hall as the sorting hat finished its Sung. She was so nervous she wanted to bite her nails despite the face they were already worn to the pith. Well, at to the lowest degree she was a Weasley. Her gens would be called near to lastly. She saw Harry on the Gryffindor board spinning three crotch in the air in figurehead of him. She tried to take hold of his eye but failed, he was talking to his substantial admirer. Everyone began to pay attending as Dumbledore stood up.

"Before we begin the categorization I ‘ d like to declare two thing. One is that, despite what this evacuate chair seems to indicate, we have found a new defence force Against the Dark arts teacher."Ginny looked along the teachers tabularize and saw a lank-haired professor grimace. She giggled, that must be professor Snape."Sadly he could not be here tonight as he has been managing the transport of his belongings from overseas. perch assured that he has my wide assurance and he will introduce himself, probably at length…"did the lank-haired professor just make a face even more ?"…in your first off example with him tomorrow. Now the second affair is that we will be doing this years sorting backwards."

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

"Yes, call it an old mans image. Now let us continue so that we can enjoy a splendid fiesta after we are all done."Dumbledore sat back down but the murmuring hadn't ceased. McGonagall then took her home, the manifestation on her nerve clearly showing that the Headmaster had not discussed this with her. She looked down at her newspaper and read…

"Weasley, Ginevra."

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

"Another Weasley, seems I see those on almost a yearly fundament. But a Weasley female child ? 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 prefer my sign of the zodiac. I want to be in Gryffindor."

"Quite brave of you to just holler it out it like that. Almost forcefulness me to foot Gryffindor."Shout it out ? …Oh god !

"Ah… You didn ‘ t realise you were speaking out loud ?"
Ginny lifted the brim of the hat just enough to see around the Hall. There was whispering everywhere, and every case had an identical mug of take aback astonishment. Her centre searched out her chum at the Gryffindor tabular array. Walker Percy had buried his face in his hands and seemed to be trying to feign it all wasn't occurrence, Fred and George VI were watching her with immense evil grinning and Ron, Ron just looked bemused. Her oculus flickered preceding Ron to Harry and their gazes locked, then the boy did the oddest thing, he pulled up his sleeve, put his hand palm out and dig forward.

Follow through

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

"Yep."She said, trying to not have her representative break out in whimpers."Definitely Gryffindor."And with that she pulled the hat off her head, set it down on the chairwoman and walked steadily towards Harry. She blanked out everything else in the hall, the whispering ascent, the teachers, everything. There was a tail following 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 representative but she swore his lip barely moved."Look straight ahead and don't give them any sign they're getting to you."Easy for him to say ! She stayed exactly where she was as the silence crawled on. Then something touched her deal by her English. A candy of some form. Without a word, and before the understood stares of the hale hall, she brought out, unwrapped and sedately ate a liquorice wand.

Every eye in the G. Stanley Hall turned as they heard McGonagall solve her throat then…

"Kingston, Victor."

It was as if the mansion house had been holding its hint the entire clip and now let it out in a undulation of chatter. Ginny felt somebody gonorrhoea 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 realise I was talking out loud."

"Figured as much."Harry said glibly and offered her another liquorice wand."trade good thing 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 pick it up then looked at the tables in the hall.

"Ravenclaw. I think I like Ravenclaw."

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

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

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

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

"Leave her twins."Harry was holding her by both shoulders away from her one-time crony."She tricked the hat, swindled McGonagall, caused a cross house revolution and all in front of the total school !"Harry grabbed her and hugged her from buns."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 blood brother 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 mettle to see it through and doesn ‘ t tending what the convention say or who thinks what !"She stuck out her hand"Welcome to the Marauders."

By the end of the day Ginervrador theatre ( as it was briefly called ) had an unusually with child class of commencement years. Filch had to move some of the beds.

*

As Harry trudged back from his first hold with McGonagall that night ( polishing hundreds and century of boldness buttons that were just going to be transfigured into mallet anyway ) he leaned on the wall near the portraiture hole and closed his eyes for a moment.

"Harry Potter sir !"

Harry opened his eyes and immediately realised his head injury must have been worse than he thought. The Hallucination had long pointy ears and was wearing some sort of ragged cloth like a toga.

"Wha… ?"

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

"Who ?"Harry shook his question but the modest figure remained"What and/or who are you ?"

"Dobby sir. Dobby the house elf."The odd trivial brute bowed to him, its pry almost touching the floor."Dobby is truly sorry to have caused trouble for such a great wizard as Harry potter. But Harry Potter must leave Hogwarts !"

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

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

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

"Dobby thought that if the platform closed…"

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

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

"No !"Dobby's cheek became a mask of fright."Dobby can not be seen. Dobby ‘ s masters can never know. Dobby isn ‘ t damage, Dobby gets far speculative than this at home. Dobby's passe-partout are…"the elf seemed to constrain for a moment then he rushed over to the paries and began hitting his fountainhead on it voiceless.

"Bad Dobby ! Bad Dobby !"

"delay ! Hey, Stop !"Harry was torn between the need to intercept it hurting itself and trying to ward off grabbing it again since he'd obviously hurt him. He pulled his robe off, quickly balled it up and ( between head bounces ) slid it between Dobby and the wall. The poor elf continued on for a distich of hits, apparently not realising he was now cushioned, then dropped to the flooring.

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

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

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

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

"If I asked you to distinguish me why you want me to leave Hogwarts ?"the elf's fountainhead stayed very still."How much can you say me without having to punish yourself ?"

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

"If I asked you whether your professional were involved ?"Dobby tensed like a rod."Just IF call back, if I asked you that would you sustain to penalize yourself ?"

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

"And is I asked what organise the danger would contain ?"

But at this Dobby shook his headland furiously and put his manpower over his ears. The pitiful elf began rocking backwards and forwards and keening.

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

"Harry potter will leave alone Hogwarts ?"

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

"Harry potter must leave, Harry potter is in danger."

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





Please reappraisal, especially if you think it 's bad. Really, it 'll facilitate me improve.


"Wonder if he ‘ s cute ?"Parvarti wondered quizzically as the 2d years wandered to the defence against the dark arts classroom. They had the form low geological period Monday, so would be the for the first time to meet the new teacher."Dumbledore said he ‘ s foreign, so I bet he ‘ s cute."

"I just enquire if he ‘ ll be a honorable teacher."Hermione hung her head a small."After a year of… of bad educational activity we need to fascinate up. We ‘ ll be lucky if we can stimulate it up in time for the OWLs."Harry could separate she had been about to say Quirrell, but had stopped herself. As far as he could order none of his friends wanted to intend about the events at the end of stopping point year.

"fountainhead, so long as he only has one boldness, I ‘ ll be happy."Harry stuck his hands behind his head and laughed."right ?"The others stopped for a moment, then grinned with him."Thought so. Anyway…"Harry was the initiatory to the threshold and pushed it spread."… after Quirrell we can ‘ t do much bad can we ?"

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

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

"Take a prat up look my adept lad ! I can already evidence this is going to be one of your favored classes !"The marauders filed in the front row and the early student moved in behind them. All of them looking a little apprehensively at the booming muscled figure in front man of them.

"The name's Professor Markus Triple-M Michelson. I ‘ ll be your Defence against the dark arts teacher this class. intellection I ‘ d take a recess from the globe-trotting to pass on some of my noesis to the adjacent generation !"He swept his hat off and spun it across the room, it landed neatly on top of a suit of armor."Oh and by the way the Ms base for Maximus, Mighty and Magesto but they might as well digest for Muscular, Magical and most of all Masculine !"He laughed and put his fists on his hips."So, on to the matric !"He grabbed the register off the table and began yelling out names, variously chuckling at the odd names and winking at any lady friend who answered him quickly. When he got to thrower he said

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

When the register was finished the professor strode up to the strawman of the class. To the shock of all watching he slammed one fist back into the chalkboard. tidings jumped off the surface as if they had been jolted into being.

"Duelling !"The professor said and indeed this was the title on the table."Who here has cast something harsh than jelly-legs at another mavin ?"

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

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

"Full torso Bind sir."Neville appeared to be wishing he had a cakehole to crawl into.

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

"McGonagall."

"Mc…McGonagall ?"A nervous titter of laugh ran around the schoolroom."right hand, OK. Um… Anyone else ?"He pointed at Harry,"How bout you pipsqueak ?"

"Acerbus cuspis."

"The pain-spear spell."The teacher stopped moving and turned back towards Harry."A curse word originating in the time of the inquisition, considered by many to be Dark Magic ?"

"Er…"

"And who did you use it on ?"

"Quirrell."

"right wing OK."Albert Michelson shook his mind."Before we dredge up any more ravishment against Hogwarts teachers lets start on something else. Who here knows what a harbour good luck charm is ?"Many of the script went down ( though not of course of study, Hermione's )"Right ! we'll scratch line there."

*

The form let out an hour later. Many of the scholar had the after-effects of minor jinxes and hexes on them from when their shields hadn't been undecomposed enough or when their opposer had been too good. professor A. A. Michelson seemed to cerebrate 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 stratum he had picked Harry to demonstrate some more serious hexes to the class. Harry ‘ s shield magical spell wasn ‘ t nearly good enough and he ended up suffering for every magical spell that winged his way.

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

The other marauders kept a dependable distance, giggling behind their hired hand.

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

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

"Well…"Parvarti chipped in"He is cute."Harry's brass became stony and glum."And he… winked at me."

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

*

But they didn't.

defence force Against the iniquity art quickly became the most see forward to lesson by the full shoal. Every few lessons Markus A. A. Michelson would enter a new combat spell and work with them, pulling them with laughs, belittlement and encouragement, to perfect the spell. From disarming and stunning through to carapace and self-defence he taught everything with an indistinguishable laugh and identical self-important posture. Harry remained saturnine and silent in these lessons especially when the inevitable happened and he was called up to aid exhibit a new magic spell. He had tried to get the predator riled up to play a trick on Professor A. A. 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 tranquility complex, whoever the pus hit when the boil exploded developed them as well.

It was on his way back from heavily detention that he heard soul vociferation. Harry saw a first year bang past him upstairs and followed him, towards the haphazardness. A radical of students were gathered on the tierce floor. Harry pushed through them without a thought process and stopped at the figurehead to see a frightening visual modality. Painted on the wall in what looked like blood were the words…

Arise those of ancient lineage ! Cast out the impure from this planetary house of our fathers ! Be true to your bloodline ! Destroy the enemies of the heritor ! This is the telephone call to arms !

Harry glanced to his side, lined up adjacent to one another stood a chemical group of Slytherins. Malfoy, Goyle and Flint stood side by side, each wearing indistinguishable look of Glee.

On the floor in social movement of the letters crouched poor superior Kingston, the kid who'd liked the look of Ravenclaw, curled up in fear behind his sunglasses.

Harry moved closer on inherent aptitude and put his fingerbreadth to the boy neck.

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

"He doesn ‘ t have a pulse."Harry murmured, trying to move his fingerbreadth around for a better feel."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 nurse went to work out.

"Is he… dead ?"An previous Ravenclaw at the edge of the circle asked and a whisper of breathless jounce swept the crowd.

"No."Professor Dumbledore said calmly"He appears to feature been petrified."

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

"Yes young lady Clearwater. I think so, in time."tenseness seemed to go out of the group but the prefect pressed on.

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

"I am sure I can trust every scholarly person here to act in a way that does not attaint the good name of this school."

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

*

The starting time attack happened just the next morning. Hannah abbot was found with a broken arm at the buns of the stairs leading down to the Hufflepuff common room. Her bag and Bible strewn haphazardly at the top. She'd been coming up from the basement early on to get breakfast and been pushed back down.

Professor sprout took her to the infirmary extension. But no one had seen what happened, not even Hannah, and no issue how much they asked the Professors couldn't find who had done it.

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

In a matter of calendar week it was no longer good for a muggleborn or half-blood pupil to be out on their own. Madam Pomfrey was being worked of her feet by the stream of injuries coming into her forethought.

Then, one morning, Joseph Oliver Wood the Gryffindor Quidditch captain was petrified in the prefects lavatory. The teacher had tried to maintain a lid on it but the words that had been scrawled on the walls somehow got out.

Mudbloods and blood-traitors cower in fear ! The inheritor of Slytherin income tax return and the chamber has been opened. Rise up around his standard ! Spill the spoilt bloodline on the land !

"It ‘ s getting worse."Harry said as they walked towards their next class."I mean just look !"He gestured out the window.

There was a huddle of students scurrying along the wall and slipping in a room access. A mo later a group of Slytherins hurried into the court with their with baton out.

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

"They can ‘ t."Padma said dully as they passed the defence force Against the dark Arts classroom"Not on this scale."Her sister nodded silently. Her normally cheerful mood dulled.

"Padma ‘ s right Hermione."Ron shook his header."things are just getting worse and besides, we can ‘ t afford to lose any more than Quidditch players."

"Is that all you care about !"

"I just meant…"

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

"But what ?"Padma said, shaking her head."This isn ‘ t like Quirrell Harry. There ‘ s no immorality hotshot behind it. Its half the schooling, trying the kill the other one-half and we don't know till too late which is which."

"With some we got a pretty good idea."Harry murmured darkly as they passed a radical of Slytherins. The predator curled around Hermione like a homo shield as they passed and only spread back out after they had gone. A back later Harry's wand vibrated in his pocket."damn it !"Harry motioned the others to quiet and the sound of hexing could be heard above them. They broke into a run towards the near stair.

*

"Leave him alone !"Ginny's own voice sounded shrill in her capitulum. She stepped in front her bruise admirer and tried to bury her fearfulness.

"What ? Protecting your mudblood fellow traitor ?"Marcus Flint stepped out of the ring of Slytherins surrounding her and Colin."Step aside for me. I ‘ d rather not spill wizard descent, even your families, unless I have to."

"Mico Harry."Ginny whispered, holding her wand out in front man of her. Hoping he was in chain."Mico Harry."

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

"Mico Ron. Mico Hermione."

"What's that ?"Flint leant forward to hear."That supposed to be a hex ? Ha ! What ‘ s it do ?"Flint River laughed and his cohorts around him started laughing too.

"It summons daemon !"

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

*

Harry was the first to take that he probably wasn't destined to be a duellist. His commencement strike against the seventh year had been lucky and he now found himself shielding for his spirit in the middle of a war-zone. Other student from early business firm had been drawn in or joined in or been pushed in by the crowd and now the corridor was filled with flashing lights and cries of painful sensation.

"You ‘ re dead 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 one smacked into the Edward Durell Stone star and it began to topple over. Harry scrambled out as it crashed to the floor and jabbed his sceptre at his assailant.

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

"Confringo !"Harry leapt out of the way of the blasting curse and fell badly on his shoulder. He threw his own back in solvent and the Hydra stumbled backwards. Harry jumped to his feet and shot a bludgeoning hex only to have it bound off a shield and smack him in the chest. Tumbling backwards he landed on his spine among the debris. His wand skittered off along the floor. A fantasm fell over him and a vast bring up substructure slammed onto his chest, holding him down.

"how-do-you-do Potter."flint pointed his scepter at Harry's side."Now I ‘ m gona have some fun."

A moment later flint was thrown off him as a sweeping wave of light pellet through the corridor, forcibly pulling opponents apart.

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

"Is any student here injured or in indigence of the hospital wing ?"His voice was stony as he eyed the foregather students. A few students raised their helping hand. Dumbledore nodded and turned to verbalize to the teachers behind him."Please see them there."No one spoke as the wounded were gathered up. Harry saw Markus Albert Abraham Michelson handing Ginny her bag with one hand while picking Colin up in his early. As professor McGonagall walked past him he caught her eyes for a moment, they were low temperature, harsh and foiled. When the cobbler's last of the injured were gone the Headmaster turned back to the remaining scholarly person.

"Now can anyone tell me why this happened ? Why Hogwarts pupil saw fit to twist this corridor into a battleground ?"He looked over the student and Harry realised that he and flint were right out in the heart, the two of them surrounded by emptiness. Somehow the ringleaders had been singled out."Why student who I thought I could trust to act in adept religion instead acted like motley fool ?"

No one radius. No one wanted to pull back attention to themselves.

"You will all return to your common suite now. Tomorrow cockcrow you will all hail to the great student residence where you will spend your Saturday in silence. You will return the day after that and for many weekends to derive until I decide that the peace and silence of the school has returned. Your parents will also be informed of your let down behaviour."Dumbledore gestured at the children."Go off now. Not you Harry !"Harry was drawn back by Dumbledore's voice. Marcus Flint smirked at him with his troll-like smile and slinked off. Harry followed the master in muteness as he turned and walked off through the schooltime. He stopped before a gargoyle on the second level.

"Sherbet Lemon."The childish watchword seemed oddly out of kilter with the state of affairs. They remained dumb as they were raised up by the staircase and walked out into the schoolmaster office.

Harry glanced around in wonder at the odd silver political machine, many moving or making lenient sounds, filling tables around the edges of the office. His centre were drawn to the rod behind the desk where a tired looking red hoot sat. Even as Harry watched another of its feathering fell off and twirled towards the floor.

Dumbledore caught it before it hit and slipped it into an inside air hole of his robe. He turned and sat behind the heavy desk. Saying aught, he regarded the scholarly person before him over steepled digit.

Harry knew that with any other teacher this was the time to be tranquillise and count hangdog, but with Dumbledore he might actually be dear off explaining.

"Professor."He began and licked his dry lips. Dumbledore's eyes flicked to his."I heard the sound of person being attacked nearby and I went to see whether I could help oneself. When we… I got there Marcus Flint River and some other Slytherins had the first-class honours degree years surrounded."He couldn't tell what effect this was having on the Headmaster. His grammatical construction was inscrutable."I fired a piece to make them back off and they responded, I never thought that so many early bookman would be drawn in or that it would snowball like this. I ‘ m sorry."

"You cast the firstly hex ?"

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

"respective bookman are bruise Harry."immortal teeth the ragged bird was eyeballing him as well."And there was some structural damage to the schoolhouse. various paintings were damaged and statues broken."

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

"And with this atmosphere of fear already around the school you have given everyone another grounds to detest each other."Harry felt very little in presence of the continued stare."bad, you have escalated this problem with your actions. future clock time multitude will be even fast to pass wands in anger. Next time the whammy will be worsened and people could be seriously spite Harry, do you realise that ?"

"Yes sir."Harry thought of Marcus Flint's smirk. Next time they wouldn't delay to razz masses.

"Today you chose to fight hatred with anger and violence. That way will always breed further hatred do you empathise that ?"

"Yes sir."

"See that you do not reprise this mistake."

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

*

Harry walked back slowly to the Gryffindor common way. By hazard the path took him back past the battleground. Some endeavor had been made to clean up but the place still felt damaged. Great chunks were missing from the Oliver Stone and the humbled painting had all been taken down. The passageway was bare. Harry saw movement at the other end and tensed for a second, then relaxed as he saw red pilus and freckle.

"Ginny ?"

"Harry."The little lady friend moved up the corridor towards him. Stopping just a fiddling 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 sorting o'world record."Harry walked up to his newest recruit and ruffled her hair."And I taught you that call exactly so you would call me if you were ever in hassle. All this…"Harry waved his hand at the impairment and shook his head word."Not your break. But why are you back here ? Shouldn ‘ t you be in the plebeian room."

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

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

"doomed something."Ginny's voice became smaller with each Word she said."A Diary. Must have fallen out in the fight."

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

"Not my diary."

"Whose ? Nicking someone's journal is all very piranha of you but…"

"I found it in my record book before I even got here. Thought maybe it got left there."

"Who ‘ s was it ?"

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

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

"It was… special."Ginny seemed to shrink into the priming a little."It spoke to me."

"radius ? It could lecture ?"

"No, he wrote back when I wrote him things."Ginny curled up on the floor and hugged her stage up to her pectus."It was vacuous but it wrote back. He was so nice. I had soul to talk to finally."

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

"I can't talk to them."Ginny began to sob a niggling."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 traumatise and frighten away and suddenly broke down into tears. Harry just stood there, he didn't know what the Inferno to do.

"I mess everything up."Ginny gulped between sobs."I lost Tom and everyone ‘ s going to learn him ! I messed up the categorisation ! 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 early hired man he cupped her face and brought it up so he could see her middle."Tom sounds like a unspoiled friend, I ‘ m sure enough you can swear him to keep your secrets. I mean, former people must take had the diary before you and Tom never told you any of their secrets right ?"

pigeon hawk's beard, he didn't know what he was doing. What did he be intimate about comforting citizenry ?

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

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

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

"Come on. Lashkar-e-Toiba get back to the mutual room."He stood up and held out a manus to her."And as for having a ally to verbalize to…"He pulled her into a rough hug then let her go."… what am I a stranger ?"

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

"Because I ‘ m not ginger and my cutis can take on 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 towboat."I ‘ m no soundly at this sort of thing."


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




As Clarence Day went by Harry found it harder and harder to keep his countersign to Dumbledore. Little fighting were breaking out all over the school. A scholarly person could hardly go from lesson to lesson without seeing people running scared or hearing hexing.

Harry and former willing students had arranged to walk any muggleborns too and from talking to. It helped, a little, with both the students themselves and Harry's guilt. But every clip he heard cries in the distance or saw a grinning on the face of a greenish robed student he shuddered, but kept walking. high-risk it seemed like more and more educatee from other sign were answering the telephone call and more and more dangerous whammy seemed to be thrown around each day. Just a few days ago Su Li had been found with deep cuts all over her, like she ‘ d been rolled in field glass. risky, she had been inside the ravenclaw commons room.

Harry knew that he was at to the lowest degree partially to blame for the escalation in fury but he knew who was really to blame, Markus Michelson !

half the spells being thrown around had been taught to them in Defence grade and Professor Michelson had been pushing them, hell even encouraging them to fight. His first class had been on duelling ! Harry would had pointed this to people and ( even from Hermione ) got niggardly agreement.

It seemed that the muscle-bound instructor had realised his mistake himself. As the violence mounted the instructor had looked more and more distressed and tired. That day ( for the firstly clock time ever in his class ) they had taken notes from the school text.

Harry grimaced as he looked around the classroom, a group of Slytherins with Malfoy in the nerve center sat near the rachis, with their heads together. Harry turned back to his work and agitate his chief.

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

"Last meter we tried to get involved thing went uncollectible Neville. Much worse. I don't want to fuck up again."

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

"Give me an option."Harry flipped the page on the Good Book in front of him and dipped his quill again. “'cos I ‘ m fresh out of them."

Harry felt his supporter lean away from him. He had heard the still hope in his acquaintance voice and felt bad for dashing it. But what could he do ? He would only get thing regretful, he couldn't interfere.

And he kept that hope.

For about five hours.

*

Harry closed his book and looked around the subroutine library trying to forge out if it was deserving checking it out. He had been considering employing some of the spells in Secrecy and Illusion to get student safely between lesson but they were irritatingly either to complex to be preformed quickly or to simple to be of use. He had been trying to recover similar books in the library but the Hogwarts seemed to have very few of them.

Harry's face twisted into a real smile for the first meter in a patch. It was almost like they didn't trust the students.

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

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

Harry shook his brain and trudged away from the musty shoes. It was dark already, and Harry hunched a picayune as he walked down the echoing corridor alone. The fact that he was this scared to be alone in the heart of Hogwarts disturbed Harry a lot. It reminded him of frigidness streets where you were never really safe, never well enough hidden. Harry ‘ s step quickened as he thought of the warmth of Gryffindor tower.

Was that a cry ? Harry's ft slowed and he moved to the slope of the staircase he was on. There it was again, coming from the top of the stairway. Harry lowered himself flat to the step near the top and slipped a periscope out of his pocket, taking concern to celebrate lull he pushed it above the top step.

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

"So little mudblood."Malfoy was speaking softly in the dark above the step."What kind of piece shall we use next ?"One of the student rolled over on the floor and Harry saw her clearly for the maiden prison term. A Ravenclaw, perhaps a year or two ahead of him. Her chocolate hide had raised red blotch like bee stings. It looked like she had been hit with stinging whammy. Lots of stinging jinx.

"No ! Please stop, please."The girl whimpered, she sounded like she was crying.

Harry gritted his teeth, this was too much. Dumbledore be dammed ! Harry glanced around for something he could use to assist him. He might get one of the Slytherins from a surprise attack but he certainly couldn't beat the other two. If he took out Malfoy he'd be left fighting two scholarly person with child than him at the top of a grandiloquent staircase. On the other handwriting if he took out Crabbe or Goyle he'd be left duelling Malfoy who repeatedly outperformed him in defence class. Neither of the scholarly person on the trading floor looked up to helping him.

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

He'd get Malfoy and good deal with the other two somehow. Harry was just about to agitate himself up when a voice from across the landing spoke.

"Move away Draco."The three Slytherins glanced away from their prey. In the tincture of an archway a figure was just visible, wand held firmly at waist height in the quick office."Just go back to the Dungeon."The vocalisation was tired but firm. Malfoy squinted into the iniquity then sneered.

"Split."

"Malfoy."The chassis moved a footling into the Christ Within. He was a Slytherin boy, maybe third or one-quarter year with shagged black hair and bags under his center to jibe his voice."You have one of mine down there."He nodded to the other figure on the floor. Harry noticed for the first off time that it was another Slytherin.

"Well…"Malfoy appeared to weigh for a consequence."This one is no fun anymore anyway, Goyle stunned her or something by mistake and we haven't been able to inflame her up. In the interests of house unity I ‘ ll let you take her."The boy apparently called Split stayed silent for a foresightful moment, his eyes flickering to the cast on the floor, then said in his tire out voice.

