Harry Potter
and the
rise of the new dark lord
Harry Potter
and the
Rise of the New Dark Lord
BY Natasha Mutch
Illustrations by Steven Mutch
To my family for always supporting and helping
me when I'm down and for my friends who make
everything more enjoyable
Contents
One The Plan
Two A Weasley's reunion
Three Diagon Alley
Four Home Sweet Home
Five A moonlit meeting
Six Quiditch Match
I know you all read the last chapter of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows but is that what really happened? After months of research (and a dozen bottles of veritersirum) This is what I uncovered.
Chapter One the Plan
The girl sat in the dark quite Malfoy Manor waiting, watching her breath curl up in little clouds in the cold night air. She hated waiting. She always had to sit and twiddle her thumbs while everyone else got to go and fight. She was waiting that particular evening for everyone to come back and tell her it wasn't true that th dark lord, her very father was alive. Suddenly the door opened and a boy with white blonde hair walked in. She spoke quitely but clearly
1 peircing boy with her purple eyes
"Tell me the truth has the Dark Lord really fallen?"
"Yes" replied looking up from the ground where he knelt at her feet "The Potter boy finished him off."
"Very well" she murmured and he thought he glimpsed a tear roll down her cheek before she vanished behind a curtain of her midnight black hair.
"Then I must take over the job that he left to me as his heir, to avenge his and my mothers death and kill Potter.
The Weasley women killed your mother" he told her seeming frightened of looking into her eyes.
"Then she and her family will die too." She replied as normaly as if she was talking about arranging a tea party with them.
The fingered the red emberstone around her throat and thought how it contained half her soal. She carried it everywhere with her. She would not be as stupid as her father. She picke upther ring the boy had brought her and held it thinking of her mother, Bellatrix and father, the Dark lord. And suddenly they were there maybe it was her imagination because it seemed the boy had not noticed. Her father, the dark lord looked younge and handsome around 17 years old. His dark eyes had a tint of red as they searched hers hungarily. Her mother had also chosen around 17 years old too. It seemed as if Natasha was looking into a mirror except Bellatrix's eyes were black and she had a haughtier expression. Then they spoke, her mother first.
"You must finish the plan your father, the dark lord left for you." She said
"What is the plan?" she questioned. This time it was he who answered.
"As you are the knew dark lord"as he said it another tear rolled down her ezotic and beautiful face. "You have to kill potter yourself. Now Potter will be going back to Hogwarts with his friends to finish their education. You will go there seduce him and lead him into the dark forest, where you will kill him. Before this I would like you to get my and your mothers body and bury them." he said in a velvety soft voice. Bellatrix looked at him with loving fascination.
"As you wish," murmered the girl
2 The dark lord looked at her with admiration "You truly are my daughter" He commented with pride.
She let the ring fall from her hands and turned to face the boy kneeling on the floor. He was looking at her strangely with his gray eyes. She suddenly realized she looked like she was talking to herself. So she quickly explained what had happened and then the plan. I also need to think of a name for myself.
She thought it over in her head and came up with Lord Darvorlesanha. She repeated this to the boy and gave a small smile He looked into her striking purple eyes. "But lord means a man doesn't it?" he inquired
"Of course it does you git," she laughed "that's why it is so perfect, they wil think I'm a man they won't suspect I am a 18 year old girl. People will be more scared if they don't know who it is. They won't know who to trust.
"Ah, I see our point" he replied
"now we must go start planting fear." She shrieked in a high cold laugh she had inherited from her father.
They slowly made there way down the long dark path of the Forbidden Forest. There was a sharp crack of a branch far off into the forest, but it seemed to be a single to the girl for she stopped and turned full circle and looked around her.
"What is it my lady?" Malfoy asked her in his annoying nasale voice. She completely ignored him and started walking off the trail.
"Ah... wait where are you going? I am coming with you. Please don't leave me here, there are werewolves and other scarier things." He cried.
"Coward. What do you think we are going to meet, little children? Were meeting werewolves you idiot." she cried in an angered voice. "If you are coming with me then come for we are going to be late and we can't have that now can we?" She strode away from him at a brisk walk, and he slowly followed. As they made there way deeper and deeper into the forest it got harder and harder to see and walk, for the forest had become very dense. They had to hold hands to stay together.Finally when they were in the
deepest darkest part of the woods did the girl stop. She walked a few more steps and looked around her. They had come out into a small clearing. In a circle around the clearing were people, many of them. There were some that must have been vampires. They had pale white skin and were unusually beautiful. They looked like angels except for the fact that they had large fangs sticking out of the sides of there mouths. There were also about a hundred large men and women who were scruffy and looked unkept. "Werewolves" the boy whispered in her ear. The people of the dark love this time of night, the girl thought to herself. She looked around the clearing then called out.
"People of the night, I am your new leader since the dark lords fall. We shall get revenge on those that have done us ill." The people in the clearing all nodded their heads.
"Must we work together though?" Said a unusually handsome werewolf. His dark scruffy look fit him. Dark eyes looked at Natasha and curly unkept hair hung over these eyes. A scar ran down his well muscled arms and when their eyes met there seemed to be a spark of connection.
