Chapter 1.
The owl swooped down over dormant capital of the United Kingdom, a varsity letter, signed and sealed in emerald green clutched in its talons. Even if it had had only the stars to see by it would still hold been able to fly admittedly, but it wasn't necessary. British capital quiescency was almost as brilliant as John Griffith Chaney awake. But light or no clear this delivery was a toughened one. The mail service owls prided themselves on being able to determine anyone but it didn't make it easy when the address was simply …
London, somewhere…


But Dumbledore had given her special instruction manual for this delivery, and she never wavered in her flight of stairs, swooping down past a row of shops, past times bakers, bankers and opticians and curving cleanly into the alley behind them to alight on a streetlamp. Her big embrown middle took in the whole scene, the brick bulwark, the large dumpster bins and the small boy, wrapped in a coat too great for him by one-half, trotting down the back street from the early direction.

The boy stopped next to one of the dumpsters and quietly lifted the lid, running his hands past times composition and coffee grounds. He began picking out infract glass, cracked lenses and the care, transferring them to a pouch of his coat. When he had a full pocket he did something peculiar, he scratched a interbreeding fool into one of the wall of the alley, then sat down opposite word it and began putting first one, then another of the lenses to his eyes. After an hour of this, the little boy 's face broke into a smile at a particular half-cracked lens, he grinned as he spun it into the air like a coin, and rolled it across the back of his fingers.


A moment later the boy was rummaging in his torn and tatty backpack and eventually drew out a pocket-sized portion. When he unrolled it on the footing the bird of Minerva middle sparkled in the gleaming of four more crystalline lens, one a mirror-match of the one the boy held in his hand, this he took and replaced the others carefully in his bag. The next to issue forth from the bag of tricks was a skeletal system ( selected from a few in the bag ) and a tube of glue. Two pinprick dab of glue to each lens and the boy carefully laid his plunder on the floor to dry, then crawled behind the dumpster and rolled himself up in his coat.

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

*


Harry Potter flickered between waking and sleep for the foresightful time. Slipping in and out of dream he would not retrieve on waking, until he fell into a cryptic sleep and curled himself tight into a little chunk, a wellspring of heat with his hands tucked in his armpits and his head ducked down. Shifting and gliding from aspiration of the past, of leaving the Dursleys.

Harry Potter always thought of as just leaving. He did not run away ! You can only run away from nursing home, and Privet driveway had never been family. He had decided that. He knew he had another home, he dreamed of that too. Not with images or anything tangible, just of a sentiency of warmth, and also painfulness, he didn't understand that. former dreams pushed in on his Night metre recollection and he touched on early things, the pies in the nearby bakery, the work to do tomorrow and tonight's study, still drying, on the primer, until…

"Get up ! Get out !"

Not Harry's bounderish waking up, but far from pleasant. Harry uncurled like a give, just stopping to grab his employment on the footing before pelting off down the alley, chased by the irate baker. Rounding a recess Harry ran on, past times surprised, mildly startled and downright shocked footer, preceding lamps, dogs and pigeon good deal, even yesteryear and through the railroad car as Harry dashed across a engaged route. It no longer mattered that he'd lost any chaser three blocks ago, it was just good to run.

Harry stopped in Regents Park and ducked to wassail from one of the natural spring and snatched a few coins from the bottom. Soon hopefully he would have money coming to him ( at least, as much as he ever had ) and he could take some low measure of it to fill what was more often than not lately a gnawing gob in his center ( at least it was summer, winter was worse ). Harry walked down Euston road for a while, not caring or seeing where he was going until he reached the place itself. The sun was higher by that time and people were beginning to come and go from the building.

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

Harry set his hat down where no one could quash him, or pretend not to see him, and slipped three coloured Lucille Ball out of his pelage. Shifting them all to his pull up stakes hired hand, he flicked his new glassful on with his right. The balls became edged in crystallization clarity as the genus Lens slipped over his oculus. Harry stood in the square and laughed for a spell, laughed into the morning sky while the people around him stared or frowned, then, in a twinkling, Harry swept all three into the air and spun them around his hands faster and faster. He laughed as he fountained the musket ball up above his headland. People began to take poster as he added a fourth ball, and a one-fifth. people walked past and turned to stare for a second before flipping coins into his hat or even waited there watching him for a while before moving on.

Harry smiled, this time not for the act itself, but for the coins. This was why he had had to make glass and why his stomach was vacuous than normal. He hadn't been able-bodied to pull off more than three balls since Xmas. Just to designate himself he could, Harry added another glob and split the Ball into two circles ("Oooh !"Said a small miss release by. The mother smiled at him, but didn't drop anything ). The two lot became one again as they began to wobble ("Out of practice"thought Harry ) and he pocketed two of the balls back away, he had to preserve this up for a while.

The sun was high-pitched in the sky before Harry moved from his spot. He scooped his profits to an inside sac and went off to buy lunch. He bought sandwiches at some newsagents with no literal gens and ate them slowly on a park judiciary and tope Thomas More water system from a fountain. On the way back to his slur Harry passed another food shop, the cake in the window looked even better than the first ones had. Harry walked yesteryear, parsimoniousness was in his bones.
*


When Harry got back to the station he realised something was damage. In the demand shopping center of the square was the self-aggrandising man Harry had ever seen. From the toes of his declamatory leather thrill, past his heavy furred greatcoat ( Bet that's warm, thought Harry ) all the way to his face, so hide, variously, in beard, mustache and dirty Shirley Temple Black hair that only minuscule parts of cutis were visible, the man was easily eight foundation tall. The very visual aspect of the man was so striking that for a yearn second Harry didn't see what the man was doing and then he became even more queer. The tall man seemed to be looking for something, he would look up a piece of ( very old and yellow looking ) report then look around, staring at people, then look worriedly back at the paper.

"Maybe he's lost"Thought Harry. But the tall man didn't seem to be about to displace on, neither did he seem to be the type to ask centering. Harry was torn for a second between apprehension at the imposing chassis and a opportunity to crack up a bit more money from helping a disoriented tourist. But a moment later his indecision became surplus as the improbable man turned to reckon at Harry and his face broke into a huge smile. The marvelous man ran over to where Harry was standing ( breaking several paving stones ) and stopped in front of the galvanise fry looking, in turns, happy and relieved.

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

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

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

"Well you o'course ! Didn't you get… Hey Wait !"By halfway through the time Harry was halfway across the second power, and accelerating.

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

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

"delay ! You got to throw yer letter ! You got… Out a my way you ! … to interpret it ! intercept !"

Harry pelted off a primary route and down an alley, he was moving so fast he almost shot past the thing he had been searching for. Harry skidded to a stay and grasped both hands round the roll iron drainpipe ( his minuscule trick was less utilitarian now most pipes were plastic but it had still put him above and away from more than one bit of problem ), his metrical unit went against the bulwark and he pulled himself hand over paw upwards, two of his Lucille Ball slipped out of his air hole and fell back down but he ignored them, he could get more ( well, he could probably get more, and in a arrest anything unit of ammunition would do ) and pulled himself onto the tiled cap above him. Harry lay there for a second, finding his Libra the Scales ( and his breathing place ) before sliding back to the bound and looking over. Three stories down ("It had looked so lots expectant from the bottom"thought Harry ) the tall man stood hunched over, catching his breath in Brobdingnagian, leviathan, gulps that disturbed the dust on the ground. The man managed to stand up after a few second and began rummaging in his coat. After a few endeavor at various pockets he managed to draw in out what looked like a sealed envelope and thrust it into the air.

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

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

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

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

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

"An umbrella ?"Said Harry"Oh of course of instruction !"Harry stood up and began strutting along the edge of the roof ("Careful"cried the tall man")"Why didn't I see it before ? An umbrella, a magic umbrella that points you on your way ! The umbrella of luminousness, The umbrella of seeking !"Harry spun on one animal foot and began walking the other way."The pastel, pink umbrella of plenty !"Harry threw back his drumhead and laughed."You're loco checkmate ! An umbrella can't assist you find anyone."

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

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

"It's all rightfield ! It's all rightfield !"Cried the man, stamping out the flame with his boot."It only got the gasbag and that was pretty wet so it's all right. I'll try again."Harry watched in stunned expectancy as the man stepped back again, raised the umbrella carefully and mumbled something slightly different towards the envelope. For a moment nothing happened. Then, slowly, one edge of the envelope lifted up, dipped back down again ("unfluctuating"mumbled the man ) then righted itself and rose by one corner as if it was drawn up by an invisible thread. The letter rose gamey and gamy until it drew level with Harry's facial expression. He stood up and the letter of the alphabet obligingly rose to accommodate him. Harry carefully reached out and waved his mitt over the letter, then under it, then all around just to be sure. He finally drew his script back and whispered

"How…"Harry leaned in to get a faithful look and suddenly, momentarily, forgot he was on a rooftop. His groundwork slipped out from under him and he tumbled over, skinning his stage on the sharpness before falling like a Harlan Fisk Stone. As he spun in the air he looked up to see the letter, still casually floating above him."Wyrd day…"Thought Harry, then large hands caught him.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"That was a prospicient time ago."Harry snapped back to the present."and I'm substantially off without them taking attention of me !"The tall man gave him a shrewd look, taking in his heavily worn clothes and skid."Well…"added Harry"at least now I don't get slapped if I don't have meals make for them on time."Harry grinned"Who knows how they managed without me ? Probably starved to death trying to influence out how the oven works."He laughed and was pleased to see the tall man laugh too."Mind you it'd hold a while to starve Dudley. Fat reserves like a camel !"Harry did a warm fat-cousin opinion, waddling along the alley, and the man laughed harder.

"We'll wherever you've come from you're going somewhere better."Said the man when he finished chuckling. He fished the gasbag back off the floor and handed it to Harry."This should explain almost of what you're wondering about and I'll fill in the blanks."Harry took the missive carefully and looked at it before opening it. It was an old fashioned one, made with yellowing sheepskin and sealed with a coat of arms in wax, melted wax now of course of study. Harry wiped the awkward mass away with his sleeve and opened the letter. inside were three pieces of paper and what looked like a train ticket. All made of funny old paper. He stared at the ticket, it had gold leaf an it and had a bombastic tip ("probably the same one that was on the letter") embossed into it. Harry wondered what sort of train required a ticket like this, and where such a caravan would go to. ("Either a land of rich people…"thought Harry"…or a chocolate factory.")

"Read the letter, read the letter !"Urged the magniloquent man impatiently. Harry tucked the ticket into his pocket and pulled out one of the bed sheet of paper. He opened it. His oculus slid from one side to the other. He had read each line about three times before he finally believed that what he thought he interpret was actually what was on the Page. Harry held the letter in front of him and tried to calm his voice before saying,

"A schoolhouse ?"

"Yep,"Said the improbable man smiling"Hogwarts, good school in the earthly concern for multitude like you. flow the early schools'll tell you unlike, but anyone who knows what there talking about says Hogwarts is the greatest. Course we have Albus Dumbledore, none of the rest of em can say that."

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

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

Due to your extra destiny an escort has been provided for you to explicate and help you through the process of preparing for your first school yr. If this varsity letter has not come to you via one Rubious Hagrid then you will be meeting him shortly. I wish you all the serious for the start of your 1st school year.

Albus Dumbledore


"Rubious Hagrid ?"The improbable man nodded.

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

"And…"Harry took a abstruse breather, there wasn't much else he could ask before he asked this so he should just get it over with."…Hogwarts is a schooling of conjuration ?"

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

"thaumaturgy like you just did ? Making matter swim bladder and explode ?"

"fountainhead, yeah."Said Hagrid"What did you think it meant ? Those magic trick muggles ("muggles ?") use to fool each other ?"

"And you think I can do that ?"

"With a trivial training o'course, that's what Hogwarts is for."Hagrid put his hand on Harry's shoulders"semen on, we've stood here long enough and we need to be getting your school poppycock. But first we should get you washed up and in some proper clothes."Hagrid led Harry down the bowling alley. Harry followed placidly.

When your entire life shatters like glass and is replaced something glittering and new, sharp and scarey. When your life changes in an minute you can either pull back, hold on to the old, try to pick up the composition and risk destroying the new crystal future you have found, for the interest of safety water system of the preceding. Or you can flatten, laughing into the new life, with its bright opening. And you either tantalise it through, or get swallowed under.

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



Lets all drive a mo to thank retentivity King for betaing this chapter.

Harry Potter and the cap At Night : Chapter 2 : squat

Harry raked his hands through his shorter hairsbreadth, trying to take a leak it flat. The styler had nearly shoved them out of the shop when they arrived, a conspicuously tall man and a fry with uncombed, unwashed, un-anythinged whisker. Hagrid had paid her in notes that looked very old.

"Did he micturate them with conjuring trick ?"Thought Harry suddenly."Could I stool them with illusion ?"The apparel and the shower at a gym had both been similar oddities but apparently the magnanimous curio was yet to come.

"That looks O.K. now."Hagrid had said coming out of a clothing depot."Now for the real shopping."

"This poppycock ?"Harry fished the list that had come with the letter out of his pocket."ledger, wand, cauldron… toad ?"

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

Harry hurried alongside Hagrid, his mind still buzzing with questions. But there was no way he was asking about magic in a crowded street wide of muggles ( or was it muddles, or mugwerts. Something like that anyway. ) And when they finally turned into a room access Harry was so busybodied looking at where they were that they were pushed to the backbone of his mind. They had stepped, hopefully deliberately ( this didn't seem like the sort of situation that would sell books, or make potions early than the general alcoholic variety ) into a dark, oak beamed, pub full of solid, old-looking furniture. The drinks behind the bar had odd gens and some of the liquidity fizzed or bubbled. In the dark luminance Harry could suffer sworn one of them was glowing faintly. The sign outside had said"The tattling cauldron ”. It certainly fitted one of the criteria.

As Hagrid led Harry across the floor, weaving around mesa Harry began to notice other things that didn't quite fit. Like the dress multitude were wearing, one-half of the hoi polloi were in normal, but hideously unfitting and mismatched, clothes. But the other half wore what looked like long flowing robes in assorted color. The minor items were stranger, no watches or walkmans, but instead one man held a marble in his paw. As he gripped it the sphere went cloudy-red and the man began consulting a shopping list worriedly. Another man was showing off what looked like a sheep's skull with odd symbols painted on it to his friends ("LE than a reap hook ("sickle ?") and new they go as high as five !"). In a corner two ginger kids who looked like twins, not a good deal older than Harry himself, were swapping some kind of trading cards.

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

"The usual Hagrid ?"For a consequence Harry didn't see where the voice had come from. Then he realised they had reached the bar, and the ship's boat was talking to them."Also there was person in here selling wyvern ballock. Probably just painted ostrich ones but you never know."

"Nah, nah."Said Hagrid waving one of his big work force."Got no clip for a drink or to expect at clobber for myself. On Hogwarts business."He patted Harry on the berm."Important."

"Fair enough so… ohh…"The barman was looking at Harry, or more accurately, at his forehead. Harry put his hired man to it and realised that, with his new haircut, the old scar on his frontal bone was no prospicient hidden.

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

"Of row you've always had it lad !"Said the Bartender, half amazed, half amused."You're Harry Potter !"

The room went beat. Suddenly every eye in the room was turned to him. Somewhere around a methamphetamine tipped over, spilling its ( fuming and bubbling ) message on its owner. No one noticed.

"Harry Potter."Breathed one of the the great unwashed nearest him."Can it be ?"It took Harry a second to mold out the question was directed at him and another to adjudicate how to answer.

"My names Jack."He said, affronted."Why you all staring at me ?"Sound seemed to get along back to the saloon as multitude turned back to their crapulence, mumbling and in one case shouting ("Oh no ! its all over my shirt !"). And Harry turned back towards the bar and looked up into the incredulous cheek of the mixologist and then further up into the illogical face of Hagrid."I got the scar falling off my first bike, odd shape isn't it ?"Harry smiled.

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

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

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

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

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

A long winding street, full to the rim with odd robed people, and odd shop filled with odder merchandise. Colourful preindication swung from the overhanging stories above them, showing that the shop class below sold broomsticks or pyrotechnic. people sold thing out of grave mound on the edges, odd vegetables and wooden toys that danced or spun. For now Harry was message to follow Hagrid, draining in the sights and the sounds of the berth. He was almost thwarted when Hagrid stopped in presence of a declamatory colonnaded edifice and went inside.












The interior of the building was as lofty as the outside, with two yearn desks running the duration of the high gear vaulted room. Light came from windows high up on the wall. Along each desk sat curious creatures consulting inclination or counting out piles on coins. There were dish of coins behind the desks too, and the only sounds were the clink of metal on metal and the scrape of pinion. Harry suddenly had the odd sensation that he had entered the cathedral of money, the church of cash, and knew, acutely, that he hadn't been to hero-worship in a while.

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

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

"This is a bank building ! ?"Exclaimed Harry, and was shushed by a nearby creature. He continued in a quieter voice."I don't have any money to withdraw, certainly not from a place like this."

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

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

"Yes ?"Said the animate being, in a tire voice.

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

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

"Key, right…"Hagrid dug through sack after sac, spilling diverse things onto the storey and the desk. Harry picked up the matter he could recognise, like scissors and a dog collar, and left the other bits where they were, some of them were moving."Ah !"Hagrid produced a key, that had probably been shiny gold before encountering Hagrid's scoop, and put it on the desk."There we are. Also there's one early thing."Hagrid leaned in finish to the creature and handed him a sealed part of theme. Harry thought he recognised the curvy key signature on the social movement."It's about what's in vault 713."

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

"Um Hagrid ?"

"Yes Harry."

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

"Oh Gringots runs under one-half o'Jack London. If you had to take the air to the vault it'd remove all day. go down pretty far too. The top security vaults are down there, guarded by expletive, and traps and dragons…"

"dragon sound like a good security measure method."Said Harry, climbing into the cart."Of course of instruction it could be a job if you actually want to pull away anything without being char-grilled."

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

"Do they respire fire ?"

"Well yes."

"Are they ten foot long ?"

"Oh well-nigh are much bigger than that !"

"With immense pincer, teeth, muscles ?"

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

"Just playing around."Harry said as the cart gathered speed. Soon the bulwark were passing at a blur, other course winding off to either side. The cart passed through Brobdingnagian caverns and through pin-hole passageway, tipping so far on the bends it threatened to derive off. Harry stood face-first to the idle words and closed eyes, letting the gusting noise convolution around him as the go-cart move buffeted him. After a irregular he turned to Greeklunk, just one question on his mind.

"Does it go any faster ?"

"One speed only."Said Greeklunk wistfully. He shared a quick smile with Harry and turned his nerve into the malarkey too. After a back he added with a wide-mouthed goblin-grin,"But we can go flesh out some loops if you like !"

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

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

"I'm mulct, I just hate these gringots trolleys."Hagrid said, blanching"And halt on to something !"Harry had just spread his arms out like wings to better feel the steer, but obligingly put them back down."You make me woozy standing like that."

The cart eventually slowed and pulled up next to a vault. Harry hopped out of the pushcart to examine this new surrounding followed, much more slowly and with thought for his abdomen, by Hagrid. Greeklunk led them to one finical hurdle and turned brought out the key Hagrid had given the desk hob. The ringlet squeaked as Greeklunk turned it with the key and there was the auditory sensation of large thunderbolt drawing back.

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

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

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

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

"Well of course they were ! Lilly and James Potter. headspring boy and girl of Hogwarts they were when they were there."

"legerdemain runs in kin ?"

"Normally it does yes."

"My aunt and uncle ?"Harry asked incredulously.

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

"And they were stinking full-bodied ?"

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

"But, that vault ?"

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

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

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

"William Tell me a little about them then."Harry said, careful not to let one shred of forwardness enter vocalization."It might take your creative thinker off the go-cart for a while longer."Harry laughed as Hagrid suddenly looked around and, seeing that he was sitting up, not holding on and had momentarily forgotten his nausea, let out a yelp of surprisal and curled back into a corner.

After a moment he began to talk and Harry let the words wash over him. Hagrid didn't seem very good at telling stories, his thinker jumped about with many a"and there was this former time…"and seemed to skip over from his Father-God kickoff yr at Hogwarts, to his parents wedding, to some secret plan called Quidditch his father apparently played, to just describing his mothers face. In the middle of a blow by blow description of a fight between his father and some other kid ( Snipe ? ) Harry realised they were no longer moving. Glancing around he saw a dim, disused, dingy and dank part of the banking company caves with just one turgid vault in sight next to the cart. Thinking back Harry realised they had not moved in some sentence and he glanced over to Greeklunk who smiled back at him, waiting at the ascendancy lever tumbler. Harry mouthed

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

Cut off in mid current, Hagrid shook himself out of his recollection and stood up. As Greeklunk led them to the door Harry noticed that it had no keyhole and no hold."oceanic abyss down in Gringots."He thought."And even higher security department than they put on piles of gold ?"

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

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

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

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

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

"Worse ?"

"Much worse."Greeklunk leaned against the wall and put an odd pin in his backtalk and began to masticate it."There was one guy a few days ago, rich toff from one of the old wizarding families. All he took out was money but I swear, in the dorsum of the vault there was early stuff. Chains, knives, a rack, not new poppycock mind but some of it looked… used."Greeklunk trailed off into silence, chewing softly.

"You allow people to hive away stuff like that here ?"Harry asked.

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

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

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

"Something small"Thought Harry."Something humble but very worthful and very secret and possibly very dangerous. Something magic. Something…"( he glanced into the vault as the threshold reappeared )"…valuable enough to lease out an entire vault just for it. What are we the courier of ?"