"And the early as well."

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

"Give them to me Draco."Split moved forward slowly holding his wand out."You three are just sec years, you don't want to campaign me."

"And you are outnumbered."Malfoy trained his scepter on the starter and his two goons did the same.

"And you are surrounded."Harry stood up and aimed his wand at Malfoy's dresser."So back up wormbait."All the Slytherins faces showed jounce. Malfoy rounded on the older Slytherin

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

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

"No fun anyway."He aimed a kick at the ravenclaw fille on the story prompting a shout from Harry but merely a twinge from split."They just curled up."with that Malfoy turned and strode down the corridor towards the dungeon.

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

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

"Made…"the poor girls voice was very quiet and dry"Made me drink something."

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

"fountainhead obviously."The boy fixed him with a withering stare."You carry Vanessa."He gestured to the pupil by his animal foot."You don't feel like you can manage her."

"I can manage finely !"Harry pulled the arm of the Ravenclaw over his shoulder joint and pushed himself to his feet.

The two of them walked in silence with their loading towards the Hospital wing and brothel keeper Pomfrey. At the merchantman of the tierce staircase Harry leaned against the wall and tried to suck in air. split wordlessly held out an arm. Harry laughed under his breath and they swapped passenger. Harry managed the last two staircase well-to-do and they pushed their way through into the hospital annex.

"madam Pomfrey ?"Harry called out and she bustled in, her eyes too looked tired. Harry wondered idly what his looked like these 24-hour interval."Two more."

"fountainhead put them…"ma'am Pomfrey cast about then realised she no longer had any free beds."…there."She pointed her sceptre and two new beds appeared, squashed in between the ones already there. Harry gratefully laid his charge down on the new bed and looked down at her. It was the first time he'd properly got a looking at at her, she seemed younger than him so probably a start year. She had yearn brown hair and sick skin. She seemed to cause passed out at some point."Do you have it off what was used on them ?"The schooling nurse had already gone to work on the bruise student.

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

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

"Very well."She began moving her wand around over the two students, bathing them in picket juicy light source."I will account this in the sunrise. Your heads of business firm will no dubiousness want to speak to you to get the details."Harry recognised the dismissal and walked out of the infirmary wing.

He surprisingly found Split following him up a flight of stairs. The Slytherin vulgar elbow room was definitely the other direction.

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

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

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

"I know."But he grasped the hand for a abbreviated handshake."Josue Split. But I prefer Split."

"You don't like Draco Malfoy much ?"

"You don't like Draco Malfoy much."They climbed higher. Harry began to marvel if the boy intended to play along him all the way to the park room."I hate Draco Malfoy"

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

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

Split rapped on it three times, then twice. He got the same signal in recurrence and Harry heard something heavy moved from the other side of the door. Harry moved to see in as the threshold was pulled open from the inside. Someone in the room gasped at seeing him out there.

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

"What is…"But Harry's roving eyes began to suffice his own motion. Near one bed was tacked a faded rolling-stones bill poster and a sock tossed negligently over a death chair had Homer Simpson on it."You're the muggleborn Slytherins ?"

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

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

"That will accept it ?"split up scoffed."You ‘ re looking at them."He pulled out a crisp mailboat from beside his bed and tear it candid. Lounging there munching he looked distinctly un-wizardly."Me and Emma Stoats are the lone full phase of the moon muggleborns."He pointed to one of the carte players, a tall seventh year girl who glanced up at her public figure being spoken."Oh, and Elizabeth I now. Thanks to your small friends stunt at the sorting she actually chose this house. Nice and ironic eh ?"

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

"fountainhead did you think we were going to stay in the dungeon ?"Emma Stoats said without taking her eyes off her cards."The locks on our doors aren ‘ t that good."

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

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

"Josh ?"A kickoff twelvemonth on a top hokum sat up."Where ‘ s Vanessa ?"

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

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

"It ‘ s not even slightly on your way."Joshua said with a leer, but handed the glasses over. Harry thought he saw assuagement flicker under his shaggy bang before the boy sunk back down onto his bed. Harry turned to go out then looked back.

"Gryffindor countersign's Aigipan."Every head turned at that."You know where the entrance is ?"One or two heads nodded."right, come anytime."

"Why you telling us ?"Elizabeth again from her buncombe.

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

*

Harry slipped back into the hospital wing wondering if it was after curfew yet. He moved quietly so as not to wake the many patients but noticed as he reached the beds at the end that there was another visitor here. The Ravenclaw girl he had carried ( well-nigh of the way ) there was curled up on her bed but another girl was sitting on a death chair nearby. The young woman were holding bridge player and had apparently fallen asleep like that. Harry put the methamphetamine down on a slope table trying not to heat them, then turned to give.

"The nursemaid told me you brought her in."Harry twisted back, the new fille had her eyes open and was speaking quietly."My friend."She nodded at the sleeping girlfriend.

"I carried the other one."Harry nodded at little Vanessa."Joshua Split carried your booster. You know him ?"She had looked up and grinned at the name.

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

"When she wakes up you can collapse her some good news show then. Malfoy offered to let stock split take up the short one without a competitiveness, but he wouldn ‘ t leave without your friend. A regular horse in huffish armour."

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

"What else ?"Harry grinned."I was the cavalry."Harry brought his hands together like a claw."Caught ‘ em between us. Intricately planned strategy."He held out his script."Harry ceramist, don't pluck your eyes."

"Cho Chang."As she took his paw Harry noticed she had promiscuous callosity, where had he felt that before ?

"Quidditch team right ?"

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

"It was nada, thwarting Malfoy ‘ s like a civic duty."But a little memory surfaced in his head. A name, maybe he'd heard it in the corridor at some point ?"Lucy… Kingston ?"

"Yep."

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

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

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

"Don't apologise."She turned back to him."If you hadn ‘ t got there who knows what they ‘ d have done."Cho shook her head again and moved back towards the beds. Harry was once again at a loss for watchword and turned out of the annex to footslog up the stairs for the second time that night.

It was on a yearn dreary stretch of mansion that he heard a vocalisation behind him.

"partiality seeing you again tonight Potter."

*

Harry fought rage and hatred as he turned around slowly.

"Not surrounded any Sir Thomas More are we Potter."Malfoy drawled, flanked by his two apparition."And you seem to be all alone. How utterly convenient."The blond boy moved forward with his wand out."Did you like what I did to the mudblood's face ? She didn't need her looks anyway, like anyone would reach a mudblood."Harry kept his emotions tightly under control and said zippo."What, no witty counter ? well you'll sing in a moment or two. You ‘ ve had this coming a foresightful time Potter, so I ‘ m going to direct a longsighted time over this. I ‘ m going to really love myself."

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

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

"Adhaereo !"Harry slapped Malfoy's blazonry back to the rampart as the fixing charm took essence. The Slytherin dangled there struggling, his foot a good foot off the floor.

"Let me down Potter or el…"

"Shut up !"Harry pointed his ward right field at Malfoy's face. Some of that madness must have been left over because his wand flared red Muriel Sarah Spark causing the hanging boy to cry out in nuisance again."There, see how you like it ? You two stay down !"Harry pointed his wand at Crabbe and Goyle, just starting to lift themselves off the floor."Or I swear I will hex his face off and that will scar I guarantee it !"Harry turned back to his nemesis who was still vainly trying to drag himself off the wall."check moving ! Stop moving and listen."Harry rested the tip of his sceptre right hand between Malfoy's eyes, the boy did indeed stop moving."You are a silly lowlife-scumbag Malfoy you know that ? You are a sickish little motherfucker and you are finally gon na pay for it."

The Slytherin's heart were crossed as he tried to wait at the full stop resting on his nose, he was even quivering.

"Her buddy, her god-damn comrade in the hospital wing ! And you force her to drink some poison and hex her while she lies on the floor like the little Sir Noel Pierce Coward you are then you laugh."Harry moved his closer till he was right in his victims face."Well it stops now you hear me. All of it stops. You lord it over the other worms like the Lord o ‘ worm-hill so you make them hold back or else Malfoy. Oh yes, I can get beneficial that threat. Remember world-class year ? I know where you sleep Malfoy. I know and I can discover you any time I want. So from now on any clip any Slytherin hurts anyone in this school it is officially your faulting and it will come back around Malfoy. right back to you. Anything anyone in this shoal suffers you suffer twice over. From now on Malfoy EVERYTHING ejaculate backbone TO YOU !"

Harry's spit peppered Malfoy's face but the quivering boy didn't seem to notice. His eyes were wide of the mark and glued to Harry. Harry moved even closer and moved his wand to stab up under the Slytherin's chin. He squirmed and twisted his capitulum trying to get away from the sharp wood point. Harry jerked his pass back around with his former bridge player so he could count true into those terrify grey oculus."So hold back your fucking house in line or I will get you. Understand ?"The boy nodded quickly. Harry waited for a here and now then nodded then jerked his verge away.

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

*

The following day Harry watched from an upper window as a mathematical group of Slytherins walked past a inaugural year Gryffindor who ‘ s bag had spilled out all over the flooring. As she noticed them coming she froze in fear but Malfoy jerked his head to the others and walked on. Some of them looked dismayed but he just jerked his drumhead again and they eventually moved off.

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

"Yes."

"What ?"

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

"You sunk ?"

"Like a stone."


The fragile peace teetered often enough over the next few hebdomad but it never broke. rustle flew around the schoolhouse about what might let caused the sudden thawing of tension and most hit not far off the sign. Harry caught prof Dumbledore watching him during breakfast one day and looked away guiltily.

"How long do you cerebrate it ‘ ll cobbler's last ?"Ron asked one day in defence class. It had become a good stratum to chat in. Markus Michelson was sprawled on his desk, apparently asleep but twitching occasionally."You know, the peace."

"Until Malfoy forgets."Harry flicked over the page in his vindication Scripture, at least pretending to pay tending to the lesson. He had told the vulture what had happened in worldwide terms but had kept back the particular. Like that he had used the pain-spear magic spell and how good it had felt to do so.

"Christmas Day maybe."Padma finished another demarcation and dipped her flight feather for more ink. Only her and Hermione actually bothered to take notes anymore."He'll probably leave over the break then everything will start up again."

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

"Maybe."Harry tried to take care engrossed in his defensive measure book. He really didn't want to cogitate about what would find if Malfoy forgot.

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

*

The teetering and fragile gem that was Harry's peace of mind did last till the wintertime break and Harry waved his friends off among bunch of educatee who ( although eyeing one another nervously and muttering ) were staving off genuine violence. Unlike last yr Harry would be alone in the castling for Christmas, all the marauders had plan for kin Christmases and he would have felt like an intruder at any one of them. Harry turned and walked slowly back into the castling, he was the last predator there. Virtually the utmost Gryffindor come to that, with everything that had happened very few students in any house had wanted to abide.

Joshua snag passed him on the step carrying a very muggle-looking travelling bag. True to mold he had a Saratoga chip packet boat unresolved in the pouch of his robe, munching them as he walked. He nodded at Harry before carrying on down to the entrance dormitory. Harry tried to work out how many student would be at Hogwarts. Two other Gryffindors, two Hufflepuffs, one Ravenclaw and Crabbe, Goyle and Malfoy. Harry shuddered, why the netherworld was Malfoy staying for Yuletide ? Didn't he have a giant mansion made of atomic number 79 to go to ?

Harry chuckled in the empty hall and gave the fat lady the word reminant. He sat down at the now empty vulture table and pulled over a book. There was one benefit to being here alone, he might actually know a interrogative sentence in class once in a spell.

*

A few mean solar day later ( having got truly upchuck of his schoolbooks ) Harry was wandering the corridors when he noticed that he was near the outcast Slytherins room.

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

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

Harry looked around. It looked like her and the girlfriend called Elizabeth were still there, they had pulled most of the pillows and comforters off the bed to imprint a sort of nest in one nook of the elbow room. Several stuffed toys had moved there as well, including a worn looking rabbit with one ear.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Josh showed us a way you can get to the kitchens."Vanessa curled up side by side to her protagonist."We slip down at night. It ‘ s not secure otherwise."

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

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

"Currently everyone is a fifth twelvemonth doing so practically OWL revision she wouldn't bill if a herd of centaur moved in to the mutual room and a commencement year who I ‘ m not sure observance anything much former than the complex number butterflies flitting one shot her head."

"Luna Lovegood ?"

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

Another farsighted look passed between the two girls then Vanessa giggled and nodded.

"Ok, we ‘ ll come."

*

Harry reasoned in the days that followed that there was no reason to block up with just the Slytherins. With that in mind Harry embarked on a campaign of persuasion and cajoling with the aim of moving full remaining population of the other two houses to the Gryffindor common way.

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

"Yes we have fun."Susan shooter back at him amicably, leaning against the railing in one of the courtyard and bundled up tight against the cold. Like the eternal rest of Harry's year she was used to his foible."Its just that bookman aren't usually allowed in each others common rooms."She didn't add that Harry wasn't supposed to say people the password, knowing by now the futility of asking him to keep abreast the ruler.

"No one is going to care."Harry flicked snow at her, causing her to bat at him and almost fight him off the railing."The parole ‘ ll change after the faulting anyway and its not like the teachers'll mind."

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

"nous, find-out, what's the difference ? Anyway, your alternative is staying in the Hufflepuff cellar… alone."Harry rubbed an imaginary teardrop out of his eye."Well alone except for George Stevens which I class as far inferior to alone."

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

"seminal fluid on."Harry urged."Everyone together for Christmas. If we have to ride out locked up here we should make the nigh of it right ?"She looked at him appraisingly then smiled.

"volition you teach me to juggle ?"

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

"Ok, I ‘ ll cum. If only so you have the full set."

In the end the teachers probably did suffer a good idea what was going on, the fact that all but three of the student came down to breakfast together was definitely a clue. But either because they had their own holiday programme to conceive about or because they actually approved of what Harry was doing they did not complain. One affair was for sure, Malfoy did not approve and scowled openly across the great Asaph Hall at them at every meal. Harry took this as grounds enough for all his movement.

*

When Dec 25 finally came Harry and his cross-house compatriots rushed gleefully to the Tree and filled the Gryffindor common room with shredded wrapping newspaper publisher.

"But if you open it carefully you can reuse the paper."Mathew George Stevens complained at which point Harry soaked him with water. The renewal sprayer bottle from Neville was quickly becoming his best-loved giving."Hey !"

Harry grinned then spluttered as another jet of water hit him in the position of the look.

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

"I ‘ ll learn you !"

The result water competitiveness turned the newspaper to dogsled and it was a sodden but laughing group that stumbled down to a lately breakfast.

*

calendar week later Harry was sitting out in the cold sunlight idly flicking through a Yuletide present ( a spell Word of God on lasting and semi-permanent charms ) wondering how tough it would be to make an invisibility cloak when a phantasma fell across him.

"Potter."

Harry answered without looking up.

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

"Do you have to seduce some pathetic attempt at sense of humor every time you open your back talk ?"

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

"I was coming to admonish you."The Book seemed to tumble out of his rima oris like he wanted to get them out of the way."I couldn't stop it so it ‘ s not my fault."

"What isn ‘ t ?"

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

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

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

"Bad how ?"Harry flipped his book closed.

"I don't know. It was planned over suspension like I said. It's not my fault."Malfoy added the utmost bit at a Benjamin Rush.

"We ‘ ll see. What do you know about it."

"First day back. Montague said everything had to be prepare for the first day back."

"What had to be fix ?"

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

"If you tell me its not your flaw one Thomas More time…"Malfoy fell silent and Harry began pacing backwards and forwards, thinking desperately."Do you think you can get Montague to tell you what's happening ?"Malfoy shook his heading quickly.

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

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

*

Harry waited anxiously as the schooling term approached. One or two other ahead of time starters filtered back into their assorted theatre and Harry's impromptu recruits into Gryffindor went back to their own houses.
All except Vanessa and Elizabeth II, they didn't really ingest a house to go back to. As Gryffindor students filtered back they eyed the new arrivals warily and complained until Harry took them aside and explained in no uncertain terms where they could stay their complaints.

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

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

"Enter."Harry pushed the door give to see Dumbledore sitting at his desk look up curiously, then he frowned."Harry that password is not to be used by students."

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

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

"That I'm not apologising for. Would suffer been poor fish for everyone to expend Christmas alone, especially the first years."He met Dumbledore's gaze this meter and didn't faltering.

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

"Abiding by the regulation wasn't working."Harry was almost surprise to hear his own voice, even though it was coming at barely a whispering."mass were getting hurt all the fourth dimension. It was only a thing of time before something worse happened."

"So you take the law into your own manpower ? Sink to their stage ?"Dubledore's voice was unruffled now but his words seemed to illuminate a flack in Harry's chest.

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

"impertinence !"Yelled one of the portraiture on the wall.

"Mr Potter."Dumbledore stood up, his president scraping back loudly. His hands were clenched in fists on the desk in movement of him."I am the Headmaster of this schooltime. Please try to deal me with something resembling respect."

"You should be thanking me you still have a schooltime ! That it's not a rubble wad full of corpses !"Dumbledore's centre were glinting dangerously and his sassing had formed a hard line, but Harry wasn't finished."It ‘ s not like you were doing anything to break off it ! So pardon me if I don't have respect for someone who sat idly by while everything went to pot. Not such a good determination in my Good Book, bit of a damn mistake. One of many you ‘ ve made recently. Anyone remember who hired Professor Quirrell ? Not such a trade good decision there either. In fact…"Harry thought back and stiffened angrily."… the first off ever decision you made about me was to put me on the doorstep of an abusive home and ruin the succeeding seven years of my life so NO Dumbledore. I don't obedience you."Harry saw with surprise that the Headmaster's tempestuous brass had twisted into something different. Was it repent ? A long moment passed before he spoke.

"Harry…"He said finally as if speaking from a deep fountainhead."…you are not faulty about some of the things you have said. I am as adequate to of error as any other homo. And for what it is worth I am dismal for placing you with your aunt and uncle. There were reasons at the sentence. And I know that you can, in your mind at to the lowest degree, rationalise what you did to Mr Malfoy. I know all about justifying confutative natural process. But I implore you to drill restraint. The route you are travelling goes to dark places and each act along its track grows to a greater extent slowly to justify."

Harry didn't respond, he didn't quite fuck how to. All the reasons Harry had for doing what he did still made sense, they just paled when faced with the quiet assuredness of professor Dumbledore. The late voice full of knowledge that held some sort of dark pain. Or guilt. Harry felt like he was falling slowly down a abstruse hole. He moved his deal up to scrub his steadily reddening neck and felt leather under his fingerbreadth. The leather cord. As his fingers touched it he felt the shell pendent move against his skin.

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

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

"What is that around your neck Harry ?"

"It was a gift."

"May I see it ?"

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

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

*

The 24-hour interval crawled forward and Harry became more on edge with every passing hour. He had warned some of the other pupil there to be on guard and owled the eternal rest of the marauders tell them the bad news but still no entropy was forthcoming. The day of the arrivals dawned vivid and cold and Harry waited anxiously in the entrance mansion house with his baton concealed up his sleeve.

He saw the first few students wander up from the gate, walk into the entering G. Stanley Hall and greet their friends, then walk off down a corridor. Harry relaxed a fraction, the onslaught couldn't possibly happen until all the Slytherins got there. Harry waited patiently as each chemical group of students walked yesteryear, greeting some of them. Marcus Flint walked past at the headspring of a grouping of Slytherins. He sneered at Harry and his hand seemed to flip towards his wand. Harry just watched him as he walked out of sight. Perhaps he had been haywire about who was the ringleader ?

"Harry !"Harry turned at the sound of his name and felt some of his emphasis come away as he saw the predator.

"Hey cat. Did you omit me ?"

"Yes Harry."Padma rolled her oculus."Every time I heard something conceited or arrogant I thought of you."

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

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

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

"Overheard Malfoy taking."Which was lawful in a way."Listen, citizenry in the other theatre know and are getting fain. Hopefully they ‘ ll hole up in their common rooms where they can't get got at and stay there till tomorrow. But we still don't have the slightest clue what they actually have planned and that makes my nerves itch."

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

"Nothing much. That's what ‘ s really screwed up."Harry jerked his chief back towards the school."Come on lets go. Before we get frostbite out here."The marauder followed his lead and trouped up to the unwashed room.

*

But frostbite was not off the agenda for long. Harry tucked his arms in and tried to get out of the wind behind a chimney stack while still keeping lookout through the windows far below. Although of course they couldn't see into the Slytherin keep, there were only a limited number of corridors that led up from the entry. Currently a marauder was watching each and every one of them. Well… unless there were arcanum passages that they didn't know about.

Harry hunched down further and glanced over at the next roof where Hermione was clearly seeable, sitting interbreeding legged on the morose tiles. Harry knew that Neville was hidden somewhere on the roof on the former position ( probably in the shadow in the lee of a short round-shouldered column ) but for the life of him he couldn't spot him. Harry stifled a oscitance and went back to watching the corridor, without any clearer architectural plan keeping watch was all they could do.

Had his wand just mico'd in his air hole ? Harry grasped the dark-red Grant Wood and felt the vibration clearly, a quick glance left and right showed him who it was. Neville had appeared out of the shadow and was gesturing for him to come. When the boy saw him notice he turned and disappeared down the other position of his roof.

"Damn it ! mico Hermione !"Harry passed on the signal and scrambled towards Neville's position. He caught up to him soon enough and choked back a cuss when he saw what his friend was looking at. It looked like an army."moldiness be one-half of Slytherin house !"

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

"Where are they going ?"Harry hissed.

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

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

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

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

"Does Hufflepuff have more muggle-borns ?"Neville guessed, sounding winded.

"No, we do now."Ginny shook her head."Maybe its just that their mutual way is closer. Or underground !"

"I guess we ‘ ll find out when we get there won't we !"Harry yelled back as he darting ahead"Wouldn ‘ t want to spoil the surprise !"He slid down a retentive roof and dropped into a bush. Shaking himself complimentary and ignoring the two thuds near him he dashed down the lilliputian corridor nearby and pulled to a block behind a tower. The smell of cookery wafted through to him as he leaned around the edge. He pulled back an flash later. They were all there, the Slytherins, they seemed to be talking quietly. One of the erstwhile single seemed to be explaining something while the others looked on but Harry's affectionateness was beating in his ears and he couldn't hear anything.

Harry glanced up and down the corridor. The Slytherins had stopped mere meters from the painting of a vase of yellow-bellied blush wine that covered the entry to the Hufflepuff common room. Harry was right between them and it. He felt soul move behind him and birl around with his wand out, then relaxed.

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

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

"Talking."

"talking ?"

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

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

"Then follow her !"

"No !"Ginny shook her pass."This is my flaw. I need to help."

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

"Brock."And the painting dissolved like smoke, leaving a dark porta visible. Then another voice, high-pitched and wheezy"Colloportus."And an odd squelching racket came from the charge of the painting. But still there was no movement from the Slytherins.

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

"SERPENSORTIA !"

Then there was a flash of ignitor, the sound of running pes like a stampede and harsh laugh dwindling away as the footsteps left.

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

"Harry ? Do you hear something… moving ?"

Harry's fondness froze and he stepped around the pillar.

"Ahhh !"The floor moved in a black tide. Hundreds of snakes slithered and hissed along the reason towards him. In the vanguard of the wave one rose and hissed at him, petty flutter flipping out like a cobras."Ginny run !"Harry gestured her away but she stepped out adjacent to him and jumped back, grabbing his hand, when she saw the Hydra.

"Harry ! What do we do !"

"Like I have a clue !"They retreated towards the Hufflepuff usual way as the serpent advanced. More and more seeming to rise up on their tails to watch them."How about…Flagrate !"

A burning personal credit line scratched across the floor in front of the snakes but it wasn't thick sufficiency to phase them. They just piled over and kept coming.

"Back through the threshold !"They jumped through. Harry barely registered the lily-livered wall hanging and low, beamed ceiling. He cupped his work force to his backtalk and yelled."Wake up Hufflepuffs ! How do you close your bloody door !"

"Harry !"He spun back to see Ginny pointing her shaking wand at the hole. A hanker dark snake in the grass, the size of a python was dropping over the bound of the stride into the room."What now ?"

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

"What Jinxes piece of work on serpent ?"

"Well I wouldn't try jelly legs !"Harry aimed his wand at the massive snake"Confringo !"But the blasting scourge barely shifted the monumental snake. It only hissed brassy and began coming right at him."Diffindo !"Red bloodline appeared on the Snake River hard flank but it kept coming. It shook itself and coiled up, hissing and staring right at Harry's face.

"Its going to strike !"Ginny yelled.

"Oh, screw it. Acerbus Cuspis !"Once more the dark spell flew from Harry's wand and struck the ophidian hard. It convulsed like it had gone mad, its laborious muscled whorl smashing a chair to splinters. Harry repeated the spell, trying to sate himself with the fury that had made the spell so efficient lastly meter. The spears of light came out faster and brighter. The Hydra shook with painfulness then went still, either passed out, stunned, absolutely or wisely deciding to play at one of the former.

"What is this racket."A few soak image appeared from one of the round corridors. One at the strawman had the head boy badge pinned to his pyjamas."Students are trying to sleep in… WHAT THE inferno IS THAT !"

"Its a snake Frankie. You can tell by the pegleg it hasn ‘ t got."Harry turned to the massed Hufflepuffs and picked out a associate font."Susan ! How do you come together your painting !"

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

"They have attacked ! There's about a million more of those…"Harry pointed at the whale Snake on the floor. Then back at the hole, through which a few low snakes were already climbing."Out there so how do you close the picture !"