"Though it is hard for ancient enemies to work together we need eachother." She told him. But his comment had woken the others to what they were doing. Working with the enemy. Mumbles and mutters filled the air and a werewolf and vampire in the center of the pack began to fight. This small fight soon became a full on war. Vampires and werewolves were seen everywhere biting and clawing there blood covered the forest floor. In the commotion no one noticed the knew dark lord being carried off by a black haired vampire.
"Edmund let me go!" she cried in protest but he ignored her. Inclining his neck as if to kiss her he touched his lips to her throat and bit deep into the soft skin there. Then a cry of outrage came from behind them . A wolf leaped out of the underbrush attacking the vampire who dropped the girl. She was not aware of any worldy things anymore though. Wriggling and crying she held her neck where vampire poison was filling her body and entering her blood stream making her immortal.
The wolves and vampires shreaks filled the night as the Edmund and the wolf with a scar on his left front leg tumbled in the pine needles fighting to the death..
Chapter Two
A Weasley's reunion
Harry knocked on the door. Then held his breath, he was nervous. The door opened before him with a creek and Ginny, her long red hair swinging to and fro looked out with her tear stained red puffy eyes. She took his breath away
"Er, Ginny, I was wondering if we could talk"he said
"Of course" she replied with a small smile opening the door a bit more. He walked in the room. It had changed drastically since his last visit. The curtains were closed and it looked as if she had not cleaned for the past year. He saw an open notebook in the corner with a picture of Fred and a letter next to it. There was also for some strange reason, a toilet seat. He looked at her, she was standing in the middle of the room watchin him.
"Er" he said "I was just thinking" she moved closer, now they were inches apart. They had not been this close since before Bill and Fleurs wedding "That now Voldemorts gone we could start seeing each other again" he spat it out so quickly that he did not really how stupid it sounded. It happened before he realized he did not even see how but they were kissing. Her flowery scent swept over him and he let himself be taken over by it.
A while later they walked out of the room hand in hand, flushed and happy. Then it hit them again like a giant metal fist. Fred, Tonks, Lupin, Collin, Dobby, Hedwig, Mad-eye, and many of the others deaths were like rocks sinking their happy boat. Their smiles faded but they still held hands. They walked into the backyard where preperations for the funerals were being made. Mr. Weasley was fixing up the car and Mrs. Weasley was standing over the corpse of her son gently combing the his smooth red hair with tears making small tracks down her cheeks. Ron, Percy, George, Charlie, and Bill were standing around the coffin.
Next to Fred's coffin was Tonks, Her hair was bubble-gum pink and she had on the aurors robes. Her parents were holding Teddy, her infant son, who's hair today was only a midnight black and lanky puff sticking out of the top of his head. Next to Tonks's coffin was Remus. This was the one that Harry did not want to see. Knowing that the last of his dads best friends, the marauders as they called themselves, was dead. It was devastating. He had always 5 looked at Remus as family. Mabey an Uncle or something. Now that he was gone Harry wanted to talk to him so much. Harry sat by Remus's resting place and looked at him. His face looked young and peaceful in death. If Harry had not known better he would have thought him asleep.
"Harry, hurry up." Mrs. Weasley called. He fought down the lump in his throat and turned to Remus.
"Good bye" was all he could think of to say and he whispered it one single tear escaping his eyes.
Harry then helped Mr. Weasley pack the car and they put the coffins, Mrs. Weasley, George, Ron. Hermione, Ginny, and themselves in. Everyone else was flying. They then drove down to the small Quiditch pitch near their house and took Fred's coffin out and placed it gently on the ground. Everyone clustered around and said a few words. Some of the few were "Brave man, loving companion, fought till the end." Then it was Georges turn. He got up and said;
"Now we all know that Fred would NOT want us to be talking such rubbish as this. Now I am going to state Fred's real triumphs. Fred Weasley was one of the Founders of such products as puking pasties, Canary Creams, and You-know-poo. I think that we should continue his lives work so that he did not die in vain." He said this all with a very strait face.
There was scattered applause and a few said here here. Mrs. Weasley on the other hand looked mortified. There was a loud woosh and the pile of stone that was Freds grave became a clear see through dome. Fred rested inside his last smile still etched upon his handsome face.
Hermione was crying and Ginny looked like she was out of tears for the day. Ron was staring blankly at the ground and George looked like another joke would never fall from his lips again. Then they put Roses and lilies down near the grave and they all piled back 6 into the car.
There next stop was at a small grove of wild flowers. They brought Tonks and Lupin over to an oak tree and laid them to rest. The tears flowed fast and strong after weeks of holding the grief in, It felt good to let his emotions get the best of him. As he saw Tonks bright hair being placed in the ground it made him angry. Angry at himself for all the death he had caused. Ginny seemed to know this because she reached out and laced her fingers with his which calmed him.
There graves were not extravegant. There were two stones telling their birth and death dates and their names. But everyone who had met them would remember their sacrifice for the rest of their life. They bent and put flowers down. As the last was carefully placed on Lupin's grave Mrs. Weasley seemed to put away her grief too. She smiled warmly at everyone and as they clambered into the car she stated loudly;
"Now lets go enjoy our summer!"
The next few weeks passed quickly. There was only one problem, Ginny been acting very strange lately. Whenever Hermione or Fleur talked to Harry, Ginny would give them very disapproving glances. Also she had gotten into the habit of following Harry everywhere he went. This was starting to get on Harry's nerves mostly because Hermione and Fleur had stopped talking to him. So he decided one day when Ginny was being especially irritating, to talk to her about it.