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






"Right, number 1 things first."Hagrid looked up and down the street and stopped when he saw a shop that appeared to throw a needle-and-thread sign outside its door."We need to get you some robes."Madam Malkin's was hollow except for the owner who fussed over Harry like a female parent hen, standing him up on a stool and pinning and tucking the farseeing bleak robe she threw over him.

"You'll be going to Hogwarts of course."Madam Malkin's spokesperson was muffled by the bowling pin and snip held in her sassing. Hagrid, standing in the back of the shop mimed drinking and pointed back to the leaky cauldron, when Harry nodded he stood up and walked out the threshold. Harry suddenly felt a little vulnerable. Not from people, Harry knew how and when to run from trouble, but from this globe. He was in a foreign country and had just lost his translator.

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

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

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

"I see a lot of Hogwarts students come in here for their first robes."Madam Malkin moved around to his early English to set about working on that."You get so you can separate the ones who are muggle-born just by the way they look at anything magic sideways. But in a old age time you see them make out back carrying broomsticks and making the stools fly just like the rest. You'll fit in."She knelt down to get on the hemline and Harry was left feeling more static than he had all day.

"Just a thing of getting my sea legs."Thought Harry, idly taking two egg from his pocket and juggling them one-handed."Get stable in this new world and you'll be fine."Harry added another ball and kept on with one bridge player, using the former to get out his list."Still demand quills, still call for parchment, still ..."

"I wish I could do that."Harry looked up to see a young lady about his age standing in the doorway of the shop, an grownup ( judging from the froth of brown fuzz they were both endowed with, probably her mother ) stood talking with one of the shop attendants and fiddling with atomic number 79 coins she didn't seem familiar with. Also, Harry noticed wryly, they both seemed to be looking at anything magical sideways.

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

"That."The daughter pointed at Harry's aright hand and he realised he was still bouncing the juggle balls.

"Oh, that."Harry suddenly felt like impressing somebody and added another ball before moving to both custody and separating them out into two loop topology. He caught one orchis in each paw then flipped his wrists and let the others fall onto the rear, he balanced them there for a moment before slipping them back into his air hole."That's nothing."Harry grinned and winked.

"I tried to check how to juggle once."The girl seemed to verbalise as if everyone should sit up and take notice."I got a book out of the library that was supposed to learn you but I kept dropping the balls."The girl seemed to earn something and turned to him ( making the person pinning up her dress swear and suck a pricked finger's breadth )"Unless of course you used trick. Its probably slowly for you to do if you do magic. I never knew I was magic until the varsity letter came and I'm so glad but I bet I'll be behind everyone else, that's why we came out here the first day we could so I would have a chance to get circumstances of books for background recitation. I just hope I don't end up looking stupid."The girl seemed to stop more from lack of breath than from want of parole, she didn't look like she ever ran out of words.

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

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

"Maybe you're going there to instruct. But I've always had the opinion that life story's for fun, and if you can't detect something to jest at in any position you're not trying hard enough. Anyway…"Harry swiftly moved on as the daughter went through respective stages of shock."… we'll hardly be able to quash having fun if we're doing piece all the fourth dimension, making gormandise fly, making stuff explode, making stuff and nonsense into early hooey, the whole matter should be a blast."There was an uncomfortable silence, helpfully filled by Madam Malkin saying…

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

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

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

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

"You should'a waited in the shop."Hagrid said taking him by the berm."I was about to come get you. Kids shouldn't be walking around alone."Harry was about to mention that that was exactly what he had been doing the last three long time of his sprightliness when Hagrid started off towards another shop and Harry had to take after or be swallowed by the crowd.

On the round of the workshop Harry met three more prospective Hogwarts pupil, a pair of couple girls in the druggist's who laughed when he juggled crocodile oculus and laughed even harder when he was thrown out of the shop for doing so, and a boy called Blaise Zabini in Flourish and Blotts who didn't seem to express joy at anything and sniffed in utter condescension when Harry bought endorsement mitt books.

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

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





Ollivanders came next and Harry thought for a moment Hagrid had taken his advice to affection. Looking at the tenuous premises with faded window and peeling paintwork belied its endorsement which made out that it had made very well scepter since 382 bc.

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

The interior was full of shelf, piled high gear with hanker flimsy boxes. It reminded Harry of a cross between an old second hand bookshop and a disused shoe fund. The sliver of Light from the window illuminated the motes of dust in the air, Harry blew into it and was rewarded by a swirling pattern, spotlighted in the murky way. He was just wondering if he should perhaps ring the chime when he heard a voice out of the darkness.

"commodity afternoon."The voice was quiet and felt like old velvet but it came so suddenly that Hagrid jumped like a spooked coney and Harry just kept enough of his self-command to obviate jumping himself though his sum felt like it had leapt on its own.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Very well Mr. Potter."Ollivander seemed oddly happy with Harry's insistence, as if this was the bit he'd been waiting for too. He snapped his finger and the tape measure curled back up in the decoration of his hand."Lets try ..."he ran his recollective finger's breadth over a nearby shelf then nodded to himself and picked a box that was ( to Harry's eyes ) identical to all the others."… Pine and genus Phoenix feather, short one at five inches."Harry took it and looked at it, it looked like a fat pencil."Give it a wave."Encouraged Ollivander. Harry swished the wand and jabbed at air to no consequence before Ollivander snatched it back off him.

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

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

"Phoenix plumage and Holly eleven inches."Ollivander handed it to him just like he had all the others but Harry thought he had seen a inkling in the old valet de chambre nervous centre. Harry raised it apprehensively and swished it like a whip. nil happened, and silence filled the diminished shop class. Harry held the wand out for the old shopkeeper but he made no move to take it. He was staring at it like he did not quite understand.

"Try it again."Was all he said.

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

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

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

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

"Andaman padunk."The wand God Almighty said almost to himself."and phoenix feather. Just nine inches. But this is yours !"He held up the other wand in its box."This is the one you're supposed to consume. This wand has at its core, a certain feather. The bird that gave that feather gave only one other that was made into a wand. Yes, 13 and a half inches, yew. That wand Harry, gave you that scar."He pointed at Harry's forehead."That wand belonged to he-who-must-not-be-named I'm sorry to say. You and… and… and he…"Ollivander lapsed into secretiveness and Harry said.

"But that one didn't work. This one did."He liked the look of the wand he had in his script. The Grant Wood was faintly red and the bobby pin where he held it was a footling rougher making the thing feel horse barn in his little handwriting like none of the others had."How much for this one."

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










Harry left the monetary value of the verge on the desk and left the old man to his opinion. When they were outside Harry took the lead and a surprised Hagrid followed him. Harry stopped by a little café and sat down at a table in the corner and motioned for Hagrid to sit down too. When he did Harry said…

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

"They think, that something I was or did blockade this dark lord ? And the intellect people are staring at me is because I'm some sorting of celebrity-hero ? And everyone in your world knows this ? Including the people I'm going to be going to schoolhouse with ? And this dingy wizard may still be out there somewhere ? Have I got this right ?"

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

On the way back down the street Harry deliberately kept his hair up off his scar. People stared, he would ingest to get used to it.


Chapter 2 : The toaders

Hagrid spoke to the barkeep at the leaky cauldron before leaning down to mouth to Harry.

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

So that was how it came to clear that Harry slept at the talebearing cauldron that dark, tired from a day that had held more surprises than, well, than the balance of his lifetime put together. Harry kicked off the blanket when he began sweating and lay back with his hands behind his head. His tired body fought his buzzing head as it churned through the days divine revelation. But as the clock crept past eleven Harry's body began to win and his eyes drooped.

He dreamt of wands and magician and rocketing handcart that flew past his eyes chased by broomsticks. But most of all he kept turning and turning the story Hagrid had told him through his brain just as he had when he was awake. Again and again a dark figure killed a man, then a charwoman then touched him on the straits with his wand. Sometimes the man was Hagrid, his huge bulk blowing away like dust in a news bulletin of light, sometimes the man looked like Harry, but older, thick. The killer was worse, sometimes it was just a dark force, a undulation. Sometimes it looked human, like a villain off TV, decked out in Fang and a cloak as it killed a womanhood who looked like Madam Malkin. Sometimes it had red middle. Once, it was Harry.

Harry jerked awake and saw that it was still dark outside. He had sweated despite ridding himself of the cover charge and scrambled to the windowpane to afford it. Dim light filtered in from the edges of a sky not quite gear up for sunrise. Harry turned and looked over his way, barely glimpsed the night before. It was panelled in oak and the article of furniture was all of the intemperate wooden sort. The bed had a canopy around it that Harry had failed to conclude last night, he noted in passing that the under weather sheet was twisted as if the sleeper had squirmed in the night.

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

He idly looked through bags, sorting clobber into piles and chuckling as they brought back recollections of various episodes of the previous day, the calamus the market keeper had tried to collapse him free when a streamer from a fan blew back his whisker, the potion ingredients Hagrid had had to go back in to get after the crocodile eye episode. When he finally had all he owned in deal in front of him he pulled over a chair and sat down in front of it, considering his dilemma. The largest big money by far, dwarfing his new robes in weight if not in size of it, was the books.

This really was a quandary for Harry. Having not had cause to read anything longer than a time or two in three years Harry was painfully cognisant that those books would be seriously heavy going. Checking his ticket again ( from another pile ) Harry counted years and came up with XXX eight. He counted them again and came up with 30 seven. He did a slight rhyme in his head to remember how many 24-hour interval august had and came up with thirty eight again. He wondered how much a room for Thomas More than a calendar month had cost and whether he could carry all his books about on the streets and realised that Hagrid had probably paid in onward motion to check him doing just that. The groundskeeper was surprisingly shrewd about some things.

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

"Wow,"he thought grinning"All it takes is just a huge pile of atomic number 79 and suddenly you can't miss two meals. Weakling."

Harry lay back for a moment and closed his center, then swung forward and pulled a volume off the top of the voltaic pile. After a moment he replaced it, shuffled through till he found the one with the word founder in the form of address and started on that. After a moment he put that back too and found the one that said grade-one. After a minute he leaned back and put his feet up. He had finally managed to read the first conviction in one of his books. It was a start.

*

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

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

The way revealed to him, Harry stepped out onto the bustling street. Harry bought a folded-pastry thing at a pushcart and was surprised to get wind it was pumpkin. He walked along staring in windows at the various curio until he reached Gringots. Gaining this familiar terra firma Harry climbed to the top of the stairs, sat down and finished his pastry where he could see everyone amount and go. Eventually he got out his book and read a chapter on something called alohomora without taking it in before shouldering his bag again and walking back into the crowd.

Harry followed a formula like this for the side by side few days, going out in the aurora and soaking in the mess of Diagonally until he was sure he knew the place by heart, The standard Word of spell ( degree one ) by Miranda Goshawk was finished and replaced back by A beginners guide to metamorphosis by Emeric Switch which was itself replace after a much longer interval ( the leger was foresighted and had none of the helpful diagrams Miranda Goshawk had added to her Book ) by one about Fungi.

Harry was just grinding through a particularly irksome passage about moss after a tenacious 24-hour interval walk when he heard a tapping on the window. A Brown and cream flecked owl with long legs stood on the windowsill. The window was clear but the owl just kept sitting there, cocking its forefront at him until Harry motioned the bird to come in. It ducked under the windowpane anatomy and hopped onto the base where it scuttled up to the desk and raised itself up to it in one dither. Careful to avoid disturbing any of Harry's stuff it walked over to him and held out a letter it had clutched in its claw. Harry took it and the owl hopped back but still stood there, regarding Harry carefully. When he looked it in the eyes it ducked its head and took another step back but didn't leave. Harry felt into his pocket and found the clay of his ham sandwich dejeuner which he opened and placed near the owl. The owl looked at it but seemed too nervous to take it. Shrugging, Harry opened the alphabetic character. In writing almost as bad as his own Harry read…


Dear Harry
Happy birthday. Sorry I couldn't be there in person but what with the shoal class just starting there's lots to do at Hogwarts. There was a classroom on the tertiary floor full-of-the-moon of flesh eating slugs. Anyway I sent you your present. ( Harry checked inside the gasbag and read on bewildered ) Unless you're wondering why the owls still hanging around it's because she's yours. ( Ahh, thought Harry, glancing at the queasy razzing ) The cage and hooey should be coming soon too. If you want to compose to me just leave her a letter, she'll know where to witness me. Once again Happy Birthday.

Hagrid


Harry folded the varsity letter up carefully and turned to look at the owl. It really wasn't that enceinte in the body but had long spindly legs that looked like they belonged on a wading bird. Harry slowly put his arm out and scratched the incline of the owls oral sex. She went stiff for a here and now then relaxed and cocked her oral sex under his scratching fingers. After a little while the owl managed to pluck up the courage to take a bit of ham off the table and swallow it totally. The next day he took her to eyelops owl emporium where they told him she was a burrowing owl. In light of this he named her Digger. The clerk said that that was the most unimaginative name he'd ever heard. Harry stuck his lingua out at him and left the shop.

About a week after that Harry snapped shut the binding of the last book in his pile. He put it carefully on top of the others and sat there for a while collecting his thought. Then he leaned forward, placed a hand firmly on the underside of the bundle and turned it over. power shovel hooted from her cage as Harry sat back down to read.

*

September the first bloomed bright and other but Harry was already up. His bag was stuffed to the brim with his schoolhouse clothed and books and his cauldron tied on the outside and he carried digger in her batting cage in one paw. Harry walked Diagonally one lastly time to say good-bye to the masses he'd met on his walks, Greeklunk at gringots, the fruit vendor he chatted to when he got bored of his books and finally to Tom the barman before walking back out into the muggle world.

business leader cross was not far away. But with an owl in a cage and a full bag even a short way can seem too far and Harry was tired when he reached it.

"Half an 60 minutes to go."Harry checked his ticket."Easier to hold off on the train than out here ”. He walked down the platform past platform eight, preceding platform nine, retiring program ten, back past political platform ten, stop, look left, look right.

A profanity slipped from Harry's mouth that made a passer-by grumble and frown. There was no platform nine-and-three-quarters, at least not one he could see. Harry had walked the duration of platforms nine and ten before he saw an odd mass moving towards him. A man dressed in a black cape, attracting many stares from passers by, herded a white-blond haired child towards the platform. They were followed by a tired looking man carrying a gravid travel chest and ( and this was the bit Harry was looking at ) a large owl in a John Cage. As the leash drew stuffy Harry heard the boy say…

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

"Hello."From the icy look in the human beings eyes not a dear start but he pressed on."I couldn't help but overhear that last bit and it occurred to me that you might be the sort of people who could show me the way to platform nine-and-three-quarters."There, that was innocent enough, if they weren't hotshot they'd just think he was an changeling. The man looked him up and down slowly.

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

"diddly !"Harry was thumped on the shoulder and spun around to look into the freckled face of one of the Gemini from the leaky cauldron the first time he had passed through there. They were followed by an older teenager, possibly even more freckled than them and a young one bringing up the rear end. Behind them was a plump woman, angry at being left in charge of a whole flotilla of baggage tram while her sons ran off and a little little girl hanging on to her hand.

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

"The guy from the talebearing cauldron"The Twin Falls to his right added as if finishing the sentence.

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

"Lots of the great unwashed aren't Harry Potter."Said Harry with a smile."It's hardly an accolade."("Now how the snake pit am I gon'a be able-bodied to evidence them the truth."Thought Harry. )

"full point bothering him dears, and use up you're handcart back."The mother had joined them and was pushing them towards the chopine."We haven't got time for dawdling."Harry walked with the crowd to the gap between political platform nine and platform ten trying to work out a way to differentiate them.

"You know, about the unscathed Harry ceramist thing."Harry said but was silenced as the sure-enough brother took his cart and walked straight through the wall. Harry's shock absorber must have came through on his face because the female parent said.

"offset time to Hogwarts dear ?"

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

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

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

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

"Skull still whole ?"Harry asked him and got a grinning in return key. Harry wandered down the platform and got in a seemingly empty carriage. He saw the platinum haired boy from the platform talking to Blaise Zabini and hastily got back down. The future few carriage he checked were occupied by masses already talking and chatting and showing each other pictures. Harry reached the end of the caravan and was on his way back when he spotted the boy, Ron, walking along in front of him checking each compartment. Harry walked up and moved into footstep with him.

"I think everywhere's taken"Harry said as they checked another compartment only to find a group of one-seventh years in serious word over a newspaper. Harry hefted his bag higher onto his shoulder and held the door to the future compartment candid for Ron and his huge trunk.

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

"I like to move light."Harry said, they leaned against the rampart for a moment as a gaggle of older educatee passed."Makes it easier to run from hassle. Besides, I don't have enough poppycock to fill one o'those things."Harry nodded towards the trunk.

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

"Well, see the thing about that is."No welcome distraction here."My names not actually Jack."Seeing Ron's perplexed face he continued."You get wind how your sidekick met me right."( nod )."How masses thought I was Harry Potter and turned and looked at me ?"( nod )."Well, try and see it from my perspective, you're suddenly in a new place with lots of people staring at you."( dumb stare )."What would you have told them ?"He lapsed into silence as Ron stared at him for a moment.

"So what you're saying is… that you really are Harry ceramist ?"Ron laughed and told him it was a skillful joke, he laughed right up until Harry pushed his outskirt up and showed Ron the scar on his forehead. Bokkos eyes widened like lamps and his laughter caught in his throat and got turned into a fit of coughing that Harry had to slap him on the back to get him out off."You really are him ?"

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

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

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

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

"I remember being hurt. zero else really."They walked on in quiet for a while.

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

"You're pal ?"

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

"knock yourself out, only don't, really. Once had a ally who did that, lost part of his store and forgot six."Harry launched into one of his ludicrous and totally fictional stories.

"Forgot six ? Six what ?"

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

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

"course of instruction not. Believe me. This guy was for real, plus if you mentioned to him that if there wasn't a six then where did sixteen and sixty come from ? He'd get a headache and bear to go sit down. Was awful at keeping appointments too, on history of missing Saturday. Even tough he was scared of dice. Seemed to think they should be made triangular."Harry launched further into the news report, dreaming up more wildly unlikely condition when he glanced into a nearby compartment and saw familiar faces.

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

*

He opened the room access and looked in on the twinned young woman ( I'm encounter a lot of Twins ) he'd met in diagonally's pill pusher."Hi."Harry said by way of initiation,"head if we sit down here ? I could juggle again by way of payment ?"The girls giggled and Harry moved into the compartment and helped Ron put his huge torso in the overhead compartment. He waited until Ron had introduced himself before adding…"and my names Harry, Harry Potter."

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

"There wasn't meter, what with the being thrown out of the shop and all. Don't worry about that this time, I plan to outride at Hogwarts at to the lowest degree a few days before getting thrown."The Twins laughed, that was how to do it. differentiate a trick just after you say your name ‘ cos you can't gasp and laugh at the same time."And anyway, you didn't tell me your gens either."

"Well I'm Padma, and this is Annapurna Patil."Said Padma before her Sister added"Do you have the scar ?"Harry obligingly lifted his hair and let it fall back."Wow."The Twin looked at one another then broke out into giggles. But Parvati added through the gag,"I expected you to be taller though."Harry looked around and realised he was the scant somebody in a fifty percentage girl way then shrugged.

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

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

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

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

"Two of those please."Harry said, pointing at the cakes. Ron mumbled that he had brought sandwiches but the counterpart seemed to have worked out all the stuff they were getting in procession and amassed a small-scale mass of their dearie in strawman of them. As the tramcar moved away Harry held up one of his bar and said."Now, can anyone tell me what the underworld I just bought ?"

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

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

"What do you mean ?"said Parvati.

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

"I didn't originate up with sorcerer, or witches or dragons or giants."Harry gestured widely at the surrounding area."Welcome to my journey of constant revelation. I'm just waiting for the extraterrestrial being to jump off out with loony toons and all will be complete."He stopped and waited on their obscure stares.

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

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

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

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

"So, you lived alone ?"Anapurna broke the quiet."Without a kinsfolk ?"

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

"Yes without a family, yes without a home."Harry's core began to speed and he could sense the sweat from their stares. He fumbled in his pocket and brought out two juggling balls and began to bounce them in one hand, he could find the stress ebbing, relaxing, growing minuscule but still sitting there, in the back of his thinker, weighing it down. It had been quiet too long, pee-pee them talk again."Neat report yeah ?"Harry said pocketing the balls."Anyway its not as bad as you think, I think I had a fiddling avail after I left my aunty and uncle's."

"What do you think of ?"Ron leaned forward, his sass total of sandwich.

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

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

"Yep,"Harry smiled happily."I used to mean I was prosperous, born lucky, you know ? Any fourth dimension I was really in trouble like, like with the police ("police ? !"gasped Ron, The twin eyes went wide with shock. ) something always happened. Like a gate I'd just ran through locked and barred itself behind me, or a water main bursting right hand under a cop-car."

"Were they hurt ?"Ron looked aghast.

"Nah, just broke the car. Still, none of those were as good as this one time."Harry motioned for the others to lean in and they obliged, now wrapped up in his story."I was being chased by this gang o'drunken guy right ? Chasing me over some small subject of piddling importance that was blown far, far out of proportion."

"What did you do ?"Padma said flatly.

"I said their mothers must take in been sheep and for no rationality they took it as an insult."Harry shook his head ruefully"Some masses have no sense of humour, they took it totally out of context. Anyway, normally I have no worry outdistancing drink pie-eyed yobs but in this case I was in a contribution of town I hadn't been in before and I found myself in the untenable emplacement of facing a dead end with six of the idiots tearing down on me."