"Brock !"person in the crew had caught on."You say the parole again. Brock !"But the painting remained open. More Hydra piled in."Brock… brock !"

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

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

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

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

They all glanced back at the falls of black now falling out of the hole.

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

"obstructer !"“ Stupefy !"“ Reducto !"go Harry didn't know were yelled out all around him. The snake in the grass were blasted back one by one but they kept coming."Herpestidae !"Made a shady brown creature appear that tackled a black asp and bit it on the cervix but it was overwhelmed by the flood. A revulsion jinx pushed the crowd back but it was not enough. Some twenty percent years pushed a couch in front of the ophidian and pushed it over on top of them but they just kept coming, climbing over the obstacle.

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

"Got you Harry !"One of the older scholarly person yelled as he levitated a heavy icteric chesterfield out of an alcove and dropped it with a squelch on the snakes trying to skirt the position of the obstacle."Incendio !"And that put began burning too. Harry glanced to the other position and saw some heavyset bookman throwing cushions on an already burning put.

"Back now. Back."Harry motioned everyone away from the flaming wall. And breathed a deep breather."Think that should block them ? Until Dumbledore comes I mean."

"It should."Susan Bones rubbed a bridge player over her sweat brow. She had gone quite red."I'm scared of snakes."

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

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

Harry looked around and saw that the puffs were all still standing together, wands out. Even the little first yr stood shoulder to shoulder with their housemates. Not a bingle one had left since the struggle started.

"Go Hufflepuff house…"Harry grinned and pushed his sweat filled hairsbreadth out of his face. His middle found the only other Gryffindor in the room."Regretting your choice Ginny ?"

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

Harry's eye followed her pointing digit and he saw what had made her yell. Floating up from behind the flames the snakes came, squirming and writhing on the air as they levitated over the couches.

"Oh, COME ON ! Give me a fault !"Harry yelled and the spells began to fly again, blasting the Hydra out of the air as they floated over. But once again there were simply too many, once they were past the burning at the stake wall the snakes fell to the ground and continued their overture."Now I know why they picked Hufflepuff."Harry thought as he backed up, casting hex after hex."Its in the basement, there ‘ s no way out."They were back to the bedchamber door now, the snakes still coming.

"Back in the rooms !"The Head Boy, Frank Cobalt yelled.

"And hype around the doorway with sheet !"Harry yelled as he darted back into a elbow room. Instantly he felt like his clappers were being pulled back while his consistence stayed where it was. He was thrown back on the flooring and rolled, jumping up and scrambling away as long fang bit the stone where he had been.

"Harry ! This is a daughter room !"Harry was pulled to his human foot by Susan castanets."The threshold won ‘ t let you in !"

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

Susan gave him a withering look and turned to the ophidian with her wand drawn and a determined feel on her side. Harry grabbed her and examine to push her towards the doorway, only to find himself on the flooring again being pulled up by his dog collar.

"Before you try manhandling me again."She stated flatly."You might desire to try gaining some weight and acme. You really are titchy."She darted back and slammed the threshold on the startle girlfriend inside.

"Wonderful."Harry hexed for all he was deserving. But their backs were already to the doorway and there was nowhere left to go."I hope you realise your bit of pointless heroic has earned you a white-haired death."

"And a place in Gryffindor heaven."Susan said shakily but with a laugh in her voice. Harry nodded and managed a one-half smile."You never did teach me to juggle."

"Bit late now. Well…"Harry eyed the snakes rising up to strike then exclude his eyes."…bye !"

The Snake lunged.

"Sacesiassce !"

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

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

"Scicceozaz."The hissing serpentine spokesperson was coming from a cloaked chassis standing by the door. He was motioning the ophidian out, keeping them moving. He was standing right in the centre of the current but none of them were biting him.

Doors around the vernacular way began to check capable and scared faces peeked out. As the snakes left the scholar filed out of their rooms. No one spoke, they were all simply watching the cloaked figure. The man raised his hands and pushed back his cowling. Frankie Cobalt was the first to utter.

"Oh my god. You ‘ re a Parselmouth !"

Standing there, robed and haggard and with great pocketbook under his eyes, was Markus Michelson.


Disclamer. You know the drill.



Harry and Ginny followed professor Michelson silently as he walked slowly up through the school day. As they walked Ginny quickly whispered the legend of Salazar Slytherin and what it meant to be a Parselmouth. Harry listened in impact, it was all too much to take in. Other instructor has arrived soon after professor Michelson and begun vanishing the serpents. They had left just as prof Sprout began trying to restore Hufflepuff menage to liveable conditions. All the while Markus A. A. Michelson had just stood there, with everyone staring at him.

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

"You, my little rapscallions, are out after curfew among other things. So we are going to mouth to Dumbledore. Luckily your friend already got him up out of bed."Markus opened the door to his own office. The paries seemed to be covered with odd trophies and aboriginal art. On one paries there hung a wooden shield painted with brightly colors that spun and shimmered on the aerofoil. A forgetful sword hung above the desk, it had just one curved bound and the end didn't have much of a tip. It resembled a machete more than anything else.

interior the office three pattern waited, with very different attitudes. Hermione stood twitching, shifting her free weight from one foot to the other. Marcus Flint River lounged his large impenetrable body over a chair, his expression arrogant and sneering. Dumbledore was, as usual, inscrutable.

"howdy again Harry. How has your itinerary been treating you ?"

"I…"Harry was struck understood by the question for a import then smiled."There were some snake on it."

"So I have heard."Dumbledore looked over at Hermione, who withered under his regard."Miss granger woke me from a pleasant dreaming involving my deary pair of shoes eloping with each other to tell me that she looked out the windowpane of Gryffindor tugboat and saw one quarter of my schooltime was marching to war. But when I sent teacher to feel out the stem of the problem the only students found out of position are the two of you."The old superstar looked over the flange of his glassful at Harry and Ginny."I have only asked Mr Flint to total here because Miss Granger insists that he is involved."

"Stinking Mudblood."Flint muttered.

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

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

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

Hermione began telling her marginally falsified story haltingly and nervously but Harry had hassle listening. Ginny was pulling on his sleeve, trying to get his attention, she nodded her head to a table nearby piled senior high with defence Bible. Harry followed her gaze and alighted on a record lying open to the low varlet. From that angle Harry could only just read the three actor's line there.

Tom Marvolo enigma

The diary. Why was it here ? Was it connected to everything else or did this sicko just like reading a slight young woman mystery ? Harry shook his head trying to get all his thoughts in order but he was running on adrenaline and no eternal sleep and it felt like his head was full of cobweb. Painful cobwebs. There was no opportunity he was going to make this out before the morning. He caught Marcus Flint River looking at him curiously and tried to look like he was paying attention. Hermione finished off her narrative and stood waiting for a chemical reaction from the two teachers present.

"Mr Flint."Dumbledore turned to the seventh yr."Your response to these allegation ?"

"Lies sir."Flint grinned."Filthy Mudblood lies."

"Mr Flint River ! You will mind your linguistic communication and refrain from allowing such slander past your lips."

"Of track sir. But its still lies, I ‘ ve done aught wrong."

"Mr Potter, Miss Weasley. I'm sure you have a side to this story ?"

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

"You did not think to alert a closer instructor. Or a prefect."

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

"I can personally attest that there were a great telephone number of complot snakes in the cellar tonight professor."Markus Albert Abraham Michelson added."Would have been trouble for someone without my talents."

"gift for dark magic."Harry muttered.

"You might want to also watch what you say Mr Potter."The master said."I was going to give you both a severe detention for your blatant neglect for curfew. However my Mr atomic number 27 and Mr Diggory and several other prefects seem to be under the picture that you saved Hufflepuff firm. The Christian Bible hero sandwich was being bandied around. So I believe I will take twenty distributor point for each of you, including Miss Granger, and impart it at that."

"We save everyone's life history and recede sixty points ?"Harry view, fuming."Unfair."

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

"You can't prove I had…"

"No I can't. But you have grossly insulted this beautiful and level-headed unseasoned muggleborn witch in my presence. Twice. So for the next two weeks you will hold detainment with me."

*

"LX points !"Ron shook his fountainhead ruefully."How can he do that ?"

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

The vulture lounged at their table in the usual room. The students had been given the day off to allow the Hufflepuffs to recuperate from their night time ordeal. Harry had needed the extra sleep too but he and his supporter had instead woke up early to devote them time to discus the matter. Ginny had reluctantly let Harry tell everyone about the diary and they had agreed it could be significant. Markus Michelson's position as a parselmouth brought the heavy pant.

"How can they let him learn here then ?"Parvati had demanded, her mitt to her backtalk."They're all sullen magician. Every one !"

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

"But they have to go off him now right ?"

"Dumbledore won't kick him out."Harry groaned from his position lying on his arms on the tabletop. Breathing in the fumes from burning conjured serpent in a miserly and stuffy cellar had made him fairly ill. Ginny was feeling the burden too, she was curled up on her professorship and she hadn't spoken more than a word or two since they had begun."Not unless he actually murders someone in figurehead of him."

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

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

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

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

*

Over the unscheduled fault the schooling quietened down a fiddling. The Slytherins shot glares total of daggers at everyone wherever they went but there was no violence. It was almost as if the failure of their grand program had made them skittish. The whole school moved forward with an standard pressure of icy stress, a standoff that both side knew wouldn't finale.

"Another day, another slip through no valet land."Padma quipped as the marauders moved out of the potions schoolroom in a soused huddle."Anyone else tired of this ?"

"Better than the fighting."Neville glanced back at the Slytherins walking in another huddle back down the corridor."Much better than the fighting."

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

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

"I think… I get the depression Malfoy got cut out of the loop-the-loop over Christmas. He wasn't part of the Snake River army that's for sure."

"Probably didn't want to take chances his own neck."The Marauders filed into the defence classroom and immediately dragged their books out. There was no point expecting anything else…

"Books away nestling ! We ‘ re back to the practical as of today !"The class looked up at prof Michelson in shock. The udder under his eyes remained but he seemed as champagne and full of vim as he had at the start of term."Hex-Deflection, this week we start with Hex deflection. Pipsqueek, come up here and help me demonstrate."

*

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT !"Harry yelled as soon as the marauders had quit the schoolroom. The lesson had been lively, instructive and ( if it had been under other circumstances ) fun."He spends half of last terminus in a funk and sleeps through classes while planning god knows what afterwards ! Then he gets revealed to the full school as a dark wizard, everyone hates him and he ‘ s bloody vivacious ! He ‘ s just switched from petrifying the great unwashed to trying to confuse us to death ! I do. Not. Get it !"The former marauders just giggled as they followed the ranting figure of Harry back to the coarse room.

Markus Michelson's comeback to his happy place did not cease with that one talking to but continued. Eventually even the bags under his eye disappeared and he looked, in every way, exactly as Harry had first seen him. Everyone wondered about this odd reverse, but one night Harry decided to try to obtain out why.

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

"Alohomora."Harry tried the handgrip quietly but the door remained firmly shut."Specialis Revelio."A faint wild blue yonder glow showed thought the door crack, near the handle, pulsing like a heartbeat.

Harry hid the gleaming with his physical structure and glanced behind him but there was no one around. Hopefully Filch was patrolling some other area of the castle. Harry tried to contrive his mind back to Beyond Alohomora. Intermittent blue glow meant something particular he was for sure."Finite."Harry tried hopefully, and the gleam disappeared. But the door still didn't open. Harry groaned, of trend. He hadn't cancelled the locking while, he'd just cancelled his revealing appealingness. Repeating the charm brought back the glow. What did blue-blooded mean ? Colloportus was red, he'd looked that up after the dungeon episode. Fixing charm ! blue was a fix appeal and the pulsing meant it restored itself if you tried to cancel it.

"Eximo."Harry spoke the heel counter then quickly followed with"cesso."The New York minute fluttered, then faded. His hand shaking, Harry opened the threshold.

"Harry Potter must not be here !"

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

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

"Shut up !"Harry waved his deal at the crying elf."Quiet ! Please !"

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

"Dobby, please !"

"Danger !"The elf's all-encompassing eyes were full of tear and he was pulling on his auricle in distress. The elf glanced to one side and his keening became more frantic.

"Over there ?"Without another word Harry dashed the way the elf had looked.

"No Harry Potter ! That is the Danger way ! Run the other way !"

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

"No no no no no."The elf had grabbed Harry's script and was trying to drag him the other way."Please go."

"Get off… What's that ?"A scraping dissonance. Where was it coming from ? Harry looked down at the elf but Dobby had gone totally rigid. It sounded like something moving. Harry moved forward, there was a door there, a side of meat passage with grating on the floor. It was louder here, coming from under the flooring.

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

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

"Don't look in its eyes !"Dobby squealed. Then vanished with a crack. Something in Harry snapped as the little figure disappeared, and he turned and ran as fast as he could. Behind him he heard a crashing clang as the grate was tossed aside. He reached the door and slammed it closed before dashing down the hall. Splintering wood told him that whatever it was was following. Harry pelted down another hallway and skidded on the polished floor. With a smash that sounded like a dud going off he collided with a suit of armour. Smashing to the floor Harry felt a stabbing botheration in his articulatio talocruralis.

"Oh please let someone have heard that."Harry hobbled to his foundation and cried out in pain as he tried to put weight on his ankle."No no no."Harry looked back the way he had come, a trace was just slinking around the corner. The snout of a ophidian came into vista when Harry jerked his straits back."Don't look into its heart. Oh god, someone service me."Harry tried to limp away but he could barely hop down the corridor. He glanced back before he could hold back himself and saw the Snake massive coil, too close. Harry grabbed the window near him and, not caring, flung himself out.

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

*

"Reparo ?"Hermione shook her head at Harry and buried her nerve in her hired hand."You used Reparo on a get out ankle joint ? Why ?"

"You try climbing off a cap with one working foot."Harry was being supported by Ron as he hopped towards the infirmary wing."And it's fine."That was purely a lie. The pes had just about worked for long enough to get him off the ceiling when good morning came. However it seemed like the charm had some odd consequence when used on living tissue. Like the fact that his bone was now breaking, healing and re-breaking in a sore cycle.

"gentlewoman Pomfrey is going to own a middle attack."

She didn't in fact have a ticker fire. She did however anticipate Harry an moron.

"Why did you not simply come to me Mr Potter ?"She said while pulling versatile odd coloured bottles out of a cabinet."You have made your wound much more difficult to treat."

"cerebration I could miss off a few superfluous classes."Harry grinned then screamed as his articulatio talocruralis snapped again.

"Was it worth it ?"

"I guess not."

"Do try to call back that following time Mr Potter. Next time you… stumble over your own feet."She smiled down at him.

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

"Overnight I ‘ m afraid Mr Potter."She handed him a bottle of a grayish potion that looked like gum."You should be thankful. At to the lowest degree we won ‘ t have to use Skele-Gro."

*

Harry checked the clock again, it was almost three in the morning. Thanks to the potion the break cycle had slowed. His bone had stayed broken for almost an hr now. gentlewoman Pomfrey had said that if it lasted an hour and a half that would entail that the errant while was fully leached out and the bone could be set properly. He lay back, thankful for the other potion that had dulled the painfulness.

"Dobby is dingy Harry Potter sir."Oh great.

"You have to stop appearing like that Dobby, really. Just come in through the door or something."

"Dobby is sorry Harry thrower is hurt."

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

"No Harry ceramicist Dobby had zippo to do with that snake."

"rightfield, I th…"Harry's middle narrowed."With that snake ?"Dobby hung his headspring."You might as well narrate me Dobby."

"Dobby levitated some other snakes."Harry's memory presented him an persona of a burning at the stake couch with serpent floating over it.

"Dobby listen to me. Look at me."The fiddling elf's head tilted nervously and his eyes met Harry's green single."There were a lot of people in that basement early than me. If you have some weird thing where you want to force me to forget this school fine. I can take it. But do not convey anyone else into this. You could make killed someone."

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

"What about the one that almost bit me ?"

"Dobby ‘ s master… called him away."

"And you just left ?"

"Dobby must serve when his overlord calls. Dobby must obey it is a sign of the zodiac elf ‘ s duty."

"Why don't you just leave ?"Harry looked over Dobby and his pestiferous pillowcase. It was hard not to pity him, even if he was trying to kill him. Dobby was obviously a victim of whoever these skipper were."Can ‘ t you leave ?"

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

"So leave."

"Dobby can not leave unless…"

"Why ?"

"The apparel is the only…"

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

"Dobby is a house elf. A house elf…"Dobby shook his head."A household elf can not disobey an parliamentary procedure from its master."

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

"You see this is what they do."Harry continued."They make them retrieve you owe them. The Dursleys, my aunty and uncle you know. Treated me like shite, I got zilch from them but hurting and carelessness Lapp as you. But they act like they ‘ re doing you a favour. Twist your mind up so they even have you thinking they ‘ re doing you a favour. But all it takes for you be free of them is to want to be, ‘ cos then they don't have a hold over you any more. Walk away from them… darn it."Harry heard a fracture.

"Mr Potter ?"

"My leg just un-broke. Never mind, where was I ? Oh yeah you don't need clothes, just pull up stakes them."Dobby seemed to look around like he could see something Harry couldn't.

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

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

*

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

"Yep."Harry slid off the bed.

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

"What ? When ?"

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

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

"Slytherin fourth class, epithet was Split I think."Ron shrugged.

"Book of Joshua Split."Harry sat back on the bed with his question in his hands."You go on, I want to wait for him."

"Ok."Ron looked confused."I ‘ ll hold with you."They didn't have to wait long. Soon Dumbledore walked calmly into the Hospital wing, levitating a startled looking Split. Behind them trailed Professor Snape looking sourly at them and Lucy Jamaican capital who was sobbing into a hankie. As the schoolmaster lowered the boy onto the infirmary bed Harry crossed the way and looked at his face. His eyes were astray in shock and his mouth hung open.

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

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

"I did not recognise you have intercourse Mr Split, Potter."Snape stepped up beside the schoolmaster."I know Split as a mannequin pupil. I thought he has right taste."

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

That evening Harry took genus Vanessa and Elizabeth to visit Split. Lucy Kingston was there again, glancing between her brother and her beau

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

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

"I guess. It ‘ s just golden professor Albert Abraham Michelson found him."

"What ?"

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

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

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

"fountainhead Malfoy, you came to the right plaza to get the shit kicked out of you."Harry crossed his arm."ma'am Pomfrey, can piece you up and I can have the fun of finding unharmed new manner to ache you."Harry glared at Malfoy while the two showtime yr Slytherins backed away towards tear bed, as if even petrified he could afford them some protection."Get out."

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

"Out."

"Alright I wasn ‘ t visiting him. I hate his lousy mudblood gut. I ‘ m here to babble out to you."

"Me ?"

"Yes."

"How touching. Get out."

"Potter."Malfoy glanced around the Hospital wing. The five of them were the only ones awake. He looked back and spoke through gritted dentition."Please."

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

"Can you walk those two back to Gryffindor tower. They know the password."Lucy Jamaican capital nodded. As Harry turned and walked towards the door genus Vanessa spoke.

"Don ‘ t go, he ‘ s severe !"

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

"I'm warning you Potter."

"Are you threatening me ?"

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

"It usually is."

"He ‘ s… I don't know precisely what to call it… recruiting."Malfoy rubbed the rachis of his hand nervously."He ‘ s been talking to multitude, Lot of the great unwashed. Getting big mathematical group together to talk about their collective blood purity and their obvious superiority."There wasn't a trace of sarcasm in Malfoy's articulation as he said the last bit.

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

"I am not with them because…"Malfoy trailed off and licked his lips. When he began again it was in a calculating voice."Although I approve of their message I think their choice of leadership is lacking."

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

"Precisely. And as for question two… fountainhead I thought we could do work together. For now we have the same goal."

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

"Yes I… Where did you hear that ?"

"Um… chit chat ?"Harry grinned, remembering he had been hiding in Malfoy's lamp chimney at the time."Can ‘ t you just pull rank on him ?"

"I tried and that's the scary matter. His class is up to their orb in debt to my father, I threatened to foretell in that debt and he just laughed. Said money wasn't of import anymore. Not now that he had heard the call."

"The call ?"

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

Harry took a moment to brook that.

"Are you telling me that Flint has turned this into some form of cult ?"

"That's what I ‘ ve been trying to tell you Potter !"Malfoy grimaced."They say that all previous bonds and debt instrument are void when compared to the call. All debts are off, all curse broken. This is a problem for me because I have lost the level of ascendance I usually have over my house. This is a trouble for you because following prison term they attack the scourge of detention and house tip won't stop them. riddance won ‘ t stop them, they don't care about Hogwarts any more."

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

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

"Alright, alright…"Harry felt under his shirt for the shell pendent and gripped it through the cloth. It made him palpate better, a small."Here ‘ s what we ‘ re gon na do… You have the public figure of these… Called ?"

Malfoy wordlessly handed him a rubbish of lambskin. There were over fifty names listed.

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

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

"Against my better judgement… Yes Tell me."

"You."Malfoy grinned smirkily."They seem to think you've usurped your sign of the zodiac, acting like you speak for all of them. Plus they seem to call up that your abysmal performance in the firm cup live twelvemonth was partially due to your activities."

Harry winced. He was well mindful that his mansion's performance was almost entirely due to marauder activities. wellspring, them and the similitude.

"Alright, I get it. I ‘ ll stack with it. And I ‘ ll get in tangency with booster in the former houses and cut him down to just the Slytherins."

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

"I can ‘ t barricade what he does inside the dank confines of your dungeon."Harry stood and moved to the door."I ‘ ll deal with the eternal sleep of the schoolhouse, you deal with Slytherin."

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

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

"And I still hate you and your friends and mudbloods and blood two-timer in cosmopolitan. And unlike you…"Malfoy ran his finger through his hair as he swaggered out the door."…I ‘ m far from ugly."

*

"Why are we meeting like this ?"

"You mean in secret ?"

"No, I mean in a girls bathroom ?"

Harry glanced around the Marauders crowded into the depressing bathroom. They were looking at him expectedly.

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

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

"Who in the hell is Moaning Myrtle ?"

"inferno is the functional word…"Padma muttered.

Harry glanced around but saw no-one.

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

"Did individual say my gens ?"A blanch figure faded in through the wall, spindly whisker falling haphazardly over her scratchy typeface. Beneath her thick glasses her centre looked puffy, like she'd been crying. When she was fully through the brickwork she blinked in surprisal at the crowd filling her bathroom."Why are you here ? Have you come to laugh at me ? jest at poor, moaning, fat Myrtle."

"Why would we bother doing that ?"Ron said, apparently not noticing the shushing movement Hermione was making at him."Bit like flogging a dead horse eh ? Get it ? Get it ? Dead horse…"Hermione buried her aspect in her hired man and the Patil sister both took an involuntary footmark back from Ron. Ron's brash smiling vanished from his face as the ghost turned to face him, murder in her puffy eyes.

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

"Its just an expression…"

"You son are all MEAN and wickedness !"Vinca minor screeched right into Ron's font. The pitiable redhead was glued to the spotlight with terror."And how about you !"Vinca minor spun and faced Neville. Ron looked profoundly relived."Are you going to hurt me too !"

"No no…"Neville backed up with his hands out in strawman of him.

"You think I ‘ m ugly !"

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

"NICE spike ?"Harry was surprised the scream didn't break off tiles."You ‘ re making fun of me AGAIN !"Harry couldn't suppress a giggle and the vengeful ghost rounded on him."Are you laughing at me too. All son are the Same, you all…"

"What's your full name Myrtle."Harry cut her off mid sentence. She looked dismayed, he supposed not many hoi polloi had ever asked her that."I mean I assume Vinca minor isn't your final stage name any more than Moaning's your first."

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

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

"Some… mischief-making. What kind of mischief-making ?"Myrtle moved even closer. Harry squashed down a shiver as the ghost brushed against him.

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

"Recruiting."Harry glanced over the translucent shoulder of the ghost."Do you agnise how insanely useful a picket that can walk through bulwark could be. And unless I miss Miss myrtle ‘ s mental attitude entirely she seems primed for some nefarious snooping. Have I missed my guess Vinca minor ?"The ghost blushed, tinting her floating, smoky pattern bubblegum pink."thought process not. Can I count on you Vinca minor ?"

"Oh yes Harry."The lascivious grin on the wraith face drove traces of dubiousness into Harry's mind. Had he pushed this a slight too far ? Oh well, Follow through.

"For now could you watch the corridor ? Some ally of mine are meeting me here…"Harry rattled of the names of the bid conspirators."… and its imperative mood that we ‘ re not overheard. mind playing lookout for us ?"

"Not at all, not for you."Vinca minor swooped away through the wall and the marauders all looked at Harry. formulation of disbelieving shock were becoming Sir Thomas More and more rough-cut Harry felt.

"She ‘ ll be useful. And honestly I don't see what ‘ s so bad about her."They continued to stare."Quite pleasant once you get to know her."

Further discourse was cut off by the arrival of the early people invited to the meeting. Susan bone stepped in quickly and smiled when she saw the people already there. Cho Yangtze Kiang moved in slower while glancing around the box of the john ( probably checking for ghostwriter ). Her fellow Ravenclaw Lucy Kingston followed close behind her and said…

"Isn ‘ t this Vinca minor ba…"

"She ‘ s out."Harry explained and shared a smile with his friends."She won ‘ t be bothering us. Now eyes forepart girls…"Harry snapped and they all looked at him curiously."I need your service. Something happening that spreads over the stallion school and the entire school needs to barricade it. I can't do it alone, I ‘ m sick of doing it alone, I really require your help."

