A/N: This story will be written and revised by Spideria and Myself. It is an original plot, concieved by the two of us. We've put hard effort into this so please, be kind. Also, for all intensive purposes, Dumbledore is NOT dead, I repeat NOT DEAD. Without further ado, Standing Tempus.
DISCLAIMER: We do not own Harry Potter or any of the affiliated characters, locations, themes, or ideas. We DO own the plot of this story and nothing else.
Standing Tempus
Chapter 1
"Out of the Darkness"
"3...2...1! Congratulations Harry!"
Cheers errupt from everywhere around Harry, as he was finally brought out of the darkness of the blind fold he'd been sporting for the half hour it took to get him there. The Hog's Head it seemed, was the location of choice for this celebration. What exactly was being celebrated was something Harry was just itching to find out...although he had a pretty good idea why at this point in time, the second week into term, people would drag the boy-who-lived down to a pub and yell 'congrats'.
"Thank you so much Mr. Potter." "I'm so glad you've finally done it Mr. Harry Potter, sir." "Well done Boy!" All these things being shouted in his direction, or put in his face. Harry specifically asked NOT to have a celebration for the defeat of the Dark Lord. Harry would have stormed out angrily the moment he saw the banners and the balloons had he not first seen the smiling faces of familiar people and strangers alike. They all seemd so happy and he...he... was the cause of that.
"Hermione, Ron..." Harry began, looking a bit flustered and overwhelmed, "You guys seriously shouldn't have--"
"Oh Harry, stop being so modest!" Hermione scolded playfully, "You deserve a bit of fun. Come on then, how about a little bit of butterbeer?"
"I, uh..." Harry stopped his protest on his lips as he watched their faces, "I guess I could stay for a few."
Harry smiled weakly as he saw his friend's own smiles reach the tips of their ears.
"We knew you'd love it Harry, now come on, there's plenty of people here who are just DYING to talk to you." Hermione said with a laugh.
Noise bustled around him everywhere and bits and pieces of conversation could be heard over the roar of the crowd gathered there that night. Tables were as full as the butterbeer mugs, and the aisles were as busy as a fishing net filled to the top.
" 'Scuse me, Pardon me, watch it!" Could be heard by Ron, who was leading the small trio to the front to order three large mugs of butterbeer.
"We'll take three please." He said happily and pushed the money forward on the counter with the tips of his fingers.
"Comin right up!" the bartenderess replied with a wink. Ron blushed and Hermione looked a little put out.
"Ronald, could you go two seconds without thinking about...that?"
"What do you mean? I wasn't even thinking about...THAT...until YOU brought it up." Ron retorted.
"Oh sure so when she winks at you and you --"
"Guys, guys! Hold it! We're here to have a good time!" Harry found himself mediating. He knew he should just let this play out...maybe that way he could find the nearest escape route, but one must assume that six years of old habit never goes away from a person. 'Honestly' Harry wondered to himself 'When will those two get a clue?'
"Sorry Harry." Hermione blushes sheepishly and then nudges Ron in the ribs. "Yeah Harry." Ron says, "Sorry."
Harry laughed at their pathetic attempt at an apology but accepts it anyway. This is as much for him, as it is for them. If Harry knew them, they were the ones who put all the planning into this. He couldn't help but feel a little bit touched by it even though all he really wanted to do is forget the whole thing happened.
"Hey listen guys, I think I'll go outside to get some fresh air." Harry smiled, and then turned around to head out. He'd taken his butterbeer and moved forward about ten steps before he crashed to the ground."
"Jesus Christ!" Harry said indignantly.
"Oh god, I'm so so---"
"Malfoy. What are you doing here?"
"Well, I'd say that I was just enjoying the festivities but my mother always taught me not to lie." Draco sneered.
"So you decided to listen to her now? What good is it when she's dea-"
"Shut up Potter. Shut up." Draco sneered, teetering dangerously on the edge of violence.
"And if I don't?"
"You don't want an answer to that question. Now if you'll remove yourself from my path, I'd like to leave here as soon as possible."
"Not so fast, Malfoy. First I want to know what you were doing here." Harry says, venom in his voice, and an unspoken question in the air. 'Why be here when you know nobody wants you to be.'