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

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

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

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

"Of course, if they'd just had the smarts to rent their shoes off I'd have been a goner, but with a trivial service from the inebriant they'd sot that didn't occur and I was safe to splay away."Harry laughed and after a moment his friends laughed too. Harry could commend that night clearly, he hadn't laughed then. He'd cried and ran and shivered through his pelage. He hadn't slept that night either, he hadn't felt safe too but instead had just ran and ran until his stage gave out and he crawled into a patch of shadows and to lie there trembling. Laughter was easy after but he would never forget the fear.

"That's nothing."Ron said, clearly trying to top Harry."One prison term when I was out on my broom…"He got no further into his level as the threshold slid open to disclose a nervous looking kid with a chubby typeface and watery eyes.

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

"No, I haven't."Harry looked over Ron, Parvati and Padma to see a refrain of shaking psyche."No, he hasn't been in here… But."Harry added as the male child eyes started to well up again."I could help you look if you like."Parvati was fast to add that she'd avail too. Padma sighed but repeated what her Sister said. Ron said nothing and rolled his eyes.

But the Weasley was outnumbered and so The inner circle started off down the corridor, Harry idly juggling and starting another of his staple fib, Padma and Anapurna listening intently, Neville ( the toadless curiosity ) had stopped crying and was even smiling at the tale and Ron bringing up the rear, trying to act this wasn't better than sitting in a cabin.

*

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Who do you mean you're talking to."Said the boy, ignoring the fact that the great unwashed in nearby cabins had opened their doors to take heed."I am Draco Malfoy, my father is Lucius Malfoy, you'd best not make enemies you can't sight with mudblood."Once again the word produced a response, even from the people in the cabins. Most of them erupted in angered muttering, a few looked at Malfoy proudly."Anyway, I don't see why I'm wasting clock time with the ilk of you. There's a rumour that Harry ceramicist is on the train."That set off a unlike kind of reaction, a frenzied pant and hasty, whispered conversation."And I'm trying to find him before he falls in with ragtag like you."

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

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

"Oh yeah, I think their great. I have no melodic theme what they are but since you seem to detest them so much and god truth, the more I see of you the more I seem to hate your intestine I can be sure enough I'll love ‘ em to routine. Now, would you beware moving, I have toads to find, and all I'm finding here are worms."Harry pointed straight at Malfoy and then to the English of the baby carriage. Malfoy remained stock still. The equipage had gone deadly quiet.

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

"Harry potter. Nice to meet you."genus Draco's eyes went across-the-board and the compartments once more began whispering."This is Ron Weasly and Neville Longbottom, and Padma and Parvati Patil."Harry advanced on the blond haired kid before him and waved his hired hand at the titan bodyguards."Now, aren't you going to enclose me to you're friends…pets…companions. Interesting how you managed to fit two hippos into uniforms, you would take in thought the shadower would get in the way."Then Harry noticed the master key cerebrovascular accident, a small green lump near Malfoys boot. He stooped, swiped it up and held it for all to see.

"Trevor !"Cried Neville happily.

"Look at this guys, it's even break than I thought. Malfoy…"He jabbed his ovolo behind him,"…actually attracts ugly beast. He doesn't need to assay them out, they come to him ! I wonder why that is ? I think…"Harry went on in a point whisper"… that it might be the smell."He just had time to see the laughter erupt before something hit him in the back of the head.

*

Harry went down hard and felt a system of weights land on top of him. It felt like both the hippos were on him, punching and kneeing for all they were worth. Harry kicked up and when one flinched back he rolled out from under and turned his whorl into a startle to his feet. He saw one of the child trying to rise and pushed him back down on top of his friend. At that moment he felt hot flicker singe his neck and smelled burnt hair and turned to see Malfoy standing there with verge drawn, the hold up faint glow just fading from the tip. Harry looked around and saw that no one had moved. The thing had happened in second. Then suddenly one of the onlooker glanced down the carriage, yelled

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

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

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

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

*

Harry's hand drifted through the water, forgotten, as he stared out from the sauceboat he, Ron and the twins had shared. All talk had just been lost as they rounded a promontory and saw in the distance, their destination. Hogwarts, it sprawled over the Edwin Herbert Land on one face of the lake, a Brobdingnagian support or rook with tall, goad towboat and titan Hall. Every window glowed from within and fall beam of light of light out like searchlights. Harry had never seen anything like it. He wondered for a moment whether that was because it was magic, certainly some of the towers looked like they couldn't be supported by just endocarp and mortar.

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

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

"postponement till you get inside."Ron grinned,"Fred and George told me everything about it. Apparently the stairs movement and there's arcanum passages everywhere."Harry made a mental note to find oneself all of them."And there's brute in the donjon that the teachers don't know about, and there a elbow room full of treasure in one of the wall. Fred and George said they 'd birth got it out by now if it wasn't guarded by a monster."

"That's a bunch of pig poo."Parvati scoffed ( Harry chuckled at the absurdly mild profanity ) as they stepped out of the sauceboat onto a landing."My friend's in her third class and she once told me Fred and George V Weasly were the self-aggrandising jokers and the fully grown liar in the totally school."Ron bristled and was about to retort when Harry said

"From what I've seen of you're brothers Ron, they'd take that as a complement."Ron turned on him and was about to retort when he suddenly looked thoughtful and nodded his oral sex. Harry suddenly grinned and spread his implements of war above his header. Then he let himself fall slowly, forward then curled, put his manus down and stood straight like a needle with his toes pointed up at the sky."But I don't think they'll take this so easy…"Harry pushed up and landed back on his fundament to meet astonished stares,"…if they do hold the prankster crown they'd better enjoy it while they can ‘ cos I'm on the scene now."Harry put his paw on his pelvic arch and licked his social movement teethh."And they ain't seen nothing yet."

*

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

"You're already planning to go shoal rules and you're not even past the sorting yet."Harry turned, praying he was wrong about recognising the voice."I have half a judgment to differentiate the schoolmaster about you right now."Prayers unanswered. The voice came from the bushy haired daughter from diagonally who was standing with her hands on her articulatio coxae facing them as the other initiatory geezerhood filed past down the corridor.

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

"You should all keep away from him."The female child ignored Harry and addressed the other toad hunter."You could all get into Brobdingnagian trouble."With that the young lady turned and marched off after the initiative years. Meanwhile Harry turned back to the others.

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

"Oh, so we don't we want to be named after a winning team ?"That could have come to blow without Harry's mood- lightening ability. Even after a lot of other options ( some very cool, Harry held out for the gens the toaders for a long meter, Neville had suggested it but it did trace them up to now ) one name seemed to flummox and, even when other options came up they still found themselves using that one ( except for comic force, when Harry still used the toaders. ). It felt right somehow, like they had already been using it and just hadn't known it.

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

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

*

They stepped into the majuscule hall in a row and giggled when they gasped in tandem. The sight was awe inspiring, the vast table of scholar staring and pointing, lighted by hundreds of floating candles and even in force, Harry's center travelled upwards and he smiled in enraptured wonder. The night sky greeted him above, every star bright and exculpated like a back-lit diamond. Like atomic number 79 dust. Having never been far out of the M25 Harry had grown up with streetlamps and light contamination. The asterisk were gifts, just one more than thing he wanted to thank this seat for.

He quietened as an one-time witch carried an old hat out to the stage and set it down on a faecal matter. She straightened and delivered her instructions in a potato chip, effective voice and the student residence instantly became silent. Harry thought he saw the hat move then turned back to the enchantress. But no ! it had moved, and now it split down a ridge and opened like a mouth to say…


Lasting thousands years and more
By the illustrious Hogwarts four
The houses of renown

Each one of award true and grand
And at their birth you understand
My job was then set down

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

To Griffindor
The lions roar
The brave and boldface dwell there

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

To Hufflepuff
Of sterner stuff
The loyal and the just

Or Slytherin
The wits to win
Where craft is a must

These four alone await you here
And I can pick out,
just volunteer
Nothing to fear
Just lend an ear
I'm quite sincere
Can't hold to see them jump and pep up !

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

"Funny yeah !"Ron leaned over to Harry.

"Not really."Harry had taken the shorty folks comment a bit personally. He was also deeply apprehensive that, of all the verbal description mentioned in the song, cunning described him break than Isaac Mayer Wise or steadfast and definitely honest than brave. When Harry looked over to the Slytherin mesa he recognised some of the mass who had cheered Malfoy on the train.

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

He could swear he felt eyes on the back of his psyche but when he turned around the only person there was a cut, nervous looking star in a turban chatting to a lank-haired and sallow-faced prof. The lank-haired teachers optic flicked to his face, then to his forehead and Harry turned back quickly. Just in time to hear the first public figure called out.

*

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

Each mortal chosen prompted a new batch of cheering from the house they were chosen for. Harry had the insane urge to get out his juggling balls just to relive his focus but knew he couldn't, not under all those centre. A moment later he recognised Hermione walking up to the president and sitting, jamming on the vocalizing hat, a few moments later and the hat pronounced her a Gryffindor and she ran down to the tabular array. The next person he recognised was Neville, he tried to keep out away all his nervousness and give Neville an promote wave as he walked past, ashen faced. After what must have been min the hat sent Neville to Gryffindor too and the relief on his face was clearly visible.

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

"Harry Potter !"

"Alright."Thought Harry"If there was ever a meter you needed to preserve you're cool. This is that time."He made himself swagger a niggling as he walked over to the electric chair through the whispering and stares then forced himself to grin as he dropped the hat on his headspring. The dark was receive as the hat slid over his oculus but then…

"Hm… Another dodgy one."It was the voice of the hat, but quieter now, and coming from just outside his ear."Good mind but underused, fast soul but no gift loyalty, and with your fears…"

"Hey !"Thought Harry, for a instant more angry than frightened."Who the hell said you could look around in my brain anyway ! That stuffs bloody private !"The hat seemed amused.

"I only look to put you where you'd fit in practiced, it's in your best sake you know. To go with people who understand you, whose thinker are like your own, good of cunning ways, hidden paths, early way of life to get what you want. I can direct you where you'll fit in, where you'll notice Quaker, in the menage of Salazar Sl ..."But Harry cut him off.

"That's enough ! I will not let myself be placed in a firm of dark ace and disgusting people !"Harry thought angrily."I don't see what gives you the right to opt either. I chose my course ! Always ! If you looked a footling foster in my brain you'd see the right field o'that ! I chose to bequeath home ! I chose to get here ! No parent ! no guide ! I made my own way here, ME ! Its my life and I want to go to Gry ..."

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

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

*

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

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

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

He looked very old but he stood without a stoop and had straightened smoothly. His hair and beard were snowy livid and tied into two arse, one down the front, one down the backrest. As he surveyed the hall, Harry could take in sworn the mans eyes fixed on him for a split moment before moving on.

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

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

"One piece of advice comes to me at this time."The old mans vocalism sounded faintly amused, like he knew something funny remark that everyone else didn't."hungry children listen only to their grumbling stomachs. With that in mind, rapier in !"Harry saw the plates in front end of him fill with everything imaginable. home plate of meat and potatoes piled high, and pitcherful full moon of juices and Milk River. Harry looked so long he didn't pawl that everyone else had started.

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

"I have a few announcements to make. Firstly, that get-go days are reminded that they are not allowed their own broom, that kickoff and second long time are forbidden to enter Hogsmead village, that all students are forbidden to put down the forbidden forest and that anyone with any good sense of self preservation should fend off the tertiary floor corridor on the good hand side. Thank you."

"one-third storey corridor ?"Said Ron."Hey George ! Fred !"He yelled down the board at his buddy."What's on this third flooring corridor ?"

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

"Is little Ron scared ?"Added his crony laughing. Ron turned back sullenly.

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

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

"Their concealment something."Said Annapurna confidently."There's something powerful they're researching and they want to keep it secret, there's no danger."

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

"well of form if Dumbledore says it then it must be reliable. He couldn't possibly he lying or exaggerating to earn for certain nobody goes up there."Padma raised an supercilium at Ron."That would just be silly."

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

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

*

But there was little chance for Harry to carry through on his hope for the world-class few days, object lesson followed lesson and Harry found himself challenged to keep up. Everything in the books he'd read seemed to nominate about one one-hundredth of what they needed to sleep with and each new conception sent him out from the lesson scratching his oral sex back to the Good Book and then to the new single he'd got out of the library.

The simply reason he wasn't totally swamped was that after every day he could return to the Gryffindor plebeian room and sit down on the table that had already been designated, even by quondam students, the Marauders table. On his second day Harry had simply invaded this table and pulled four former hot seat around it, plopped his bag down and waited. By day four it was established and the piazza reserved.

It was near enough to the fervency to be warmed by it and was constantly piled with their books and old bag, whatever sweets they had each donated to the pot, a necromancer chess game set in permanent wave muddiness, at least one copy of Witch Weekly and, more often than not, Trevor. And under the pile, between the pages of the book of account or hidden in dulcet neglige there were maps, inside information, reputation and ideas.

The five of them would mold on the mean solar day burdensome preparation till the common elbow room began to void, then the record would close and the work would begin in earnest. It had moved beyond the third base corridor of course, there were plans to get into filch office, McGonagall's agency, each of the early common rooms, plans to curse masses ( 99 % of those people being Slytherins and 80 % of them being Malfoy ) and plans to find all the secret handing over of the school.

Harry laughed more than he ever had before and did tricks as they planned. Harry had never believed that Hogwarts could be like this, friends everywhere and a fiesta at every meal. Even the lessons couldn't put a dent in this. Then, on Friday, Harry awoke from sleep after a particularly honorable provision school term and went downstairs to breakfast. If Harry had had a single prophetical pearl in his body he would deliver shivered when looking at his days timetable.

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

*

"Potion qualification is as… beautiful a science as it exact. As deadly as it is coordination compound and as operose to teach as it is rewarding to those who have the talent, and the predisposition to do so."

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

"For those lucky enough to be able to surpass in my subject."The come-on nosed, sallow faced professor continued."It will reap them rewards far beyond any puerile charm or spell. What spell can fill the ancestry with fire, can kill mum as a mouse, can fan life back into what former spells would hold a corpse, can transmit someone into so deep a nap they will never awake."

"I don't know any turn for the last one but his vocalization is doing a pretty undecomposed job so far."Padma whispered and Harry had to bite his amphetamine lip to hold back the audio in. They had been set at a desk thankfully near the back of the class and could look clear across the whole form to where the teacher, one Severus Snape, stalked in front of the chalkboard. The cause they were laughing so hard was that, before the lesson, Ron's brothers had treated them to an picture of Snape which, at the time, they had thought was an exaggeration.

"But nigh of you will not own that skill and will doubtless find yourself confused… baffled… and, if prior disasters are any reading, severely fire in this schoolroom. If that is the compositor's case then I ask that you don't hesitate to arrive to me for help."("WHAT ?"Harry's dumbfounded expression was mirrored on every face in the family )"And I will assure you what I tell all the other students stupid enough to add up to me. ‘ I don't CARE.'” The teacher waved his wand at the table and some instructions appeared there.

Later in the moral, when Snape was making his rounds around the desks staring at everyone's caldron and making derogatory comments to everyone not in viridity trimmed robes, Harry made a point of looking Snape directly in the centre as he passed by and smiling from ear to ear.

"Something queer Potter."read/write head turned to look out."You see something you find amusing ?"

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

"A country of function I foresee happening frequently. Lashkar-e-Toiba see if we can speed things up a small. Tell me…"Snape's back snapped straight like a willow branchlet and he looked down at Harry."What would I get if I added powdered radical of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood ?"

"gulp of living death."Harry's prior-reading-parachute deployed on cue to save him."A quiescence potion."

"Incorrect."Snape glowered.

"Excuse me."The annoying twist to the words… the self-important accent… Hermione sat at the adjacent table over and was turned towards Harry and Snape."The answer is the Draft of living Death. A sleep potion mightily en…"

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

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

"fountainhead you were a bit nervy to leave off the Sir."Hermione said primly and folded her coat of arms. Behind her on her table Lavender Brown University ( not a toader but a friend of Padma and Parvati. Harry had promised to teach her to beguile once and was now trying to find a way to wiggle out of it ) rolled her optic."But it shouldn't have been ten point in time, maybe five."

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

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

While failing to make his potion Harry thought carefully, Hermione didn't go around with anyone, she didn't sit with the Same people in any two classes, he'd never seen her talking in the common room with anyone. In fact, the only sentence he'd seen her out of course of study was when he took volume out of the library, then she was always there, with her head oceanic abyss in progressively thicker books.

"That doesn't mean value she doesn't have friends."opinion Harry while crushing porcupine quills."She could get it on citizenry in other years from before she came here."

"She's muggle-born."Another contribution of his brain said"How would she already have friends at a whiz school."

"Oh…"Harry looked over at Hermione and Lavender, only talking to reference the pedagogy on the board and at other multiplication Hermione was craned over her book and Lavender over hers.

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

*

Harry tried to peach to Hermione respective clock time over the next few workweek but she always just ignored him or ran off. spoilt, Padma and Anapurna had told him she had taken to crying in the daughter can during prison-breaking and after lessons.

"Maybe you could do something."Harry pointed out during a belated September even after a particularly successful joke of some fifth year Slytherins"You sleep in the Saame bloody room. Surely you talk to her."

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

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

"Why do you deal anyway ?"Ron asked him pointedly."If she wanted people to care her she wouldn't be so cohere up. If she keeps pushing hoi polloi away it's probably because she doesn't want friends."Parvati and Padma nodded sadly but Neville ( quiet on the pursuit as always ) gave a small shake of his head. forlornness was easier to understand from experience than from observation.

"No reasonableness really, it's just we've got to live with the rest of our year for the following seven years and that'll be easier if were at least on speakin'terms with them."The others seemed to accept this partial derivative explanation. The verity of the topic was Harry didn't want to see anybody lonely either.

*

Harry decided to try a more direct approach. The side by side day, after lessons but before dinner party, Harry went down to the library and approached the now intimate sight of a pile of Word of God and Hermione. He pulled up a chair and sat about a third base of the way around the table from her.

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

"look, you can't keep going like this forever. humanity need to tattle to former human race or they go crazy."Harry twirled a finger near his ear and let his center go crossed."Anyway don't you…"

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



Harry stood there for a moment feeling worthless then turned and walked out of the library. But that wasn't the last he'd see of Hermione that day, a little later when Harry was on a investigatory charge ("I swear polecat keeps a spare key in one of the janitors closets."Ron had said. Harry had agreed to appear into it without realising how very many janitors cupboard there were and what unpleasant feel inhabited them ) he passed a doorway to an obsolete classroom and heard voices inside.

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

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

"Give it back you foul, loathsome thing !"

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

"What an worry papers mudblood. Flitwick would have been astounded with it. Probably would have got earned you a few sign of the zodiac points eh ? Except you won't be capable to give it to him. Unreliable as you mudbloods are, saying you'll do something then not having even a bingle tabloid to hand in. Terrible."Harry heard sobs from inside and redoubled his elbow grease at the room access. Was n't there a spell called allohamora ? Harry flicked his verge out and tried to cast it. Nothing happened. He tried again. null. Oh damnit ! This was n't one of the room access that would n't open ! This was one of the paries that look like a door. Harry peered through the keyhole to try to see another room access. Malfoy was holding up the papers for Hermione to see and said,

"Then I'll say ‘ Oh professor, if you wanted someone to write up that you should've asked me. I've been researching it. Just in my save time of course. Thanks for the house distributor point mudblood."Harry heard another doorway open then close and ran in the direction of the speech sound. Malfoy and his minions were already out of visual sense so Harry quietly opened the room access and went in. Hermione was slumped in a pile in the middle of the story. He approached carefully and tried to think of something to say.

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

"Shut up ! You're as bad as he is ! Breaking rule and playing pranks ! You can't talking !"Hermione ran out of the room leaving Harry speechless. Harry stood for the longest time in the middle of the deserted schoolroom before walking slowly back to the Gryffindor common room. The marauder stopped talking when they saw his face, a mix of wrath and pain. They all looked to him as he sat down.

"Forget all the early plans."Harry's vocalization was grave-quiet but his centre had a wicked gleam."We're breakage in the Slytherin common room. Tonight."The expostulation washed over him from the others ; they weren't ready, they hadn't planned, tomorrow was Hallowe'en and they needed to be rested for the company and well-nigh of all they could run into Snape. Harry sighed inwardly and began to assure the full story as quickly as he could. It was already getting dark, and they had places to be…





Authers note
Hi, thought i should leave an note eventually. Review if you have time, this is my initiative fable so please feel free to tell me how auful it is.



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

"Of course of study we'll be caught if you don't shut up Neville !"Padma held her hand over Neville's rima oris and pulled him further into the closet. Harry waved them both to stay put still and peered back out through the keyhole. Filches lantern glow was far up the corridor but he waited a ripe reckoning of thirty before pushing the door open and leading the others out. In the end the selection for his companion were unproblematic, he couldn't take more than two or they'd be seen for sure and they needed some multitude to stay in the uncouth way to vouch for them if interrogative were asked. The others had reluctantly agreed and then it became a matter of who was going. Despite Neville's own arguments Harry insisted he was the perfect scout.

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

As for Padma, she was the only when one who could reliably see the Slytherin keep since she had been in electric charge of that specific piece of recognisance and after all, she had been the one to find out the password. Harry had been incredibly impressed until she revealed that she had just gone up and asked Goyle.

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

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

"Mico Neville"Harry muttered, sending the signal, and having his own wand vibrate as a reply. It was the best way to send signaling, the person had to be within ten or so meters but it was virtually silent. Harry crept towards the wall and stepped aside so that Padma could give the Password.