"Er. Hey Gin" Harry mumbled after he had tried unsuccessfully to have a conversation with Hermione.
"Yes Harry." She answered warmly. Wrapping her arm possessively around his waist.
"Well Er." well this was going to be awkward "You've Been acting a bit strange lately that's all."
"What are you talking about Harry" She spoke patiently as if talking to a three year old.
"Well you've been giving Hermione and Fleur dirty looks when they talk to me. Also you follow me everywhere even when it is just something like washing my hands. Its not that I don't mind your company its just that it gets a little irritating at times."
"Oh Harry" she sighed "I must be being a little over protective. Its just that, You are the worlds most attractive teenager and just about every girl in the world is jealous of me. You must expect me to be a little protective."
"Well yeah Gin, Its just that there is a point where it gets annoying. Me and Hermione are like brother and sister and Fleur is defiantly not my type. Also the stalking thing is kinda creepy. Besides you know you're the only one for me.
" your right Harry I'll lay off the stalking and dirty looks. Just promise me there will never be another." she whispered
" I promise" he said almost as quietly. Tangling his fingers in her hair.
But not everyone can keep a promise.
The following morning Harry awoke to havoc. Everyone was running around like chickens with their heads cut off. They were throwing stuff into bags and suit cases. Harry even saw a bag with the family clock, which showed where everyone was, stuffed into it. It looked like they were moving.
"Hey Mr. Weasley. Harry shouted over the din. What's going on?" He asked.
"Harry we have to hurry there have been vampire sightings just a mile of here there is about twenty of them." He shouted back slightly hysterical.
"What's so bad about that?" Harry yelled.
The room suddenly went quite every eye was on him. "Er. Did I say something." It was Hermione who answered.
Harry, vampires are the most deadly creature on earth. They can track someone forever, They can only be killed if you chop of their head, Also wizards don't hold a candle stick in a fight against one of them. They are so beautiful that if you are close enough to look into their eyes they can hypnotize you and make you do what they want. They have made people kill their whole family before." She stated.
"Er...Wow that's, umamazing, and scary. So we better hurry right?" Everyone just stared at him a second more then went back to work.
"Where are we going?" Harry muttered under his breath to Ginny not wanting anymore attention for his ignorance.
"Diagon Alley is where everyone in a ten acre radius is going so it's gonna be packed. My Dads decided to take us to Hermione's parents house. That should be safe."
"Sounds good to me" He said.
Harry felt a tingle of fear as they all piled into the car and started towards Hermione's home. Would his life and his friends ever not be in danger?
It had been three hours in the cramped car and Harry was starting to feel nauseous. He was getting sick of Cruckshanks hair floating around in the air and of Ron every ten minutes saying, "Are we there yet?" So he was very glad when they finally pulled into a muggle driveway. The house was large, three stories high and the yard was well manicured. There were flower beds and a small bench sitting under a tall maple tree.
Harry liked the house immediately. As they walked up to the door with their many bags of luggage Harry thought he saw a pair of purple eyes shining out from behind a bush. But when he took a closer look he saw nothing.
They rang the door bell and a pretty middle age women came to the door she had Hermione's bushy brown hair pulled back into a ponytail but her eyes were a bright blue instead of Hermione's dark brown.
"Well hello?" she said her voice mystified to why seven strangers were standing on her door step. Then she saw Hermione, her face lit up. "Hermione my love who are these pleasant folks you brought with you?" She asked her gaze sweeping over Mr. Weasley who's face was flustered and had scratches all over him from Cruckshanks.
"Well" Hermione began, "We were at the Weasleys like I told you I would be when, um, we heard that there were some, uh, bad people in town." she said obviously not wanting to mention vampires in front of her mother. " And this was the first place I thought of going that is safe." she finished off lamely.
"Oh, well that's terrible, Come in it's getting cold out there. Let me see, um, those two can sleep in a room together, she can share a room with Hermione..." She muttered to herself.
"Well I'm glad you came dear, I'll go get your father. She ran up the stairs and they all stood in the front hall feeling just a bit awkward. A few moments later Mrs. Granger came running back down the stairs with a man in tow. He had Black Hair and dark brown eyes. Harry thought he might have had the same buck teeth Hermione had once had but due to braces they were gone. He looked like he could be a movie star.
"Dad" Hermione cried running forward and throwing her arms around him.
"Hermione, honey I missed you" He said stepping back and observing her "my you've grown your almost as tall as me now!" This was a lie because Mr. Granger toward a good foot and a half over Hermione's 5'2. But of course Harry didn't say anything.
"So who are these lovely people you brought with you?" he questioned seeming pleased with the whole fiasco.
"Well this is the Weasleys, Ron, Ginny, Fred, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. And this is Harry."
"We've heard quite a few tails about you lot." Mr. Granger said nodding towards him, Ginny, and Ron.
"Oh I'm terribly sorry, I'm an awful host. Here let me take your bags." Mrs. Granger cried apologetically. They all carried their bags up the long flight of stairs. Harry, Ron, and George were sleeping in the living room while Mr. And Mrs. Weasley were sleeping in the guest bedroom.