"I didn't realize this was going to turn into a 'We-Love-Potter' convention after 8 tonight. It's not a crime for a guy to have a drink or two before heading to bed. Now move, before I do it for you."
"So you expect me to believe that you didn't know this was going to happen? And that you were just leaving?"
"Potter, just because your life is a lie, doesn't mean you have to question everyone else's."
Harry looked like he was about to kill Draco...but he didn't get the chance as Draco pushed past him and the crowd and exited the pub. Harry waited a few seconds before going out too. He wouldn't let Malfoy control where he went, or what he did. So he was going to get some fresh air like he told his friends he would.
Harry's hair slightly rustled in the light breeze that swept upon him as he exited the pub, looking both ways down the street before taking a long stride into the middle of it. There wasn't much he could do, or many places he could go. It seemed that almost all of Hogsmead had closed just for this special celebration. Harry decided a walk would do him so good, that way he could think over some things.
So much had happened since his sixth year, and it only seemed like a day ago that he was working with Dumbledore to find Voldemort's horcruxs. In the end, they'd spent most of the summer picking up hints, peicing together his past, and eventually destroying all the horcrux. The only one they had left by the last week of summer, was the piece of Voldemort's soul that he still had in him. There were casualties...people who still fought for the dark lord, even though his demise was fast and coming, and people knew that. Draco's mother however had been an interesting case. She didn't do it for Voldemort, she did it because of him. And there's a difference. She died protecting Lucius. Love apparently...doesn't conquer all. The dark lord killed her because of him...
Memories. Distant memories are all those were to Harry, and now he could finally live his life this year without being in the shadow of the dark lord. Finally...Harry would know what it would be to just be free, be regular, and be...himself.
"OW!" Harry yelled as he fell to the ground and rubbed the back of his neck where a rock had been thrown hard. "What the--Malfoy."
"Oh Darn, and I was hoping a rock to the head would make you NOT state the obvious. Who else would it be Potter?"
"Of course. I should have expected something so childish from you. You haven't changed a bit Malfoy."
"And why should I?" Draco sneered. "All you've ever done, is make my life hell, it's the least I can do to thank you."
"I made your life hell? All I ever did to you was refuse your hand that first year. Ever since then you've gotten your knickers in a twist about me."
"You have serious issues if you think that this," Malfoy stopped to motion in the air between them, "Is still about that day. Although it didn't help matters much."
"So what did I do? What in the hell did I do to piss you off so badly you keep tormenting me?"
"Do you really need me to answer that question potter? Are you really that thick? My mother is dead because of you."
"IT WASN'T ME YOU IDIOT!" Harry screamed at him, voice echoing through the small village. "The reason your mother and father are dead is because of Vold-"
"You disgust me." Draco said, words cutting across the distance between them like a knife. "With your petty lies, and your facade of happiness and holier-than-thou attitude. I know what you did Potter. You went to him in prison and you gave him an offer he couldn't refuse. The ministry agreed to your little plan because they wanted Voldemort dead too. When the Dark Lord found out however...that was a different story. My mother knew all along, and went to save him. I'm pretty sure you know the rest, and don't try lieing about this Potter, because I was there. There when my mother hid away the letters under her floorboards...the ones he wrote to us telling us what happened."
"Your father knew what he was getting himself into."
"I'm not so sure he did."
"Well Malfoy," Harry said, making a childish assumption, "I'm sure he taught you everything he knew, you figure it out."
Malfoy's eyes widened at this. "You.." In a flash his wand was out, and so was Harry's. "Sectum-"
Harry smirked, "Expeliarmus"
"Protego"
"Using the dark arts Malfoy? I would have thought you'd have known better."
"Silencio"
"Protego!" Harry shouted. "Wingardium Leviosa!"
"Pro- AHHH" Malfoy yelled as he was thrust into the air. "Finite Incantantuuuuuum!"
Seconds later he was on the ground. "Ooooo." Malfoy moaned. He looked like he landed wrong on his leg. It looked bent and out of shape. Harry began to panic.
"Malfoy..." Harry began softly.