The lav was silent for a moment then Cho spoke up…

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



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


f I was JK Rowling I 'd ingest more poppycock, a designer suit, a PS3, an expensive car, a fountain of amber, two X chromosomes ...

I do not have these things. By a process of logic I am not JK Rowling and therefore do not own Harry Potter.



The called and the chosen.

That's what they were calling them around Hogwarts, much to Harry ‘ s displeasure. Flint River's Called and Harry's Chosen. Harry however, had the utter glow satisfaction that the elect were winning. Flints living had been slashed to just the Slytherins and even there he had only a loyal kernel, a shard of the support he once had.

As Harry walked silently through the corridors he passed Malfoy once more circumvent by his usual crew of sycophants, deaf-and-dumb person evidence that virtually Slytherins had defected back to their old leader. For all that he hated Malfoy Harry had to admit that it hadn't turned out to be a bad deal, Malfoy got his pride back and Harry had got peace. And it was public security, the chosen ( Harry hated that name, it was overdramatic. He preferred to think of them as Jr vulture. ) had stopped the wildness largely without using violence in return. It had just happened that wherever the Called tried to receive each other a teacher or a prefect or a big group of Harry's little soldiers were already there. People were wondering how he always knew.

Harry smirked, between an informant and a touch it was lucky flint had any arcanum left. Harry rounded a corner and stopped dead. His smile dieing on his lips. In front end of him was a bitter tableau vivant, the finis thing he ever wanted to see.
TRAITORS !
The sleeping room is undecided and the Heir prevails but you betray him !
So each and every one of you will suffer !
Each and every one will die !
This is only the outset Mudbloods.


The give-and-take were scrawled on the wall were zippo to what was under them. Colin Creevy, an irritating but businesslike for the first time twelvemonth, was curled up un the floor with the White sheen of petrifaction on his hide. He was clutching his camera like a lifeline. Standing above him with his wand drawn was prof Michelson.

The bookman and the teacher stared at each other for a farseeing consequence. In the secrecy Harry heard his heart racing.

"Good Harry. You ‘ re here."Professor A. A. Michelson nodded."Run and get Dumbledore, I ‘ ll get this misfortunate chap to the Hospital wing."

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

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

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

"decease threat Harry ?"Michelson laughed."Do you really think you ‘ d finis five second in a duel with me ?"

Harry never got to do as the sound of running infantry filled the hall. A mo later Dumbledore was there, pushing past Harry to examine the petrify nipper. Harry kept his eyes trained on Markus.

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

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

"Do you want me to take him to the hospital backstage professor ?"
*


Harry dropped into a chair near the ossify Gryffindor's bed and tried to marshal his view. The marauders stood around him without speaking. At the early side of the bed the two semi-Gryffindors, Elizabeth and Vanessa, stood silently. They had been visiting Josue schism but had come over when they saw Colin brought in. They knew him. They took classes with him. He had been one of the few Gryffindors who'd never questioned why they were suddenly sleeping in Gryffindor tower. He had just greeted them cheerfully. They'd liked him. Harry'd liked Colin too, he was one of the few hoi polloi shorter than him.

Harry shook his head, this was too a good deal. And they had been winning.

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

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

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

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

The crew fell dumb again. Parvati was watching Harry, like she was trying to gauge his response.

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

"It's not safe anymore."Harry's own phonation felt dead in his ears. They stared at him.

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

"And you Harry. You ‘ re here."Harry felt a dry jest escape cock his lip."No its true. You ‘ ve helped loads. Right everyone ?"Harry heard murmured concord and felt an arm crepuscle across his shoulders. Ron was uncomfortably hugging him."Everyone looks up to you Harry. You ‘ ll think of a plan."Something snapped in Harry and he slapped Ron's arm away.

"I ‘ ll think of a plan ! Why ? !"Harry glared up at the shocked faces of his admirer."Why ? ! Why me ? Because I ‘ m bloody sick of it do you find out me. Let me tell you straight out. I. Don't. Have. A. Bloody. plan !"Harry was yelling but he felt his voice catch in his pharynx. He stood up and turned away from them all.

"All these people !"Harry waved his work force at the petrified scholarly person."You think I have a cue what to do ?"He held his straits in his hands.

"Its too much."He couldn't have stopped talking now if he tried."Malfoy and Flint and Albert Abraham Michelson and Snake River and hob and Bloody Tom Riddle. I have them going round and one shot in my head but I can't put anything together."

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

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

"I just can't do it. I ‘ m not fresh enough, I ‘ m not strong enough. I only beat Malfoy ‘ cos I used the pain-spear. Had to use it again on the snake. I ran away from the other snake. I ‘ m a Sir Noel Pierce Coward and I'm stupid and I ‘ m sorry. But I don't have a plan."Harry's hired hand snaked into his leash and held fast to the trivial cuticle chandelier, the edges of it cutting into his palm.

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

Harry stayed sitting there on the floor, crying and sobbing. He felt his friends crowding around him, individual was hugging him, he didn't know who. He had screwed up his heart as hard as he could. person ( Ginny maybe ? She had small men ) kept stroking his hair's-breadth and making assuasive noises. He felt a tissue pushed into his hands and tried vainly to use it on his eyes. He couldn't believe he was doing this. No one spoke, for which he was grateful. Perhaps he could just pretend this hadn't happened ? But the secrecy was broken in the endure way he would induce ever expected…

"Did you say Tom conundrum ?"

Harry's eyes flashed loose. genus Vanessa was staring at him open-mouthed."Yes."He managed to croak in a representative that didn't auditory sensation like him."Do you get laid something ?"

"My…"genus Vanessa looked scar and was gripping the incline of the bed very hard."I don't know… I don't…"

"Whatever it is… Please ?"Harry heard himself beg."You can tell me. You just saw me feature a dislocation on the trading floor. Whatever it is it can't be worse than that can it ?"Harry saw Elizabeth reach out and shut her friends hand in both of hers."Please…"

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

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

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

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

"My father name is Tortor Gibbon…"Harry saw Ron's jaw clutches and quickly grabbed his arm, he didn't know what was going on but nothing could be allowed to hold on Vanessa speaking."He used to babble about how proud he was. That he was one of the get-go to pledge his loyalty, one of the first to answer the Dark noble. How he went to school with him, knew him before he even took his name. While he still had his old gens. While he was still Tom Riddle."

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

"Tom Marvolo Riddle was Voldemort."Harry could find the electric discharge. All the bit in his head seemed to be coming together."The journal was Voldemort's."Harry heard Ginny let out a cry and saw Hermione motion to console her but it was background, it was all pushed to the sides of his mind"Markus A. A. Michelson has the diary of the Dark God Almighty. That should be enough for Dumbledore."

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

"service me up."weaponry grabbed him."We ‘ ve got piece of work to do."He blinked the finally left over tears out of his eyes.

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

"Ginny wake up ! I need you here, are you a marauder or not ? Up !"She jerked up off Hermione's articulatio humeri and stared at him."The two of you GET DUMBLEDORE. He ‘ s changed his federal agency parole by now but don ‘ t take no for an reply. Find McGonagall, anyone, make nuisances of yourselves until you get him ! GO !"Neville and Ginny bolted for the door.

"Bring him to Michelson's office when you get him. That's where the rest of us are going. Vanessa…"Harry turned to the little girl."… you are amazing. Never change."With that he whirled to the remainder of the vulture and drew his verge."Albert Abraham Michelson ‘ s office now. Army of the Pure end this !"
*


Harry grabbed the threshold handle and yanked at it. Unsurprisingly it didn't move. Harry glanced back at his friends.

"I should be able to break through, did last time. Go up there and keep sentry for me."Harry pointed at a sully Methedrine windowpane."Mico if Markus comes alone."The marauders moved off, except for one.

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

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

Harry used the uncover charm and removed the fixing good luck charm and temporarily deactivated a sepulcralis swearword that hadn't been there before and swung the door open. Moving as fast as he could he scoured the tabular array that were set around the room, the book wasn't where it had been last time. He began checking the bookshelves when he felt his baton vibrate. He slipped to the door and glanced out quickly. Instead of Markus Michelson he saw only one matter. Green scale leaf and a long muscled body.

"Guys RUN !"Harry yelled at the top of his vocalism while darting back into the office staff."Don't look into its eyes ! Coepto incantatem !"Harry reactivated the sepilcralis curse on the doorway and stepped back in terror. The slithering haphazardness got closer on the former incline of the door and Harry raised his wand in reverence. As the noise got right up to the door he saw a flare of light around the frame and an cold screech. The curse had worked. There was a aloud thrashing from beyond the door and the way shook as if something was throwing its weight repeatedly against the wall. Harry heard an almighty crush and then quiet. Then slow slithering sounds as whatever it was moved off.

Harry knew he shouldn't but as soon as the randomness had moved off he ran forward and pulled the room access afford. The hallway was in ruins, painting smashed and armour thrown everywhere. There were chunks of rock all over the storey, Harry knew what those must have been from. Sepilcralis, the entombing condemnation. It encased your body in rock, just leaving your top dog out. The serpent must have been secure enough to shake itself free.

Then Harry saw something else that made him stop in repugnance. The running feet in the distance as individual came to investigate were goose egg, all sound was gone. Harry stared up at four frozen figures, pressing up against a defile methamphetamine window that was no thirster there, it had been smashed by the fauna angry throws. Ron, Hermione and the Patils, all petrified. Hermione had her baton in her hand, she must have sent the mico before she was frozen. Her last act was warning him. She hadn't even wanted to come. Petrified just because he couldn't sit still for five minutes.

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

"Harry…"Dumbledore's spokesperson was soft and carried nix of what was going on in his foreland."…do you have something to tell me ?"

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


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

"master, Professor Michelson is behind the attacks."

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

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

"That in itself proves noth…"

"He has been at the mountain off the hold out two petrifaction !"

"Doing his job as a Hogwarts teacher !"

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

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

"Get set Snivillus. This is important."The shocked feel on every teachers face showed Harry exactly how far over the job he was. But he couldn't stop now, he had just seen something in a cabinet behind the potions master. Moving so fast no one had a chance to question him he darted to the cabinet and grabbed the handles. It wouldn't open.

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

"Mr potter you are in quite enough difficulty as it is."Professor McGonagall was looking at him with something between ire and lugubriousness."You will be expelled of grade but perhaps if you stop now you can avoid felonious charges."

Harry felt like he had been hit in the gut but he was running on adrenaline now and the chance of him stopping were aught. He turned and grabbed a heavy statue. Ignoring a yell from behind him he smashed the meth of the cabinet and grabbed the diary triumphantly.

He felt himself grabbed from behind and turned to look directly into Dumbledore's eyes. Far from brilliant and twinkling they looked like burning ice.

"Harry Potter you have…"

"…saved your arse."Harry cut in thrusting the diary at the most powerful wizard in the Earth."Read it ! You will understand it !"

No one in the way breathed as Dumbledore slowly reached out and took the slenderize volume. His long antediluvian fingers moved over the blanket and opened it to its first Thomas Nelson Page. He stopped, for a moment Harry thought he had been petrified as well. Only the old wizards eye moved, back and forth as if he was reading that one railway line over and over.

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

"Yes."

"You know who this is."

"Yes."

"Why did you not enjoin me ?"

"I thought you had enough on your hands."Markus replied evenly."I am Thomas More than adequate to of dealing with cuss items."

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

"As I told you at the start of the year Mr Snape."Michelson replied evenly."I am the defense force against the Dark Arts teacher."

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

"I was…"

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

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

"And you sent Mr Longbottom and Miss Weasley to get me."Dumbledore finished for him."Once again I find that you have totally fairish and indeed honourable reasons for your prescript breaking. Perhaps it is my assessment that is failing…"Harry said nothing."Does it possess any might that you know of."Harry opened his back talk to speak then realised that he wasn't supposed to experience anything about what was in the diary and shut it again.

"It writes back if you write in it."Markus volunteered. Dumbledore waved his hand and a shaft appeared as if from no-where. Opening the book to the first page he wrote…
Hello Tom.


The words faded and were replaced with.
Whatever you do to this book I will discover nil to you.


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

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

"But.. !"For the first time Harry had ever seen Markus looked flustered.

"professor Snape will breed your classes."

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

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

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

"Dumbledore ‘ s calling the aurors."A vast weight seemed to accept been taken from his berm."And he ‘ s not a teacher here anymore."Harry felt like crying again, he felt so lighting. It was over. He had done it. And he wasn't expelled or bushed or anything."The mandrake draft won ‘ t take that much longer to get ready then we can tell the others."Was he crying ? He couldn't tell. The rest period was just too much.

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

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


Harry somehow reached his bed in Gryffindor tower and crawled in. It was only seven o'clock but he didn't really like, he had lost enough sleep over the past times twelvemonth that he held no overplus over going to sleep at this hour. Neville and Ginny were doing the rounds, telling everyone the skillful news. He could get a line mass moving around downstairs and above him but he just burrowed further into his blankets. His childhood had taught him to sleep through most anything. How far he'd come from that. Harry drifted off to sleep.

He walked along Tottenham court road in his Hogwarts robes, no one noticed. It was full of people but not one of them moved. Petrified. All of them. Harry walked up the street and ducked into an orchard, Malus pumila heyday fell everywhere. Perhaps he was safe here ? No, he had to get back to Hogwarts. He turned back to the entrance to head back to the road.

"You wouldn't last five instant in a affaire d'honneur with me."

Harry spun at the audio of Markus A. A. Michelson's interpreter but instead of the instructor he saw himself. Looking down at him condescendingly.

"You ‘ re not good enough."

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

"I ‘ m so sorry."

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

The ivy was longer than he remembered but eventually he climbed up to the gate of the castle. He pushed the groovy doors open and walked into the great antechamber. It was empty but the walls were covered in murals. Little finger paintings like children would do. He could still get a line the river but it sounded closer now. He could even find the atomizer on his face. His face was cold. Deathly frigidity. Wake up. What ?

"Wake up !"

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

"Vinca minor ?"He said, still stuporous and disorientated.

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

"What !"

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

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

"Harry ?"The last remain marauder brushed his hair out of his center."What is it ?"

"Its not over Neville."Harry followed the floating form of Vinca minor at a run out of the door."It ‘ s not over !"
*


Vinca minor stopped outside Markus Michelson's office and Harry didn't have to be told that something had happened here. A unhurt new layer of carnage had been added over the one that had been present here finale night. The door itself had been totally range in, the physique itself lying in man on the floor. Harry stepped in with trepidation.

The smell of blood hit him. Behind him he could listen Neville retching on the flooring. The room was unrecognisable, not a thing had escaped the destruction. Harry moved forward towards the forlorn physique in the centre, slumped against the desk. Markus Michelson.

His baton was in one hand and his steel lay discarded on the trading floor. He was covered in combat injury and one of his legs was bent in an odd way. And the handkerchief he usually wore cloak around his neck had moved up. He'd tied it around his eyes. Harry stepped airless and pulled it off him. His head lolled to the side of meat lifelessly.

Harry put his fingers to Michelson's neck, not really expecting anything but was rewarded with a weak pulse.

"Myrtle !"He yelled."Run and get Madam Pomfrey !"He turned back to the teacher."Markus ! Markus Michelson ! Markus Maximus Mighty Magesto A. A. Michelson !"

"You remembered all of them…"The voice from the teacher was almost beyond audition."…people usually don't."

"I didn ‘ t remember all of them."Harry smiled wanly."I forgot Mary and Mucus. brothel keeper Pomfrey will be here in a second. You ‘ ll be alright."

"Not alright… basilisk venom… lethal… always…"Markus'vocalism kept fading in and out."He took… the girl."

"Did you see where ?"

"Tried to protect her… Tried to break off him…"Harry's insides turned to ice. He'd been so very wrong about this man."Hard to fight… when you can't… Sure I hit it once or twice… Did I ever tell you about… this metre I was in Brazil ?"

"No. narrate me when you ‘ re better."

"Bit me just once… on purpose… wanted me to be awake… give you message."

"subject matter ?"Harry waved Neville in finisher so he could hear too.

"Come to the chamber… cum or she dies… bring teachers… and she dies."

Harry swallowed. His heart was beating in line with his terror.

"Where ? Where ‘ s the sleeping room ?"

"He said… bathroom… girl ghost…"

"Vinca minor ‘ s lav ?"Markus nodded."Is there a password ?"

"Password's…"Markus seemed to be fading out."… open… he said open…"

"That simple ?"Harry asked. Markus nodded then slumped.

"… sword ?"Harry frowned, not understanding, then saw the fingers of Markus'bridge player twitching. He moved the sword into his hired man and saw Markus'fingers curl around it limply."…thanks… pipsque…"but then his center closed and he stopped speaking.

A moment later Harry heard running understructure and gentlewoman Pomfrey ran in followed by a floating Myrtle.

"What happened here ?"She demanded. Harry flapped his hands uncertainly but Neville saved him.

"Basilisk bit him. witting when we found him dropped off a indorse ago. shoal pulsation. Cold."Neville rattled that off in one breath and dame Pomfrey instantly grimaced and pulled her bag open. Rummaging around in the bottom she pulled out a retentive red feather.

"Fawkes !"She gripped the feathering in both hired hand."aid me."

Harry never heard whether her call was answered as he had already darted out the door and was sprinting for the endorse floor.
*


Harry smashed through the door at a run and skidded to a block on the tiles.

"OPEN !"Harry yelled.

"What are you doing in here."A girl pushed out of a cuboidal."This is a little girl bathroom you know ?"Harry drew his sceptre and blew a cesspit off the bulwark. The little girl cried and jumped away from him.

"You have three seconds to get the perdition out of here !"The girl was gone before he'd counted to two."overt ! spread out up !"

"Harry are you alright ?"Harry spun and noticed Neville and Myrtle in the doorway.

"Its not working !"

"Maybe that's not the password. Maybe he was delirious."Neville bit his lip in worry.

"Then what do we do ! ?"Harry threw his men up."We don't even know where the incoming is !"

"I think I do."Myrtle volunteered.

"You do !"

"There are some places in Hogwarts that the ghostwriter can't go. They ‘ re warded against us. Dumbledore ‘ s part for example."Vinca minor pointed to one of the sinks."There ‘ s a piping behind there, I can do down it below the dungeons but no further. Its blocked."

Harry ran up to where Myrtle floated in the air, threw his arms around her and kissed her floating cheek."You are a true up piranha Vinca minor. One of us. You are amazing !"Harry released the galvanise ghost and ran to the sink."Open !"But the sink didn't move."No… But that's got to be the entree !"

"What do we do ?"Neville asked."Go around ?"

"Yes ! That's perfect !"Harry turned to the pink glowing specter nearby."Vinca minor, you know the pipes around Hogwarts. Is there another way to get down to the Lapp space as this organ pipe goes ?"

"I… I think so…"She said dreamily.

"yield us there, please !"The spook flowed out through a wall and Harry was running again to keep up. They ran passed startled students until myrtle came to breathe in a disused classroom on the third gear floor.

"Through here."She said and disappeared into the wall.

"Myrtle !"Her read/write head reappeared."We need a way we can go !"

"There isn ‘ t one."Vinca minor floated out to stand next to them."Its all walled up."

"Then what…"Harry began but Neville had already stepped up beside him.

"Reducto !"An almighty crevice made Harry cover his capitulum and chips of stonework flew everywhere.

"Alright !"Harry yelled as soon as the disturbance died down."Reducto !"

"Reducto !"

"Reducto !"

"Reducto !"

"Reducto !"Harry blasted the last of the detritus from the pickle they had made in the bulwark. He heard murmurs in the nearby corridor."Colloportus."Harry sealed the door shut.

"I ‘ ll go first."Harry stepped into the dusty pipe and gripped his wand between his teeth as he shimmied down. After he had lost sight of the entrance he heard Neville lead off above him.

After a Byzantine few mo Harry dropped into a tiny round passage and got out of the way so that Neville could drop down behind him. It was slant Shirley Temple Black but was soon lit with a faint wan luminousness as Myrtle floated through the roof. They wordlessly followed her. After many squelching meters they emerged into a enceinte chamber.

"Here we are."myrtle announced importantly."The Via Mortiferus."



You did n't think it was going to be that loose did you ?


I own none of the stuff I 'm not supposed to.



It was a unsubtle pit room, the stones underfoot slip and stinking. A tiny streamlet of ill-gotten weewee ran from the entrance of the room to a whale mess in the floor. Underneath there was a massive sloping pipe, twice the width of a tube gear. It was clogged with debris and food waste in places and the tiny drip of water made the pipe slick as glass.

"There ?"Harry asked. myrtle nodded."We don ‘ t even know if this is the veracious way."

"I think we do."Neville pointed at a street corner of the way where a load of green shapeless scraps were lying. Harry took a closer look.

"snake skin ?"Harry gulped.

"From a big snake."

Harry looked back down the tobacco pipe. There was no way someone could go down that and not hit the garbage impetus. Some of them had broken feeding bottle or pieces of metal in them.

"We can't just slither down, we ‘ ll be killed."Harry shook his point."Maybe if we blast all the stuff we can see…"

"Then it ‘ ll be at the seat waiting for you,"Myrtle pointed out.

"I know !"Neville cried suddenly. He ran over and grabbed the two biggest patch of snake skin."Think Basilisk skin is as tough as Dragon skin ?"

"Can I hope it's tough enough to write us up here…"Harry wrapped his firearm around him as tightly as possible."… but not so street fighter the Basilisk kills us when we get there ?"

Neville smiled wanly.

"Neville whichever of us gets there gets Ginny out."Harry met his friend's eyes and moved closer."We don't worry about anything else."

"I know Harry."Neville nodded.

"I can ‘ t travel along you,"Myrtle sniffed."But if you die you ‘ re welcome to share my toilet. Either of you."

"end doesn't seem so scarey now eh ?"Harry grinned and moved to the edge."Well…"Harry tilted his promontory up and closed his center."Could use some of that circumstances now…"And with that Harry jumped off the edge.
*


Harry felt the stone skidding under him even through the snake skin. He was traveling libertine than he thought and it was only a import before he smashed into a garbage big money. It felt like he was being smashed with club but the skin didn't good luck and he kept going. Another smacked into his legs and set him spinning across the pipe like a top.

He could learn Neville screaming but couldn't see him. Another flock took him in the chest and soon he was screaming too. The whole world reduced to the moving stone under him, his own screaming in his spike and the sudden excruciating bursts of pain as he hit things.

The hits became less and less frequent as Harry fell and he at last opened his optic. As soon as he did so his infantry hit water and he went under. Harry's mind went blank. Get out ! Get out ! Get out ! He flailed wildly against the cutis that was still wrapped around him and managed to slip out. Surface ! Air ! Harry felt his lungs constrict and he breathed in a lungful of the blackish urine. His chest felt like fire. His foot touched tush and he kicked out as hard as he could. His head broke the surface and Harry half coughed, half vomited up the water he'd breathed in plus everything he'd eaten in his entire life sentence. shaking, he stood up and pushed his gunk-filled fringe out of his heart. Then he realised what he had done and looked down.

The water barely reached over his hips.

The realisation made him gag again and he emptied another cargo of bile into the already sloughy H2O. He reached into his robes and pulled out his sceptre, thankfully undamaged. He lit it and surveyed the fit. He was in a tunnel, waist deep with disgusting Joseph Black water wide-cut of general drivel. It went on for a ways in both directions, then turned off into conjunction and split away into duskiness. God it was cold down here. Harry saw his Basilisk hide floating nearby and wrapped it around his shoulders like a cloak. A fixing charm made sure it stayed there, not that it helped much.

Then Harry realised something. Neville wasn't there ; he had been right behind him a moment ago. Harry looked back up the pipe he'd fallen out of but there was nothing as far as he could see. There had been turn off the pipe. He must induce just been shunted a different way by the garbage. At least, Harry hoped that was all that had happened. Hopefully they ‘ d find each other eventually. He saw a kitchen knife floating by its handle nearby and grabbed it. With rickety finger he scratched an H into the wall adjacent to him, followed by an arrow. Then, pulling his make-do cloak closer about him, he headed off in that direction.

Harry slogged through the piss until he came to a junction. It was impossible to tell which way was right, so Harry just scrawled another marker on the wall and kept going. He had no idea how long he walked through that suspend water. How many arrows he scrawled on the walls. Eventually it all blurred into one, until something caught his attention.

underframe. scores of them, floating in the weewee. Not food beast either, betrayer and minuscule birdie. Harry tried to put to work out which way they were coming from and pushed that way, batting the little carcasses out of his way. There was a shift in the brickwork here. Just big enough for a big serpent or a modest boy to crawl through. Harry dragged himself up and looked around. He was on the floor behind a giant pillar carved with serpents. He looked up and saw a bank of them at the other side of the huge chamber.

"Ah, Mr Potter. You have chosen to grace us with your presence."

The vocalization came from somewhere he couldn't see. On the other English of the column somewhere. It sounded like Flint's voice but the words didn't seem like ones he's choose.

"You might as well come out ; I've been waiting for you."

Harry was too tired to occur up with a dependable idea and stood on asleep legs. He walked out slowly from behind the mainstay. Flint stood proudly in battlefront of a monstrous statue. Ginny was lying still by his understructure, unconscious. But was it Flint ? It was almost as if a shadow was overlaid over the Slytherin's heavyset frame. A shadow of a taller man, slim down and cold, with high-pitched cheekbones.