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

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

It was dark but not deliver. A few dying embers in the vast marble fireplace gave an baleful glow. All the furniture was large and dark, and in the bad Christ Within it looked oddly threatening, looming like drop-off above the creeping children. Padma tugged at Harrys robe and as he looked back she waved her hand in front end of her eyes and shook her fountainhead. She couldn't see. Harry knew his center were undecomposed by Night and he kept forgetting the residual of his clan didn't share the benefits of his previous, main lifestyle. Harry guided her to a wall and put her behind a bulwark suspension, sitting near a large urn unpleasantly decorated to resemble a holler face. Harry placed Padma's scepter in her mitt and looked at her face before leaving. She was wearing a determined expression but her eyes were all-inclusive and she was breathing hard.

"No shame to plump for out."Harry whispered in her ear, for the first time having dubiety about tonight's venture."I did kinda throw everyone in at the deep end today."

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

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

*

Harry had to chuckle as his fingers found a doorknob in the iniquity. What he had thought would be the intemperately share had turned out to be the easiest. They had debated for eld how to feel out which room was Malfoy's, from bribing someone to covering his place with ultraviolet ink but it had been all for aught. Harry checked the plaque nameplate on the door and chuckled again before moving into the room. Like a specter, Harry tried not to even think loudly. Like a ghost, here then gone, no trace. The room was declamatory for a undivided person room, enceinte even than the one in Gryffindor pillar he shared with four other people.

"Can't make precious pet Malfoy portion a room."Harry sneered in the wickedness. If there had been a way to silently trash the place he would have done so, instead he began looking around for the project. He slid his deal onto shelves and held theme up in the Moon to scan the concealment. The only time he stopped was when he was searching by Malfoy's bed and saw something on the back. He'd had to double up to keep from laughing and he'd felt like every mineral vein would burst. Malfoy had taken his chemise to school with him.

Harry could see a clock on the mantel, the paw glowing faintly in the dark and saw that he didn't have practically time left. For a import he stopped looking and just stood in the darkness to think. There was no way he could search the whole topographic point, not going as slowly as he had to to avoid detection.

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

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

*

Fear wasn't what he needed now, neither was a mad dash. Running now was the last thing he wanted to do… Just weirdie back through the room access and go quietly down the stairs. Down the steps to where there's a light on. Harry crouched at the top of the stairwell and shielded his heart to keep up his night visual sensation before sliding a flyspeck periscope between the banisters ("Do you run whole toyshops around in you're pockets ?"Parvati had said when he showed them some of his tools like the periscope."You never know when this clobber'll come in handy."Harry winked and twirled a lock pick between his fingers. ) The tiny mirror-pipe revealed a low cluster of fifth class who looked like they had just come in. They began talking loudly about some tidings or other and Harry carefully slid back from the edge. Now what ? He didn't have the project, and his way out was now blocked. fudge factor, his and Padmas direction out were now blocked. Harry slid back to the edge, the Slytherins seemed to be settling down for a night of raucous behavior as they lounged in the with child death chair with a feeding bottle of something, probably stolen from the kitchens. If they were distracted ? If Harry waited until they simply drank themselves into a shock ? Perhaps they'd go to bed soon ? Harry cursed as he saw one of them detach themselves from the group and weave uncertainly towards the stairs.

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



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

"She's making a beguilement !"Harry cursed"dullard ! Stupid ! I told them ‘ no nobility during stickup !'” Harry at least had the presence of head to wrap his scarf around his face and hallmark forehead before standing up and yelling…

"Oh no they're awake !"Harry gestured at fanciful figures in the empty dorm behind him"Go ! Run !"Harry had time to see the drunken snakes take in his red and atomic number 79 edged gown and clamber over each early towards the stairs before he took his own advice and ran back down the hall.

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

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

"scratch searching the elbow room !"Ach… Harry desperately looked around the room for a shoes to hide but to his dismay saw only darkness. He had lost his night eyes in the common room.

"What was here ? Where did I hunting ? Oh my god, delight just commemorate !"The rattling door handles and irritated articulation got closer, thank heavens Salazar Slytherin built his wall duncish and liked oak door or Harry was sure Malfoy would own woken.

"closet ? It had had glass in the strawman ! Under the bed ? No room !"Harry's intellection grew panicked as the interpreter got closer."Walls, floor, cap, bed, desk, press, fireplace…"Harry dropped to his hands and knees and crawled across the flooring as fast as he dared. He was sure he was making noise now but he didn't have the nerve left to go any slower. His hands reached the cold Harlan Stone of the hearth and he felt his way into it. No ashes at all, the fireplace had never been used. Later on that night Harry would realise that the Slytherins probably heated their sleeping accommodation by magic so they didn't get the fume and gained a more even heat, all he thought at the time was a panicked…

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

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

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

"There's someone sneaking around in the rooms."The voice sounded like the loudspeaker was gargling gravel."We thought he might have come in here."

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

"Nope."Harry chucked as his panic began to evanesce."And you're the imbecile Malfoy. You should pay Thomas More care to your gravely pal."

"He's not in any of the other rooms."A new voice, possibly younger and more hesitant than the gravely boy."And we checked the pot and back down in the plebeian room."Harry hoped Padma had had the brainiac to be well on her way back to their coarse elbow room by then, and to cause Neville with her. Harry's hired hand brushed something in the wall behind him, careful not to pee a sound he slid it out of the wall and choked back a triumphant gasp as he read the lettering on the cover version of the parchment.


The use of modify static-induction charms in

the context of use of adhesives and fasteners.

Hermione husbandman

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

"When my father hears about this !"Malfoy was in full argumentative swing"You will all be no-account ! The Malfoy family own your father Flint ! And you can be sure there will be parole on the subject of this incident."

"I'm sorry Dra… Mr Malfoy."The other boy was obviously sure-enough but the veneration was plain in his voice.

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

"But first years… never… go on the squad. No matter how, absolutely, brilliant they are at Quidditch."The honest-to-goodness boy was obviously fearing some reprisal to boot-lick so obviously."Definitely next yr though !"

"That remains to be seen…"A new voice, a wretched voice, a voice dripping contempt with every word !

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

"William Tell me why some of the leading members of Slytherin house are awake at this hour ? Hmm… Some of them stinking of sleazy wine !"He almost made the fact that it was loud strait like the spoiled part."Well ? Or have you all been rendered dim by drink !"

"We were chasing someone !"flint said shakily"individual was sneaking around in here !"

"Inside the Slytherin commons elbow room ?"

"Yes."

"Inside the password protected Slytherin common way ?"

"Yes !"Flint River was delirious but Snape just snorted.

"Lunacy. All you saw was the wine floating in front of your eyes seeing as you seem to have drown yourselves in it !"Harry heard Snape's footstep header towards the door.

"There was someone ! They were wearing Gryffindor robes !"The stride continued and Harry heard a door surface"And they were brusque !"The footmark led out the room access"And they had a scarf around their head !"steps then…

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

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

"Don't be stupid, he could conceal his identity operator better than that."Snape seemed to be talking to himself slightly at that point but then…"Search everywhere ! Every room, wrick them upside down and shake them if necessary !"Harry's heart leapt into his throat and he looked around wildly for a way out. But he already knew the only when ways, down or up. Harry pushed his backrest against one rampart and carefully shifted his base onto the opposite one. Hogwarts was old Harlan Fiske Stone and there were dozens of handholds to facilitate him chimney up faster, and more quietly. But just as he was thinking he had reached beyond their audience soul said.

"What was that in the chimney ?"Bloody Malfoy ! Since when did serpent have such good ear ? Harry went absolutely still except for his backtalk moving in a silent curse."I heard something !"Harry looked down and was met by a relieving mess. The lamp chimney curved as it went up, He could no longer see the round of light at the bottom.

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



"relocation over."Harry heard a thump as Snape pushed his student out of the way then…"Acerbus cuspis !"Harry's opinion was momentarily lighted as bar of sickly silver Light shot up the chimney towards him then his flock was lost in nuisance. Harry's feet slipped but he grimly held on by his handholds, gritting his teeth against the stabbing Calidris canutus of pain each lance had left in him.

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

"Acerbus cuspis !"This time Harry was flattened against the bulwark and only a few of the bolts hit him."Conjunctivitis !"that spell winged proper yesteryear him, cracking chips off the bulwark above him, then…"Relashio !"Heat flooded up the chimney to him and Harry's skin felt like it was going to whip. He bit his tongue between his tooth and pulled one sweaty hand off the rampart so he could fumble in pocket for a large metal jar. At the meter Harry had thought Ron's hint had been a bit unintelligent but now he was especially happy he had agreed to bring the jar along. He pulled the cap off with his tooth and dropped the contents before they had a chance to bite him, far below he heard…

"Aaaa ! paramour !"A few Thomas More spells rang out but none directed at Harry, even the heat energy stopped, allowing Harry to put his metrical unit back against the paries and give his aching arms a relief. Below him he heard Snape yell out

"Search the other rooms."Harry waited a long time before climbing boost up. His arms needed the balance anyway and there was no way he was gon na try to sneak back out through the Slytherins tonight.

*

The light below was lost behind Harry as he ascended out of the dungeons. The lamp chimney he was climbing joined others then dissever again. One or two of the chimneys had ladders in them, or at to the lowest degree percentage of ravel, but almost of them he had to clamber up. The air was hotter and Smokey here, perhaps some of these chimneys were still in use this belatedly, or more likely it was other enough that the kitchens had woken up. Harry would be the first to allow ( to himself at least ) that he had many fearfulness but claustrophobia wasn't one of them. He pulled his scarf joint tighter above and below his spyglass to preserve out carbon black and around his sass to breath through as he climbed up into more secondhand chimneys. Harry felt himself move out into a bombastic sphere but couldn't see the walls through the night and the sens. Questing fingers found a rust ravel and a few present moment later Harry pulled himself over the verge of a huge chimney and let himself down to the rooftop below.

Tired but elated Harry pulled his scarf joint from around his face and tried to come up some clean textile somewhere on himself to wipe his glasses off. When he put them back on he was struck dumb for a mo by the sight that met his eyes.

roll James Jerome Hill of roofing tile and banks of ticket. tugboat popping out at Angle and pouf balconies with balustrades like lacing. Harry walked along the roof ridgeline he had landed on in wonder, there was a unit world up above Hogwarts. More chimney jutted out everywhere, some just tobacco pipe and some, like the one he'd emerged from, with width like industrial tugboat. Harry sat down on the ridge and throw off his caput in unbelief. Even the ascent hadn't taken his breath like this did. He lay back and beheld another marvel. The stars from here seemed brighter, almost as soundly as the astronomy column ( Harry's pet moral, just as an excuse to woolgather ).

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

Harry trailed Snape over the ceiling, not even for a minute mentation of going back to the Gryffindor rooms and thinking even lupus erythematosus of the danger. Here on the roofs he was in his component, there was no peril here. Snape stopped at what looked like a teachers one-fourth and pushed through the door without knocking. It took Harry a arcminute or so to feel the corresponding window then lowered himself down near it. By luck or the slumberer habit it was ajar. When Harry moved closer he heard ...

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

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

"Th…Then why are you here ?"Quirrell's vocalism grew a little steadier now, just a footling."Why semen to me ?"

"Because perhaps you were looking for something else, perhaps a way past my protection of it or some clue as to what that protection is. I assure you, you would take found neither. My piece of work is as diabolic as it is coordination compound and as crafty…"Harry groaned inwardly, not this lecture again."And you could never thrust it. Never. Despite Dumbledore's supreme lack of judgement in hiring you and letting you assist in the protective covering of the Lucy Stone I will observe unworthy things like you from it !"With that Snape turned and stamped out of the room. Harry was about to will when Quirrell quietly spoke.

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

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

"Do it tomorrow ? Do what tomorrow ? What's so peculiar about tomorrow ? former than it being Allhallows Eve ..."

*

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

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

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

"He'll probably just get detention, he'll lose us a few star sign peak for being out after curfew."Padma knew her sister was deliberately making things seem considerably than they were to shit her feel better. Sometimes Padma thought they had been born to with personality opposites, the eternal optimist and the misanthropical pessimist. Except this time her sister wasn't just being optimistic. And neither was she just being pessimistic when she said…

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

"I'm doing what now ?"

The New Marauders turned en the great unwashed and saw a blackened and scraped Harry drop from one of the highschool windowpane. His grimace was red and raw and he had a ugly bruise on his left cheek, his hands were bleeding and he staggered as he hit the ground but he wore a smiling of joy and triumph as encompassing as they had ever seen on him.

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

"How did you…"Padma's vocalisation breathed disbelief into the air."They were in good order behind you."

"Chimney."Harry said lightly."Easy climb really once you get past the first bit. Oh and one other thing…"Harry fished around in his pockets and drew out some papers. Padma found herself shaking her head, no, not after all that happened, you can't still have got it, no single that ripe."We got what we came for. It may need some cleaning though…"With that the water gate came loose and the predator began peppering Harry with dubiousness. The strange tyke laughed as he unrolled a story that had them gasping. As she listened Padma realised she was gladiola she'd made her choice, even if she wasn't brave enough for Gryffindor she wouldn't give up the predator for the earth. And besides, she thought as the looked at her sister, at Ron, at Neville and especially at the soot clothed figure animatedly talking before her, even if I'm not brave now I'll be learning from the best.

*

Hermione rose early from her bed sheet and was mildly surprised to see that they weren't covered in tears. She was sure as shooting she'd been crying when she went to sleep. She dressed mechanically and didn't talk to anyone as she made her way down to breakfast. Not that that was unusual she conceded to herself but today especially she didn't want to talk. That thought only made her suspicion in further over her solid food. Before anyone else had left the table Hermione walked out of the groovy anteroom, leaving the residue of her food behind ( even if she hadn't had somewhere to be she felt too vile to eat ). The projection was important, it was the kind of thing they gave 3rd and one-fourth days to work on. Hermione straightened herself up as she walked towards Flitwicks office. expert get it over with…

"Going somewhere Mudblood ?"Draco Malfoy lounged in the corridor in front of her. She ignored him and walked on past only to hold him stick his infantry forward to try to trip her up."What ? No contumely ? No ‘ chip in it back !'today ?"Hermione kept walking."Oh, I don't have it with me. That would be a bit conspicuous, I figure I'll give it to him tomorrow. Or the day after, you know, so he doesn't get suspicious but is still impressed by my obviously superior talents."Draco grabbed her by the articulatio humeri and spun her around."Don't ignore me Mudblood !"He grated,"This is only the foremost stage. I'm going to make water life hell for you and all the former dirt at the schooling until you'll drop-off out of your own free will. I'll… Oh hello prof !"prof Flitwick had just emerged from his room and was looking between them.

"Hello Edward Young Mr Malfoy."He chirped"Are you and Miss sodbuster friends."

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

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

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

"Yes, left on my desk this daybreak. I flicked through it over breakfast. I used to record the daily vaticinator of a morning but there's so many adverts in it now."The professor shook his question and didn't appear to notice the totally dumbstricken expression on the two first-years faces."I'll give you better feedback when I've read it fully misfire Granger and then…"Flitwick turned to Malfoy"…I'll be sure to give it to you."With that the unretentive colleague wandered off humming faintly to himself.

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

"I didn't."Hermione was surprised at the ghost of smugness in her voice. Malfoy was looking at her with barely suppressed cult. Then he seemed to comment something and for a moment his eyes widened in actualisation then screwed up in even darker anger than before. Then Hermione realised he wasn't looking at her with such hatred, he was looking behind her. She turned and looked back down the corridor. And there stood the vulture. Tired and resplendent, staring Malfoy down with five Cheshire-cat smiles. The Slytherin looked like he was about to blow a vein, or possibly snap steam out of his ears.

"YOU ! ! !"He bellowed striding towards them pointing with his wand."It was you !"Harry and his ally stood their dry land against the charge and Malfoy was brought to a impasse, it was that or walk into a man rampart."You stole it ! When I tell my sire he'll bring it to the school day governors and…"

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

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

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

"Not even a teddy bear."Harry raised his eyebrows and began chuckling. After a here and now the eternal sleep of his gang began laughing as well. Malfoy turned and stalked away against a background of hysterical laughter. Hermione was surprised to she was laughing too. At the end of the corridor Malfoy turned back and yelled…

"You win this round potter ! But I'll get you next metre !"

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

*

The inauspicious spin-off of the heist was that Malfoy was even Sir Thomas More acidic than usual in category that day. Despite reduplicate admonition from teachers he insulted Harry and the rest of the piranha with every early intimation. Fortunately though that breath was wasted as nine metre out of ten the Marauder in question was asleep on their chairman. Hermione sighed, but not unhappily and reached for a new quill. She'd unspoiled progress to these notes good, it looked like they'd have to be copied from a few times. When she reached the common room there was a sixth chair by the fireside board. She smiled and felt warm inside for the first clock time in what seemed like forever and walked over to sit down with her friends.


I own nothing, certainly nothing Harry ceramicist related.

Seriously, i 'm not kidding ! Do I calculate plentiful than the poove ?



"Go on !"

"No ! I can't !"

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

"He'll see me !"Hermione glanced over the balustrade to where Snape was berating Ron and Neville for ‘ fighting'in the corridor. What the son had in fact been doing was distracting Snape so he would come and brook under the overhanging upper story. That division of the programme had gone perfectly. The succeeding office was proving problematic.

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

"You're all dotty ! Any one of the stunts you've pulled could warrant projection ! How long do you believe you can restrain getting away with it ?"Hermione's susurration was angry and horse."And if you think"She pointed at his brain"I'm tipping that"A motion at the filth"over a Hogwarts teacher !"a finger stabbing down at Snape"You must be crazy !"She swung her arms widely in exasperation and they both heard a clump, then a splashing noise.

Harry saw his friends face turn from righteous anger to gray dread fast as a striking mates. She kept her eye firmly ahead and, as if denying what had just happened, shook her school principal. Harry in contrast had grinned like a madman and now grabbed Hermione by the robe and began running off through the corridors pulling her after him. A moment later they heard a violent hollering behind them

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

"cum on ! Just like the plan !"Harry said, then added"Only REAL !"Hermione almost jumped through the window and disappeared as she clambered up a ladder. Harry swung out after her, shut the windowpane and slid onto the tiles above. He wasted no meter in pulling himself back to the boundary and poking his periscope back down to the bound of the glass. A second later an irate Snape ran past. Harry only caught a glimpse, but he thought the man seemed slicker than usual. Harry rolled back and looked up at Hermione who still seemed shaken.

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

*

A week or so latter the first light bloomed undimmed and early as the piranha made their way down to the grass in straw man of the palace. Harry stopped to post up a few more than pictorial matter after making sure as shooting the coast was clear. The Slytherins were tearing them down wherever they saw them on Snapes Holy Order but Harry had even seen some of them trying to hide giggles as the wizard poster displayed Snape being doused again and again. The rest of the school didn't bother to hide it and the schooling had been awash with laughter ever since the number 1 one went up three days ago.

The teachers were all trying to happen who was posting them ( Harry had caught both Flitwick and Sprout laughing when they thought no one was looking and even McGonagall had cracked a smile when an incoherent Snape had burst into her classroom brandishing a wad of posters that had papered the main courtyard ). The teacher didn't know how so many of them were getting so many places around the grounds. Harry knew, it was just a matter of a handy rooftop and a follow wind instrument. When he had seen some errant flick carried into the sky by gusts he had idly wondered just how far they'd go.

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

"They told me I had to deal ‘ em down."Hagrid had said with a instant."They didn't say what I had to do with ‘ em after."Harry had been even well-chosen to see a stack of gasbag on Hagrid's table. It looked like the distribution was going to even across-the-board than he thought.

The teachers search and gentlewoman hooch's earlier ill health were some of the reasons they were going to their first flying lesson bundled up in wintertime clothes.

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

The class obediently placed their manus over their brooms.

"UP !"Harry yelled, feeling a bit jerky, the stick by his feet refused to budge."UP !"Harry looked around and saw first one then others of the class acquire their brooms."UP !"Harry thought maybe Malfoy had replaced his magic ling for a real broom in retaliation but the thing had been handed out randomly. Harry shifted his pes surreptitiously underneath his broom and tensed ..."UP !"Harry grabbed the rising broom and held it nonchalantly on his shoulder joint. He caught Parvati looking at him and giggling.

"What ? I didn't do anything."

"That's right you didn't !"

A few moments later everyone had their brooms and brothel keeper hooch was showing them how to transfix the pillock things.

"right wing, now… Just kick off from the ground, hover for me for a second then leeee…an forward and be adrift back down again."Madam hootch demonstrated then held up her gloved hand."Three… Two… One."Portions of the form rose unsteadily into the air, others remained grounded or had slipped off their rising brooms. Harry glanced to his sides shame-faced as his broom resolutely refused to demonstrate any feature beyond long, wooden and prickly. Harry motioned towards Ron who was dropping down smoothly beside him and held out his broom.

"Let me try with yours."

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

Harry turned and saw Neville rising at a snail gait with a smell of teeth-gritting concentration."At that pace the course of study'll be over before he gets down."Harry turned back"ejaculate on, I just want to see whether Malfoy really has screwed this broom."

"Only powerful deception can intervene with most broomsticks."Hermione was landing ungracefully beside him, gripping the broom with Patrick Victor Martindale White knucks. Harry chuckled at the thought that she still found denseness left to scold them."These are old Calluna vulgaris but their still fairly resistant to that sort of thing."

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

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

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

"Thanks."They swapped Scots heather and Harry got himself back into the demonstrated equitation position. He hopped off the undercoat but dropped back down just as quickly.