The house was large and bright. All the walls were painted with bright yellows, oranges, blues, or greens. Harry liked it a lot. When they were all situated in their assigned rooms they walked into the kitchen where Mr. Granger made them coffee and talked about things that had been going on at work. Mr. Weasley was of course amazed by this. He never knew that a few pieces of metal could straiten your teeth!
After they went to bed. It had been a long day and they were all very tired. Hermione promised to show them the woods behind the house the next day. That night Harry had a very strange dream. Vampires were surrounding Hermione's house. There were hundreds of them. They were all unnaturally beautiful and they all resembled each other in a few ways. They had the same pale marble skin and black/red eyes. Except for one. She stood out. She was still beautiful like the others but her skin had a darker tinge to it. Also her eyes were purple and slanted, slightly exotic. Harry watched as she slowly walked toward him. She smiled showing gleaming white fangs. She tossed her black hair over her shoulder and held out her hand. Harry took it. It was as cool as ice and her grip was firm. They slowly walked around the back of the house. There she turned to him and gave him something. He held it firmly in his hand as he watched everything slowly disappear.
As he came to tried to remember the wonderful dream he had been having. But as he tried to recall it, it slipped farther and farther from his conscious mind and finally he gave up as the last images faded from his head. he kept his hand clamped around a small cool object between his two fingers. It seemed familiar to him, probably some left over imagination from his dream. He did not want to wake up and find himself back in Hermione's and have to go see Ginny. As his eyes opened he expected the object in his hand to disappear. But it didn't. He opened his hand to see what it was. It was a small coin. It was unlike any coin Harry had ever seen. It was the brightest white. A moon like color. Engraved into the top was a lightning bolt like the one on Harry's forehead. On the back was an eye. The eye also looked familiar, like someone he had seen in a past memorie. He held it up to the window to see it more clearly. When he held it up to the sun it shimmered with all the many colors of the rainbow. His brain could not register this so early in the morning, so he decided to contemplate it on a rainy day. With that he placed it under his pillow then ran down for breakfast.
All through breakfast Harry thought about the strange girl in his dream. Was she real? Did she know about him? What was the whole coin thing about? When they all tramped back to there bedrooms to change he took the coin out again.
When he placed it on the couch eye side up the eye seemed to follow him. It was all very strange, he thought to himself. He did not have long to think about it though because Ginny walked into his room at that moment.
She was in one of her very irritating moods and she kept asking him what was on his mind. He ignored her and started packing his things. He did not know why he was doing this he just felt that he had to make a long journey soon. Ginny obviously thought that Harry packing away his belongings when they still had two weeks of summer left was.. strange. She kept asking him why he was packing and the only answer he could think of was... Er. Just want to be ready to leave for school.
After he was done packing he headed down stairs so they could go explore the woods behind Hermione's house. They walked towards a well beaten path. And Harry asked
"Does your family come down here often?"
"No" Hermione answered a puzzled look on her face "Why do you ask?"
"Well the path looks like it's been walked many times, and it is well groomed." He told her.
"That's strange. I never noticed that." Hermione said. After this they all fell into silence contemplating why the path looked so used. As they walked deeper into the forest Harry kept thinking he saw eyes. Not any eyes, but dark purple ones. That were slightly exotic. The same eyes that were on his coin, which he had placed in his jacket as he was leaving.
The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he looked around and saw the eyes again, this time in a bush on the edge of the path. They ate lunch silently in a small clearing off the edge of the trail. As they got back up to keep hiking the air was starting to feel muggy and no birds were singing. There was a huge thunder cloud above them as they came around another bend in the trail.
Ron was starting to look nervous and he muttered nervously to Hermione, " Um... Should we start heading back?" He questioned her.
"Don't be silly Ron, Storms pass quickly here well just sit down here and I'll conjure us a water proof tent." She said laughing. Harry did not like the idea of sitting down. He still saw the eyes on the edge of his vision whenever he turned his head.
They all huddled together and Hermione conjured; hot cocoa, water proof blankets, a tent, and a fire. It was as they were moving closer to the fire that Harry saw them. They were surrounding the small group but no one seemed to notice except himself.
Vampires there were about twenty of them. Just like in his dream they were unbearably beautiful. There eyes were all red in black. The difference from his dream was that the beautiful girl was not there. For some reason he was not afraid. He kept looking for the girl with the purple eyes.
His friends finally seemed to notice what horrible beings were surrounding them. They all stood up quickly. Almost in the same movement they all took out their wands.
"Stay away from us" Hermione's attempt at bravery was give in away by the slightly hysterical note in her voice.
The vampires all laughed. There laugh was like nothing Harry had ever heard before. It was beautiful. Soft and velvety but threatening at the same time. They moved forward and Harry was reminded again how beautiful they were.
" So which one are we keeping?" One of the ones in the back asked in a soft smooth voice.
"Shut up you idiot. Orders were to bring the food back alive, remember?" the one in the front cried angrily. Harry shuddered at the word food.
Then so quickly Harry would not have thought it possible they all had grabbed the children standing there. Harry was grabbed by a female vampire with caramel colored hair. Her eyes were a deep red and her beautiful face was set in a grimace as if she was resisting some rare treat. That was probably the case Harry thought to himself. And he fought back a shudder as he thought that he was that treat.
The vampire holding Hermione was a male. He had shoulder length brown hair in a ponytail and his face was one that you expected to see on an add for crest white strips.