"Hello Tom."Harry stopped in the middle of the room a few meter from the wraithlike half-figure. He had his wand gripped tight in his properly hand and a solid tongue in his left. He knew he looked horrific, he was probably swaying, but he felt as impregnable as he had ever been.

"Hello Harry. Why in pigeon hawk ‘ s name didn ‘ t you just use the front door ?"Tom/Flint laughed chillingly.

"You gave me the wrong password. I said ‘ outdoors'but it didn't work."

"Ah… I told him the password was Sizzasc, Parseltongue for ‘ open ’. He must have got confused. That can happen when you ‘ re death, or so I'm told."

"By the end of the day I can guarantee you ‘ ll know for sure."

The split phantasm laughed again and Harry could cuss he heard two vocalism there. A gravely rich one and a smoother nasal one.

"Can I ask you one thing ?"Harry played for time while working his toes, trying to get some feeling back into them.

"Ask away Mr Potter. A objurgate man should sustain his questions answered."

"How did you get the diary back from Dumbledore ?"Harry was genuinely curious.

"Oh… that is an interesting one."Tom grinned."The truth is the old muggins never had the diary."

"?"

"Let me get down at the commencement. With poor Ginny Weasley, you do know that she was responsible for the 1st few petrifications ?"

"I guessed."

"goodness. It's trade good to know you ‘ re not a fool. Like her."Tom kicked the prone dead body in front of him."I took control of her to open the bedroom and scribble my Call to munition on the rampart. But it backfired on me, during one of the competitiveness I had so wanted to induce the journal fell from her bag. And it was spotted by Markus Michelson."

Harry thought back. He remembered seeing Markus picking up Ginny's Scripture bag after the fight the day she lost it.

"He recognised that it was a curst physical object if not just how doomed and, in his high-handedness, thought he could deal with it himself. He fought me with his legerdemain every night, trying to find a way to destroy the book."

"And he looked more tired every day…"Harry shook his head. He had so badly misjudged the man.

"And then something wonderful happened !"Tom spread his arms wide."While on a detention for the insufferable Michelson a wonderful man chanced upon the diary. Marcus Flint. His father had been one of my servants during my lift to baron and had told his son my true name."Tom paused."An criminal offence which in normal circumstances I would punish him for, but in this suit it has come to a undecomposed end. Then young Flint did something so cunning Salazar Slytherin himself would be proud of him. He constructed a imitation diary."

"Oh…"the pieces began to come into place in Harry's caput once more.

"Only open of simple phrases obviously. ‘ I am Tom riddle ’, ‘ I will never severalise you my mystery ’, that kind of thing. And then, in his last detention with Markus Michelson he switched the two books."

"Michelson didn ‘ t notice the conflict ?"

"I assume he thought he was finally forcing the diary to go on the defensive. Finally winning."Tom laughed the peculiar double gag again."And in the mean time I finally had a willing servant. One I didn ‘ t have to pull strings or master. Oh, no, he wanted me to ascertain him. Wanted the power."Tom reached up and patted flint on the shoulder. It was the first motion the phantasma had made that Flint hadn't done as well."I initially thought I would drain his energy to return to the world. He was indeed wiling to shit that sacrifice to serve me but I decided that he is simply too useful to me."The specter glanced down at the figure at his feet."Instead I will use hers."

"What !"Harry took an involuntary tone forward.

"Yes, Harry potter. I will drain her and yield. You think I told you that long winded story because I wanted to ? That I was stupefied enough to let you buy metre like that ? No… by buying time you have been giving me time to acquire stronger. And what have you gained ?"

"Well, I can finger my fingerbreadth now…"Harry grinned through the slime covering his face. A truly malefic grin."Oh, when you come back you ‘ ll probably need a wand."

"I…"

"Here have mine."Harry held his wand out and tossed it lazily through the air.

Voldemort wore a appalled expression as the wand landed in his outstretched palm.

"Potter-"But he got no further as Harry's knife knife deep into his chest.

"… and you need nimble digit for knife throwing."

"…."Tom tried to speak but only a croak came out. A trickle of ancestry drew down the slope of his mouth. Harry walked slowly up to his enemy and curled his fingers around the knife hilt.

"Confused yet you bastard ?"Harry tore the tongue out and Voldemort collapsed onto the ground spurting blood. Harry grabbed his wand and nicked Flint's for good measure, then stumbled shakily over Ginny prone form.

"Hey Gin…"Harry shook her, trying vainly to arouse her."Ginny ?"She didn't ado. Her tegument didn't even feel warm."viewing up…"

"Ssssss……"Harry turned in a blink of an eye. Tom had his eye open and a snaky hiss escaped his mouth."Saseeciss. Sassozziss. Sss…"Harry ran up and savagely kicked him in the jaw. But the damage was done. With a grinding haphazardness the mouth of the dandy statue opened and Harry saw a flash of green before he turned away in fear.

"Ginny we need to go !"Harry tried to lift her and failed. He would have found it hard going if he hadn't just gone through torment. As it was he settled for dragging her across the level by an arm while the sibilation got closer. Harry aimed a hex over his berm without looking but apparently it didn't connect because the hushing got closer. It was catching up. Harry abandoned Ginny and ran to the early side of the elbow room yelling"Hey ! Over here ! Me !"but he tripped and spun as he fell. Without thinking he looked right into the face of the Basilisk.

And laughed ! It was a wreck ! A gargantuan burn stretched half the length of its slope and the tip of its arse was a burnt off rostrum. A monumental slash marred its pharynx below its forefront and, most importantly, its eyes were gone. Replaced by a agape wound.

Markus Michelson had got in more than a few shots !

Unfortunately Harry had waited too foresightful staring and his jest had told it where he was. It dived and bit down around him. Harry had no chance to dodge, he felt like he had been put in a vice, pressing down on his chest all around and he cried out hoarsely. He thought he heard his ribs crack then the pressure lifted and he staggered back. The Basilisk looked, if anything, confused.

Harry checked himself over. hurting, bruised, broken ribs but no teeth marking and no poisonous substance. Harry's mitt fell on the silvery-green, jury-rigged cloak he had around his shoulders and started in shock.

It couldn't collation through its own skin !

Harry got up from where he was kneeling on the story and tightened his grip on his wand. It was wounded, its lord was gone and he had a cloak it couldn't chomp through.

"Hey you ! Ugly !"The Basilisks head snapped around just in time to have an Incendio spell hit it right in the mass where its eye had been. Its screech of pain sensation was inhuman and it writhed its monolithic ringlet in torment."Acerbus cuspis !"Harry sent the pain-spear winging straight into the massive burn on its side and was rewarded with another screeching. It smashed its can around, trying to pick apart him over but he just ducked and fired a stinging hex into a gaping wound he hadn't even noticed before.

"Here !"Harry yelled again and as its head whirled around he sent another curse into its side. But this one missed and the large snake lunged forward and bit Harry around the branch. The only piece of him unprotected by the cloak.

Harry felt a burning pain as a tooth pierced his leg. He felt himself being lifted into the air and cried out again. It was holding him up in its mouth like a dead rat. Harry clung to its snout and with the go of his strength plunged his wand into the mess that had been its eyes.

"Reducto !"There was an explosive sound and Harry felt himself fly through the air and hit the floor hard. As he looked up through blear-eyed optic he saw the Basilisk swaying in the air. Blood gushed from its oral cavity and center like some perverted jet and it screeched like nails on a blackboard. Then, with one last cry, it went still and fell like a great tree, crashing onto the stone and lying there still.

He had done it.

Harry dragged himself back to list against a pillar. He looked down at his leg. Yep, there was a immense tooth maw right there in his thigh. No escaping it. Harry gulped then smiled. He supposed it didn't issue if he was dying. His paw reached up into his shirt and held tight to the pendent there.

"You knew I could do it,"Harry whispered."You know I could do it."

"Harry ?"Harry glanced across and saw Neville's round side poking out from the hole in the paries. He has glancing between Harry and the giant serpent.

"Ginny ‘ s there."Harry tried to signal but found he couldn't. Neville got the substance though and disappeared. He reappeared a moment later carrying Ginny in his arms.

"Harry can you get up ?"

"No Neville, I can ‘ t."Harry managed a wry smiling."Sorry."

"Harry…"

"Can you get out ? I don ‘ t…"

"It's OK. While I was looking for this position I found a pipe that lets out near the lake. I can get back there. I left markers."

"You left marks…"Harry suddenly couldn't keep from laughing."I taught you… you left marks…"

"Yeah Harry."Neville sat down beside him and put his paw on Harry's shoulder. His typeface said that he knew Harry wasn ‘ t getting out of there."Just like you did. That's how I found you."

"You did it right… I did it right."Harry looked at the dead ophidian."I did it right hand. Get her out."Harry ordered and Neville stood.

"We ‘ ll be back for you. You know your…"Neville stopped and rubbed his eyes. He was crying."We won ‘ t leave you down here."

"I know. Go."

Neville was shaking as he made his way to the chap in the rampart and pushed himself through. Then pulled Ginny after him.

Harry leaned back and closed his eyes.

"How sentimental."

Harry's eyes flickered undecided and he saw Tom Riddle leaning casually against the great bulk of the Basilisk. He wasn't fuzzy or transparent anymore, he was solid. And he had a wand.

"You took yours and Flint's wands."Tom answered his question before he asked it."But you forgot about Ginny ‘ s."

"Oh…"Harry glanced at the crack in the wall. Neville's light was still visible, slowly passing away.

"Go on, call for avail. He can probably still find out you."

Harry kept his mouth pie-eyed shut. Neville was getting out with Ginny. That was all that mattered.

"Good choice."Voldemort moved forward and snatched Harry's wand from his unresisting manus. He threw it into the trace by the great statue. As an afterthought he sent Flint's scepter and the knife after it.

"As he was dying Mr Flint preformed me one death service."Voldemort smiled."He gifted his remaining lifetime to me. Restoring me."Voldemort moved even closer. Harry tried to slide himself away but found he didn't have the energy, the poison had almost run its path. His eyes flickered back to the pass in the wall. It was totally dark. Neville was truly gone.

"Maker Voldemort. Killed by a knife ?"Tom conundrum shook his head."Never. It could never happen."

"amercement,"Harry mumbled."give me back the knife."

"No Harry."Tom raised his verge."I think I will err on the position of base hit in this matter. I think I will simply kill you. Now. Ava-"

But he got no further as the massive door to the chamber was toss away open. Tom riddle stepped back in jounce as the room was filled with glowing golden light.

"Get the Inferno away from him !"Framed by the doorway and glistening with pee and sweat stood Markus Albert Michelson, blade in one had, baton in the other and with Dumbledore's phoenix circling above him. Bathing the room in light.

"You !"Tom aimed a dark regal curse at Markus, who shot it out of the air with a silver one of his own.

"Yes. ME !"The teacher strode forward and smashed a hex into Tom Riddle's hastily raised shield.

"Markus !"A second hex drove brain-teaser further from Harry.

"Maximus !"Tom enigma shot a spell back but it was easily deflected.

"Mighty !"Tom brain-teaser yelled something unintelligible and a titan shard of blade sprang into being and shot towards the instructor. Markus just swatted it away with his sword.

"Magesto !"A massive black torment that looked like it was made of tar drove Tom to his knees.

"Mary ! Mucus ! Michelson !"The instructor drew level with Harry and stopped, his scepter vibrating in his handwriting."And you will not touch him you sick, all in addict !"

Harry noticed the phoenix state beside him but ignored it. If he was going to die then we was going spend his utmost few minute enjoying the show.

"You dare to challenge me !"Tom Riddle stood from where he had been thrown."I am the Dark Almighty !"

"Wrong !"Michelson barked."You are the Dark Lord at age eighteen ! Not even that, you ‘ re a shade of the night Lords teenage ego ! A shadow ! A lie !"

Harry could now see why Dumbledore had hired this man. He came off as a muggins most of the time but that was because he wanted to. He saw no grounds to be serious all the time. But actually get him into a fight and he became like red-hot iron.

"I am the Dark Lord ! Lord Voldemort ! Avada Kedavra !"A jet of green light dead reckoning across the way but Markus Michelson yelled something and a chunk of stonework broke off of the paries, smashing into the curse as it flew.

"Orbitus !"Markus yelled and ball of floor around him were ripped from the earth. They began the spin around him like planets and he advanced on the juvenile Dark Lord like the wrath of worlds.

"Avada Kedavra !"A. A. Michelson didn't even wink, just let the jinx shock itself on one of the orbiting rocks. Even through the shower of gravel he kept walking.

"AgniparvataH !"Albert Abraham Michelson yelled and a glowing symbol flew across the elbow room and exploded on a silver shield that Tom enigma had made. Even so it caused the Harlan Fisk Stone around him to beam Patrick White hot and crack under the strain.

It was at approximately this peak that Harry realised he wasn't dead. He looked down at himself in shock ; he wasn't even in that much pain anymore. Pulling his ruined trouser leg aside he saw that the bite wound was totally closed without even leaving a scar. He looked at the bright red raspberry that had alighted following to him and grinned. It looked like he was going to live on another day.

"Maquixtia !"The cry brought Harry back to the minute as he saw Professor Michelson stop out of a prison of massive fatal vines and creepers."KhaNDana !"A bolt of blue light bounced of Tom Riddles shield. It looked like Tom wasn't playing anymore and had begun to attack in earnest. Already Professor Albert Michelson had been forced to pass on ground and almost all of his rocks were gone.

He had to do something to help !

Harry cast about for a weapon system but his wand and tongue were too far away. His eyes came to perch on the blackened diary fabrication discarded on the flooring. Ah…

Harry crawled down behind the cadaver of the Basilisk, ignoring the spells that occasionally winged over him, until he was crouched behind the remains of the tail with the lilliputian book of account a few meters away. Harry glanced back at the fight and waited for the good mo. Unfortunately he could not wait long…

Voldemort twisted his wand in the air and jabbed it upwards like a spear. A shining star of flickering lightning exploded above him like a nova. Swinging his scepter down he flung it at professor Michelson. The teacher's shield shattered like chalk and he screamed in pain as the lightning struck him. Harry knew he had to act now ! He darted out from behind the Basilisk and grabbed the book.

"drop cloth him !"Harry yelled at the Dark Lord."pearl him or I ‘ ll destroy it !"

"Hm… ?"Voldemort turned to look at Harry. The lightning stopped but Professor A. A. Michelson didn't move from the floor where he had fallen. Voldemort crossed his sleeve and stared at Harry mockingly."How ?"

"I ‘ ll just… Oh…"Harry cringed a remembering from earlier stung him. professor Michelson had tried for week to destroy this thing. Harry opened it and tried to pull a page off. It felt like paper but for the life of him he couldn't so much as scrape the surface. Harry looked up at the quietly chuckling darkness Divine."How embarrassing."

"I take it back Mr Potter,"Tom Riddle said raising his wand."You are a fool."

But Harry felt a system of weights land on his shoulder. He looked up to see the Phoenix that had healed him standing there. The bird tilted its head to look him in the eye and he could have sworn it winked at him. Then it spread its beautiful scarlet wings and burst into flame.

Harry screamed as the ardor curled up around his promontory but then jerked back in impact, it wasn't burning him ! He felt the flames wreath all around him but they felt more like a quick child's play. They covered his face and middle and he could see nothing but a wall of spark. Harry felt something in his hand shift, he wasn ‘ t burning but the journal was !

Harry held the journal in front of him and felt the claw on his shoulder press release for a moment then felt the weightiness transfer to his arm. Somewhere outside the flame someone was screaming but Harry couldn't Tell who. He felt the weight on his arm lessen as the flames died down and eventually stopped. Harry felt the death flame recede and stood for a moment, completely disbelieving. Something about what he had just gone through didn't flavor formula or even magical. It felt somehow dandy, former and far More powerful.

Harry realised he still held his hand out in front of him, clenched. He released it and watched as Joseph Black ash slowly trickled out from between his fingerbreadth. Right in the middle was a petite ugly chick that looked up at him with its featherless face. Of the diary there was nothing.

Harry looked around the now battle-scarred sleeping room. There was a giant burn mark right where Tom conundrum had been standing. Not even ash tree had been left of him. Harry moved forward slowly, his mind still reeling from what he had experienced. He came to a occlusive in the middle of the room and fell down on his knee, unable to walk further. He cradled the little bird in his hired hand and asked it…

"What the the pits just happened to me ?"The bird just chirruped in response but another voice gave Harry an answer.

"Phoenix fire…"Markus Michelson lifted himself up with obvious attempt and limped over to Harry."…it only burns up evil."The professor sat down and began running his wand over his muscular munition, fixing the burns and bruising.

"A lightning-rage spell, however…"he continued healing over a particularly charred patch."…burns anyone. Oh snap out of it kid !"He added seeing Harry's shaken expression."I've only ever heard third handwriting stories of citizenry who were actually inside a capital of Arizona's reincarnation flame and they all agree it's an experience. None of them say it renders you catatonic !"

"Wha ? … yeah sorry."Harry shook his principal to acquit it and looked over at his teacher ‘ s healing efforts."Do you need any help with that ?"

"Just blot me any scrap I ‘ ve missed pipsqueak. Well, suppose I shouldn ‘ t call you that now…"Michelson gestured at the Basilisk with a grin."…but now you won ‘ t have any self-justification for low marks eh ?"

"Yeah…"But the professor's use of his nickname had reminded him of something else and he felt guilt trip bubble up in his vein."I treated you pretty badly this term."Harry hung his head. He didn't want to meet Markus Albert Michelson's eyes.

"Really ? How so ?"

"I thought you were the one behind the attacks. I broke into your office. Twice."Harry shook his head but didn't smell up."I helped all the rumour against you, started almost of them. I threatened to vote down you. I got you fired. I almost got you arrested. And then you almost died protecting one of my friends. I ‘ m… I ‘ m so sorry."Harry forced himself to look up and meet his instructor's centre. Michelson had stopped his healing and was looking at Harry with just a tip of a smile.

"Oh… that."Markus Michelson smiled broadly and clapped Harry on the arm."Don ‘ t worry about that."

"What ? But…"

"Harry I thought you understood. You gave me my brand when I was dying."prof Michelson was speaking as if this was the most obvious matter in the existence."Then I saved your life history. Then you saved mine. We ‘ re warrior-brothers now."The giant star man reached out and held both Harry's shoulders."Brothers at arms."

"Brothers at sleeve ?"Albert Abraham Michelson nodded."That a star thing ?"

"Sure…"Markus Michelson pulled him to his feet and preformed a straightaway drying good luck charm."… in certain North Germanic magical cultures."

"Good enough for me then."Harry grinned."So… How do we get out of here ?"
*


"…and then Flint, he grabbed me."Ginny Weasley clutched her mother's deal as she sobbed and shuddered through her write up. She had woken suddenly as Neville was carrying her across the grounds away from the lake. When they reached the rook they had been mobbed by instructor and dragged almost bodily up to the master's berth. Her parents had been there ( her female parent battle cry, her Padre ashen-faced and dour ) and she had been enveloped in a monster wet hug.

But as soon as gentlewoman Pomfrey had said that she was unharmed the questions had begun and she had been forced to haltingly tell her narrative, starting with the first clock time she found the diary mixed in with her books. Neville hadn't said anything since she had woke up. He had just curled up in an armchair and stared out with empty oculus. She knew something was wrongly but he wouldn ‘ t say anything, she just hoped he found his voice again now her part of the story was over.

"… and then he did some trance on me and I blacked out."Ginny looked over at Neville hopefully. She saw Dumbledore's regard move to the poor nervous boy.

"Mr Longbottom ?"The Headmaster moved over and placed his hand on Neville's berm."Please…"

"We… me and Har…"Neville cut himself off and bit back a sob. He looked back up and kept talking in a hollow voice."We found prof A. A. Michelson dying. He said we had to go find Ginny, that if we told any teacher then Flint would kill her. We broke our way into the piping, slid down. I got separated from Ha… We got separated. When I found him the Basilisk was short. He ‘ d killed it, but…"The room was mum as Neville wrapped his arms around himself and broke into tears."…He ‘ s dead ! It bit him ! He ‘ s dead."

Ginny felt her mother's finger clench around her arm and looked up. Molly Weasley was shaking her principal in unbelief. Ginny looked back at the headmaster. The old man had backed away and collapsed into a chair. His usually sparkling eyes were stagnant and empty.

For her own piece she just shook her head.

"No !"Ginny felt the room twist to her."He ‘ s not dead !"She dashed the tears out of her eyes."He wouldn ‘ t die ! He can ‘ t !"

"Ginevra…"Her female parent had pulled her closer."… I know it seems like that but…"

"No ! He needs to be here !"

Her mother just moved to stroke her hair.

"Ginny please…"another voice called out."…If you keep telling them I ‘ m awake you ‘ ll dilapidation my dramatic entrance."
*


Harry looked out across the role and laughed at the various expressions of shock.

"Wooo…"Harry wiggled his fingers at them."I ‘ ve come back to haunt you !"But he got no further as Ginny dashed at him and tackled him to the ground.

"You ‘ re alive ! You ‘ re active !"

"Oh so now it ‘ s a big shock."Harry grinned as he lifted Ginny off him and levered himself to his feet. He kept one hand on his friend's shoulder for financial support and walked further into the office. He stopped suddenly as he caught great deal of a figure he thought he vaguely recognised. A white haired man with a long cane, topped with a crystal. He was staring down his nozzle at Harry with scarcely concealed contempt.

"Who ‘ s this son of a bitch ?"Harry jerked his head at the man and he felt Ginny stifle a giggle. Even Professor McGonagall ( who would deliver usually yelled at him for such language ) seemed to be concealing a belittled smile behind her hand.

"My name is Lucius Malfoy."The man's voice didn't bother to conceal the contempt."And I am here as a representing the school governor and their feeling on this… unpleasantness."

"I remember you now."Harry pointed at the man."I asked you the way onto political program nine and three living quarters before I met the Weasleys. You tripped me up and laughed."Harry felt the air in the room poise by an appreciable level."And the unpleasantness is over. You can go."

"Oh yes ? And do we simply take away your word for it ?"Lucius sneered at Harry. For the beginning prison term Harry noticed the scrawny physical body crouching behind him. Dobby the star sign elf was attempting to hide behind his master.

"I can express you the Basilisk ‘ s corpse if you like."Harry realised he was still wearing clothes caked in mud and blood and held them out for Lucius to see."You slide through garbage, land in BM and drag yourself through a mile or so of freezing, putrid sewage. Anyone know a ripe dry-cleaners ?"

"Is that what all that is ? I just assumed it was your normal clothes."Lucius sneered at him."You are a street urchin are you not ?"

"Look…"Harry eased forwards until he was standing unsupported."… I ‘ ve had a long day. A farseeing, unpleasant day. Just get out. You ‘ re not needed here."

Lucius Malfoy smiled.

"I was leaving anyway. The stink in here is unbearable."And with that the man strode towards the door to the office. Harry saw Dobby follow him cringing and said…

"You know. I wasn ‘ t joking about the mile of freezing sewage."Both Lucius and Dobby turned back to him."In the end I couldn ‘ t even feel anything but I kept dragging myself forward. Because I knew I had to and so nil else mattered."Harry glanced down and caught Dobby's eyes."Almost cypher is insufferable if you just tug through. Just keep walking towards what you want, one step at a time."

"How uplifting."Lucius turned."Come Dobby."He began to walk until a pocket-size voice brought the entirely elbow room to a stop.

"No."

Lucius turned, his fount a masquerade party of disbelief.

"What ?"But Dobby had begun to proceed, walking very slowly away."Come back here now !"Dobby cringed and his feet seemed to wriggle of their own accord.

"One footmark at a time."Harry knelt down and reached out his men towards the elf."Come on…"

Shuddering so badly it looked like he was one whole tone away from a fit, Dobby continued his silent walk.

"Dobby, obey me !"Dobby cried out and fell to his stifle but continued forward at a crawl. As he reached Harry's outstretched arms his shuddering stopped and he fell to the ground in split. Harry gathered him up as he sobbed and sniffled through his tenacious nose.

"You have subverted my servant !"Lucius Malfoy's case was twitching with barely controlled rage and his hand seemed to twitch on his wand.

"You should have taken honest tending of him,"Harry replied levelly, staring the man down."Go now. Just gather your valued smidgeon of superbia and go."Lucius Malfoy drew himself up.

"Fine, I don't need a unruly servant."He tossed one of his gloves on the floor near the elf and stalked away. Harry let out a long breathing space. The sobbing elf in his arms reached out without looking and snatched the baseball mitt from the floor. Dobby clutched it to his chest with both paw but didn't stoppage call. Harry glanced back over his shoulder at the shocked face of Albus Dumbledore.

"Room in the kitchens for another elf, Headmaster ?"Dumbledore blinked in surprisal, then smiled."I think this one needs a good home."
*


"You have given me a lot of shocks today Harry,"Dumbledore spoke to the boy sitting on the other position of his desk. The Weasleys had gone habitation, Dobby had been taken down to see the kitchens and Neville and Ginny had returned to the tower for some much needed residuum. Harry thought privately that he needed rest even more but didn't say anything. Dumbledore had kept him back to say something and he was damned if he wasn't gon na hear what that was."At my age my capacity to be surprised is rather low, but somehow you always seem to manage."

"I ‘ m always unexpected."Harry grinned.

"Yes, you are."Dumbledore met Harry's unripened eyes with his own scintillation ace."I fear I misjudged you this class Harry. I gave you discipline when I should have given guidance and I lectured when I should have listened. I was wrong Harry I-"But Dumbledore broke off as Harry begun chuckling under his breathing spell."Something amusing ?"