"Still having trouble ?"Harry saw Ron ice-cream soda over his drumhead and drop down in social movement of him,"Nothing incorrectly with this one mate."Ron knocked his knuckles against the wood of Harry's ling."I think its even a little better than my one."

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

"Having trouble Potter."no… not now…"Your flying's so pitiful even the weasel here can beat you and that's saying something."Malfoy floated along in front end of Harry, sitting side-saddle and not even bothering to book on."Didn't your father ever learn you to fly… Oh no wait I forgot ! He's a bit too mouldy to sit on a Calluna vulgaris now !"The scuttlebutt about his parents washed over Harry but the other insults bit and he sneered at the whiteness haired kid in battlefront of him. Ron however erupted."What do you have in mind that's saying something !"He was back on his ling in a trice and whipped himself around Malfoy so fast the Slytherins robes billowed in the hint."Half of my family's been on the Gryffindor Quidditch team !"

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

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

"Mr Weasly ! Mr Malfoy ! Decend at once !"Madam hootch didn't time lag for them to respond and instead grabbed the forepart of their heather and yanked them to the flooring. Ron fell in a mass, Malfoy kept his balance but only barely."I will birth no arguments in my course of instruction and I distinctly told you to rise then drop, not hover like blowflies !"The flying teacher spun and walked back to the residue of the class leaving Malfoy and Ron glaring at one another.

Harry shifted his ling under himself, all during the argument he'd tried to uprise up and join his champion but the heather had refused to make a motion. By the end of the deterrent example he'd fell once, a few wobbling human foot followed by a total collapse into the grass. Malfoy had laughed worse than before and Harry said some things that lost them house points ("An xi twelvemonth old shouldn't know those Holy Writ Mr Potter, much less know what they mean !") and the Marauders were a muted lot that ascended the stairs to Gryffindor tower. Annapurna tried to lighted the tone by pointing out how many scholar had the drenched Snape post horse on the walls of their room and Harry decided to break moping.

"Right,"Harry cracked open a beverage stolen from the kitchen."down to the life-threatening commercial enterprise. What have you all found out about Quirrell ?"

*

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

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

"It just doesn't make sense Ron."Harry continued"Snape may be a git but it doesn't make sensory faculty. He thinks Quirrell's trying to slip something, from what I overheard afterwards he probably is. Why would Snape play like he's accusing Quirrell when only Quirrell was in the way ! Also why would Quirrell play like it's him when nonentity was in the room !"Harry leafed through some papers again while the others bickered, the everyday prophet from a few calendar month ago was there, a maraud at gringots where nix was taken. Other affair too, Quirrels disc, researched through old filing cabinet, an thinking bookman, masterful in the theory if not the exercise of defense force against the night art, the final few years of his life story spent travelling around dealing with severe colored fauna. Harry pushed them away and pulled over a thinner file, Severus Snape, potions professional of Hogwarts and recollective clock time envier of the defence force against the blue humanistic discipline post. There wasn't a great deal else, Snape didn't seem to be a very newsworthy person.

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

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

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

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

"being priggish. I've been looking into it the Saami as everyone else has which is exactly the point. We've all been caught loitering around the third base storey a few too many multiplication. Did you hear what McGonagall said in class yesterday ?"They all did, she'd basically just repeated what Dumbledore had said at the start of condition but she had looked right at them the stallion time and each Christian Bible had been clipped like little razors."She knows we're provision something and she probably knows we're behind the bill sticker too, she just slang prove it."

"So ?"

"So, Mr Ronald Weasley they are watching us like war hawk. I'll bet there's a instructor guarding the tierce floor right now and another just on the other side of that door."She pointed at the other side of the fat ladies portrait, from this side looking like a hole in the wall."Even putting aside the notions of hold, house-points and especially riddance ! We'd never get unaired enough to the corridor to rule anything. It's all your defect really"She continued without a breath."If you hadn't done your pointless rule breaking we might be able to obtain out really important poppycock now."That comment was the grounds an argument broke out that Harry had to calm down with wit. It was also at least partially the reason Harry stayed awake that Nox till he was sure Ron and Neville were deceased then got out his darkest dress and slipped out one of the window before heading in the direction of the proscribe corridor.

*

Harry peered through a window and saw prof transmitter idly marking some assignments by the Light Within of his verge while sitting on the stairs above the fat lady's portrayal. Reminding himself to tell Hermione later ( she'd be insufferably smug but she deserved the satisfaction ) Harry slipped away and made his way over to the third gear floor corridor on the right hand side, or above it at least. The affair was in the middle of the edifice, no chimney or window reached it and Harry could only peer through a side window at the mavin guarding the doorway… Quirrell… Standing in a mend of lumos-light, his shadow jumping as he nervously twiddled his verge in his fingers. Harry slid inside and dropped behind a column. Quirrell was guarding it ? He'd been so sure… Maybe the others were right and Quirrell wasn't attempting thieving after all. Or maybe he just hasn't gotten past the defences Snape mentioned yet. Then why isn't he inside the corridor trying to expose through them. Harry's mental monologue was cut scant as the answer leaned out of the patch of darkness it had been sequestered in, invisible even to Harry's eye's.

"Nervous Quirrell ?"Snape slid from his shadowy niche, his baton held lightly but readily in his hand."Or perhaps not happy with the company."Harry saw now that it hadn't just been the shadow, Snape's integral body blended into the background, changing colour like a chameleon. Only his eyes stayed the same, lightlessness cakehole even against the lighted grey rock behind him, it made them seem like they were floating above the ground.

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

"Because if you were dysphoric with this arrangement."Snape continued like nil had been said."You'd have to get used to it because I've made sure all our precaution tariff's occur on the same nights Quirrell, won't that be fun."Snape laced the finally countersign with such poison Harry was surprised the DADA professor didn't run like a rabbit. Instead he jumped like one and whimpered.

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

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

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

*

Crack…

"What was that !"Snape pushed forward from his hiding place at the belittled but nearby sound. He pointed his camouflaged arm at the far paries, by some tower."I heard something over there."

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

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

Crack…crack…

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

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

"Oh you'd passion that wouldn't you Quirrell."Snape jammed his baton under the servile wretch's Kuki-Chin. Quirrell squealed and tried to stand on his tiptoes to scarper the dark-wood point."leave-taking you close to the door unsupervised while at the same metre turning my back on you. Something I will never do."Snape pushed the man towards the early bulwark."You go first."

They walked like hostage and kidnapper up the moth-eaten stone pathway to the pillar. Quirrell raised his wand. Not a chance…

"book binding down by your side or I will take away it and possibly the bridge player It's gripped in too."Quirrell's arm guesswork back down. As they reached the pillar Snape let the rat take the confidential information and look around the street corner. punter him to claim the first blow if one came.

"There's n… nix here Sev…Professor Snape."No there isn't now, not after you distracted me for so long. Useless idiot.

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

*

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

"Ha."Harry thought as he took one stopping point coup d'oeil at the professor before closing the door."Lighter than air liquorish. Eat it warm or it melts in the air ! also if you tie up a rock or two with it you get a disturbance about five minutes after you take it from its wrapping. Who needs Q when you have mail-order Honeydukes ?"Harry turned back and for the first clock time took a look at his surroundings.

sales pitch black. Not even eyes trained for this could imbue it. Harry squatted down quietly and let his former senses have a try.

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

Damp scent with a jot of mud and plenty. There was piss in there somewhere too and other things even less savoury. Bit like a wet dog smell…

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

"Lumos"

The glow through the fabric was like dead fireflies but it showed Harry the shape of what was in front of him. Its bulk one-half way to the roof and slowly rebellion and falling with its breath. Like a muffled wraith Harry moved across the floor, skirting the walls until he had travelled all the way around the beast, having to pace over its tail where it brushed the wall. There were no other doors. This room and this beast was all there was to see. Harry edged closer to the strawman of the matter, his foot turned and poised to flee to the door at any moment.

"But what if I'm not degraded enough."Harry tried to silence his brainiac but it kept up its shrill arriere pensee"What if its like a Dragon and it doesn't matter how fast I am. It'll wake and I'll die in one bright flare in the duskiness !"

"It'll wake for for certain if you don't shut up and let me focus !"Harry edged in closer to the animate being and stopped when his sparkle revealed a modification of texture in the floor. Harry carefully traced its edge in his creative thinker."A square… a trapdoor… that which is hidden… that which is forbidden."Harry grinned in the dark. The only problem was the dark pile obscuring one turning point of the public square, a paw or claw of the thing. Harry's movements was as slow as drifting feathers and as quiet as his manpower found the bound of the affair, and the handle, on the opposite side to the claw. Harry wanted to annihilate his wand but the strait he'd have to make was worse than the muffle glowing. Harry reached for the trapdoor handgrip and applied the lightest tactile sensation of draw play to it, increasing by hairs width Harry felt the wood move.

A grunt near his shoulder made his brawniness freeze and his center subspecies. He felt flesh move all around him and the air brought new pennant of stench. But the savage just grunted again and fell back into snoring. Harry eased the threshold up a half span more then stuck his deal in and felt inside. No dance step met his questing hand, just a straight shot. Harry propped the room access open with a rod and felt in his pouch. He drew forth a long twine. His quick finger's breadth felt the plummet on the end and he put it through the trapdoor then slowly and evenly paid out rope counting under his breathing time. The string went slack water. About eight measure. With something soft he'd do it. With cold stone he'd kick downstairs a leg. Harry wondered if a real sensation would sleep with some self levitation appeal to get themselves down safely. He pulled back up on the train and suffered a surprise. It was stuck ! He tugged on it again. No spring at all. He tugged again and in a pump stopping minute, felt the rod brush his arm.

The trapdoor banging closed was like a cannon egg in the gut and Harry felt the darkness move around him. He threw himself backwards as a pharyngeal growl filled the room with primordial fear. He saw a shape the size of an oven smash down in front of him and heard wood splinter and shot. Harry whipped the cloth from his wand and the stark shadows danced high on the wall before him as the massive rottweiler read/write head turned and looked at him with bloodshot heart. Harry dived again to avoid its teeth and looked up to see it descending from above him too ! Harry kicked off from the ground and slid, he felt hot breathing spell on his back and the snapshot of jaws behind him but he was gone. Straight into the ruined trapdoor and plummeting down the shaft.

*

Harry spun in the air and he felt laborious nuisance as his headland caught itself a whirl on the passing wall. He landed in a plant and in a daze, his eyes showing him disgraceful spot more than anything else. He lifted his hand to his headland and was surprised to see it came back fresh, without rake or possibly brains. He shook his head to clear it and held his quivering bridge player and wand up to bring out his surroundings. A characterless elbow room with this plant life covering the floor, covering some of the walls too, and the ceiling, and him !

"What the hell !"Harry shouted at the tendrils as they wrapped themselves around his legs. He tried to rive them off but they were like wire ! They wrapped his waist too ! Harry pulled and tore at the vines !"Acerbus cuspis !"Harry used the curse Snape had aimed at him but bare threads of light dead reckoning from his sceptre and the industrial plant barely noticed. What was that early one ! ? Think ! Think !"Relashio !"red sparks and heat shot from his wand and where they hit the industrial plant drew back."Relashio !"Harry aimed at his pegleg and cried out as his skin burned. But he was loose. He stumbled to his feet and blasted a few last tendrils. He leapt to the door and pushed through, staggering down the corridor occasionally pointing his wand back in lawsuit the daemon industrial plant had tried to follow him, he reached another door and carefully pushed it open, wand out in front end he entered the way, and was met by a strange sight.

Shining, fluttering glittering things, flying near the ceiling one C of them. Harry edged out into the centre of the luxuriously vaulted blank. The faggot sparks remained near the ceiling and Harry at endure stopped eying them crooked. He walked over to the door on the other side and tried the handle. Locked. Obviously. It could never be tardily could it ? Harry was just wondering what to do when he heard voice from behind him. Spinning like a jump cat Harry saw light tripping coming from around the edge of the door he'd just come through. The light and the voices got firm as Harry searched for a conceal position. He ran to a bulwark buttress and grabbed for a handhold, thank heavens they like ornament around this place…

*

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

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

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

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

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

"fountainhead. I… I for one am calling my replacement."Quirrells vocalisation was shrill and grating. Snape made a mental line to add de-lunging to his list of distortion once he finally caught the repellent creature."I'm all of a fl… flutter."Quirrell turned and walked back down the corridor.

"Professor."Perhaps he'll listen to me now. Perhaps the doddering soft touch will listen to what I have to say now."As I have said before, Quirenius Quirrell has every design of stealing the philosophers stone."Snape was so indignant he didn't even notice the movement above him in a richly alcove, like person getting into a better view to listen."He was seen snooping around the Slytherin common room a week ago and he's never really explain why he took the defence job in the first place."Snape couldn't generate vox to the real reason for his mistrust. A gut tactile sensation, a twisting knife in his mettle and an aura of menace he felt in every jail cell whenever Quirrell was nearby. An irrational fright too. A fearfulness of being discovered, a fear that made every moment a silent supplicant that his genial defence would have and he wouldn't be found out for what he was. He hadn't felt like that in over ten years…

"And as I have said before Severus I have no reason to suspect Professor Quirrell."As he half twist away Snape could have sworn that Dumbledore's sassing tilted into a quiet smile."But if it would help you sleep better I will place my own protection on the stone tonight rather than waiting until after Christmas."That was certainly a shock absorber !

"Professor you have resisted every request that you add your own magic's to the auspices of the stone."He had. All the other instructor had done it but the master had maintained he wasn't ready yet and he still needed to prove."What has changed ? Have I truly swayed you ?"

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

"May I ask what this miraculous protection is ?"The master had made some extraordinary title about what his protection would do."A tribute that not the Dark Maker, nor any Death feeder, nor anyone with wish to use it for ill or greed could perforate ?"

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

*

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

"Leaving already Harry ?"

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

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

"And…"

"And ?"

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

"fountainhead, the two headed dog was good."

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

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

"Devilsnare has clamed older and wiser wizards than you Harry. You'd be amazed how few people can still reckon clearly enough to cauterise it away while being constricted."Dumbledore stepped forward and touched Harry's aspect. A bit later he nodded and touched Harry's os frontale with his wand. A moment later Harry felt an odd tingle fill him, the burns on his legs faded and disappeared, as did the scrapes he'd received throwing himself away from the dog."There. All better."Dumbledore moved back and folded his limb."And now I'm afraid to say I must ask the existent rationality you came down here tonight."Suddenly the air had grown colder. extrusion was back on the table.

In defiance of tradition Harry tried the truth.

"I overheard prof Snape threatening prof Quirrell the night before Halloween."Dumbledore just nodded as if this was pattern."Snape seemed to think he was going to try and steal something. We…"No, better he thinks I'm the only one to blame"I worked out that it must be what's hidden here. What you got Hagrid to collect for you the Lapp day we shopped for my schooltime stuff. The Same affair someone tried to break into Gringots to get later."

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

"Couldn't risk anyone else. And besides, they all make too a lot randomness for this variety of work."Harry tried to picture Neville sneaking past the dog and giggled."The solely way I could do this was alone."The other reason of course was that after being humiliated by Malfoy on a broomstick he'd wanted to prove to himself that he could do it alone.

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

"That wasn't here before."

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

"This is your protection ? What your using to protect the stone ?"

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

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

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

"One could trust so, but no."Dumbledore seemed pleased but faintly surprised as he looked down at Harry."The mirror shows us nothing more or less than what we truly desire above all else. You Harry, who by your own choice lived a lonely and inhuman childhood desire friend, and fellow and Thomas More than that ..."Dumbledore took Harry by one shoulder and kneeled down to talk to him boldness to front"…you want to bang you'll go on them. You want to know that you don't have to go back to the cold life history. Because that is what you most fear."

Harry looked back at the mirror. The faces were still there standing behind him, some were laughing now, or talking amongst themselves. The pattern were growing misty for some reason, Harry wondered if there was something ill-timed with the mirror. Then he felt the con game in his center. Wordlessly, Dumbledore handed him a tissue.

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

*

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*

"Harry !"Ron's part filtered down from the initiative years elbow room to where Harry was idly skimming through one of his shoal Book by the Christmas tree."What are you doing down there ?"

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

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

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

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

"Nah mate."Ron shook his head ruefully"I can secern what that one is, however you wrap them they all feel the same."Harry unwrapped the packet and pulled out a blue, knitted jump shot. On the front were three juggling orchis in red, yellow and dark-green."My mum."Ron said holding up a similar article."She makes them for all of us. Must have heard you weren't expecting many presents."

"Its pretty good. Very debonair."Harry pulled the jumper on over his head and they went back up to the elbow room to get the ease of the present tense. Of course of action Harry had sent his friends presents ( poor Digger had been run ragged. The fiddling owl was so eager to please she didn't seem to take any faulting in flight. ) but it kind of failed to click in his head that he ‘ d probably get some in return. Harry noticed one with Hermione's neat handwriting on it ( after all, he ‘ d copied off her notes enough clock time. Occasionally even with permit. ) and pulled it over first.

"It ‘ ll be a book mate."

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

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


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

Ron himself had provided Harry with an absurdly orange hat and Neville had found him some juggling baton charmed to trail rainbows in the air behind them when thrown. Padma and Annapurna had got him books, but it looked like they'd collaborated because the titles read secrecy and head game, magic spell of screen and Beyond allohamora, unlocking your obstacles. almost of the quietus were edible thing ( not that Harry minded ) and he bit into a bar of chocolate while settling down to read.

*

Harry popped the second to last of his Christmas chocolates into his mouth and handed the finish one to Parvarti who was skulking in the shadows nearby. At to the lowest degree it was a dainty nighttime, nighttime with rainwater had been rather unpleasant. For the past few months the marauders had been working on the Quirell mystery but getting nowhere. Eventually one day when they were researching in the library Harry threw his book away in disgust and said

"This is pointless."

"You ‘ re the one who said we had to get him mate."Ron had been staring at a book on ancient alchemy for the past one-half hour. He hadn't turned the page.

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

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

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

"How ?"Neville had asked.

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

Organising a night watch had seemed like a lot more fun than it was. In squad of two they rotated, each team taking either the first half of the night, the moment half or having a Night off. After a week and a half of reduced sleep the 1st year scalawag were getting a bit shabby. At least he was paired with Parvarti. She was mostly cheerful.

"This isn't working."Or not…

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

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

"funny remark you should say that…"Harry ducked low and pulled the missy down with him as he saw the door to Quirrells one-quarter surface and stuffy, permitting the teacher to scurry off down the hall.

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

"Yeah but we don't know he's going there."Harry held her hired hand as they walked a roof ridge on the side of a court."I'm not making the same misunderstanding as the others, I'm not letting him out of my sight."They slid silently down a drainpipe onto a 2-dimensional ceiling above the kitchens and Harry saw the turbaned sensation slickness out a side room access, cross the courtyard, then get into a door leading to the incoming hall.

"Well we can't…"But Harry held up one finger to silence her and a bit later they, heard a door opening and closing then could clearly see the black frame of the sorcerer robes as he crossed the grounds towards the forbidden forest."What do we do now ?"

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

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

*

"Do you get laid where your going ?"Parvarti hadn't seen any Centaur, but there had seen other thing skulking between the tree. Harry looked back and wished he would suffer offered some reassurance. He knew he could find the way back, wellspring probably. He had made trusted to mark it at regular time interval with cuts on the Tree trunks. But tracking a man through woodland was null he had even thought of doing before. They had entered the timberland at about the Saami fleck as Quirrell and Harry had had his Bob Hope boosted by finding a footprint imprint in mud nearby but after that nothing.

He was vaguely aware that they should look out for broken twigs or birdsong but the branchlet seemed to have no discernable features and the forest was eerily quieten. Except for the things.

"Look at this !"Parvarti was pointing at a foliage nearby. When Harry moved closer he saw what she was pointing at. A ash gray liquid covered the foliage, it felt foxy and greasy under his fingers. Also slightly warm."And there's more."Again she was right, there was a trail leading across the path they'd been taking more fluid tinged the ground in both directions."It must sustain been bleeding !"

"It ? What it ?"

"The unicorn silly !"Parvarti pointed her burglars lantern back at the leafage."Oh I cant imagine what could do such a matter ! This is unicorn stock Harry, and it looks fresh !"

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

It was one thing knowing cruddy things were out in the forest butchering squeamish things, quite another to have proof and another still to bear them be so finis that the blood wouldn't have had clock time to cool in the night air. He looked at his friend and was suppressed to see no veneration in her cheek, only anger that something would hurt a unicorn.

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

"This way."Said Harry in suddenly tones and pointed at the background ahead. In the mud there, clear for all to see, was the heel of a flush print. Harry didn't want to include even to himself that his beginning instinct on seeing the print was to manoeuver the other way. That or run for the hills."Alright. fill up the shutter on the light right down, we can see the pedigree well enough. And go slow."Parvarti did as she was told and they set off again into the timber. Harry couldn't have told anyone afterwards how long they had walked, it seemed like an timelessness. The spatter of blood grew with child and more haunt, the further they went until.

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

They moved around until they were behind a fallen tree diagram then slowly looked over the top of the log. Through the subdivision that his them they saw an atrocious sight. The unicorn was splayed on the floor like it had been run to primer coat and a wrapped figure hunched over it, drinking its rake out through its wounds.

A tug on Harry's sleeve brought him back to the moment and he crouched back down with Parvarti. Her face was a picture of anger and she mimed jumping over the log while brandishing her lantern. Harry shook his capitulum firmly. What the Scheol was she thinking ? She gestured more firmly then touched her gist and made a pumping question. What was that supposed to imply ? She opened her mouth and mouthed something to him but he couldn't tell what. She did it again more exaggerated and the signification hit him with sickening certainty.