He held Hermione's hand to his nose and muttered aloud, "She smell so good. Can I please? No one would notice if just one was missing they don't even know how many we are bringing back." Harry stiffened as these words sunk in. But there was no need to worry. The vampire caring Harry screeched "No. Do you want to be killed?"
There was a silence as these words registered in the ponytail vampires head. Then they started running. No flying was more the word for it. Despite himself Harry was enjoying the ride. It was pleasant to have the wind blow through his hair. And feel the sun on his face. All to quickly the ride came to a stop.
Harry looked around at his friends. Hermione was leaned over on to her vampires neck and seemed be sick. Ginny was slumped over like a rag doll. Ron was sitting bolt up right his face completely green and his vampire a blonde haired girl who looked like a super model, had her nose wrinkled in disgust as if Ron smelled particularly unappealing, which he probably did Harry thought to himself with a smile. Than he stopped. What was wrong with him. They probably were all going to be eaten by vampires like a feast, and here he was laughing because Ron smelled unappetizing to a vampire.
This was the point on which Harry began to look around at his surroundings. They were in the middle of a circular dirt trail. All along the outer fringes of the trail were woods Harry could have sworn he saw a few blood red eyes of vampires peering curiously out from the trees. In the center of the circle was a throne. The throne was made out of trees. The trees had twisted themselves and swirled around each other to make the perfect throne. The cushion on this throne was a pile of thick soft moss. Harry wondered to what person such a throne could belong.
His question was answered as a tall man with curly black hair, pale frigid skin, and piercing ruby eyes. He had on a dark cloak with seeming around the edges that matched his eyes. He seemed mad that His servants, for that is what Harry realized the people that brought him here were, had brought Harry and his friends. In a voice that was almost to low to comprehend he muttered to one of the servents
"You brought the boy" he said emphasizing the word boy. "He is the one she is to meet at Hogwarts" he whispered and Harry had to strain to catch the words.
"Sorry sir" the pony tailed vampire murmured politely "But can
We keep one of the others?" he asked nodding towards Hermione.
" NO. Bring them back NOW!!" He yelled. At that the vampires started running.
They were back in the clearing in about five minutes. Harry let out a great breath of relief. He still did not know if the vampires would let him live. He also did not know who this she was that the Vampires had talked about. It sounded like she was their queen or something. They had said she was supposed to meet him at Hogwarts. What could that possibly mean. Was she going to meet him at Hogwarts or something. He decided to think about this on a day when his and his friends lives were not in danger!
The vampires dropped them off in the exact same clearing they had left. It seemed like hours since they had last been there but it had really only been about twenty minutes.
Harry's vampire spoke first " If you tell your parents, guardians, or any one else for that matter that we took you then you all will be dead before you can say, "It was a vampire." She said this with menace which sounded odd in her perfect velvety voice.
Harry and the others were all to shocked at being almost made a vampire feast and then for some strange reason being taken back and not hurt. With those last words the vampires were gone. All that was left was a slight breeze. For all they knew it could have been their imagination.
" Well we had better be getting back." Ron managed to croak out.
" Right, lets get going you lot." Hermione replied almost in hysterics. They started back to the house at a fast pace.
When they got back to the house they seemed to have made a silent agreement. They would not tell anyone about the strange events of the day. So when Mrs. Weasley asked how their hike was their only answer was, er great, as Harry so wonderfully put it. That night as Harry and Ron were getting changed out of the wet clothes they had used that day.
"So why do you reckon they let us go?" Ron questioned wonderingly
"Don't know but did you here what they said about the boy." Harry answered him.
"Bloody hell that was insane. I thought that ugly vampire with the ponytail was going to finish Hermione off." Ron muttered darkly.
" Well we are safe and hopefully we will never have to see those vampires again in our life.
"Yeah" Ron said as they slowly made their way down to the dining room. Hermione's family had arranged the large, bright dining room to fit 10 people. So there was still extra room. They all sat down as Hermione, Mrs. Granger, and Mr. Granger filled their plates up with marvelous food. Harry's mouth watered at the delicious smell wafting up to his nose.
Finally everyone was situated and they started to eat. Dinner went by quickly and was a fun event. They all talked and laughed. There were stories to go all around the table. Harry felt at peace with the world. It was hard to feel scared of murderous vampires when he was sitting with all these fine folk and talking about such normal things as their plans for Hermione's birthday.
As everyone was picking up their things Harry brought Ginny and Hermione into a corner to discuss their latest problem.
"So do you think we should just stay quite and hope they leave us alone?" Hermione asked a slight edge to her voice.
" I reckon that is our only choice" Ginny replied. That was that. No one in the small group that had witnessed the horrible events that had unfolded that day would say anything to anyone. It would be their sworn secret.
Harry was tired as he slowly went about his daily routines before bed. Though his body was exhausted his mind was wide awake. Why were vampires chasing them and why did he have a coin that had magically gotten into his hand from a dream. Though he thought and thought he couldn't come up with any ideas about these questions. Maybe they were related some how was his last waking thoughts that night.
"Wake up! WAKE UP!!" Ginny's voice screamed at 5:30 the next morning.