"Just a fiddling sense of déjà vu."Harry smiled as he recalled the events not even an hour ago."Only I was on the former side. Since I was forgiven then I can't really do anything but forgive you now can I ?"Harry grinned at the master."It ‘ s ok, really."

"Very well Harry."Dumbledore tip back in his chair."But I do trust some reward is in orderliness for your heroic verse today. I believe an award for peculiar service to the school day for yourself and Mr Longbottom would-"

"Professor, I don't know about Neville but could I ask for something else ?"Harry saw the master's eyebrows rise in surprisal."It ‘ s just… there ‘ s this group of Slytherins, Vanessa Gibbons and Elizabeth II heath and Joshua Split. Couple of others too. They ‘ ll know all the names if you ask them. They ‘ re the Muggleborn unity or the half stock unity or Pure-Bloods that had the guts to stand up to Malfoy and Flint. They shouldn ‘ t have to go back to the keep. They shouldn ‘ t have to go back to where they have to live with the kind of abuse Malfoy and his like pogey out. They ‘ re not safe there, and they shouldn ‘ t have to stay there just because some stupid hat told them to. I want you to let them change house."The business office fell into silence again for a moment before Dumbledore answered.

"Once again Harry you manage to surprise me. But I ‘ m afraid it is not possible, never in the History of Hogwarts has a student switched houses. And even though the sorting hat's selection seem strange sometimes, it always has the good idea about people."

"So what ? So what if they ‘ re more cunning than they are wise or brave ? Does it weigh, does it mean they should take to live with multitude who think they're scum ? Professor…"Harry raised his helping hand to turn back the headmaster retorting."… you just saw a house elf drag himself across the floor to bring in the right field to opt. Just give these students the Same chance. Please… ?"Harry looked pleadingly at the master and saw his Word sink in. Dumbledore took his glasses off and rubbed his temples.

"First the sorting and now this. bequeath you only be happy when the entire school is Gryffindor ?"

"I ‘ ll be well-chosen when the entire school is felicitous. Or at least reasonably capacity. make out on Professor…"Harry added spreading his hand."…I ‘ m cold, I ‘ m tired, I want a rain shower and I want to go to bed and we both know you ‘ re going to say yes."

Dumbledore's smile gave Harry his answer.
*


"delay ? It wasn ‘ t Markus Michelson."

"No Ron, it was Flint."

"But we knew it was Michelson."

"Apparently we ‘ re morons."Harry shrugged. The rigidify students were only just being woken up. Each of their reaction had been uniquely priceless. Harry ticked them off in his head…

Book of Joshua Split had been awoken with a kiss from Lucy capital of Jamaica and had promptly pulled the curtain around his bed to continue what she'd started.

Oliver Wood had gone from horizontal to vertical in a fraction of a indorse and yelled"Quidditch ! Is it over ? Did I miss it ? Did we win ?"

At first they had though the potion hadn't worked on Colin Creevey before they discovered that he'd woken up and fainted dead away when he saw Harry standing next to him.

winner Kingston had run to the speech sound of his babe's voice when he woke up then run back out from behind the curtains yelling"My eyes ! My eyes !"

And now the predator had joined them in the state of the living, Harry had spent the 1st few minute explain what had happened in their absence and the succeeding one-half hour fielding questions., most of them from Ron who couldn't quite seem to get his point round the idea.

"Honestly Ron."Hermione shook her head at him."It all makes perfect sensory faculty when you know the diary was fake."

"But he did have the genuine diary."

"Yes but only for a while…"

Harry covered his ears and let Hermione explain the matter she herself hadn't known an hour ago. She'd probably do a amend job anyway.

He looked out of the window of the hospital wing at the blazing summer sun and grinned. Maybe it was clip to begin making plans for the coming summer. Maybe he should get a guitar…
*


Harry saw Markus Michelson off at the logic gate, his trunks looking decidedly odd with versatile native artifacts strapped to the sides.

"Do you have to go ?"Harry had asked while helping him lade up his carriage.

"Never intended to detain,"Markus quipped as he loaded a big wooden statue into the carriage."Told you before, I was just taking a recess from my travels."

"Where do you think you ‘ ll go ?"

"Oh I don't know. Africa maybe…"Professor Michelson shrugged his wide berm."… could try and get myself roped into a Nundu hunting. They're always fun."

"I ‘ ll take your word for it."Harry shook his fountainhead as he passed up a minuscule carved statue. It was a snake, and looked quite old."So, you always been a parselmouth ?"

"No."Markus looked down at him grinning."Some central American shamans practice demon summoning. I visited a tribe whose totem was a snake-god, almost all their ceremonial occasion were parseltongue. That's where I learnt it. Course that was before I got there, after I left about of them were worshipping me."

"Yeah yeah yeah."Harry rolled his middle chuckling as he tossed up the last box."speculation that's everything."

"You know pipsqueak, I wasn ‘ t joking about the brothers thing."Markus Michelson reached out and put one of his big hands on Harry's shoulder."You ever need me you know where I ‘ ll be."

"No I won't,"Harry said with a grin."But I ‘ m sure Digger ‘ ll be able to find you."Michelson nodded.

"payoff guardianship of yourself kid."

"You too, Professor."

Harry watched as the carriage slowly moved out of sight around the bend in the route then slowly walked back up to the castle. When he reached his room he lay down and stared at the cap for a tenacious time. There was someone else who had helped him this year, someone he really should consume thanked a yearn time ago. Harry drew out a quill and started writing.

I should have written to you a long time ago, but its been a hectic year. I don't know if you know already but things got pretty bad here.

Harry chewed the end of his quill ; it was backbreaking to eff exactly what he was trying to say. In the end he settled for…

Your pendent has helped me keep going when things have been at their most bleak. If that was it's magic was for then it's worked. It's worked like a charm.



This chapter is grammatically rectify thanks to the superb genus Beta Colon.


wellspring that 's another leger done. The succeeding chapter should be coming soon. Be prepared to leave the suburbia of pseudo-cannonvale and enter AU city in Harry Potter and the Torrent of long time !


I wish I owned Harry Potter, I really do. But I do n't. Maybe if I 'm very, very commodity Santa will bestow me the legal rights for Christmas.



Harry Potter dragged his base as he trudged along the pavement down the once familiar spirit route. This summertime, like the last, had been fun and relaxing. Harry had lazed the majority of the holiday away in Spain, juggling, studying and learning to bet the guitar that he now carried slung over his result shoulder. well, learning and being taught.

Thinking that Dumbledore had probably had enough shock absorber the previous twelvemonth Harry had negotiated his vacation instead of sneaking away like he had planned. The headmaster had been happy to compel him and had only really had two weather condition, that he be close wizards and that he tick off in daily. Neither had been too a great deal of a form so Harry had chosen to call in the Spanish people hamlet near where the Academia Atsingani was located. Or at least where it was located currently : the shoal had been founded by Roma and had a tendency to go around the country at irregular intervals.

"What do you do if you're left behind ?"Harry had asked one of the pupil living nearby while the young man showed him the first principle of guitar playing.

"We hop on a Calluna vulgaris and try to catch up with up."The entire schooltime had a sort of que blood serum, blood serum posture that Harry found he liked.

But now Harry was back in England and he was doing something he really didn't want to do, but something he knew probably should.

Harry loved his new thaumaturgist life and had never missed any part of his old one. But still he felt like he needed to close that chapter properly. Close it so he knew he never had to occur back. Harry took a deep breath and knocked on the doorway of identification number four Privet Drive. A present moment later it was opened.

"Yes ? What do you- YOU !"

"I don ‘ t want to stay."Harry held a hand up to silence his uncle."I don't want to be here any more than you want me to be here. I just came back for the stuff I left, then I can pass on and never come back."

"You left here ! You can get out !"Vernon Dursley was even Sir Thomas More fat and angry than Harry remembered."We don't want you here ! The day you left was the happiest of my biography and if I don ‘ t see you gone from my property I ‘ ll…"

"You ‘ ll what, uncle ?"Harry slid his wand from his pouch so his uncle had a net view of it. The fat valet de chambre eyes bulged and all the blood seemed to drain from his face."I know what I am now. Interesting that you never thought to tell me, but I know all the Sami. So I want my stuff. The minor peanut amount of possessions I was ever allowed under your roof. Then I ‘ ll be on my way."

"Y… I don ‘ t…."Vernon Dursley blustered but Harry just cocked his hear to one side as if to say ‘ well ?'

"Get in then. Before the neighbor see you."Harry obligingly slid in thorough the front door and allowed his uncle to slam it closed behind him."Petunia !"Uncle Vernon yelled out and a moment later Harry's aunt came down the stairs.

"What is it dear ? Is… oh…"

"Long time no see."Harry grinned at her shocked expression."Don't mind me… I don ‘ t intend to stay."

"Where did we dump his things Petunia ?"Uncle Vernon asked brutishly.

"Under the… under…"genus Petunia was still opening and closing her mouth like she'd seen a shade but managed to point at the closet under the stairs.

"Ah. Should have known."Harry pushed past his uncle and jerked open the cupboard. sure as shooting enough, there beside a new washing political machine, was a smallish cardboard box. Harry pulled it out and opened it. wearing apparel now too small for him, a shoal workbook or two - that was all he'd really expected. Harry was under no fancy that picking up his stuff was for anything more tangible than his own peace of creative thinker."Looks like it."Harry closed the box and slid it into his leather packsack. It was a good back pack ; he had bought it in Spain. Harry never understood why wizards lugged trunks around when they could charm smaller bags to bear just as much yet weigh almost nothing. Probably just a wizard thing, he reasoned. Same as quills.

"That everything ?"

"Yes it is,"said Petunia at the Saame time as her hubby said,

"What about that box in the attic ?"

"Box in the attic ?"Harry watched his auntie's face capitulation."Yes aunty dearest. What about the box in the dome ?"

"That's… but…"

"Just get it for him so he can leave alone Petunia,"Vernon grumped. His married woman looked like she was about to complain again before turning after part and almost running up the stairs.

Harry heard a interference behind him and glanced over his shoulder.

"Hi Dudley."Harry's full cousin was almost as wide as the threshold he was standing in."Yes that's right ! I ‘ m back."

"Harry… eh ? What happened to you ? You weren ‘ t like this when you left."

Harry wondered for a second whether his aunty and uncle had told Dudley about magic, but then realised what he meant. Harry did see different, with his hair's-breadth long enough to synch into a pony-tail and a guitar slip slung over one shoulder, he looked nothing like the oppressed and timid boy that had been scared out of Privet cause all those age ago.

"I grew up."Harry hitched his bag higher and grinned.

"Cool guitar,"Dudley said though he clearly couldn't see it through the case.

"I remember you had one yourself before I left. What happened to it ?"

"Smashed it through the TV."Dudley smiled at the memory of destruction."It was too strong to play."

Aunt Petunia came back down the stairs a moment later and lunge an old shoebox into his hands.

"right field, you have everything."Vernon had apparently been waiting for this and pulled the door overt."Out ! Now !"

"fountainhead uncle…"And now for the really rationality for the visit."… there ‘ s just this child bit of paperwork from my school."Harry pulled the Hogsmeade shape from his pocket.

"If you could just signalise this, it's zip important, then I can be on my way."But Vernon Dursley had recoiled from the parchment as if it was a deadly snake."Just one little signature…"

But his aunt took things out of his paw. She strode forward and grabbed the Hogsmeade figure before tearing it in poop and stuffing it back into his unresisting hand.

"Get. Out,"Petunia said from between clenched tooth."freak !"

Harry stared at the pieces of sheepskin in his hands then up into his aunts eyes. He disdainfully opened his hand and let the scraps of paper dip onto the floor of routine four.

He would not let them get it on they had got to him. He would not give them the satisfaction.

"Ah well."He brushed his hands against each former casually."Never mind. Guess I ‘ ll be going then."

"Nice to see you again Dudley."Harry doffed an complex quantity cap to his full cousin and tucked the shoebox under his arm."Petunia…"Harry nodded at his aunt and strode out the door. The hold out phone he heard before it closed was,

"Dad, I need a new guitar."

*

Harry found a Bench a dependable few streets away and opened the box to see what he had got. It was mostly full of papers and old photo, but a few other things jingled around in the bottom. Harry drew them out carefully : a sensation coin, a flight feather, an empty phial, a delicate silver locket lying unfastened and a low ash gray badge with a P on it. Harry looked back over the papers, they were all written in neat, curled cursive. A woman's handwriting, or a girl's. These things were his female parent's. Harry hurriedly pushed everything back into the box and shoved it back into his bag ; he needed to count at this later when he had more time. He was about to get up and go when a lowly voice behind him said,

"Sir… You missed something."

Harry turned, a small child was pointing at something glinting on the floor. It was the locket. It must cause slipped out while he was looking at the papers. Harry took it and closed it before hastily wrapping it in a sock to finish it getting scratched it transit.

"Thanks."Harry was about to turn and leave when he realised something. A horrific daze jolted right down his acantha. The child had a lightning bolt shaped scar on his frontal bone.

"What's your name ?"Harry dreaded the answer.

"Harry Potter. Why do you-"

"And what twelvemonth is it ? Ah… I mean how old are you ?"Harry amended quickly.

"Nearly four."

Harry glanced around quickly. Had he somehow travelled to the past tense or was this kid in his future ? Damn it ! It was unacceptable to tell, the roads around Privet Drive probably wouldn't change for anything short of a nuclear holocaust. The road was empty of any citizenry ; the only life he could see was a dog making a spirited endeavour to dig its way under a fence.

Harry looked back down at the kid and tried to wreck his retention into human body. Did he call up having this conversation ? Did he recall meeting an odd man with a guitar who looked like him ? No, no he didn't remember. But that didn't mean it hadn't happened, he didn't recall a lot of clobber from when he was young.

"Kid…"What to say him ? Should he tell him anything ?"Kid you ‘ re peculiar. Don ‘ t let your aunt and uncle tell you different."

The boy blinked at him in surprise then faded. Faded away.

Harry collapsed back onto the bench and held his head in his bridge player. Without looking up he counted on his finger.

"immorality wizards, colossus snakes and now time travel."Harry banged his pass on the concentrated woodwind instrument of the seat."Wonderful."
*


Harry made it to baron's Cross in stack of prison term and crossed quickly onto platform nine and three tail to be met by an unexpected sight. The threshold of the Hogwarts express were closed and what bookman were already there were milling around uncertainly or talking in whispering group. Harry spotted the twins right near the end of the platform and wandered over.

"Hi, girls."

"Hi Harry, had a nice summer ?"Parvati chirped at him.

"Not too bad. Thanks for the version textile by the way."

"wellspring you did ask for it. Can ‘ t imagine why."Padma shook her school principal and turned back to her rumination of the unmoving train.

The book they were talking about was a weighty volume they had got him for his natal day. Mrs Patil was a bibliothec at a massive program library in bath and the twins had made a habit of getting him Word of God on subjects not even touched on by the Hogwarts course of study. But when he had requested a volume on the obscure art of Occlumency, even they had raised their selfsame brow. It hadn't just been an unfounded fancy however - the depicted object had been suggested to him in a letter. A letter from a daughter in Greece with one purple eye. Despite not wanting to let down Pythea he'd not made much forward motion, the book was threatening going. He persevered though.

"When a girl who can see the future tense tells you to larn something,"Harry had reasoned."It's probably in your best involvement to put in the time."Of course according to her he already was an occlumens, he just had to learn to see to it it. Despite Harry's absolute respect for the little Greek prophesier, he looked on that statement with great disbelief.

"Do you know what the wait up is ?"Harry gestured at the train."Can we get on the string ?"

"Yes Harry, we can get on the train."Padma rolled her eyes."We ‘ re standing on this mucky, smokey chopine purely in the pursuit of our own health."

"Can I nickname you sourpuss this yr ? I think it suits you."

"I don't know, don't you want to not avoid experiencing a scalping hex ?"

"No. Or yes… I mean no… Damn your double negatives !"Harry grinned and Padma smiled back at him."Just tell me what's incorrect with the train."

"We don't know,"Annapurna answered him and sat down on her proboscis. Padma did the same.

"Ah…"thought Harry."So trunks do take some reward. Luckily…."Harry reached into his bag and pulled out a folding beach chairwoman. He unfolded it and flopped down."… I make my own advantages."

"All we know…"Parvati eyed Harrys electric chair but said zip."…is that they're going to seduce some promulgation before we get on the train."

"Don't they usually make those at the fiesta ?"Harry glanced around. The station was already filling up. Harry caught sight of Neville stumbling through the barrier and waved him over.

"Hi, Harry, Parvati. Hi Padma, do you know what's wrong with the wagon train ?"

"Why do you all assume I know ?"Padma snapped irritably.

"Well… because…"Neville floundered."You ‘ re smart. You usually know things… about… stuff…"

"Oh… um,"Padma bit her lip and looked slightly guilty."Well I don't know this, sorry."

"Relax guys."Harry leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes."Y ‘ all worry too lots. It's a nice day, we ‘ re outside, who cares about the power train ?"

"Smartest thing I ‘ ve ever heard you say,"Annapurna mimicked Harry and they both sighed in contentment as the sun peeked out from behind a swarm and lit up the station. Padma snorted and got out a camp of cards before turning to Neville.

"While these two are photosynthesising you want to play exploding snap ?"

Surprisingly Padma lost two games in the following few minutes before a tatty murmuring made them all sit up and pay attention. Harry stood up on his professorship and glanced around. He could see the Weasley family with Hermione standing nearby back near the barrier and waved to them. They waved back but he saw that they obviously couldn't scope him through the crush on the weapons platform. He turned the other way and saw the causa of the murmuring, professor McGonagall was standing on a raised soapbox at the end of the chopine. He watched as she held her wand to her rima oris then spoke in an unnaturally aloud voice.

"Please take heed to me all of you."The murmuring stopped and Harry stood up on the limb of his professorship to get a better view."When you reach Hogwarts there will be no carriages to make you to the school day. Instead you will immediately stemma up behind your pass of House ; low geezerhood follow Professor Hagrid…"McGonagall pointed at the massive man standing following to her. Harry just had time to wonder about the ‘ professor'bit before she continued."From there you will be taken by gravy holder to Hogwarts. I must punctuate to all of you that failure to abide by this will be met with stern punishment. Anyone acting in anything early than a mature and orderly fashion will be similarly punished."

Harry just stared at her, what was going on ? A moment later he felt the chairman under him shift and he dropped to the ground with an almighty crash. He stood up and dusted himself off. Everyone around was looking at him.

"A mature and neat fashion."Harry heard prof McGonagall repeat while glaring dagger at him."Now if you will all enter the train."The doors clicked heart-to-heart and there was an jiffy scrummage around the entrances as tiddler tried to force their way in. The twins and Neville were chuckling a little.

"You always seem to ascertain some way of being the centre of tending,"Anapurna said with a strong smile.

Harry laughed and folded up his chair.

"seed on, let's get on the power train,"Anapurna added."Before all the soundly seats are taken."

"Don ‘ t headache about that sis,"Padma said dryly."Harry seems to have a replete garden set in his bag."
*


As the Hogwarts express mail neared the station the differences mounted. Instead of being let off the wagon train as they wanted they were funnelled out in hospital attendant lines to line up behind the instructor. The piranha huddled together. What was going on ? After they had lined up in silence the other Heads of planetary house peeled off and they followed McGonagall out of the station.

The students trudged along a muddy, brumous way down to the lake. Harry glanced into the sky and saw broom handle circling. Harry saw professor Snape swing past, his long nobble wind making him look like a gargantuan vaporing as he scanned the ground surrounding the pupil. A moment later ma'am hootch ( flying with a undecomposed deal more expertness than the potions captain ) flew past in the other direction.

"Whatever it is that's natural event,"Harry thought."Its got them seriously worried."

The boat surprised everyone, a straitlaced looking wooden paddle long-neck clam complete with gas lights waited at a longsighted dock at the side of the lake. The scholar filed on and the gravy boat moved slowly away. As they moved out onto the water the teachers visibly relaxed. The bookman began to unbend too, jumping at the railing and charging up and down the deck.

"Up there guys."Harry heaved his guitar into a luggage wrack and pointed to the upper deck of cards."Come on."

"But Harry McGonagall's up there,"Ron whined."We won ‘ t be able-bodied to do anything fun."

"But we might try what all this is about. derive on Guy ? Aren't you singular ?"

"Not again Harry,"Hermione crossed her arms."Let the teacher handle it."

"I am going to,"Harry said starting up the stairs."But I want to do it what it is they ‘ re handling."

"And whether it involves sentence locomotion,"he added to himself as the marauders followed him up the stairs.

Up on the top deck of cards it was colder and they could look far out over the lake as the mist curled on the surface of the weewee. Or was it just mist ? Harry looked inscrutable and squinted through his glasses. The giant squid was rectify beneath the steamer, shadowing them. Teachers guarding above, the calamary guarding below. Harry shook his head, something definitely had them spooked. A moment later a broom swooped down from above and a booted base nearly cracked the face of Harry's head. Snape landed in an undignified heap on the deck and tried to get up before tangling his legs in the broom and almost tripping over. Harry heard a few stifled giggles but himself remained silent. What were they laughing about ? Snape was better on the matter than him.

"admit it. Don ‘ t fall behind it,"Snape snapped and shoved the ling into Ginny's men before moving towards McGonagall. Harry turned to listen surreptitiously ; this was what they'd been waiting for.

"One of them was sniffing around near the boundary of the forest."Snape gestured away towards eastern shore of the lake. He sounded peculiarly disinterested."It is gone now."

"Likely gone to assure the rest of them Severus."McGonagall was anything but disinterested. She sounded tense, even for her."Why didn ‘ t you stun him ?"

"They can hardly do anything now."prof Snape glanced up at the sky with a wry smiling on his font."All these unnecessary precautions."

"You yourself helped strengthen the wards over the summer, Severus."

"That was a necessary precaution."Snape was unruffled by professor McGonagall's granitic stare."For multiplication other than now."

"You know they like to take hoi polloi Severus. hold and establish sure they ‘ re in a status to chance upon when the time is right."

"time lag almost a week ?"

"Severus, the safe of the students is our top priority."

"No Minerva."Severus's curt posture was gone in an moment."Finding out what they are up to. Finding out why they move now. Finding out why they grow less fearful each day. Finding out why they are gathering and why they speculation further and further outside the confines of the forest. That is our top precedency. That is our top antecedency because until we do Hogwarts is not safe."

The two teachers dropped off into silence and stared out over the lake. Harry turned around and stared out over the rail himself. When was Hogwarts ever safe ? People kept saying that Hogwarts was protected, but Harry had seen precious little evidence of that over his time there. Harry leant out over the rail and stared out over the misty water to the blot out timberland, just visible as a darkness stain in the distance. Since he'd been into it in his first yr Harry hadn't really thought about the wood. He'd walked it, seen it, even fallen asleep in it and miraculously failed to get eaten by anything. Since that day it hadn't really scared him anymore. Harry frowned and closed his eyes. Now the forest was something malevolent, ruining what could have been a simple year.

"What are you thinking Harry ?"Harry twisted and saw Neville standing behind him.

"I ‘ m mentation we ‘ re in for another interesting twelvemonth Neville,"Harry sighed."Lets just go for it doesn ‘ t involve more freeze sewers. That was half the understanding I went to Spain you know…"Harry added."…to warm up again."

"I know Harry."Neville moved up next to him on the rail."I don ‘ t… I don't know how I managed it."

"I don't have a go at it how I managed it either. And I don ‘ t know how you managed it twice."Harry grinned at his admirer."That woulda killed me."

"It did almost kill you."

"Nah, that was the snake."Harry was chuckling now."Anyway you didn ‘ t just have to get out. You had to carry someone out."

"That actually made it easier."Neville was chuckling too."She floats."Harry fusillade out laughing. He turned to his placidity friend.

"She floats ?"

Neville nodded, still laughing.

"Ok."Harry shook his foreland and leant against the rail."What are you thinking Neville ? What do you intend about all this ?"Neville sort of drew back into himself and shrugged.

"You know I ‘ m not really smart or anything Harry."

"Just give me a guess."Harry glanced over at the others who were watching what looked like a shoal of fish."I want your initial reaction."Neville variety of shrugged again.

"Something in the forest ‘ s dangerous."Harry nodded and motioned for him to continue.

"It ‘ s something that's always been there but's acting differently now."Harry nodded and smiled. He'd got that depression too. In fact he'd got several impressions from the conversation, not that he was going to mention them.

"But something that isn ‘ t dangerous right now. That's what Snape said."Harry saw that Padma had wandered over too them. Neville shut his lip suddenly, maybe less inclined to talk now that soul else could hear him if he was wrong.

"Either of you hazard a guess as to what ?"Harry looked between them, from one to the former."Something that's not dangerous now but is in a week's time ?"

"There are… some grievous industrial plant with weekly cycles."Neville mumbled."Some even grow in the woodland. But he said something was sniffing down by the shore."

"What if it's were-"Padma began but Harry caught her eye and subtly held one finger up, then glanced at Neville, who was still lost in thought. The twin looked confused for a moment then understanding seemed to fall onto her face and she quickly added."No, it can't be that. Never mind."

"Does something exceptional happen in a workweek's clock time ?"Harry asked Neville. Neville looked disordered then opened his trunk and pulled out what looked like a diary or a homework planner.

"In a week…"Neville's drew his finger down the page."Well it's a total moon… Wait ! Werewolves ! Could it be werewolves ?"Neville looked up with a shocked and surprised expression.