"It's still alive !"
Harry looked over the log again and saw what he had missed the get-go time. The Unicorns bureau was indeed still moving up and down and its breath disturbed the dust near its read/write head. He sat back down and made the mettle pumping motion while nodding, he'd seen it too. Obviously Parvarti wanted to save the creature if possible. Harry stuck his finger in the shit between them and wrote one word.

HAGRID

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

DISTRACTION

*

Without further ado he moved further around the glade so that when he ran he would deal the thing away from the focus Parvarti would have to go to get helper. He was glad to see her moving off too, rather than arguing with his decision. Harry wrapped the scarf joint round his headspring again and tucked it in so it wouldn't unravel. This would do, he thought. No common sense waiting around. He got out his wand, took careful aim and yelled

"Acerbus cuspis !"

The cloaked physique was caught off sentry duty and some of Harry's faint gig had hit it. It flinched back, more surprised than hurt then an new noise came from its tough, a drawn out athirst sound. Like a snake having a rat dangled in its face. Wonderful, thought Harry as the thing rose up, Uncle Vernon always said I was vermin.

It was as if that thought snapped him out of his fear paralysis and he ran, away from the clearing and the affair. He moved without thinking, feet slamming on solid reason where potential and pushing off beginning and mud when not. Harry never looked behind him but he knew the thing was still on him. He moved into new sections of the forest where the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree were different soma, older, newfangled, taller, more brush they all shot by him in an instant, too fast for him to see properly. He did notice that they weren ‘ t meeting any animals and thought that they were probably scared of the matter behind him.

He reached a wooden-headed outdoor stage of Tree and brush and slipped in sideways. Here he risked a look back. null. Sides ? Front ? Nothing. Harry allowed himself a controlled breathing space. It looked like he had lost it. Harry sat for a second on a log and let his stage residuum. The weariness of the past week and the stress of the night caught up to him at once and he sagged against the tree behind him. He didn't love how foresightful he sat there, he may even make fallen asleep but he did eff what caused him to come to attention suddenly. A twig breaking nearby. Harry moved slowly and backed away from the source of the sound when a bridge player grabbed him from behind and swung him around roughly. Harry's fright of attack turned into relief, then quickly back into fear.

"Out for a midnight perambulation Potter ?"

"Professor Snape."Harry said trying his upright to put on a good face."Thank god you found me."

*

The boy walked in silence in front of him as Snape led him back towards the castle. The charm he'd laced the border of the forest with had tripped, waking him and warning him that Quirrell had gone on another of his nightly jaunts. But once again the piffling worm had eluded him and he'd been on his way back when he'd seen thrower in a stand of trees. His mouth felt like twitching into a smile, at to the lowest degree some in force could come of this evening's work.

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

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

"But what if I've got a estimable understanding for being here ?"

"What possible intellect could that be ?"

"Same reasonableness you are. Following Quirrell."Had that been a scene in the dark ? He tried to trance the insufferable minor's eyes but he looked neat ahead."And unlike you I succeeded."

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

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

Insufferable, Worthless, Sneaking, COWARDLY, MANIPULATING !, WORM ! ! Snape took a mo to piece his thought before turning Potter and looking directly into his eyes. There was a photoflash, a tabular array, some faces… a frown crossed the boys face for a mo then he shook his chief worriedly. Even Snape could not conceal his shock as a space wall appeared before him, slowly fading over the computer memory. The boy was an Occlumens ! But he couldn't know what he was doing, it must be subconscious ! With a flicker of fearfulness his eyes were drawn to the scar on the boys forehead. Or was it entirely subconscious ? Power would be transferred in such an effect, great power…

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

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

"Why one week ?"

"Because it would wait odd if in one hebdomad you go to Dumbledore and say ‘ I caught Harry Potter in the forest a week ago, I just didn't Tell you till now.'” They had entered the castle now and were on their way to the common room. They stopped outside the portrayal doorway."Well ?"

"Agreed."

*

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

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

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

"We shouldn't have left you. And it was me who wanted to keep it in the get-go place, I…"

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

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

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



*

The next few week were replete of disappointment. Except for the Slytherins who got a irregular suspension from pranking. Hagrid had saved the unicorn and in thanks for their help he told them all about the belongings of unicorn rip and what it could be used for. Snape hadn't been any helper, when Harry told him the story a week later he merely nodded and told him to get out. From what they knew they could go out that Quirrell was after immortality but for what reason ?

"Maybe he ‘ s not after it for himself."Neville had said one day. Harry tried to always plow Neville's trace as smart in the hope it would persuade the boy to blab more."You said he called someone captain when he thought he was alone."

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

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

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

"That would reckon on how sophisticated it is."Hermione's voice came from behind a pile of Book, shed already begun revising for the end of yr exams and at least some of the other predator seemed to want to link her."But Dumbledore could probably do it."

"Alright then."A plan began to shape in Harry's creative thinker."Dumbledore said he had no intellect to suspect Quirrell and Snape's got no proof to prove him otherwise. If we get this communicator then they've got the proof they need and they can move to quit Quirrell."

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

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

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

"The spellchecker seems to think it is."

"What's a spellchecker ?"

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

"I really need to revise."

*

But the opportunity didn't come for a long while. Quirrell had begun sleeping with his window closed and the lock on his doorway resisted all the tricks in beyond allohamora. ("I can't believe you gave him that."Hermione had said"Its like giving a imp the key to the plantation."Ron had shot back"Yeah, or you the key to the depository library !") and there was aught to be done but wait and picket for Quirrell to slip one's mind up. There was a summation side though. guard obligation gave them plenty of fourth dimension to revise. Then the exams came, painful and inevitable with the care and dubiety that came with them.

The only ones Harry was at any way well-heeled about were charms and astronomy, the latter because unlike other classes he actually paid attention and the erstwhile because ( perhaps due to his Christmas presents ) he was genuinely good at the piece. Potions was a nightmare and defence against the sullen arts worse. Quirrell had taken to watching him out of the box of his eye when he thought Harry wasn't looking. Harry hadn't told the others, Quirrell wasn't watching them and he didn't want to vex them.

Even with the test and their retain failing in their chore it was severe to feel bad. The weather condition had turned to marvelous and students could always be found out sunning themselves on the grass. Harry was just on his way to spend an afternoon in just such a manner ( the respite of the vulture already waiting ) when he looked up and saw what he had been waiting for for weeks. Quirrells windowpane, open.

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

The room smelled strongly of garlic and indeed there were cloves hanging in assorted places around the room. He quickly began searching using what they knew of communication charms, mirrors were often used, sometimes gems or watch crystal. He checked the mirror in the can but it appeared to be the normal sort ( no response when tapped with a scepter ). He was about to delay the bedroom when he heard a voice behind him.

"seminal fluid into my parlor said the spider to the fly."




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


"wellspring, well, well."Professor Quirrell had lost his stutter and stood in front of the interlace door with his wand pointed at Harry's chest."You do get yourself into a gravid mass of sticky situations."

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

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

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

"cheek forward."Quirrell hissed."If you attempt to monish anyone then that someone die then you die is that clear-cut ?"

"Why are you taking me up there ?"Harry tried to convince his brain to run but he seemed to be missing head mobile phone.

"Oh that's quite simple. Your going to aid me, I knew what you and your slight protagonist were up to so I laid a trap. Now you are going to attend to me with something, with two things actually. The first is simple, all you have to do is play along. Lie. You're ripe at that yes ? The second is a bit more complex. You see…"They grew close to the corridor and Quirrell pulled him to a stop and into a disused classroom."I've spent the year devising foolproof mode to get past each defence except one that still eludes me."

"Snape."goodness old stealthy illegitimate child Snape.

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

Harry took a flyspeck sip of the potion and instantly felt the consequence. His hand seemed to grow and he pulled off his shoes as the pressure in them increased. Black person hair's-breadth grew down in front end of his optic and he flicked it out of the way. After a few instant the effect ceased and he stood up again, taller by far than when he had begun.

"Ah, wonderful."Quirrell said smiling."Now put these on."He handed Harry some long dingy robes and gestured to the mirror nearby. Harry took them and walked over, stopping for a mo in shock. He looked like Snape !"Get on with it boy !"Harry struggled into the robes then did them up and allowed Quirrell to leave him towards the dire corridor. Harry saw professors Flitwick and Sinestra outside the door. Sinestra was sitting cross legged and appeared to be meditating in some way. Quirrell prodded him in the back. Of line, Snape would name the first move. He tried to make his voice as sneering as potential then said.

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

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

"I can help me."Harry thought desperately as they entered the way with the giant dog. Its three heads instantly rose to watch them but Quirrell pointed his scepter at the floor nearby and a harmonica appeared. Another composite movement and it began plucking out a unproblematic tune. The great creature lid drooped and it fell quickly asleep.

"semen on boy ! I haven't got all day."Quirrell pulled him forwards to the trap threshold then pulled it open up. He whispered a lilliputian magic spell and a rophy began curling its way out of his scepter. Quirrell seemed to have to concentrate a great deal to pull this off and Harry backed away slowly. He felt some thing behind him and put a script back to feel. It was the mouth organ. Acting on inherent aptitude, Harry grabbed the harmonica and smashed it as hard as he could against one of the hot dog titan paws. The dog awoke with a bellowing and bit through the mouth organ remains in a single bite. Then it turned to the other trespasser in its room.

"Boy ! What do you think you're…"But then Quirrell was forced to defend himself as the great straits reared up above him. He screeched a single word and ball of fire smacked one on the nose. Harry took the opportunity and bolted for the threshold."I'm not done with you yet putter around !"Quirrell screamed. Harry glanced back in metre to see red light, then darkness.

*

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

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

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

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

"For this year."

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

"Oh sorry Ron."Padma commented with monumental insincerity."Were you not cook ?"

"Oh look the mudblood U. S. Army seem to be missing a general."The marauders turned en mass to see Malfoy strolling towards them with his hands in his pockets."punter get used to it though."

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

"I mean trash,"Ron's fists clenched."That your piffling hero seems to cause finally gotten into more fuss than he can handle. Oh yes, I saw a teacher carting him off. Looked raging too."

"Which teacher ?"Padma's interrogative sentence seemed ominously quiet in the give air.

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

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

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

"Mr Weasley !"McGonagall was striding across the evidence in angriness."I never expected such violent behaviour from…"

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

*

"viewing up Mr ceramist. rising slope and effulgence for the trade name new day."The sentence slid around the disastrous cocoon of Harry's unconscious."Now now, that won ‘ t do. Up !"Pain blossomed in Harry's abdomen and the confidence game of it pulled him back to world. He drew himself up on the cold stone level shaking terribly. The farsighted sleeves of his robes fell down over his sleeve and he realised he was back in his own body. Quirrell aimed another savage boot at Harry ‘ s chest and he sprawled on the floor again.

"You think that's pain potter ?"Yep, sure seemed like it, at the very least he had a cracked rib."I can precede you to the distortion curse if you want. If you choose not to co-operate with me."Harry raised his oral sex wearily and realised that he was in a new room. Fires blocked both doors and on a table in the eye a row of nursing bottle stood, twinkling in the torchlight.

"Wh… where ?"

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

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

Quirrell bent over the table and read with a smile…

"danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,
Two of us will help you, whichever you would find out,
One among us seven will let you move ahead,
Another will transport the toper back instead,
Two among our number hold only devil vino,
III of us are killers, waiting hidden in lineage.
Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,
To help you in your alternative, we give you these clues four :
first gear, however slyly the poison tries to hide
You will always find some on devil vino 's left side ;
Second, different are those who stand at either end,
But if you would move onward, neither is your Quaker ;
tierce, as you see clearly, all are dissimilar size,
Neither midget nor giant holds death in their insides ;
Fourth, the second left hand and the second on the right field
Are twins once you taste them, though different at first of all sight."

The whizz shook his principal angrily.

"What kind of a project is that ? You don't even need deception. And besides, I've never taken the logical way of life to get reply. I so prefer the… experimental approach."He picked up one of the bottles at random and held it out to Harry with a sickly grin."swallow up !"

*

"He's there !"Ron was shouting now. Heedless of the steady stream of crimson that must have been leaving the hourglass in the great G. Stanley Hall."He's there right now having god knows wha…"

"Mr Weasley ! If you can not operate yourself I will have you dragged to my office where I will flue your female parent ! And we will discuss your stay on presence at this school day !"The argument had moved from the exterior to the corridors as the deputy headmistress had failed to listen."As it is you are all already in sufficiency trouble for just knowing about the stone ! Let alone disrespect to a Hogwarts professor. Two prof in fact as I think Professor Quirrell will want to listen about the base accusations you have made."

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

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

"Petrificus Totalus !"

The predator gang watched in arrant muteness as their mind of planetary house went stiff then slowly but inexorably fell backwards. Ron caught her and lowered her to the trading floor, ashen faced. He looked beat to see Neville standing with his sceptre out and a horrified reflexion on his face.

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

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

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

*

"Nil for two Mr Potter !"Harry fell choking on the floor as Quirrell took a sip of the potion he'd just proved was condom."Still born lucky I see."Harry fell into a fit of coughing that wracked his body with pain. He pulled his head back and idly noticed the line of descent all over his sleeve. So, Sir Thomas More than a cracked rib then.

When he had refused to imbibe the showtime bottle Quirrell had used some sort of bludgeoning curse that squashed him back to the floor. As he had lain there vainly trying to get his breathing place back Quirrell had pulled his head back and tipped the potion down his throat. The moment time he had tried to jib more and been formally introduced to the cruciatus curse. He was ashamed to say he willingly took the bottle in shaking manus and salute a sip himself. All the time feeling wretched and a Coward.

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

Harry pulled himself up on the edge of the mesa and tried to bring a brainiac cellular telephone to bear."Hermione where are you when I need you ?"He must accept said it out tacky because Quirrell laughed and said

"I could get her if you want. I'm indisputable she'd like to see the cruciatus whammy. As a purely donnish subject. Of course to fully appreciate it I would have to do it on her as well."Harry looked from one bottle to another and a pussy of vocal came back to him.

Neither dwarf nor whale holds death in their insides.
Harry's eyes slid to the smallest bottle in the row. His work force shook almost too lots for him to take the phellem out and he spilled some as he took a sip. An crying cold sensory faculty trickled down his throat and into his sleeve. But was this the forrad potion or the back one ? It didn ‘ t really matter since Quirrell was between him and the way back, so only one way remained. Harry put his script to his throat and pretended to choke off, falling towards the fervour he took a heavy gasping breathing space.

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

The floor on the former position knocked the wind from him but he wasn't burnt. It had been the right potion.

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

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

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

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

He floated in the darkness for a bit then was brought back around. Instinct again waking him when he was no longer alone. He turned to see a charred figure, robe in rag and his pillbox unwound and trailing behind him.

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

*

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

"Yes ceramist. What Severus seems to experience forgotten…"The wretched soma said as it stalked towards Harry on ruined peg."Is that I would much rather walk through fire than admit failure to my lord. often, a good deal rather."He came to a stop in front of the Mirror and pointed his nigrify wand at Harry.

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

"Yes, you left just enough for the sceptre and for…"His helping hand rose involuntarily to the spine of his head and a trembling of hurting ran across his expression."But adequate !"He stood in front of the mirror, his anticipation clear on his cheek."I see myself presenting the stone to my master. He is restoring my soundbox, making me well again… But how do I get it ?"

"Use the boy."Quirrell grabbed his arm and jerked him back in front of the mirror. The mental image swam in nuisance in movement of him. His champion faces still stared back at him, mocking him with their happiness.

"Well boy ? What do you see ?"

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

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

"Crucio !"annoyance obliterated the world again but soon enough he was shook awake and slammed in front man of the spyglass.

"What do you really SEE !"

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

"Do you delight ail ?"Quirrell's look was twisted beyond recognition."Do you recall even for a mo that your petty rebelliousness will actually accomplish anything !"

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

*

"A Bromus secalinus set, what the…"

"Oh god facial expression here on the floor… Blood."

"Do you recall he.. ?"

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

*

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

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

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

Oh yes. Joking in the expression of pain. That is something I think your father would do.
"Yeah."Harry said as the mankind began to swim back into focus."But I've got my female parent eyes."He looked up but Quirrell was standing a room away, curiously with his backbone to him. Harry groped around for his glassful.

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

"Yes Harry."The fount spoke with spite now, and barely controlled ira."This is what you reduced me to. Ten years ago."

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

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

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

"Their probably still out on the grass."sentiment Harry. The Ron in the mirror patted him on the backbone."They don't know about this wickedness. This wickedness. They haven't seen it. They don't have to handle with it. And they shouldn't need to."

"I see…"

"Yes… yes !"

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

The crashing strait echoed through the anteroom and Harry felt glass fragment cut into his skin. He tried to roll but a acutely pain sensation in his arm caught him and he stopped, quivering.

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

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

"You.. YOU ! !"The two-base hit brute stood quivering with furor."fountainhead I hope you savour your victory."The thing drew Harry's baton"Because, it is the stopping point sentiment you will ever induce ! Avada Ked…"

"tarantelle !"

The jinx spun over the animate being head and broke against the far rampart. Harry turned to the room access and saw the Marauders standing there. Five wands pointed ramrod-straight at the thing, that had swung around to face them.

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

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

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

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

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

"child !"Quirrells arms twisted back, cracking round at the elbows to have Voldemort control of the wand"I will not be stopped again by children !"

"Petrificus Totalus !"Hermione's vocalization rang out but Voldemort raised a buckler disdainfully. The rebounding hex took the young witch in the chest and she fell like a stone.

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

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

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

"Im… im… impedimenta !"

"Crucio !"Annapurna's spell died on her wand and she fell beside her sister. He had to do something. He had no baton. He had no weapon… He had chalk. Harry pulled his too long sleeves up around his hand and picked up a recollective shard.

"Pathetic creatures."The face spat the news."Unworthy of life history !"Harry stepped closer careful not to interrupt the chalk on the flooring."You will all die ! For defying master Voldemort. You will…"

"master key take care out !"But Quirrell's word of advice was too late as the yearn fragment plunged into his tum. Him and his assailant fell together and Harry jerked the glass out only to douse it again into the wizards flesh. His mitt bled, the cloth of the gown hadn't been nearly enough to protect them. Quirrell rolled over under him and the snakelike face looked up at him in hatred.

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

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

The shriek spoke out through the bedroom. Rising higher and higher, louder and louder till the fragment still on the level shattered into sand. Then the body slumped like a rag dolly and finally lay still.

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

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

*

"I could just shoot the one…"

"Ron people left those for Harry !"

Voices ? …

"But I just want the card."

Familiar…

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

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

Ah…

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

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

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

"Well yeah."Harry shook his head to straighten out it before answering Hermione's question."Why would I not be ? How hanker was I asleep ?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Devil snares well-heeled. Anyway you got the key."

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

"There was a go bad harp on the level. What else could it give been but music ?"

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

"Children."The 1st year turned as Albus Dumbledore stepped into the infirmary annex."I can not opine how pleased you must be that your friend is awake however,"He continued with a scintillation in his eye as he peered over his eyeglasses"…it will entail that you will have to find a new source of hot chocolate frogs."Ron at least had the decency to calculate guilty."Now, if you would grant us some seclusion I would like to mouth to your friend."The marauders filed out and Harry was left alone with the Headmaster.

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

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

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

"Although they may result one shard out. It may ask to be kept for posterity."

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

"Nothing about this decease was any different from his previous one. If he survived that I believe we can simulate he can endure this."

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

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

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

"No Harry."Dumbledore fixed him with a patient stare and Harry bit back a smile."I mean that you were unable to get past my last protection. You did not get the stone."

"Yeah. What was I supposed to do ?"

"When you saw yourself in the mirror there. What did you see ?"

"The same thing as before."Harry shifted uncomfortably"You know, friends."

"So faced with the prospects of eternal life and unending wealth, your dreaming remained the Saami ?"

"I have a great deal of wealthiness now, and if perpetual aliveness means being someone's scalp I think I ‘ ll pass on that too."

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

"Hm ?"

"I want you to come back to your aunt and uncles house."

"No."

"Harry, I can assure…"

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

"You are football team Harry."Professor Dumbledore put his handwriting on Harry's berm and his voice went flabby."It would be negligent of me to let you leave my fear without assuring myself that you would be looked after."

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

"I thought that you would be well-chosen with family, even removed ones."

"You were wrong. Would you like to see some cicatrice by way of cogent evidence ?"

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

"Thank you."Harry smiled and he saw a certain tension lift from the air. Harry looked down at the gifts arrayed in movement of him and picked up one."Chocolate frog ? Go on, otherwise Ron ‘ ll just subscribe all of them."

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

"Who ?"Harry looked around and spotted a pair of slippers poking out from behind a drapery."Who'zat ? They Ok ?"

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

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

"Hopefully after your friends leave."

*

"hold out chance for sound magic !"Fred ( or George III ) yelled as he walked down the Hogwarts express. His crony walked beside him ringing a hand-bell up and down."I repeat ! finally chance for all summer !"

"You heard that Harry ?"Ron said as his brothers walked past the marauders carriage.

"Yep."And indeed he could see the London skyline around the train as they pulled towards kings cross. He had asked Dumbledore if he could companion his friends on the power train and the Headmaster had agreed.

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

"And you have to inspect home."Ron said through a mouthful of sweets"Mums been bugging me about it ever since she found out."

"May just take you up on that Ron."Harry stretched as the train drew into the station."Oh, and before magic becomes illegal…"Harry took a small parcel out of his air hole, tapped it and pulled back as his bag expanded to full size.