"Bloody hell Gin. It 5:30 in the efing morning" Ron mumbled into his pillow groaning as she explained that they were going to Diagon Alley for school shopping and she had wanted to wake Harry so he could pick out a outfit that would match hers. Harry just looked at her in disbelief. Matching outfits? What was she going to come up with next? He groaned and rolled over pulling the blanket high over his ears but to no avail. Ginny grabbed the sides of the blanket whipping it off him. Then she began sorting through his things finally giving him a small sigh and saying
"You don't have much to choose from so I guess that the whole matching thing won't work." Sighing again she left the room leaving Harry, Ron, and George to about three hours more of sleep. Harry couldn't get back to sleep though. Ginny really needed to stop being so possesive or he would have to break their relationship off. The thought normally would have ripped him to shreds but today it seemed like a good idea. Stretching he stood and grabbed a pair of jeans and a t-shirt plus his favorite trainers and a traveling robe. His wand lay next to his bed. Having nothing else to do he set to work polishing the magical wood. Around eight Hermione came in and flopped on his bed spread eagle.
"Ginny wake you up too?" She groaned turning over to look at him.
"Yep. Apparently she wanted us to wear matching outfits how 'bout you?"
"Well. She came in talking about how she wanted me to help her pick out a outfit. I couldn't go back to sleep." He nodded understanding.
"Hey can I show you something?" he asked thinking about the coin. If anyone could figure it out it was Hermione. She nodded as he rummaged through his stuff pulling the coin out from the pocket of the pants he had worn the day before. Handing it to her he watched as she ran her fingers over the indented side wide eyed.
"Harry where did you get this?" She asked her eyes meeting his.
"Well I had this dream I don't really remember it but someone gave me that and I woke up with it still in my hand. It was really odd. It seems like the eye follows me." she gave a gasp and shook her head in wonder.
"Harry haven't you read Mystical findings of magical sorcery? It says in the first chapter everything about the Aonies. They are normal things made magical to watch someone and then given to them in a dream or vision. It's very powerful magic and I would have thought Dumbledore would have told you about it," her face had turned pale at the mention of Dumbledore but she continued on "Voldemort has used these countless times. Someone is watching us Harry they can track you with this and see who your talking to. My best advice it too chuck it into the lake at the end of the street. If you have anymore strange dreams like this throw away anything you get from them." Harry stared at the coin but somehow he couldn't imagine himself throwing it away. He wrapped it in a pair of his old jeans and stuffed it at the bottom of his suitcase ignoring Hermiones angry gaze.
"Harry James Potter. You had better not keep that. One of Voldemort's followers could be stalking you!" He continued ignoring her and she stomped out of the room. Shaking his head he lay back down and tried to go back to bed.
They arrived at the pub only they could see and walked into the door. Tom met them in the front and gave a warm welcome to Mr. Weasley. Then his eyes found Harry.
"Hhaarry Ppottter" he stuttered reminding Harry of his first visit to this pub.
"You welcome here anytime. Drinks and board are on me." he smiled revealing broken and missing teeth. They walked back into a supply closet containing beer and Mr. Weasley tapped the brick wall with his wand making it split apart to reveal an amazing site.
Harry's face was everywhere. On flyers and posters. Moving pictures of him killing Voldemort lined the crowded street and there was even a man selling wands saying that the pheonix feather in them was from the same bird who gave Harry his wands feather. Hermione forget her anger when Ron asked if the two of them could go off by thereselves. She had blushed when he offered his arm and smiled at Harry saying a quick goodbye the anger from that morning gone. George saw his good friend Lee and the two of them ran off to Weasley Wizard Weezes. This left Ginny and Harry together.
"Alone at last." Ginny breathed holding his hand. Then out of the corner of his eye Harry saw a familiar figure dressed in blood red. Bellatrix. Letting go of Ginny's hand he said he really needed to use the lu and ran after Bellatrix. He through his invisibility cloak on so he wouldn't be asked by every passing person for his autograph. Ginny was calling after him but he barely heard it through the blood pounding through his ears. Bellatrix was a fast. Though it was impossible for her to hear him over the other sounds on the street she seemed to still here his pounding footfalls. Turning she showed the face of a familiar stranger.
She wasn't Bellatrix though she looked like a younger version of her. The difference was that her eyes were slanted and purple instead of black. Heavy lids dawned them but her expression wasn't haughty only angry.
She was looking down at the ground and he realized his foot was showing. Her face paled and her eye's narrowed. She pushed past him almost taking his cloak off completly. He gripped it tighter around himself and gaped after her and couldn't push from his mind how an shock had passed through him at the contact. Not an unpleasent one either. The rest of the day he seemed to be in a daze. Ginny continually asked her what was wrong. As they stood in line waiting to get books he couldn't help but wonder if the girl was related to Bellatrix the similarities were so close. As far as he knew Bellatrix had never had children. Her sister had but only Malfoy and there was no way that that girl was Malfoy's sister she was too beautiful. Even if she was somehow related to Bellatrix it wasn't her fault he thought finally setting the idea to rest.
The rest of the day was enjoyable. They met up with Ron and Hermione around 11 and the four of them hung out for the rest of the day. They looked at the new store, Toads and Owls, another wizard familiar store that had opened last week. Harry sadly looked at the owls thinking of Hedwig and knowing he could never replace her. Thinking that he would buy another owl so that he could send letters to friends he began looking. A large grey owl with striking green eyes caught his eye but then he saw her. His owl was a baby the sales clerk told him. Its wings were brown with lines of golden feathers. Two aquamarine orbs stared at him from a perfect heart shaped face. He held the little bird in his hand as the clerk told him she wouldn't be able to fly for about three weeks. Kissing the top of her tiny head he paid and left thinking of a name for the tiny bird.