"Of course. And they already live in the timberland. They must be gathering."Harry nodded and looked out over the piddle."You should go tell the others, they ‘ ll want to roll in the hay about this."Neville almost skipped as he moved away. Padma fixed him with a knowing stare.

"When did you run out it was werewolves ?"she said quietly.

"About when you walked over. I remembered when I was in the wood with your sister, talking about all the nasties that were supposed to know there, and it just variety of clicked."

"You are either a very ripe friend or a misrepresent bastard."

"I always thought I was both,"Harry commented dryly.

Any answer of Padma's was cut off as the ship lurched alarmingly to the side. Harry fell against the runway and slid down to the floor before he could capture himself. A sudden botheration struck him in the spinal column of his neck.

"Ow !"Harry picked himself up and rubbed the binding of his neck. He had even heard something press stud as he fell.

"Oh, alright don't be chivalrous. Just let me clean myself off the floor,"Padma griped, but Harry wasn't listening. Something felt dreadfully wrong.

Suddenly he was fixed with a outrageous certainty, his hired hand checking around his neck, his heart checking the story around his human foot. It wasn't there. The shell, Pythea's shell pendent was gone. Harry dashed to the side and looked out over the water, as if he would be able to see it floating despite the mist and swells. Then his eye caught a shin glint and he breathed a immense sigh of relief. It had fallen on the low deck, not in the water.

Feeling like he'd just run a marathon Harry went down the penny-pinching staircase and swung round to the down deck.

"Leave it ! Don't step on it !"Harry yelled at the initiatory years careening down the gangway."Just let me… Oh bugger."Harry stopped moving and let his hands fall to his sides. A bookman had turned at his cry and picked the pendant off the floor and was now holding it up to the light.

"Interesting small-arm of jewellery Potter."Malfoy grinned evilly."Didn ‘ t think you were one for decoration. Where did you get it ? Never mind, I know. casing, string, mucilage from the library, a gift made entirely of free ingredients. This was the Weasley ‘ s Christmastime nowadays to you wasn ‘ t it."

"spring. It. To. Me. Now."Harry didn't remember drawing his baton but it had somehow ended up in his mitt."Do not jazz around here Malfoy."

"Oh but it's so sweet."The Slytherin drew the pendant off its cord to see at it more closely."You carrying this piece of drivel close to your heart."

"Malfoy…"Harry took a step closer and held out his hand. Out of the corners of his middle he could see his friends gathering behind him."… believe me you don ‘ t want to see what'll happens to you if you don't give it to me."

"Well if you care so much…"Malfoy smirked and tightened his hand around the scale."… oops !"And with that he turned and hurled the pendent out across the lake.

"Noooo !"Harry heard the scream fly past his lips and it felt like his heart flew with it. But a moment later a red blur shot past him at articulatio humeri height, darting out over the shadow open of the lake, following the curving ark of the pendent as if climbed to its zenith then fell swiftly to the mist. The fuzz shot down with it and for a moment both were lost in the pureness. Then a moment later it reappear, travelling slower now. Harry watched as Ginny Weasley floated back down onto the gravy holder next to him on Snape's ling, held out her clinch fist and said…

"Here you go Harry."Her hand opened and there it was, not even wet. She'd caught it before it touched the water.

Harry reached out with trembling fingers and grabbed the bantam thing into his hand. Why had he ever kept it on something as frail as leather ? He should get some wire, or a string. Yes, yes a chain. With unbreakable charms on it. He could ask Professor Flitwick for help making them really inviolable. Harry looked up then enveloped the youngest marauder in a hug.

"Thank you,"he breathed into her hair.

"That's ok Harry. You saved me from a giant snake."Ginny chuckled.

"Believe me…"Harry pulled back from her and looked her straight person in the eye."…we ‘ re even."

"girl Ginevra Weasley !"The piranha turned and saw McGonagall bearing down on them. Harry stepped in front of the others and held out his hands.

"Entirely my fault Professor, you see-"

"I do not want to hear it Mr Potter."Even Harry didn't have the guts to stand up to that tone of voice."fille Weasley, I was perfectly gain about the serious-mindedness of the situation when I spoke on the railroad train platform."

"But Professor I was-"

"Not another discussion Miss Weasley. And using a broom given to you to keep safe by a Hogwarts Professor."Ginny bowed her straits."Come with me now."

Ginny obediently moved off after the deputy Headmistress. Harry tried one concluding attempt…

"The squid would'a caught her if she fell !"

McGonagall turned and gave him a withering stare before turning and walking up to the front of the ship, the youngest marauder trailing.
*


Ginny clutched the broom in her deal as her Head of sign of the zodiac led her across the pack of cards. To her surprise they stopped near a mathematical group of 7th twelvemonth, one of whom McGonagall tapped on the shoulder.

"Mr Wood, I have found you a seeker."

Ginny's marrow leapt. She wasn't expelled ! Far from it, she was going on the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

"Really ?"The older boy looked almost lacerated, like it would be too painful to go for."Is she ripe ? Merlin ‘ s beard but we need a good seeker."

"She caught a piece of music of scale minuscule that a stool pigeon straight out of a standing start,"McGonagall snapped."In this mist too, and on a school day broom."

"More than a piece of shell…"Ginny mumbled, defensive of Harry's treasured chandelier. But neither the Professor nor the Quidditch master seemed to find out her. Then she had a horrible thought."But I don't have a heather,"she protested.

"Considering the current situation in the Gryffindor team…"McGonagall shook her header ruefully."I think we can allow for you with a broom."

"A salutary broom,"Wood cut in."A Nimbus 2000, maybe a novel comet. Or you know the halo 2001 is around-"

"We are not made of money Mr Wood,"the prof said icily.

"rightfield, right, of grade. Better be the 2000."

McGonagall nodded and walked off humming what sounded like a victory march under her breathing space. Ginny turned back to the seventh year. Suddenly a memory hit her and her face turned from victorious grin to dismay grimace.

"Something haywire little one ?"Oliver Natalie Wood leant over to babble to her.

"I…"Ginny began then continued in a rush."… I was sorting of involved in the stuff cobbler's last class and I was possessed by an evil book that had Voldemort in it and I set a giant snake on you and it petrified you and that's the reason you missed most of your final stage term and I could have killed you."

"But you can play Quidditch ?"

"Yes."

"Don't vexation about it then."



The Beta for this chapter was once again Colon. Thank you !

Please revaluation, I want to know what you think about the departure from canon.


I feel the motivation to explain something so no Lupin fans get angry.

In this chapter, and the future few, you may notice that lupin is a little different than he is in shank. Specifically a little harsher. I promise I will explain, eventually ... Lupin is one of my favorite fictional character so it pains me to do this to him, but bear with me, it 's for a good reason.



The sorting hat's song that year was the curt in anyone's memory.

"conclusion twelvemonth a young lady, A little girl
Saw fit to break the rule.

I wish to ready it fully clear.
I will not be made a fool.

I sort the student, me the hat.
And if you wish to question that.
GO discovery ANOTHER schoolhouse !"

Harry laughed out loud but stopped when he saw that Ginny appeared to be trying to obliterate under the board. The classification occurred along rule lines from then on except for the fact that the hat sometimes seemed to be almost spitting its conclusion out, as if daring anyone to question. Maybe it was Harry's imagination.

"Guys…"Harry began after the food had appeared."… we ‘ ve got to get back into the swing of things."

"What do you intend ? What things ?"Ron said through a mouth full of squelch potato.

"Pranks guys, the reason the predator exist in the first place."Harry shook his head ruefully."shoemaker's last year we let little things like open warfare in the corridors distract us from what's really important."

"Harry please."Hermione put her script together as if praying."harbour't you had enough fervour. Can't we just have a quiet year, study, child's play chess game, exploding duck soup that sort of thing. Besides, we all have new grade this year. We won't have time."

"Yeah, classes…"Harry tried to remember back. What classes had he chosen ?"… those year I chose… called… um…"

"precaution of Magical Creatures and Ancient Runes."Hermione's voice took on a long-sufferance tone.

"right hand ! Right yes."Now he remembered. It had been a process of elimination really. Muggle Studies : too useless, Arithmancy : too hard, Divination : Taught by professor Trelawney. Much as Harry wanted to check More about the seers Pythea had warned him about the prophecy professor."And a fun, studious time will be had by all but between classes, we prank. We prank adept. We prank hard. We prank deadly. But most of all…"Harry stopped and surveyed his troops.

"We prank Malfoy."Parvati finished for him, oculus ablaze."We make him pay for almost losing you your pendent."

"Exactly."

Hermione buried her brass in her hands.

"And for tormenting the muggleborn students."Ron added.

Hermione straightened instantly.

"Of track, we can't let him get away with it !"

"Children…"Albus Dumbledore had stood up and was addressing the schoolhouse. The school turned and quietened attentively, except for Harry who was concentrating on rolling a coin over his knuckles."… and you Harry."Harry glanced up and grinned before making the coin disappear down his sleeve."I once again feel the pauperization to nominate a few announcements before allowing you to return to your common suite and treat each other with stories if your summers. Firstly I hope you will join me in welcoming a new prof to the staff, he will be teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts."

"…this year."A girl near the spine of the Ravenclaw table yelled.

"And for as long in the future tense a he wishes to teach."

"Lashkar-e-Taiba not kid ourselves here."Another voice added cynically. Harry craned his neck and saw Joshua Split grinning sardonically in his new blue edged robe. Somehow he had already managed to get them rumpled. He caught Harry's regard and nodded amicably.

"In any case…"The Headmaster continued."I would care to welcome Professor Lupin."The schoolmaster waved towards a wizard sitting on his left.

prof lupin was definitely a change from Markus Michelson. The wizards robes were patched like they had been repeatedly self-repaired and his hair showed Zane Grey. More than that he moved like a man not quite recovered from a long illness, his eyes were tired and lined. There was a handful of applause, most of it soon stopping. Harry clapped once or twice to show volition but decided to reserve judging till the first category. The man certainly didn't look like he would finally a year, he looked like he'd be hard pressed to end a month.

Professor Lupin didn't seem perturbed by the unenthusiastic reception, he seemed to take it as normal. Harry's eyes were drawn across the mesa and alighted on prof Snape. The potions master's ( usually so cheery ) aspect had twisted into something very close to pure hatred. Harry's eyes flickered to lupine then back to Snape. There was a story here unless he was much mistaken. Suddenly the Potion Masters gaze flickered up to touch his. Harry felt a nub of pressing on the back of his scull, like a little balloon was being inflated inside his brain.

"Ok Harry ! pull in nous !"Harry thought as he breathed deeply and tried to blank his psyche."Clear… clear… breathing…"The nub intensified and the insistency spiked into pain in the ass."blank, walls, darkness, fog…"It was no safe, the bulb of pain exploded and a torrent of images filled Harry's mind before he jerked his eyes away. Out of the nook of his eye he saw the Professor smirk triumphantly.

"Secondly…"The Headmaster continued."I would like to denote that our very own Rubeus Hagrid has agreed to involve on a post as the professor of Care of Magical Creatures."The cheer this time was louder, but still not neat. Harry stood and clapped but not many others did.

"Thirdly, and most importantly…"Dumbledore's voice took on a deathly serious feeling."… as your unusual mean value of arrival will no doubt have alerted you there are problems at Hogwarts this year. I truly hope that they will not hassle us but there are some things you must know. The prohibited forest has always been off bound to students, but I must now move the edge a good mountain closer to Hogwarts. There is a line that you will all see on the ground just passed the nursery, do not cross it unless you have an undeniable need to chat dame Pomfrey. And even then there are much less terrible way of life. I must also insist that all students are inside the castle walls during the hours of darkness. The Quidditch stadium has been closed for matches…"

"No !"The cry went up from several places around the great hall.

"… but the Quidditch cup will still take place in a different venue."Dumbledore continued to a somewhat assuage hall."I truly hope that none of these safeguard are requisite and that we can all possess a normal year."The schoolmaster sat back down.

"Fat chance of that."Harry said swinging around.

"Shh !"Hermione admonished him.

"… and you Harry."Harry spun back bout. Dumbledore was standing again and looked like he was about to start speaking again. Harry obediently fell silent.

"I once again experience the penury to make a few proclamation before allowing you to return to your vulgar way and regale each other with account if your summers."What ? More announcements ?

"Firstly I hope you will get together me in welcoming a new prof to the staff, he will be teaching Defence Against the nighttime Arts."We already did ?

"…this year."bent on…

"And for as long in the future a he wishes to teach."Oh no… Harry glanced over at tear just a moment before he spoke.

"let not kid ourselves here."

Harry glanced around, no one else seemed to mean anything was imperfectly. He made himself eruption for both professors and appear to mind attentively to the restrictions he'd heard just a mo before. As the relief of the school began leaving the cracking Asaph Hall Harry grabbed a jug of water and took a long thirsty draught. It did no good, his throat still felt dry.

"You alright Harry ?"Ron had hung back, waiting for him.

"Oh fine."Harry set the jug back and wearily got to his fundament."Just déjà vu."

As he turned and walked unhurriedly out of the hallway a set of golden middle watched him go.
*


"A aura 2000."Ron ran his hands lovingly over the handle of the broomstick."Wow… I mean… wow…"

"Um Ron ? comrade beloved ? cave in me my ling back right now !"

"Right."Ron handed the broom back over the breakfast table."Sorry Ginny."But he kept staring at the broom and his hands kept twitching as if itching to grab it again.

Harry caught the eye of Hermione, the only former marauder not currently clustered around the broom, and rolled his eyes. Hermione smiled but said…

"Some of it ‘ s actually quite interesting actually Harry. I ‘ ve read up on flying charms and the Nimbus 2000 is the first to use the new momentum reversal charm for pinpoint twist in…"

"… in conjunctive with an aeris-fissio to increase to bucket along ? Yeah, but the Atirabhasa charm produces pretty much the Saami speeds and it's a damn sight more dependable. Or you could use Frenum instead of the momentum spell so long as the wood itself is solid enough."

Hermione's jaw had dropped heart-to-heart and she was looking at him with disbelief.

"They ‘ re charms."Harry explained, waving dismissively."They ‘ re well-off. And as for the Quidditch talk well… after hearing Ron blether on for so long I can probably recite the rule book."

"Harry if you would just use the same degree of allegiance you give to charm and pranking to other things like say… potions or defense class I ‘ m sure you ‘ d find them just as easy."

Harry wasn't so indisputable, especially about the potions.

"But potions is boring."Harry took a draught of orange juice ( he had never grown to like Cucurbita pepo succus )."How can you expend metre doing something so boring."

"Its not oil production, there are many subtleties like slow-brewing and distillation."

"Step one : Read Instruction. stride Two : come after instructions. footstep Three : Have caldron Explode and get yelled at."Harry mimed an exploding caldron and laughed. Hermione at least smiled as she took a drunkenness from her looking glass."Only step three is of any real pastime. That's why I add so many odd ingredients."Hermione eyes bulged, she gagged and sprayed pumpkin juice across the table. Spluttering and gasping she managed to say…

"You ‘ ve been doing it on purpose !"

"Hell yes ! It's not really any fun otherwise."Harry thought back for a moment, lost in reminiscence."The one that turned purple and ended up all over the ceiling. That was probably the honest one."

"Let's just get to class."Hermione stood up and grabbed her bag."I don't want to be belatedly for muggle studies."

"What are you talking about ? We have creatures first don't we ?"

"Oh, right field yes."Hermione bit her lip before nodding."Let me just go, um, get some spare parchment. I ‘ ll sports meeting you there."She moved off down the table quickly. Harry watched her go, frowning.

"That was odd."Harry took another sip of juice then turned around at the speech sound of a loud bang. Ron was helplessly flailing at his face, trying to knock away the two leathery flank that had emerged from his nose. One from each anterior naris."Tried to take hold of the Calluna vulgaris again didn ‘ t you Ron ?"

"I couldn ‘ t helper myself."
*


Hermione hurried away from the great hall, very aware of the little fortunate hourglass hanging around her neck. She had felt Harry's stare as she walked out of the hall, she would have to be more thrifty in future. He was too calculative sometimes. The consequences if someone found out would be awful. McGonagall had made that clear…

"You will receive to sign this."McGonagall had said, pushing a long signifier over to her."Make sure to read it carefully."

She had dutifully read through the papers. It seemed to be a criterion from, there had been various references to the punishments for different infractions.

"There ‘ s a bit that's been written in in different ink at the bottom."Hermione had noticed.

"We thought it necessary to add that."

“'I swear that I will never ever ever ever tell Harry thrower about the time-turner.'You mention Harry by name ?"

"We thought it prudent."

"It ‘ s underlined."

"I know."

"In red."

"I know."

"And there ‘ s a big arrow pointing to it."

"Just sign the form."

Hermione had done so and been handed a minuscule hinged box, like a musical composition of jewellery would come in. On the spinal column had been a tiny label
Time-Turner
belongings of the department of Mysteries
Warnings :
donjon with you at all times
Do not try to spread
Do not use in conjunction with other method of time-travel
Do not do paradoxes or step in with the fabric of causality
Do not swallow


Hermione hurried to her moral. She just needed to be more heedful. This year couldn't be that severely, could it ?
*


"Where are you going Harry ?"Parvati called out to him as he stepped out of the main doorway of Hogwarts.

"Well I was thinking of going to my magic creatures class."Harry shrugged and grinned impishly."But if you wan na ditch I ‘ m game."

"The wizard creatures division are being held inside this year. Probably because of all the security system. Didn ‘ t you read the notice ? I ‘ m really looking forward to it…"Annapurna continued as Harry turned to survey her."… I wonder if we ‘ ll do unicorns or maybe an Abraxan."

"Acromantula and yeti and bicorns oh my !"

"Oh come on Hagrid wouldn't be allowed to bring those affair into the school."

"Really ?"Harry chuckled."Bet you a galleon whatever we see today has more than tooth than me."

"You're on."Parvati had stopped in forepart of a door on the third floor. All the marauders had, the station held some raise up memory. Hermione hurried towards them ( not from the direction of Gryffindor tower Harry noticed ) and stopped nearby.

"Is that… ?"

"Fluffy ‘ s room."Neville finished for her in a voice full phase of the moon of dread.

"Ooo."Harry said as he moved to open the door."I think I hear that galleon calling."

"Great, y ‘ r all here."Hagrid waved the vulture over. The room looked different to when the Cerberus had occupied it. It had been cleaned for one thing and the trapdoor was gone, replaced by flat Harlan Stone just slightly LE worn than the rest of the floor. If you weren't looking you'd never see it.

The pupil were sat on shock absorber in a circle around Hagrid, who himself was standing succeeding to a monumental cage covered in a black cloth.

"Sorry we have to consume the object lesson in here but its for your own goodness y ‘ see. Now, have a look at this…"Hagrid pulled the fabric off and the all class shied away."…A six-headed Vorompatra. Ain't she a beautiful creature."

The ten foot magniloquent ostrich-like tool stuck its pass through the bars and glared at the students with all XII of its red, beady oculus. Then it drew back its heads and screeched like a banshee.

"Her name is Isabelle."Hagrid said fondly.

Not one of the students spoke until Parvati leaned towards Harry's ear and hoarsely said…

"You owe me a galleon."
*


The shaken marauders made their way to defence against the dark arts.

"It ‘ s eyes… It kept staring at me."Neville kept mumbling as they walked down the corridor.

"It was staring at everyone Neville it had six bloody heads !"Harry threw his hands up in the air and judder his head.

"He probably just wanted to get the class with a bang."Hermione rationalized, kneading the border of her robes in her clenched fist nervously."The rest of the classes won ‘ t be like that. Surely ?"She even seemed to be rocking back and forth a petty. Ron tentatively reached out and rested his manus on her shoulder comfortingly.

"We can only hope. Though perhaps we shouldn't."Padma said dryly.

Harry just shook his hear again and thought that perhaps arithmancy wouldn't have been so bad. As they entered the defence mechanism classroom Professor lupine looked up from what he was doing. The marauders were the low gear ones there.

"You needn't observe your seats students, we will be going somewhere else for the lesson today."The teachers voice was sawhorse and tired. The piranha waited for anything further instructions but none came, the professor had gone back to writing something on a sheet of parchment.

Harry shrugged and made three juggling balls appear from reduce air ( the first clip he'd done this half of Gryffindor house thought he'd mastered conjuring, it had been weeks before anyone had caught on to the manual dexterity of deal ) and began spinning them idly. When the residuum of the class were there Professor Lupin called the cash register then rose wearily from his seat and told them all to trace him. As they trouped through the school Harry whispered…

"Where do you think he ‘ s taking us ?"But the reply became patent almost instantly as they entered the staff room.

"Now, I do not need any of you to become alert. But there is a shadow creature in this press, a boggart."Most of the class ignored his admonition and became dismay."Mr, Longbottom is it ? Mr Longbottom would you come to the battlefront please."

Neville gingery moved to the front of the class. Harry listened with half an ear to the description of the dimension and proper denial against boggarts. The more he saw of Professor Lupin the more he got the feeling he'd seen him somewhere before.

"Alright Mr Longbottom ?"red cent ! Should really have listened to that."set up ? Go !"prof Lupin flicked his wand and the cupboard opened. Out stepped Isabelle in all her glory.

"Oh bloody hell ! Not again !"Harry yelled.

Neville seemed to have been petrified, his wand rigid in his manus as the gigantic bird stomped towards him making the primer shake. Then he seemed to snap out of it and yelled…

"Riddikulus !"The elephant-birds six foreland suddenly snaked together into a tangled knot and it fell to the floor.

"trade good, upright ! following one up."Professor lupine was smiling and motioned Susan bone up. The boggart became a Snake and was quickly changed into a slinky.

"Ok, I get the idea."Harry thought as he slowly moved up the production line. Rats, bats, frog and wanderer were changed into more amusing things and Harry thought it might actually be fun to see what happened when he came face to case with the tool. The cobbler's last student in front of him moved away and he stepped up, wand in paw. The boggart seemed to bubble for a moment, then shot forward. For a moment Harry saw a gloomy flash then he felt water all around him and his mind became a space slate full of terror.

"Can't breath ! Air ! Air ! Can't breather ! Can't…"Harry flailed helplessly."Drowning !"Harry's sentiment were interrupted as the urine disappeared. Harry caught a flash of something globe-shaped and silver before he dropped to his knees on the floor.

"Are you hurt ?"Harry looked up at the sound of the prof vocalization then shook his top dog."Perhaps this will teach you to pay Thomas More care when your teacher speaks in future."With that Lupin turned away and started talking to the relief of the course, lecturing them on other boggart properties. Harry felt an arm Snake River around his articulatio humeri and looked up to see Hermione's sympathetic face.

"Why didn ‘ t you speak the charm Harry ?"

"Couldn ‘ t breath."

"The body of water wasn't real you know."But Harry just shook his head.

"Couldn ‘ t breath."

The course of instruction was dismissed a few minutes later. Harry slouched along a few steps behind the rest of the marauders with his deal in his pockets. Malfoy would surely own spreading this story across half the school day before the end of the day and the early half by breakfast. Harry decided he hated prof Lupin.
*


The next day Harry was bodily dragged from luncheon by Hermione.

"Come on, or we ‘ ll be late."

"And would that be so bad."Harry tried to dig his heels in to slow her down but he just ended up stumbling ( why did he have to be smaller than everyone ? )"Are you that excited about ancient runes ?"

Harry was the only piranha joining Hermione in that subject. In addition to the care of witching creatures they were all taking, and now regretting. Ron and Parvati had signed up for divination, against Harry advice. Neville was taking muggle studies along with Padma who was the only marauder doing three electives ("Why !"Harry had asked."And arithmancy ?"). Apart from Hermione of line, who was doing everything.

"I am commove !"Hermione entered the classroom and took a seat right at the front.

"Not the seat I would bear chosen but whatever."Harry thought as he sat down."At least nil in this class can eat me or swim me."

"good cockcrow class. I am professor Babbling."The professor looked a little like an older Hermione, but a more dotty one. She had obtrusive ink mark on her cuffs and even a smudge on her cheek. She was obviously practiced at her issue though if the detailed penmanship that hung in scrolls behind her desk was any indication."Well shall we get started."

Harry rested his drumhead in his hand as the Professor begun explaining some blur runic script in quick flowing speech while scraping symbols on the board. After about half an hour she asked them to translate a bit of it. Harry turned to Hermione.

"I assume you noted all of that down ?"

"Well of track !"

"Good."Harry held up a sketch of a dog with fluffy ear."Because I didn't."



Questions, comment, anger ? Please review.


Despite the spear carrier safeguard around the school day socio-economic class continued more or less as normal. Hermione's Hope had been correct and Hagrid had just been trying to set forth the yr big. puppet class was, from then on, not quite so terrifying. Harry had reduced his own fears by talking to professor Flitwick who had assured him that all the cages Hagrid had were built with the strongest unbreakable charms. Flitwick himself had inspected each one of them. Harry felt better after that and tried to convince the other students of the Same thing.

"Unbreakable charms won ‘ t break."Harry said to Susan Bones as they wrestled a writhing vine into a pot and packed it down with clay."He could impart anything into family and, so long as its in a cage, it should be fine."

"I know that. I mean, I know that's true but its not the Sami when the creature ‘ s actually in social movement of you."Susan shook her head, she had a bit of world on her buttock. Harry reached out and brushed it off for her, ignoring the odd flapping feeling in his stomach.

"Well…"Harry swallowed and continued."… at least its not snakes !"Harry jumped at her hissing and holding up a piece of vine, making it wriggle like a serpent. Susan snorted and shoved him backwards into a flowerbed.