"You brought your bag ? Why did you bring your bag…"Hermione's voice became shrill and a minuscule scared. But the question was moot, everyone in the carriage had guessed the answer.

"Oh, number on guys."Harry shot them a grinning and slid out of the perambulator."Don ‘ t tell me you didn ‘ t see this coming ?"

"Harry ! The zep of the wizarding worldly concern can not just go AWOL !"Padma shook her school principal in unbelief."Dumbledore will find you, or the ministry."

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

"You ‘ ll never get away with this Harry."Hermione spoke but all for some intellect didn't quite believe it. The predator stood in a semicircle around Harry with several variation of unbelief on their faces. But after a year they had realised that Harry mostly made his own prescript.

"What they gon na do ? nab their shining hero ?"Harry winked and smiled his immorality ace smile."And I ‘ ve realised something. Being a homeless vagabond sounds a whole lot more fun if you ‘ ve got a jumbo pile of amber underground to fall back on. It ‘ ll just be like going somewhere fun, to have fun."

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

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

"HARRY POTTER YOU GET backrest HERE ! ! !"

"Got ta go."Harry broke into a run as the instructor appeared at the other end of the weapons platform. He dodged between grouping of students as the call got closer and crack between pushcart. He saw his chance, launched himself like a trebucket off the bole of an amazed scholarly person and dived through the barrier. He kept running through Kings Cross, past group of stunned muggles. Running for freedom.

*

"Think he'll lose ‘ em ?"

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

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

"That one too."




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


Harry Potter stepped back onto British soil with a spring in his step and a tan fit to blind gull. Officially there was not orchestrate magical itinerary across the line save by broom or other tool of escape. However Harry had known before he had ever held a verge that the most useful things were always hidden from those in charge.

It had been by this ancient fireplace, disconnected from the rest of the flue electronic network but with a direct link to a exchangeable hollow and portals around Europe, through which Harry had left the country weeks ago. An XI year old can not Good Book a plane tag alone much less thumb a face lifting on a broomstick and even if he could do so those elbow room had probably been watched.

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

But to Harry protected meant trapped and the reason he needed to be kept safe was the very thing he needed some freedom from. So Harry thrower had spent the majority of the summer as Jack Match, juggler and tumbler on several Grecian beaches. He had explored the wizarding slope of the ancient country too, he had watched a school of genus Hippocampus breaching and jumping like dolphins off the glide of Aeaea and seen the colossus of Rhodes. He had walked to the Temple of Alcmeonidae at Delphi and climbed hand-over-hand up the yearn trailing vines of ivy to where it floated in the sky. Levitated above the ‘ ruins'below and concealed from muggle eyes. But the seers that gathered there had seen through his disguise and greeted him as Harry Potter. They had treated him with an eerie respect and he had been taken to bear tea with the current prophet. It was a get together he would never forget…

"Sit dear one."She led him to a shock absorber on the trading floor and sat down herself nearby him. She looked like she was barely a year or two elderly than him but he knew that if he believed that he was a fool. Only her centre betrayed any hint that this was possibly the most powerful seer in the world. Harry had been shocked when he first saw them, he had heard stories that the great seers had milky Elwyn Brooks White eyes showing that they were blind to the mundane. The vaticinator eyes were rule except that the iris of one was deep purple and the other igniter cat valium. Oh and the pupils ( and Harry had had to calculate hard to make this out ) were shaped like superstar.

"Thank you Pythea."Pythea wasn't her name, the oracles held it as a title in purity of the first."But you really don't have to do any of this."

"It is not very often we receive visitors."She smiled at him with those deep eyes. Something in them betrayed a live unhappiness, a hint of the computer memory concealed behind. Memory that spanned centuries.

"If you wish to further more visitor your grace. Perhaps you should install stairs."He instantly felt that perhaps he was being too intimate. Harry generally ignored agency but the quiet might of the minuscule girl before him ( even sitting as she was, barefoot in a elementary Patrick Victor Martindale White attire ) was operose to deny. Anyway he didn't he didn't want there to be stairs. Too many mass, especially too many tourists, would ruin this peaceful place.

"Yes, that is why we do not let them. And no, I prefer that you speak freely before me."Harry looked up broken and she laughed. It sounded like falling urine."Your occlumency is quite safe for one doing it unconsciously. But admittance to thoughts is one of the gift that comes with being… this."The lugubriousness was back in her eyes for a moment then she reached forward and poured him a deoxyephedrine of urine out of a tall fluted jug.

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

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

"Mad dogs and so on…"Harry took another gulp of the odoriferous drink and asked."But, why did you invite me up here ? Why am I sitting, joking, with the greatest prophesier in the world."

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

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

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

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

"I like your eyes."

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

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

"Am I ?"She seemed to look far away for a consequence then hail back down to earth."Why do you say that ?"

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

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

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

"Good."She smiled."skilful selection. But I think I will give you something anyway. In exchange for a future tense not told."She dipped her hand into a pocket of her dress and drew out a pendent on a braided leather cord. Harry leaned closer and saw that it was made of sea scale, glittering like it had just been plucked from the water. She held it out towards him.

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

"What is it ?"Harry lifted the shell to look at it closer but it didn't have any scoring at all. It looked like it was made of two maneuver spiral shells, hanging vertical from its hold. Harry looked closer and saw that the very bottom point was tinged putting green and the very top tinged purple."Is it thaumaturgy ?"

"Yes."

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

"No."

"Meany."Harry tucked the chandelier into his T-shirt and felt it cast off down near his marrow.

"You ‘ ll find out what it does eventually. But you will have to larn a few things for yourself before you do. yell it a little piece of your future."She took his hand and raised him to his feet."Now I am afraid I must say bye. The tariff of my authority call."She seemed genuinely sad to see him go and Harry suddenly wondered if she was lonely up here.

Not trusting himself to speak Harry bowed for the first base metre in his aliveness and walked towards the door.

"Oh and when you go back to Hogwarts."The little girl said as he reached for the hold."Could you tell Sybill Trelawney to stop owling me. delight ?"

Harry climbed back down and walked a piffling ways away before turning around and gazing back at the peacefully drifting building, floating over the sensible horizon. power shovel flapped down on a rock-and-roll next to him and handed him a letter. He took it without reading it and slipped it in his pocket, still thinking. Then he walked over to a clunk of flowers sprouting out of the gemstone nearby and picked some of the enceinte ones.

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

It had not been long after that when he found his way to the krybo-lakkos securities industry in Greek capital and to the odd pottery lamp chimney that connected to the under-flue and that could get him home plate.

*

"quint Galleon ‘ s. Here."The tradesman pointed to a pot next to his cash registry. Harry nodded to him while dusting himself off and dropped five of the gold coins in the jar. This holiday had cost him surprisingly little, tourer had liked his juggling on the beaches and liked his witty remarks even more. The galleons to get there and the galleons back was probably more than he'd spent the whole time in between.

Harry stepped out into a begrimed alley and set off away from the shop. Walking quickly he made for the lighter end of the street where he could listen more people moving. People turned to gaze at his lustrous summery clothing in the dark and shadowed street and he heard grumbling and muttering. A bony bridge player fell on his shoulder and he broke into a run. Shadowy figures leapt out at him and Sir Thomas More hands tried to gain purchase, Harry broke off as his way ahead was blocked and he sprinted down a position street. He could see the promising sounds of diagonally ahead of him and sprinted as hard as he could.

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

"What the… ?"But there was no fourth dimension to think. number were closing in and Harry dove in the opposite direction. He slipped down another road.

Sir Thomas More cloaked trunk seemed to pop out of every phantom. The small boy dodged down another street and found himself at a dead end. The entrance to the alley was blocked by a minor gang, five or so wizards and beldame in dreary ragged gown blocked his way back.

Harry slipped his baton out of his scoop into his right hand. His center scanned the walls around him but they were straight up and down. No handholds. The bunch advanced on him with hands out. Harry crouched down, if he was gona die he was prepared to die like a rat in a corner. Biting and scratching till the lastly.

"What have we here ?"A scabby and dishevelled witch said with a yakety-yak."Kids shouldn't be in knockturn alleyway. Something bad could happen."She reached out towards him and Harry's bridge player tightened on his wand.

"Stand aside hag !"A flash of red Inner Light shot from the other end of the alley and the witches hair burst into flame.

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

"Never fear Cy Young rascal !"The man said in a thrive phonation."Markus Albert Michelson is here !"

*

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

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

Harry tried to pry the digit off of him but the human being grip was like a vice. Harry continued to shinny until they got out into the good harbor of diagonally and he was dumped unceremoniously on the trading floor.

"For someone being rescued by the sterling warrior, adventurer, lover and explorer that the earthly concern has ever known."The man put his fist on his hips and bent down to put his font near Harry's."You sure don't seem to hump how show you're grateful."

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

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

"Not to worry. I'd imagine getting stuck down a all in end in knockturn alley is a little frightening for individual not as… imposing… as me."He tucked his wand in his belt and Harry looked him up and down. Even without taking his hat into account the man was easily seven feet tall and had shoulder joint like a ox. He wore chummy leather flush and leather trousers above them, fitting tightly over muscled ramification. The belt was snake in the grass skin and he had what looked like creature teeth tied hanging off it so they clattered as he moved. Above that he wore a form fitting red vest that left his arms bare. Harry could see the edge of a tattoo peeking up amongst his pectus hair and another on his bicep. Further down his arm he wore two spike heel set. To top it all off the man wore a cowpuncher hat over his thick blond pilus with a long red feather tucked into the set on one side and three rifle slug on the former.

"Who are you ?"

"intellection I introduced myself before. Never mind, probably slipped your creative thinker in all the excitement."The man struck a pose."I am Markus Maximus Michelson. felicitous to make up your acquaintance pipsqueak."

"My figure is Harry."Odd to hear that after a summertime of Jack.

"goodness to meet you slight Harry. Now…"the man looked around at the crew"…where are you meeting your parents. Can't leave you alone out here since you seem to attract trouble. You little tyke."He ruffled Harry's hair as if he was a little kid, earning himself Harry's endless hatred.

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

"commodity, good."The man grabbed his arm again and set a brisk footstep through the gang. There were a lot of hoi polloi this fourth dimension of day but they parted to let Markus through. Harry had hoped that when they reached Fortescue's ice pick parlour the odd whiz would allow for him alone. He did cipher of the sort however and sat down at a table, leaning far back on his chair and tucking his pollex in his bash grummet. Harry was just wondering why he was waiting around when the reason walked up to the board.

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

"My little friend here needs a drinking chocolate Dominicus to calm him down. He's just been in a bit of a mucilaginous situation down knockturn skittle alley. For myself just seeing you smile is all the confection I need, and please…"he plucked a sensationalistic daisy out of air and set it behind the missy ear"…call me Maximus."

"You helped him ?"

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

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

"Harry Potter.. ?"The man looked at him for a moment with a light smile then turned back"Yes I did. And yes, I am rather strong. Mighty is my middle name."The female child swooned and rushed off to get Harry's ice cream. When she was gone the man turned back and fixed him with the smile again. Harry crossed his weaponry.

"Thought your middle name was Maximus."

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

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

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

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

Harry rolled his oculus and finished his ice cream quickly as the vain wizard chatted to ( or more accurately chatted up ) the lady friend. Harry dropped the Leontyne Price of the repast on the table.

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

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

*

Harry moved quickly once he was out of the 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 friend quickly helped him refill his sac for another yr. While he was down in the vault Harry stuck his t-shirt in his bag and instead took out a farseeing robe with a hood. At Greeklunk's confused expression he said…

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

"Oh right. Bloody paparazzi."

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

*

Harry stood in the nation lane and rechecked the letter he held in his hand. He was sure he was at least in the right hamlet and probably on the right field road. It was just that the road went a long way in both focussing and Ron's advice on getting to his theatre had been rather vague. Like he'd only really seen the surrounding countryside from the air. Harry folded the letter of the alphabet away and shrugged, there was always another way. He walked over to a where a granger was sitting near his tractor, fiddling with something in the engine.

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

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

*

Harry had to resist the itch to break into a run as he caught pile of the Weasley house. Outside it in the overgrow garden he could see three boy working, flinging something he couldn't make out over the garden rampart. Harry smiled, they were expecting him today but he hadn't exactly been able to give them an demand time. As he walked closer the door to the house opened and Molly Weasley ( Ron had told him all about his family ) emerged, carrying a tray with drinking on it. Behind her a young lady friend ( must be Ginny ) stepped outdoor and leaned against the doorpost looking bored. None of them seemed to have noticed him yet, or maybe the tan had changed his coming into court a bit. As he stepped up to the battlefront gate he spread his blazonry wide.

"ciao !"

"Harry !"Ron jumped in surprise"You ‘ re here."The twins jumped up too and ran to run into him, but the most extreme reaction came from the youngest Weasley. Ginny went dead E. B. White under her hair's-breadth and her mouth seemed to move as if she was trying to say something then she bolted through the still open threshold.

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

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

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

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

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

"Snape."

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

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

"At to the lowest degree that's up the evolutionary scale."

*

But Ginny's odd demeanour didn't arrest. Harry found that she was unequal to of staying in a elbow room that he was in and that any try to verbalize directly to her was plenty to charge her scurrying away. One good morning when he came down and found her curled up on the sofa with a mag he decided to put a point to it.

"Ginny."She stiffened and looked like she was about to take flight."Don't run away please."He walked around and sat succeeding to her on the sofa. She looked like a minor rodent confronted by a ophidian, optic wide open and too frighten off to run."Can you tell me why you run every clip I try to blab out to you or enter the room ?"secretiveness, except for the twitching she could make been petrified."Look 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 next six eld. Could you talk to me. Please."

"Y… you…"Harry had to extend to get wind her syncope whisper."you destroyed you-know-who."

"Oh you ‘ re still thinking about that ?"Harry waved his helping hand dismissively."That happened ages and long time 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 frontal bone and Harry brushed away the hair to reveal the cicatrix. But apparently this was too much for Ginny and she bolted up the step 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 yr. Back before she liked us."

"And that turned out OK."

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

"No Ron but I think I do think I need to direct drastic action to correct this situation."Harry thought for a moment then latched onto a brilliant plan. An astonishing architectural plan. Possibly the neat plan he had ever devised."You have a few brooms here right ?"

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

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

"But Harry you can ‘ t play Quidditch. The conclusion clock time you got on a broom you made a complete fool of yourself."

"Exactly !"

*

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

"You have to come through."Ron made a poking motion with the flatbed of his hand. That meant follow through Harry knew, the bridge player signaling were about all he ‘ d picked up during the game."Just centralise on following through. That was the problem that time."

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

"There isn ‘ t one, we'd have to invent it just for you."Ron helped him back on his Calluna vulgaris and they flew back up to conjoin the twins. Ginny was sitting a little mode away watching them, when Harry had fallen out of the tree diagram she had jumped up in electrical shock. But as Ron and the counterpart had begun laughing at him he had seen a shadow of a grin cross her cheek as well. That phantasma was all that was keeping him from giving up the total attempt and getting his feet back on solid state primer.

"Right."Ron said as they hovered at their end of the pitch."You make for the in good order hand slope. I ‘ ll draw in them off to the left then pass it to you. Then you can mark. Got it ?"

"Aye aye Captain !"Harry saluted and almost overbalanced.

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

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

"I got it ! I got…"clump !

Harry struck the land hard and rolled to a arrest in the long skunk.

"Ow."Harry put his hand to the book binding of his question and sat up. Looking right into the cheek of Ginny Weasley. She had run over to see if he was alright and now stood, all-embracing eyed before him.

"There didn ‘ t used to be four of you."Harry pointed at her with a shake off bridge player."Stop being four of you, person… girl… Where am I ?"Harry blinked and looked around blurrily. A small randomness brought him back to the show and he looked forward. Ginny had her bridge player over her mouth and was trying hard not to express mirth. Little voice kept escaping like steam out of a timpani.

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

The four Weasley's carried him off the pitch and Fred and George ( who seemed to have got experience with heading combat injury for some reason ) pronounced him ticket.

"Maybe we should take a break."Ron said worriedly."You know, chip in him prison term to recover."

"Better idea."Harry tossed his Calluna vulgaris to Ginny."You take my smirch. 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 spokesperson to couple Mrs Weasley's"Be nice to your sister ! And besides, your choices are me or her."

"Welcome to the squad Ginny."

*

"See ! No one can beat my team !"Harry grinned and slapped his chest as the game drew to an official end.

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

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

"And your part is ?"

"Cheerleader. I really should get some pompoms."



note : Right, thats the second year started.

Interesting news about Dumbledore, but it makes sensation when you look back on it. Does kind of make it more tragic however. The champion of accepting multitude for who they were died without ever himself being accepted. He probably never even told anyone. The bit about how he did n't move against Grindlewald was interesting too and puts the whole affair in a new light. What if Grindlewald was well cognisant of Dumbledores feelings and used him to derive power in safety ? Knowing full well that Dumbledore was the only one who could take in 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 prank but thats fine 'cos anyone who laughed is just as nerdy.






mogul cross was crowded beyond feeling as the Weasley clan crossed the place towards platform nine and three quarters.

"Hurry up."Mrs Weasley herded her various billing towards the barrier."rightfulness. Come everyone, while the muggles aren't looking."One by one the redheads shot through the roadblock. Harry waited until last, as the summer had drawn to a close he had wondered if perhaps he might not be let back into the school. He had got the book 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 last moment of freedom."She disappeared through the roadblock and Harry took a deep breathing time. 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.

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

"They don't want me back."Harry blinked and looked up at the clock. lupus erythematosus than a hour till the caravan was supposed to forget."They expelled me."

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

Harry looked down platform ten and thought he saw a wisp of skunk rise from beyond the tracks. Where was the wizards platform anyway ? A mad idea struck Harry and he was stood back up in a flash. His foot seemed to move of their own accord and he took first one then another halting gradation along the chopine. Another wisp of sens. He broke into a run and willed his legs to carry him faster and faster.

"it's a steam train."Harry dodged past a startled director at the end of the platform and jumped down onto the cartroad."It takes a while to speed up."He pumped his legs for supererogatory stop number.

"Digger !"Harry reached onto his backpack and flicked his owl's cage overt."Catch me up at Hogwarts !"Harry blastoff to the edge of the power train tracks and looked down. The pattern, muggle train raceway coming out of kings hybridisation were raised up on a form of long bridgework, raising them several stories above the city streets. Harry glanced down in time to see the end of the Hogwarts express squeeze itself out from between the bricks of the bridge and headway off down a cartroad that looked disused. Up ahead the path rose up and joined with the others, if Harry was going to do it, he ‘ d bear to do it now.

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

He crashed into the top of the last posture and hung onto it for dear lifespan. The train was beginning to find fault up speed and Harry crawled to the edge. Thankfully the carriages window was open. Harry swung his bag in through it then slid down into it himself.

"Harry Potter. Nice to meet you."He said to the aghast number 1 days who's pusher he'd dropped into."See you at Hogwarts !"Harry walked shakily out the room access. Once he was safely in the corridor he leaned against the bulwark and slid down till he was on the flooring. He wanted to get up and find his friend but for some reason none of his limb seemed to work. He caught a glimpse of himself in the glass in forepart of him and blinked in blow. He looked a wreck ! rakehell ran down the leave behind side of his side and was matted into the haircloth above.

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

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

She wordlessly handed him the cake and took the price of them without once taking her middle off him. When he was about to exit she finally said.

"Did you… just… jump onto the train."

"No."Harry shook his nous"No. Definitely not. You ‘ d have to be wild to jump on a moving train."

*

Harry moved down the caravan as quietly as he could. Trying to find his Quaker without drawing too much attention. Unfortunately lecture travelled fast on the Hogwarts express and he couldn't go five tone without encountering another stare or die a group of pupil without them breaking out in a fit of whispering.

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

"Malfoy I really don't have the vim for this now."It was true. Harry would let liked doing nil more than simply collapsing on the flooring there for the remainder of the journey."Could you please, and I mean this in the nice possible way, sodomise off and die like the pathological musical composition of distended rectum frame you are."

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

"potter !"Harry turned and saw professor McGonagall standing in the rig. Malfoy and his bodyguard disappeared through a door."How in Falco columbarius ‘ s epithet 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 break the train. She seemed to be under the impression that the barrier had sealed with you on the other side."

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

"But then. How did you get here ?"

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

"Harry…"

"I jumped onto the train."

"YOU JUMPED ONTO THE TRAIN !"

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

"That is beside the decimal point Mr potter, but after the stunt you pulled at the end of in conclusion yr I suppose I should not be entirely surprised."She straightened up"We will have to discuss this further in my office at Hogwarts. At the very least you will take in several days detention."

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

"No Mr Potter. Not this time."She began walking away down the train."Go to my office when we reach Hogwarts."

"After the classification ?"

"As soon as you reach the castle."

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

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

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

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

*

Harry eventually found the piranha compartment and slid the threshold outdoors.

"Hello freindlies !"

"Harry !"Hermione's sass dropped spread out."Ron said you couldn ‘ t get onto the political platform !"

"Couldn't."Harry noticed Ginny sitting quietly in the corner of the compartment. Ron had probably been told to hold open an eye on her."Had to larn ingress to the train by… former means."

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

"Couldn ‘ t care less. But no."

"Portkey ?"Neville seemed to call up for a moment."Or a broom ?"

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

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

"What is it ?"Hermione asked and the marauders seemed to fall waiting for the answer.