The owl was named Braxtany after a famous witch who helped Dumbledore defeat Voldemort. She was a very kind owl. She would flutter a foot above his hand then fall back into his welcoming palm. They walked down the street towards Borgin and Blotts. There they bought there books and met up with the others. The car ride home was nice since they had ministry cars that Kingsley had given Mr. Weasley for his knew job.
A week later found Harry at Station 9 3/4 awaiting the train. He had his trunk and Braxtany's cage. They walked toward the train where Harry sat in between Luna and Ginny as they waved at a tearful Mrs. Weasley.
"Did you here about the knew disappearances? My father believe that it is the cause of the continuing increase of Wamsnapit population." Luna told them dreamily playing with a peice of her long blonde hair. Ginny and Harry shared a look as Ginny asked
"Who's disappeared?"
"Andrew Chang, Malcom Thomas, and Jenny Bellstaff. The poor dears they have probably been fed to the Wamsnapits larvae which are called Faitis." her face was grim.
"Is Andrew related to Cho?" Harry swallowed his fear down. Why were people dissapearing? He thought.
"Yes he's her cousin." this time it was Ginny who answered him. "I'm sure they're fine though." Ginny reassured them.
"Did you here there's a knew student? Natasha Winterborne. She'll be in her seventh year! She's been home schooled all her life!" Ginny told them
"Really?" Harry asked bored with the conversation's knew turn of events. Luna and Ginny talked about which house they thought Natasha would be in while Harry stared into space. He was risen from his stupor by Colin Creevy, a rather odd Gryphindoor who loved to take pictures of Harry, bursting through the door blisters covering his face.
"Nago la fee, Scarpid did it. The slytherine 6th year!" He gasped in pain.
"I know the counter curse." Ginny said standing and flicking her wand while muttering "Fecantado" all the blisters disappeared from Colins face and he felt the smooth freckled face smiling. The door opened again behind him revealing the food trolley. Harry bought candy to snack on for him and his friends. The rest of the train ride was spent snacking, talking, and laughing.
"Where did Hermione and Ron get to you reckon? It's nearly time to change!" Harry asked
"Blimey your right." said Colin "times flown!" They seperated to change then met up at the carriages.
"Ron and Hermione are in that one." Ginny and Luna reported pointing to a carriage pulled by a rather large thestral. They all piled in to see Hermione crying into Rons shoulder while he ran his hand down her back comforting her.
"What happened" Ginny asked
"We aren't prefects anymore." Ron told them while Hermione's sobs grew louder.
"What?" Harry asked suprised. Hermione straightened and rubbed her puffy eyes.
"We still have prefect privelages but no duties. We can use their bathrooms." She tried to look grateful.
"That's good right?" Luna said. Hermione nodded and the conversation took a more pleasant turn. As they neared Hogwarts Harry felt more and more at home. They all pulled their luggage in a wet muddy line towards the castle and trooped into the great hall. Taking there seats Harry waited for the sorting to begin. A tap on his shoulder made him turn and Slughorn, the head of Slytherine and a large and balding man, stood behind him.
"Harry I need to talk to you, Ron, and Hermione out in the hall." Harry nodded passing the message on to the others. They followed him out into the hall and past the line of fearful looking first years. Malfoy and Slughorn stood a little to the left of the group. "What's Malfoy doing here?" Harry wondered.
"Seeing as you four are not supposed to be at Hogwarts anymore we have arranged a monthly get together so we can watch your progression and teach you things that you will need to know..." Slughorn informed them. But Harry wasn't listening. He was staring at Malfoy pity filling him. Though he had played a major part in Dumbledores death he hadn't killed him even with his families lives at stake. He had to hand it to Draco that was pretty honorable. Even though this was true he still felt a little suspicious of the blonde.
Slughorn gave them a lecture about their monthly meetings which neither Malfoy, Ron, nor himself listened to but Hermione stared at Slughorn seeming to drink in his knowledge. When he finally was done talking they quitely made their way back into the great hall where Amanda Reed had just been sorted into Gryphindoor. There was polite applause and then Headmistress Magonagal rolled up her scroll and was about to put everything away when many things happened at once.
First a huge lightning bolt shot across the ceiling then the great doors burst open showing a girl silueted against the lightning. As she walked into the light of the many candles he saw who she was. The girl from Diagon Alley. The girl who was a familiar stranger. Bellatrix's look alike. Today she was wearing a short, a very short, purple dress cut low in the front with a purple and gold robe over it. She had black lace up high heels and a twisted peice of what looked like purple sea glass hanging on a gold string around her kneck. A black cat with purple eyes twined and untwined itself around her ankles.
She slowly made her way to the front of the room every eye on her. Especially the male population. When she got to the front of the room she said in a husky voice.
"Natasha Winterborne." and held her hand out. When Proffeser Magonagal went to shake it she took the hat and sat cross legged upon the chair showing even more of her legs.