"Fuck off." Malfoy replied, his voice clearly shouting in pain, even if he wasn't.
Harry sighed. "Malfoy--"
"FUCK OFF."
"Fine!" Harry retorted, wincing at his childish tone. "But don't say I didn't try to help. Arsehole." Finished Harry with a mutter.
When Potter was gone, Malfoy cast a small healing spell he'd learned at home, and was soon wobbling toward the castle. He'd have to have Madam Pomfrey look at it, even though he was sure Severus could do a better job with a healing potion. Malfoy didn't want to bother his gaurdian right now.
Malfoy winced. His gaurdian. Malfoy thought bitterly, 'If it weren't for Potter he'd still have parents...still have a family.' And now? Now Malfoy had nothing.
"Bide your time Harry Potter. Bide it well." Malfoy mutter maliciously.
Harry walked slowly to Hagrid's hut, no longer having any intention of going back to the 'celebration' but just wanting to sit down with a cup of tea and maybe talk about some things. Hagrid would know what to do...Hagrid would know what to say. Harry'd done the right thing! Malfoy had told him to fuck off, so that's exactly what he was doing. Fucking minding his own fucking business. Still...Some part of Harry couldn't help but feel guilty.
Knock Knock Knock
"Hagrid, it's Harry. Open up!" Harry waited a minute and there still wasn't any answer. "Hagrid?" Harry asked into the air. When there was no answer, Harry pushed on the door to see if it was locked. It wasn't.
"Haaaaggrriiid?" Harry asked slowly in a sing-song voice, as if playing some game of hide and seek. There was no answer so Harry lit a lamp with his wand. "Inflamare."
Soft candle-light illuminated the room and Harry saw Fang lounging in his normal corner. "Hello Fang, how are we today?"
After petting Fang, Harry thought he'd wait for a few minutes to see if Hagrid would show up, and in the meantime he thought it would be nice to put on a pot of tea. Not long after, there was a whistle of the kettle announcing that the tea was ready. Had it been long enough for tea to be ready so soon? It seemed only a second ago that he'd put it on the small stove.
Harry gathered up the kettle and got out a small teacup complete with a saucer, and also grabbed a biscuit from a platter sitting out on the counter. Once back at the center table, Harry promptly began to butter his biscuit and then clean up any mess he'd made before he sat down to enjoy his tea.
'Now' Harry thought 'I guess I'll have a cup or two and wait for Hagrid to return.' He ate his biscuit...stale biscuit...and had drank about half his cup when an idea struck him.
"I Solemnly Swear that I am up to No Good!"
The map of Hogwarts suddenly appeared before Harry.
"Let's see...Peeves is on the third floor corridor, Dumbledore is...pacing in his office...The Slytherins are down in the dungeons...including Malfoy...Hagrid...Hagrid...Hagrid... Hagrid isn't there! Ok, uh, where's ron and hermione, I've GOT to tell them."
"We're here." Hermoine states from the now open doorway.
"Ron, Hermione! Hagrid's GONE! He just went...Missing! He's not on the map anywhere! We've got to tell Dumbledore!"
"Harry it's ok...Hagrid's not missing, he's just...on a trip. That's all." Hermione and Ron look at each other guiltily.
"Alright guys," Harry says grimly, "What is it you're not telling me?"
"So let me get this straight." Harry replied tiredly to Ron in their dorm room. "Hagrid went on a mission for Dumbledore."
"Yes."
"To the giants."
"Yes."
"Becaue gwap ran away from their community."
"Yes"
"And Hagrid's going to look for him?"
"Yeah Harry."
"Ok so answer me this Ron." Harry refrained from using 'Ronald' as that was Hermione's territory. "Why didn't you guys tell me?"
"Things were complicated. We just wanted you to be happy for a little while. Keep you in the dark about things because we cared about you!" Ron finished loudly.
"Yeah...good looking out Ron." Harry huffed and then just flopped on his bed and whispered a spell to turn out his lights. Ron did the same.
"Good night Harry. We'll talk in the morning."
A/N: Well...what did you think? How was it? Let us know!
Dark-lighter0405 & Spideria