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

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

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

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

*

The caravan meandered its foresightful journey through the hills and Harry ducked out of the conversations around him. His head still hurt and he didn't have the energy to entertain people. He leaned against the insensate window as pelting started to streak down, leaving small lead on the window dot. He closed his middle and lay there for a long while. Little trails of weewee, swirling, drowning.

"Harry."He shook himself awake and looked over at the youngest Weasley, leaning over to him."Are you alright ?"Harry looked around the compartment, the rest period of his ally were still talking amongst themselves."You ‘ re face 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 ambition.

"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 hired man dismissively."Don't vexation. You ‘ ll love it there. deterrent example are easy, specially charms. Friends everywhere. Plus if any of the Slytherins bother you we can show some swift payback. We're feared by that house."

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

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

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

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

"Then tell it so."Harry looked at the young girls startled reflection."You know what the sorting hat is right ?"nod."Then severalise it you want to be a Gryffindor. Don't take no for an answer. It's your lifetime, don't let a hat make decision for you."Harry leaned back down and closed his heart again.

*

"What the snake pit ?"Ron voiced what they were all thinking as the marauders moved away from the gearing at Hogsmead. Ginny had left to take her little boat ride and the six friend now stood in battlefront of a line of carriages, each drawn by a thin scaly sawbuck with folded leathery wings."Charlie told me the carriages pulled themselves ?"

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

"Still think this is weird."

*

Ginny Weasley stood fidgeting in figurehead of the hall as the sorting hat finished its song. She was so nervous she wanted to bite her nails despite the human face they were already worn to the pith. Well, at least she was a Weasley. Her figure would be called near to last. She saw Harry on the Gryffindor tabular array spinning three ramification in the air in front of him. She tried to enamour his eye but failed, he was talking to his real ally. Everyone began to pay attending as Dumbledore stood up.

"Before we begin the sorting I ‘ d like to announce two things. One is that, despite what this vacuous chair seems to point, we have found a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."Ginny looked along the instructor shelve 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 transfer of his belongings from overseas. Rest assured that he has my full authority and he will introduce himself, probably at length…"did the lank-haired prof just grimace even more ?"…in your first lesson with him tomorrow. Now the minute thing is that we will be doing this yr sorting backwards."

"What ?"That prompted a grumble about the lobby.

"Yes, call it an old mans illusion. Now let us go forward so that we can enjoy a brilliant feast after we are all done."Dumbledore sat back down but the murmuring hadn't ceased. McGonagall then took her home, the grammatical construction on her look clearly showing that the Headmaster had not discussed this with her. She looked down at her newspaper publisher and read…

"Weasley, Ginevra."

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

"Another Weasley, seems I see those on almost a each year base. But a Weasley young woman ? 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 select my house. I want to be in Gryffindor."

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

"Ah… You didn ‘ t realise you were speaking out tatty ?"
Ginny lifted the brim of the hat just enough to see around the Hall. There was whispering everywhere, and every face had an identical visage of shocked amazement. Her centre searched out her brothers at the Gryffindor table. Harry Hotspur had buried his facial expression in his hands and seemed to be trying to pretend it all wasn't occurrent, Fred and George I were watching her with vast evil grin and Ron, Ron just looked illogical. Her eyes flickered past Ron to Harry and their gazes locked, then the boy did the rum thing, he pulled up his sleeve, put his hand palm out and jabbed forward.

Follow through

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

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

"Stay perfectly calm."Harry's voice but she swore his lips 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 hand by her side. A candy of some kind. Without a word, and before the mum stares of the whole hall, she brought out, give away and calmly ate a liquorice wand.

Every eye in the hall turned as they heard McGonagall percipient her throat then…

"Jamaican capital, Victor."

It was as if the hall had been holding its breather the entire sentence and now let it out in a wave of cackle. Ginny felt someone clack her on the back and looked sideways into Harry's typeface.

"Thank you."Ginny breathed through the racket."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 licorice verge."honest thing I was paying attention, who the hell is Ginevra Weasley ?"

The small boy with exquisitely waxed fuzz and sunglasses apparently named Victor Kingston had reached the hat and was looking down at it worriedly. He looked like he was about to plunk it up then looked at the table in the hall.

"Ravenclaw. I think I like Ravenclaw."

"On the plus English you may have started a revolution."Harry had leaned in to speak to her again."On the minus McGonagall's gon na kill you…"

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

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

"We could make water up some new standard if you like."His Twin Falls leaned in from the other side of the table.

"farewell her twins."Harry was holding her by both berm away from her sometime chum."She tricked the hat, swindled McGonagall, caused a crossbreed house revolution and all in social movement of the total school !"Harry grabbed her and hugged her from nates."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 query at her crony across the table. But it was Parvarti Patil who answered her.

"He means that you ‘ re the type of person who goes for what they want and has the nerve to see it through and doesn ‘ t care what the rules say or who thinks what !"She stuck out her mitt"Welcome to the Marauders."

By the end of the day Ginervrador House ( as it was briefly called ) had an unusually large social class of start years. Filch had to propel some of the layer.

*

As Harry trudged back from his first detention with McGonagall that night ( polishing hundreds and hundreds of brass push that were just going to be transfigured into beetles anyway ) he leaned on the rampart near the portrayal cakehole and closed his eye for a moment.

"Harry potter sir !"

Harry opened his eyes and immediately realised his manoeuver injury must sustain been spoiled than he thought. The Hallucination had foresightful pointy pinna and was wearing some sort of ragged material like a toga.

"Wha… ?"

"Harry Potter should never take in got on the train !"

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

"Dobby sir. Dobby the family elf."The odd niggling puppet bowed to him, its nose almost touching the floor."Dobby is truly gloomy to give birth caused trouble for such a smashing ace as Harry Potter. But Harry ceramist must depart Hogwarts !"

"Caused trouble ? What trouble ?"Harry slid off the rampart and stood straight. His wand was inconveniently tucked in an inside air pocket, heavy to reach out. Was this creature a menace ?"What are you talking about ?"

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

"What precisely…"Harry heavily enunciated the 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 brute by the arms. The thing whined and tried to interrupt away but he held on."I could have missed the bloody gearing !"The brute nodded and whimpered a little more."I could give been killed ! Wait… knockturn alley…"Harry remembered the prophylactic paries. The elf stiffened again and he seemed to be avoiding Harry's middle."That was you as well ! Why WHY !"He picked the thing up and shook it roughly."Are you trying to belt down 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 storey, looking up at him with its huge, tear filled centre. 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 suffer you. The infirmary wing isn ‘ t far, can I…"

"No !"Dobby's fount became a masque of fear."Dobby can not be seen. Dobby ‘ s masters can never know. Dobby isn ‘ t hurt, Dobby gets far worse than this at household. Dobby's masters are…"the elf seemed to constrain for a moment then he rushed over to the wall and began hitting his read/write head on it gruelling.

"Bad Dobby ! Bad Dobby !"

"Wait ! Hey, Stop !"Harry was torn between the pauperization to stop it hurting itself and trying to avoid grabbing it again since he'd obviously hurt him. He pulled his robe off, quickly balled it up and ( between caput leap ) slid it between Dobby and the wall. The misfortunate elf continued on for a couple of hit, apparently not realising he was now cushioned, then dropped to the floor.

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

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

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

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

"If I asked you to differentiate me why you want me to leave Hogwarts ?"the elf's head stayed very still."How often can you enjoin me without having to penalize yourself ?"

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

"If I asked you whether your headmaster were involved ?"Dobby tensed like a rod."Just IF think of, if I asked you that would you let to punish yourself ?"

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

"And is I asked what mold the danger would learn ?"

But at this Dobby shook his read/write head furiously and put his hands over his ear. The poor elf began rocking backwards and forwards and keening.

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

"Harry Potter will bequeath Hogwarts ?"

"No. But I will be careful, 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 reexamination, especially if you think it 's bad. Really, it 'll help me improve.


"wonderment if he ‘ s cute ?"Parvarti wondered quizzically as the secondly years wandered to the defence against the dingy graphics classroom. They had the social class first catamenia Monday, so would be the number one to meet the new teacher."Dumbledore said he ‘ s foreign, so I bet he ‘ s cute."

"I just wonder if he ‘ ll be a good teacher."Hermione hung her head word a little."After a year of… of bad teaching we need to fascinate up. We ‘ ll be prosperous if we can take a leak it up in time for the OWLs."Harry could secern she had been about to say Quirrell, but had stopped herself. As far as he could tell none of his friends wanted to recall about the consequence at the end of finish year.

"well, so long as he only has one face, I ‘ ll be happy."Harry stuck his hands behind his head and laughed."right field ?"The others stopped for a present moment, then grinned with him."Thought so. Anyway…"Harry was the firstly to the doorway and pushed it afford."… after Quirrell we can ‘ t do much unfit 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 front my good lad ! I can already order this is going to be one of your favourite stratum !"The marauders filed in the front man row and the other educatee moved in behind them. All of them looking a little apprehensively at the booming muscled number in front of them.

"The name's Professor Markus Triple-M Michelson. I ‘ ll be your defense lawyers against the wickedness arts teacher this year. Thought I ‘ d take a break from the globe-trotting to pass on some of my cognition to the next multiplication !"He swept his hat off and twirl it across the room, it landed neatly on top of a suit of armour."Oh and by the way the Ms stand for Maximus, Mighty and Magesto but they might as well stand for Muscular, Magical and most of all Masculine !"He laughed and put his fists on his hip."So, on to the Matriculation !"He grabbed the register off the table and began yelling out names, variously chuckling at the odd name calling and winking at any girl who answered him quickly. When he got to Potter he said

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

When the register was finished the professor strode up to the front of the course of study. To the seismic disturbance of all watching he slammed one clenched fist back into the blackboard. Words jumped off the surface as if they had been jolted into being.

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

A few deal went up around the class, including Harry's. Neville gulped and tried to guard his paw 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 moon physical structure Bind sir."Neville appeared to be wishing he had a pickle to grovel into.

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

"McGonagall."

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

"Acerbus cuspis."

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

"Er…"

"And who did you use it on ?"

"Quirrell."

"Right OK."Michelson shook his drumhead."Before we dredge up any to a greater extent assaults against Hogwarts instructor lets start on something else. Who here knows what a shield charm is ?"Many of the paw went down ( though not of class, Hermione's )"Right ! we'll start there."

*

The class let out an minute later. Many of the students had the after-effects of minor jonah and whammy on them from when their buckler hadn't been in force enough or when their resister had been too well. Professor A. A. Michelson seemed to call up all of it extremely singular and laughed outrageously at every furiously-dancing, uncontrollably-coughing or unnaturally-warty educatee before cancelling their affliction and sending them on their way. Half way through the class he had picked Harry to march some more serious hexes to the class. Harry ‘ s carapace charm wasn ‘ t nearly good enough and he ended up suffering for every spell that winged his way.

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

The other marauders kept a condom space, giggling behind their custody.

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

"He keeps calling me unretentive !"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 human face became stony and dreary."And he… winked at me."

"You ‘ ll see."Harry turned and began back towards the chronicle of trick classroom"You ‘ ll all see ! After you meet him a few metre you ‘ ll agree with me about Markus Mary Albert Abraham Michelson !"

*

But they didn't.

Defence Against the wickedness Arts quickly became the most depend forward to example by the entire school day. Every few lessons Markus Albert Michelson would introduce a new armed combat spell and work with them, pulling them with jest, belittlement and encouragement, to perfect the enchantment. From disarming and stunning through to cuticle and self-protection he taught everything with an identical laugh and identical arrogant attitude. Harry remained sullen and silent in these lessons especially when the inevitable happened and he was called up to help oneself demonstrate a new spell. He had tried to get the marauders riled up to act as a frivolity on professor Michelson but they had flatly refused. Harry had to content himself with dropping potion on a group off Slytherins that gave them oozing boil. It had been quiet coordination compound, whoever the pus hit when the boil exploded developed them as well.

It was on his way back from enceinte hold that he heard mortal yell. Harry saw a first year rush past him upstairs and followed him, towards the noise. A radical of pupil were gathered on the third floor. Harry pushed through them without a thought process and stopped at the front to see a horrific sight. Painted on the wall in what looked like lineage were the words…

Arise those of antediluvian rakehell ! Cast out the impure from this family of our founder ! Be true to your bloodline ! Destroy the enemies of the heritor ! This is the call to implements of war !

Harry glanced to his English, lined up following to one another stood a radical of Slytherins. Malfoy, Goyle and Flint River stood face by side, each wearing indistinguishable reflexion of Glee.

On the floor in front of the alphabetic character crouched pitiable Victor Kingston, the kid who'd liked the feeling of Ravenclaw, curled up in fear behind his dark glasses.

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

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

"He doesn ‘ t have a pulse."Harry murmured, trying to make a motion his fingers around for a better look."No pulsation. Get Madam Pomfrey ! Get Dumbledore !"

"Both are here Harry."Harry looked up to see the schoolmaster walkway to the boundary of the crowd. He stood back gratefully as the school hold went to turn.

"Is he… dead ?"An older Ravenclaw at the edge of the circle asked and a whisper of breathless shock absorber swept the bunch.

"No."professor Dumbledore said calmly"He appears to hold been petrified."

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

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

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

"I am sure I can desire every student here to act in a way that does not shame the just figure of this school."

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

*

The first onslaught happened just the future morning. Hannah abbot was found with a humbled arm at the bottom of the dance step leading down to the Hufflepuff common room. Her bag and Good Book strewn haphazardly at the top. She'd been coming up from the wine cellar betimes to get breakfast and been pushed back down.

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

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

In a matter of weeks it was no farseeing safe for a muggleborn or half-blood educatee to be out on their own. brothel keeper Pomfrey was being worked of her feet by the flow of injuries coming into her care.

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

Mudbloods and blood-traitors cower in fear ! The heir of Slytherin getting even and the chamber has been opened. climb up around his standard ! spillage the go bad stock on the land !

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

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

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

"They can ‘ t."Padma said dully as they passed the Defence Against the night liberal arts classroom"Not on this scale."Her babe nodded silently. Her normally cheerful humour dulled.

"Padma ‘ s rightfield Hermione."Ron shook his head."Things are just getting worse and besides, we can ‘ t afford to lose any more Quidditch players."

"Is that all you care about !"

"I just meant…"

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

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

"With some we got a pretty good idea."Harry murmured darkly as they passed a group of Slytherins. The predator curled around Hermione like a human cuticle as they passed and only pass around back out after they had gone. A arcsecond later Harry's wand vibrated in his sac."Damn it !"Harry motioned the others to tranquillize and the sound of hexing could be heard above them. They broke into a run towards the nearest stair.

*

"Leave him alone !"Ginny's own phonation sounded shrill in her ears. She stepped in presence her spite admirer and tried to swallow her fear.

"What ? Protecting your mudblood fellow double-dealer ?"Marcus Flint stepped out of the doughnut of Slytherins surrounding her and Colin."dance step aside for me. I ‘ d rather not spill wizard blood, even your families, unless I have to."

"Mico Harry."Ginny whispered, holding her verge out in front of her. Hoping he was in range."Mico Harry."

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

"Mico Ron. Mico Hermione."

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

"It summons demons !"

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

*

Harry was the beginning to admit that he probably wasn't destined to be a dueler. His first strike against the seventh year had been lucky and he now found himself shielding for his life in the centre of a war-zone. early scholarly person from other theater had been drawn in or joined in or been pushed in by the bunch and now the corridor was filled with flashing twinkle and cries of pain in the ass.

"You ‘ re numb potter. Oh you ‘ re dead."Flint advanced on him and Harry ducked behind a statue as the big Slytherins blaspheme smashed into the undercoat near his metrical foot. A sec one smacked into the rock superstar and it began to topple over. Harry scrambled out as it crashed to the flooring and jabbed his wand at his assailant.

"Expelliarmus !"The turn struck Flint but his midst, sausage-like finger were curled tightly around his sceptre.

"Confringo !"Harry leapt out of the way of the blasting curse and fell badly on his berm. He threw his own back in answer and the snake stumbled backwards. Harry jumped to his foundation and snap a bludgeoning hex only to have it rebound off a shield and skag him in the chest. Tumbling backwards he landed on his dorsum among the debris. His baton skittered off along the base. A shadow fell over him and a Brobdingnagian booted metrical foot slammed onto his dresser, holding him down.

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

A moment later Flint was thrown off him as a sweep up wave of sparkle shot through the corridor, forcibly pulling opponents apart.

Harry's bridge player darted out and grabbed his wand while he looked for the source of the spell. His eyes found Albus Dumbledore standing at the end of the corridor with various former teachers behind him.

"Is any student here injured or in demand of the infirmary wing ?"His spokesperson was stony as he eyed the assembled students. A few students raised their hands. Dumbledore nodded and turned to verbalize to the teachers behind him."Please escort them there."No one spoke as the wounded were gathered up. Harry saw Markus Albert Michelson handing Ginny her bag with one hand while picking Colin up in his other. As professor McGonagall walked past him he caught her oculus for a here and now, they were insensate, harsh and disappointed. When the finish of the injured were gone the master turned back to the remaining bookman.

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

No one spoke. No one wanted to pull in attention to themselves.

"You will all reelect to your common rooms now. Tomorrow morning you will all come to the great hall where you will spend your Saturday in silence. You will return the day after that and for many weekends to fare until I decide that the peace and tranquility of the schooling has returned. Your parents will also be informed of your disappointing behaviour."Dumbledore gestured at the baby."Go off now. Not you Harry !"Harry was drawn back by Dumbledore's representative. Marcus Flint smirked at him with his troll-like smile and slinked off. Harry followed the schoolmaster in secretiveness as he turned and walked off through the shoal. He stopped before a gargoyle on the irregular floor.

"sherbet Lemon."The infantile parole seemed oddly out of kilter with the situation. They remained silent as they were raised up by the staircase and walked out into the Headmasters office.

Harry glanced around in admiration at the odd silver auto, many moving or making soft sounds, filling tables around the edges of the office. His eyes were drawn to the perch behind the desk where a tired looking red bird 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 pocket of his robe. He turned and sat behind the fleshy desk. Saying goose egg, he regarded the educatee before him over steepled finger.

Harry knew that with any other instructor this was the time to be quiet and count guilty, but with Dumbledore he might actually be honest off explaining.

"Professor."He began and licked his dry brim. Dumbledore's eyes flicked to his."I heard the sounds of mortal being attacked nearby and I went to see whether I could aid. When we… I got there Marcus Flint and some other Slytherins had the maiden eld surrounded."He couldn't separate what issue this was having on the schoolmaster. His expression was mysterious."I fired a go 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 first-class honours degree hex ?"

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

"Several scholarly person are injured Harry."divinity teeth the ragged bird was eyeballing him as well."And there was some geomorphologic damage to the school. Several paintings were damaged and statues broken."

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

"And with this aura of reverence already around the shoal you have given everyone another reason to hate each other."Harry felt very minor in straw man of the continued stare."bad, you have escalated this trouble with your actions. future clock time people will be even quicker to describe sceptre in anger. Next time the curse will be uncollectible and people could be seriously offend Harry, do you see that ?"

"Yes sir."Harry thinking of Marcus Flint's smirk. future clip they wouldn't wait to twit people.

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

"Yes sir."

"See that you do not duplicate this mistake."

"Yes sir. Thank you."Harry walked out of the office. All the way to the door he could feel the old man eyes on his back.

*

Harry walked back slowly to the Gryffindor uncouth elbow room. By luck the route took him back past the battleground. Some endeavor had been made to strip up but the place still felt damaged. Great chunks were missing from the stone and the broken paintings had all been taken down. The passage was bare. Harry saw movement at the early end and tensed for a second, then relaxed as he saw red hair and freckle.

"Ginny ?"

"Harry."The little girl moved up the corridor towards him. Stopping just a niggling way down from him."I ‘ m so sorry I got you into bother. 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 problem. All this…"Harry waved his hand at the equipment casualty and agitate his head."Not your geological fault. But why are you back here ? Shouldn ‘ t you be in the common room."

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

"Remind me to learn you to lie convincingly Ginny."Harry looked into her center. There was a storm sum of money of care there."Why don't you want to tell me ? You don't have to you know."

"Lost something."Ginny's voice became little with each give-and-take she said."A Diary. mustiness have fallen out in the fight."

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

"Not my diary."

"Whose ? Nicking someone's diary is all very marauder of you but…"

"I found it in my Holy Scripture before I even got here. intellection maybe it got leftfield there."

"Who ‘ s was it ?"

"The front 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 ground a little."It spoke to me."

"Spoke ? It could spill the beans ?"

"No, he wrote back when I wrote him things."Ginny curled up on the level and hugged her leg up to her chest of drawers."It was blank but it wrote back. He was so prissy. I had individual to talk to finally."

"mortal to babble out to ?"Harry scratched his head. What did she signify ?"You have six brother don't you ?"

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

"I mess everything up."Ginny gulped between shit."I lost Tom and everyone ‘ s going to study him ! I messed up the sorting ! I started a competitiveness and almost got you expelled !"

"Ginny listen to me."Harry tried grabbing her shoulder joint but she wouldn't look at him. With his other mitt he cupped her face and brought it up so he could see her centre."Tom sounds like a good booster, I ‘ m sure you can believe him to keep your secrets. I mean, other people must have had the diary before you and Tom never told you any of their secrets right ?"

Merlin's beard, he didn't know what he was doing. What did he be intimate about comforting people ?

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

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

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

"cum on. Lashkar-e-Taiba get back to the common room."He stood up and held out a hired man to her."And as for having a admirer to lecture to…"He pulled her into a crude hug then let her go."… what am I a stranger ?"

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

"Because I ‘ m not ginger and my skin can learn 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 tower."I ‘ m no good at this kind of thing."