Harry left herbology with mud all down his back.

"Not one word."He warned the snickering marauders."We ‘ ve got a job to do this evening think of ?"

The piranha quieted down. It was true, tonight Draco Malfoy would pay.
*


Harry slid along the wall up to the entryway to the Slytherin common room. myrtle ( intentionally dimming herself ) wafted through the bulwark. A moment later her top half slid back into raft and she gave him a blink and a thumbs up. Harry made one in conclusion check around for the lookouts he knew were at each end of the corridor then said the password. Grinning he slipped into the common room and up the steps. How had they ever managed without a trace ?

It took Harry a good five minutes to open up Malfoy's door. Obviously after concluding yr the third year had seen fit to add some duplicate protections to his apartments. Harry glanced over the boys bed. Malfoy'd got rid of the teddy bear at some level but seemed to miss it, he had his blankets bunched up in front of him and was hugging them. Harry shook his head and made his way to the dresser. Harry opened the top draftsman ever so slowly and sprinkled a liberal quantity of a dark powder inside. He then did the Saami with the other boxershorts and with the dress hanging in the wardrobe. Chuckling to himself silently Harry slid out of the room and closed the door.

The following morning Harry watched for Malfoy carefully during breakfast but he never showed. Most likely in the hospital extension Harry reasoned, the wound had probably burst by now.

"step 1, success."Harry leaned back and shared a broad smile with the other marauders."On to step two. But that will have to await for the weekend."

"But it ‘ s a Hogsmead weekend ?"Ron pointed out.

"Yep, step two takes place in Hogsmead. Let me tell you about it…"Harry began but was interrupted by Hermione.

"But Harry you can ‘ t go to Hogsmead. You don ‘ t have a license var., its not allowed. I mean… you… Dumbledore said that…"Hermione trailed off under Harry's mocking gaze.

"I have left the country against Dumbledore ‘ s want. I shouldn ‘ t think the school basis will ply too much hassle. Now…"Harry list forward conspiratorially."This is what I think we should do, cut in if you ‘ ve got some suggestions."
*


The Saturday sun rose bright and former as did the students eager to be off to Hogsmead. Harry waved his friends off at the movement gate in a mood of soft scare. He had made a promise to fulfill them early outside the three broomstick but, despite his cockiness, he actually didn't have the timid clue how he was going to leave the grounds.

Ginny had wanted to come with him but he had refused saying at the clip that it would be too obvious she wasn't supposed to be there. Now he was regretting it as she might own been able-bodied to fly him over the paries. Harry walked up to the logic gate but saw Filch checking students as they wandered out, there was no way he could get out that way.

Harry walked along the wall in the direction of Hogsmead looking for some crack or flaw. He could probably accept climbed the wall in spot but for the fact that he knew they were not mere stone. He reached the lakeside without finding anything and was about to turn back when an thought struck him. The lake. Harry scrambled down to the edge of the urine and looked out to his rightfulness, cliffs for a upright XXX metre but a scrap of beach after that. He could even see the road the posture went along.

Remembering the boggart Harry eyed the H2O with oceanic abyss suspicion. But it looked like it was his only option. He would probably be alright so long as his head was above water.

"The things I do to get Malfoy."Harry shook his head as he took off his shoes and tied the lace together so he could loop them around his cervix. He reluctantly stepped into the water supply and winced at the cold, he went thick and began to conform to the cliff around. Eventually the lakebed sank and he could no longer stir it with his foundation. Harry could feel the inky blackness all around him as he kicked for the far shore. The water system sapped his braveness and Harry's bosom raced until he was able to put his groundwork back on land.

Harry drew himself up onto the beach and wasted no prison term in performing a warm drying charm on his wearing apparel before heading up into the village.

In Harry's sentiment the marauders were not shanghai enough that he had managed to leave the castle.

"Where were you ?"Padma hissed."You're late, we ‘ ve been waiting."

Harry just rolled his heart and said…

"Is he here yet ?"

"No."

"Then I ‘ m not late."Harry started off down the road and the marauders didn't really have a choice but to keep abreast him. They all trouped into madam puddifoots to the surprisal of the proprietor, she rarely saw groups of more than two in her shop. The third eld moved towards a yoke of hufflepuffs sitting at the tabular array close the window.

"Hi !"Harry greeted brightly. They looked up."I know you don't want to be disturbed but we are playing a monolithic prank on a hideous git known as Draco Malfoy. Oh you know him too ? Well the only when way we ‘ ll be able to take in the resultant role of our masterful dissembling is if we can own this board. So, do you bear in mind ?"The couple looked at each other for a moment.

"Draco Malfoy ?"

"Yes."

"nous if we watch too ?"

Harry smiled

"Course not. In fact…"Harry turned and addressed the whole shop ( after a immediate eye rake to see that there were no Slytherins nowadays )."… anyone wanting to see Draco Malfoy get his comeuppance come to the window now."Harry heard chairperson whine back and the early four couplet in the café all crowded around the window.

"There he is !"One of them pointed. Draco Malfoy was scurrying down the street, occasionally scratching at his thorax and blazonry. Harry twirled his wand around and held it under his Kuki-Chin like a microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen…"He began."… I would care to welcome you to the first ever episode of The New Marauders TV appearance ! With our special guest… Malfoy !"Several of the patrons were shooting him odd tone but others were grinning.

"Earlier this week individual impregnated Mr Malfoy's clothing with brech powder which, as you know, causes grievous problems to any bare skin it touches."A snickering began all around Harry."And yes, the pulverization got on his underwear too."Malfoy was almost tier with them in the street now.

"Now Malfoy knows by now that pretty much all his clothing is infested so as soon as he reaches Hogsmead he ‘ s going to need to visit…"Draco ducked into the shop opposite word."… gladrags wizardwear. What Mr Malfoy is incognizant of is that we have an agent inside gladrags wizardwear, hidden using the magic of his form. I think we should all take a moment to thank Dobby the house elf for his employment in this endeavor."Harry and the marauders clapped and a few of the others did too, getting into the biz of it.

"It probably won ‘ t take Malfoy long to get his stuff and nonsense since it is just schoolhouse robe for the near contribution. But you see the early matter of which Mr Malfoy is incognizant is that Mr Dobby has made sure he gets the apparel we pre-prepared. These clothes have a jinx on them, a jinx commonly known as the emperors-new-clothes jinx."A twain of the students broke out laughing."Ah, so you ‘ ve heard of it, or can at least guess what this footling charm does. For those that can ‘ t… Ah ! Here ‘ s Mr Malfoy now."Some of the café crowd laughed, some looked away and some just grinned in hilarity as Malfoy walked off down the street in his ‘ gown'forgetful to the stares he was getting from everyone.

"Of form we left him his boxers."Harry continued."There are some affair I just don't want to see."
*


"Even though I am truly terrified right now."Harry thought as he swam back past the cliffs."That was so worth it. Malfoy won ‘ t live this down for years."

Harry was right, the unscathed school knew how Malfoy had walked through Hogsmead and into the three broomstick half-naked. The unscathed schoolhouse had a fair surmise as to who was responsible too. Over the side by side few weeks the vulture were treated to another chapter of ‘ The many knowing and calculating stares of Minerva McGonagall'but no one could prove it.

"We need to do more than hooey like that."Harry said to himself as they waited for the defending team stratum to start out."I wonder where Snape buys his robes ?"

The others just grinned. A instant later Hermione hurried in through the doors looking flustered before landing down in her seat.

"Where did you go Hermione ?"Ron questioned."We all left prophecy at the same time."

"What do you mean ?"Padma turned around."We were just in arithmancy."

"We were all just in transfiguration."Harry argued, confused."We must feature all been there, it ‘ s not an optional class."

"Harry are you half-baked ?"Ron asked, stunned.

Any retort Harry had been about to deliver was lost as the threshold to the classroom banged clear and Severus Snape strode in. Arrogantly making his way to the front of the year he stood behind the desk.

"Professor Lupin."Snape said smugly."Is unavailable to teach today due to ill health."The teacher smirked."So I will be taking today's lesson. turning to… ah ! Werewolves ! Chapter 32."

"But professor !"Hermione began but Harry shushed her to secretiveness. He wanted to know where Snape was going with this. Did the potions master want them to guess what was threatening the schooling ? The student began scribbling away, making notes on the chapter when Harry felt a tincture free fall across him.

"Mr thrower, taking promissory note ? I might almost think I was imagining things."Harry looked up, directly into Snape's optic. This time he didn't even have time to assay to exculpate his mind and the pressure broke through instantly. Harry tore his gaze back down to the paper in front of him. Harry heard a victorious Bronx cheer from above him but ignored it.

"acquisition all I can about lycanthrope sir."Harry said flippantly."Especially since they live so close."

"finisher than you know Potter."What was that about ? But Snape continued on a different sheet."Did you enjoy the Hogsmead weekend Potter ?"

"prof you know I don't have a permission soma. I could never go to Hogsmead."Harry tried to look barren, unsuccessfully."It would be wrong."

"Really, I have been hearing from members of my house who saw you in Hogsmead that weekend."

"Well professor I hate to state you this but I heard a member of your house walked into the three broomsticks in his under drawers so I don't know how far you want to rely their judgment."

"Oh and I suppose you simply pick up about that from second hand accounts ?"Snape sneered.

"Oh prof you know if I ‘ d been there I would make taken the opportunity to bemuse mud at him. No mud ergo I was not there."

"Do not be flippant with me Mr Potter. 30 points from Gryffindor. I know your type so well Potter. You are just like your father."

"Whatever."Harry grumbled as the teacher moved off.
*



Professor Lupin was back in charge of the class after the weekend and, much as the man was inexplicably cold towards him, Harry welcomed the return. Anyone was better than Snape.

On night in the run up to Halloween Harry remembered the box he'd got from the Dursley's reaching into his expanding bag he dragged it out and opened it up on his bed. With the contents strewn out it seemed a lot lupus erythematosus. Harry quickly separated the papers into junk ( measure, old homework assignments, soppy love letters ) and interesting stuff like photos.

One of the photos caught his eye and he drew it out, six figures stood on the grass outside Hogwarts. older scholarly person, sixth or seventh year. Harry's eyes found two students on the left wing of the picture locked in an embrace. One with eyes like his and the other with everything else, his parents.

But Harry had noticed something else, nearby them was another student, the just one in the picture who seemed to be sitting still for it to be taken. He knew that case, he'd been lectured by it to begin with that day. That must ingest been where he recognized professor lupin from, he must cause caught a coup d'oeil of him in the pictorial matter. Sure enough on the dorsum of the scene were scratched some names in pencil, Remus Lupin appeared near the bottom of the list.

Harry frowned, if his parents and lupin had known each other why was the Professor being so cold to him ? Harry pushed the box's subject back into it and slid off the bed. He would have got the answer to this puzzler. Moving through the deserted green room Harry pushed open the portrait door.

"Is it even worth telling you its past curfew ?"Said the fat Lady but Harry just smiled at her and shut the threshold. Moving silently he made his way to the defense teacher agency. Luckily there was still a light peeking out from under the door. Harry went to the room access and knocked.

"One moment."prof lupin opened the doorway in a faded fertilization gown."Oh its you. Shouldn ‘ t you be in your common room."

"I came to ask you something."Harry drew out the photo."About this."

lupin seemed to pull back into himself, then deflate and sigh.

"Ah."Was all he said, and all he appeared to be going to say so Harry prompted him.

"You knew my parents."

"Yes I did. I was in the same yr as them."

"And the same house."Harry pointed to the robes of the people in the impression."And you and my female parent were prefects together."

"Yes you have sufficiently proven that you are observant."The student and teacher still hadn't moved from the door. lupin had not invited him in."Where did you get this ?"

"In a box of my mothers old stuff. nix much, letters, exposure, a locket."

"Lilly didn ‘ t wear a locket."For the starting time time Lupin seemed vaguely interested."She wore a pendent."Harry frowned and drew the silverish thing out of the box."Yes that's it. It's a pendent."

"But it was open…"Harry looked nearer at the little affair. It was honest that now it was closed the furrow around the edge was almost inconspicuous and the affair was thinly enough to take place for a square chandelier. Harry tried to get a fingernail in the cracking but the thing seemed to be solid.

Was it a locket or had he imagined it ? No, it was a locket because it had been open when he first got the box. He'd closed it so it wouldn't get damaged. Harry put it back in the box and mentally filed it under mysterious.

"Seems like you know a lot about her for someone who was just in their year. Seems like you must induce known them. You and the other people in this picture."

"Everyone but me in that characterization is dead."The usually mild mannered Professor snapped, but Harry was in no temper to take this anymore.

"Really,"Harry flipped the picture show."blush wine McKinnon ? Sothis Black ? Peter Petigrew ?"

"Yes, yes, yes !"The teacher roared and Harry took a step backwards."Rose was tortured and killed along with her entire folk during the war ! And the early two, well ? Sirius Black betrayed us all to Voldemort and got Lilly and James killed. Poor Peter managed to trail him down the next day and made him pay at the cost of his own life. We found both their bodies in the wreckage left behind by the duel. In the course of two daytime I lost everything. Can you empathize that ? Can you even comprehend ?"Harry bowed his head.

"No, I guess I can't."He moved to leave then turned back and said."Do you want the picture show ?"But the professor had already closed the door.
*


"Ginny eat something. Anything."Parvati leant over the table with a plate of fruit and held it out for her. Ginny just shook her psyche and tried to breath evenly. Stroking the handle of her broomstick calmed her a petty, but not enough to make eating anything an option.

To be fair it was a wonderful day for Quidditch, not a cloud in the sky and a pleasant zephyr. Ginny just wished she were playing on the delivery behind the tunnel not in front man of the stallion school.

"time to go sis."She felt a hand on her shoulder and saw Fred hovering over her."Don ‘ t worry, you ‘ ll feel a lot better once you get up there."

"Yeah,"His twin chimed in"Our first lucifer we felt just the same, everyone does."They led her away from the table. Just as she was leaving she saw Harry chill suddenly and look around like he had just woken up before sighing and burying his boldness in his hands.

"What was that ?"She thought as she left the Great Hall in a watercourse of people.

"Do we even know where we ‘ re playing yet ?"She said to come apart the silence.

"We took a look-see earlier."George's face broke into a broad grin."It ‘ s flaming brilliant."

"Where is it then ? distinguish me you gits !"Ginny kicked her brother in the shin lightly making him stumble.

"Oy ! We need our beaters in top condition !"Wood was stalking over. His face showing no foretoken of humour."No playing about. This is the most important catch of the year ! Slytherin are the team to beat. They won the cup lastly year and the year before and they all have new heather courtesy of Draco Malfoy."

"I was just…"

"Well don't ! Lets just get to the pitch."Wood stalked off.

"Don't listen to him Gin."Fred wrapped his arm turn her shoulder.

"He ‘ s just stressed out. We tried to relieve him up earlier but he hexed us both good."

Ginny giggled. She knew what her chum ‘ lightening up'had probably involved.

Just then the new Quidditch venue came into panorama and Ginny gasped. A massive rack had been erected at the bound of the lake, hanging onto the cliffs and built up on the beaches. The goal stuck straight up from the rippled water.

"Awesome isn ‘ t it."George breathed and he and his brother set off towards them. Ginny was about to follow them when she felt a hand encircle her arm. Looking back she saw Harry's fellow typeface. He looked tired and variety of deadened. The last time she had seen him like this was back when the blood war was at its height, when there seemed to be no reply to it. Back when he had almost given up. It wasn't quite that bad yet, but it was similar.

"About an minute and a half into the game."Harry said quickly."You should probably check around the base of the Gryffindor goal."

"How do you cognize ?"

"Déjà fucking vu."Harry said in a low growl before walking off towards the stands. Ginny shook her head worriedly, Harry swore a bit Thomas More than the rest of them but he usually saved it for serious situations. If he was just dropping f-bombs into conversation something was going on. But whatever it was it was going to make to wait. Her number one right Quidditch match ever was about to start.
*


"Go ! Go ! GO !"Ron screamed and the crowd screamed with him as the two seekers dove for the snitch..

"He ‘ s blocking her."Parvati yelled and pointed.

Suddenly the snitch spun and snapped back directly towards the seeker. For a moment the crowd together held its breath as the two musician came together in a swirl of robes. Then a cry of triumph sounded out of the sky and Ginny broke away holding something glinting gold.

"She did it !"Ron leapt from his chair, he had never been prouder of his little sister. He turned to Harry who was laughing more than cheering, pass thrown back and optic sparkling.

"Of course she did. Marauders don't lose."Harry snapped a grin then his case went grey and he pointed back into the sky where Ginny was still hovering, showing off the snitch. From where she was there was no way she could see Malfoy dropping from above her.
*


She had won ! She had really done it ! It had been touch and go for a here and now there but she had grabbed it right out of Malfoy's hands. She hadn't even needed to use Harry's tip to get it since she'd spotted it barely an hour into the match.

She saw a shadower hybridisation over her and looked up just in clock time to see a boot sapidity into her face. She heard a massive crack and suddenly she was falling, a mess of ling and robe. Whoever had hit her was falling with her, tumbling over and around each other.

A moment later she hit the pee and a moment after that the lake bed, the water hadn't been nearly deeply enough to slow her decline. She kicked up as best she could in gown and kick but she was waterlogged and barely moving. After what seemed like an infinity she just managed to break the surface before being dragged back under. She felt for her robe clasps and snapped them off before starting to kick back onto the surface. But she was too worn out and hurting from the collision, the sunlight on the surface tantalizingly close.

She felt the dude from someone in the water with her and a instant later felt herself lifted up by a giant hand on her backrest. She broke the Earth's surface and gasped one desperate breath after another.

"Y ‘ r alright now. Y ‘ r alright."She heard Hagrid's voice and looked down into ruddy face. He was just tall enough to still be able-bodied to fend on the bottom but even for him the water came up to his Kuki."Gave us all a bit of a scare."

"Who hit me ?"Ginny's head was still swimming from the lack of oxygen.

"Malfoy."The groundsman voice had gone low and dangerous."Snape picked him out ‘ o the water with a piece but no-one could see where you ‘ ad gotten yourself to."

"I didn ‘ t get myself anywhere."Ginny croaked. Now that the water was shallower Hagrid sat her on his shoulder then finally set her down feather on the pebbled beach. She could see her team-mates rushing towards her across the shingle. Behind them by the stands she saw the piranha hurrying towards her. Professor Snape seemed to be trying to kibosh them and was shouting something, Harry simply ignored him and ducked underneath his arms. A moment later they had all crowded around her and she was forced to iterate the words ‘ I'm very well'over and over to stop them fussing over her.

"Deplorable ! Disgusting demeanour !"Somewhere else on the beach she could hear Professor McGonagall yelling in another portion of the beach. Ginny stuck a finger into her ear and wiggled it around. It was full of water and everything sounded distorted."I have never seen the like."

"Minerva it was clearly an accident."Snape had sidled over."If it had been designed do you think he would have let his own broom become damaged like that."He pointed away to the position at where Malfoy's broom lay, cleanly split up in the center with the bristles knocked far out of whack. Ginny suddenly had a sinking feeling feeling.

"professor ?"McGonagall turned towards her."Has person found my Scots heather ?"McGonagall raised her eyebrows, perhaps she hadn't realised it was missing. The teacher turned towards the lake, raised her wand and said…

"Accio Ginerva ‘ s broom."For a moment nothing happened then something flew out of the H2O, something much too modest. A moment later another joined it. No one spoke as a pile of shards and splinters grew near Professor McGonagall's pes. Even the bristles came out, ending up in a sodden heap.

Ginny heard her head of theatre routine on Malfoy again and bulge yelling but it felt like screen background noise. Kneeling down she picked up a few splinters of wood and let them fall through the crack cocaine in her fingers. Growing up with six chum gave you all sorting of education in how to hold up in tears but nothing was working. She felt herself start sobbing and covered her face with her mitt so no one would see. It wasn't working. Giving up she stood and ran away through the bunch on the beach. She couldn't looking at at anyone right now.

The last thing she saw before she left was prof Snape levitating the shards of both her and Malfoys brooms into a food waste can, a spirit of glee on his face.
*


Harry watched her go. He wanted to go after her but didn't have the faintest idea what he'd say when he caught up.

"someone please…"Harry gestured after Ginny, a supplication clear in his voice.

"We got it."Padma nodded and her, her Sister and Hermione began following the fleeing redhead. Harry felt himself bunching his fists and saw that the the great unwashed next to him were doing the same.

"No one does that to a Weasley."Fred muttered.

"No one does that to a marauder."Harry shook his head and punched his fist into his palm."Not and gets away with it."

"Malfoy ‘ s gon na pay."George chimed in shaking his fist."piece of ass practical joker rivalry, you want to help us Harry ? All of you guy wire ?"

"Won ‘ t make Ginny feel better."Harry felt a spark Light Within in his mentality."But I know what might. And I ‘ ll need your aid. You in ?"

"In an instant."

"Obviously."

"And we ‘ ll penury outside avail too, people who helped us concluding twelvemonth. A lot of material could go awry, even the first step's a doozy and they just get firmly after that. Ron, Neville I definitely won't have a good deal fourth dimension for my assignments for a while. Savvy ?."

"We got you Harry. But what do you have in mind."

"Humiliation."

"But I thought you said we weren ‘ t going to get Malfoy directly."

"We ‘ re not."Harry smiled his crocodile smile."We ‘ re gon na let Ginny do it."
*


Over the next few week Harry became a ghost. He rushed into lessons former or barely by the ship's bell and began to look even more tired than Hermione. He could be found at odd times in the library or pawing over odd flat solid of lambskin with the Weasley Gemini, speaking in whispers.

Madam Pince had raised her eyebrows further that Harry had thought humanly possible when he'd taken out sealed playscript. But none of them were actually restricted so she stamped them out with only her usual level of distain.

"Mr Potter do you seriously think I will believe this is your essay ?"McGonagall had confronted him one lesson."When the handwriting is not yours and in fact strongly resembles Miss Grangers. What are you spending all your metre on anyway ?"Harry had simply leaned nigher to his instructor and whispered…

"Winning you the Quidditch cup."

They had no homework set that lesson.

Harry lost so many points in Snape's classes that he considered simply not turning up since that would lose him LE overall. However potions gave him the hone opportunity to smirk at Malfoy over his cauldron. Everyone in school knew Harry was up to something and it was an easy guess as to who was the intend target, even the target himself. Malfoy spent potions family sweating under Harry's gaze, wondering what he was planning.

"What are you up to Potter ?"Malfoy had confronted him after one lesson.

"I ‘ m not up to anything Dracs."Harry gave his nemesis a thumb up."Just surfing along you know Que blood serum sera."As genus Draco hurried off Harry glanced back at the potions master key. Again the imperativeness mounted and he lasted barely a count of five before he had to deplumate his eyes away. He thought he saw Snape lip ‘ just like your father'before he turned away. Harry shook his head to unclutter it, Snape wasn't a priority right now.

Harry signed up to ride out at Hogwarts over Christmas but encouraged the marauders to natter their families.

"I have so much still to do I ‘ d be bad company anyway."

"indirect request we could persist mate."Fred said shaking his read/write head dejectedly.

"Yeah, we promised we ‘ d help you then we just leave."George III also shook his head, unconsciously falling into the claim rhythm of his twin.

"Don ‘ t headache. It ‘ ll be finished by the end of the holiday anyway."

Harry's Christmastide presents were as full as they always were, the standard Patil Word set this class was basically a big encyclopedia of charm and Neville had found him a jesters hat that flashed unlike colours as the bells jiggled. Hermione had got him a preparation planner.

"Bless her."Harry thought, taking a sharpness of Honeydukes chocolate."She tries."

Harry was waiting by the whole step as the scholarly person returned from the their rest home with a parcel wrapped in paper under his arm. He caught sight of the marauders plus Fred and George coming and walked out to run into them.

"Is that it ?"Fred said excitedly.

"Is it finished ?"His twin added.

"Yes and yes. And its awesome !"Harry moved past the twins to stand in front of their youthful sib. He thrust out the parcel."Merry Christmas. This is kind of from the twins as well. well everyone helped actually."

"Don ‘ t do yourself down mate."Ron said."It was mostly you."
*


Ginny looked down at the portion in her hands, it dawned on her that it was very broom shaped.

"You didn ‘ t buy…"She began but Harry stopped her.

"I didn ‘ t buy. I repaired. Was a lot of fun actually. intellection of doing it when I leave school."

"But my Scots heather was far too broken to repair."

"Your gloriole 2000 was too smashed to fix. Malfoy's 2001 on the early paw had a fairly uncomplicated rupture. reparable with a footling elbow grease. And he just threw it away like garbage."Harry tutted and shook his head."Wasteful."

"And you fished it out ?"

"Wouldn ‘ t be the first time I ‘ ve dumpster dived Gins. Now unwrap the damn thing."

Heeding him she ripped the report off and stared in awe at the ling shining in her hands, looking like new.

"It doesn't face just like a 2001."She said running her custody down the recursively curving handle.

"Well we used some parts left over from your broom as well. Plus she's got some different appeal and spells we researched and we corrected the list on the tail assembly end."Harry shrugged."Guess she ‘ s kind of a chimera really."

"Did you name her ?"Ginny asked, quickly slipping into usage of the female pronoun.

"I hadn ‘ t but I think I just did. The Chimera."Harry be given forward conspiratorially."And you and her, my little protégé, are going to win us the Quidditch cup."



reassessment, it makes me happy. Tra la la !