She gentally placed it upon her shining black hair The hat seemed to be contemplating her. It's mouth opened and closed but no sound came out. Finally it said in a quite defeated voice. "Ravenclaw" there was shattered applause but most people looked apprehensive. Harry saw the girl, Natasha, sit down next to Luna Lovegood who started an animated conversation as Natasha looked around haughtily.
As Harry was looking up to hear the rest of the speech on rules and regulations he couldn't concentrate. His thoughts were on Natasha. He hadn't heard a word of the speech and as he looked at the plates filling with food the talk turned to the new disappearences.
"Can you believe it? Chen. He was my brothers best mate! They say he disappeared at a party celebrating You-Know-Who's fall." Colin was saying.
"I think we saw him." Ron replied "'member Gin. We went to it with Mum and Dad."
"Oh yeah bloody brilliant party!" She answered him. Harry smiled he felt so at home with everyone here. It felt great to be back. There plates cleared after a desert of pumpkin pie, ice cream, chocolate delight, and many more scrumptious treats. He felt full and happy as the headmistress said.
"Now I have one thing to say. Goodnight." As he lay down that night he thought of how nice it was to be surrounded by friends.
Harry awoke the next morning to bright sunlight. He smiled as he remembered where he was. He then remembered the events of the previous night. Natasha would be having Defense against the Dark Arts with him. They were having it with the Ravenclaw seventh years. He wondered who the knew teacher would be.
"There has been three more disappearences!" Hermione said as Harry sat down next to her."
"WHAT!" He cried spitting out his marmalade onto an unlucky Ginny who shot him dagger eyes.
"Yeah, I know, aslo this was found written in blood on the wall of one of the victims." Harry took the prophet from her hads and looked at it. On the cover there was a wall with these words on it.
LIVE IN FEAR
BECAUSE THERE IS A KNEW DARK LORD
LORD DARVORLESANAH
Harry gazed open mouth at the photo. He looked back at Hermione "Who's disappeared?" he questioned
"Vellma Halsprig, Thomas Lawrence, and Abblie Kennedy. They were all muggle borns. Abbie was four, disappeared at her mother's second marriage. They hope it was the father but he has an alibi." She informed him grimly.
"This is awful! Just when we thought we were safe."
"I know. A four year old? Who could be that cold?" Hermione replied. Not hungary anymore Harry got up to go to DA. When he got there he was early. There was only one other student there, Natasha.
"Er..." Harry said awkwardly "Hello" there was a pause as Natasha made no move to answer.
"Do you know who the knew DA teacher is?" he took a stab at conversation. She shrugged another longer pause followed. Harry noticed she wasn't wearing school robes but dark green ones with gold trim. She also had on another short skirt and tight top in the same style. Her hair was up in a neat ponytail a side bang pushed over her right eye. She had on gold slippars with small heals. Her cat sat at her feat. Then Harry saw her necklace. It was the same as yesterday except golden. If not for the color he would have sworn it was the same necklace.
Dragging his eyes away from her beauty he looked around the room. Everything was different. He looked above his head to see the night sky with a shining full moon. The floor was covered in pine needles and he could tell it was dirt. There were trees everywhere and the desks looked like they had grown from the floor. All of a sudden a huge black wolf with purple eyes burst out of the trees nearest him. Natasha grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and spoke softly.
"This is Suri, he is a Narfea."
"Right... er what's a Narfea?"
"It tells if someone means harm. Suri has lived with me for 16 years. He has been a friend and companion since I was two."
"Thats nice. Er. Do I mean harm?" he questioned
"He says you do not."
"Well that's good." as he spoke students began flooding into the room. Harry waited for Natasha to sit but she stayed standing in the front of the room.
"Hey mate, Kingsley appointed my dad to an even higher rank. He's now and unspeakable!"
"Wow that's brilliant!"
"I know."
"Hey is she the new DA teacher? She's hot." Ron's face reddened as he realized what he just said.
"I guess she is." Harry answered not knowing which to. The part about her being hot or the part about her being the teacher.
"Hello class. I'm your knew DA teacher. During class I can assign detentions which will be fulfilled by Professor Flitwick. I can take and award points. Also you will call me Professor Winterborne during class. Today we will be reviewing what we know." The class was silent as they looked at her.
"What type of cat is this?" she said pointing at her black cat which was standing slightly behind her. Three hands went up. She pointed to Luna. Who was jumping excitedly in her seat.
"It's a bell spoal! They have the unique power to turn things into food! My father did a report on one in the Quibbler."
"Um. Wrong." Natasha said
"It's a Kneazle Proffesor." Hermione said, "They can see if someone is trustworthy." For once Hermione hadn't gotten her answer straight from the text book.. Crookshanks was a kneazle.
"Very good. 10 points to Gryphindoor." Hermione blushed. The lesson went on like this. Natasha would ask a question about one thing or another and they would answer. Harry caught up with her after class.
"Brilliant class Natasha!" He complimented her.
"Thanks. Hey would you like to meet me at Ravenclaw dorm tonight around eight?"
"Sure" Harry said knowing that it wasn't allowed. Different houses weren't supposed to be in other houses dorms. The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur. Harry was Happy to be back and he could almost stand Ginny now they actually didn't have every class together. He tried to catch Natasha to talk about the meeting but she seemed to be avoiding him.
They had double potions, divination, and double astronomy with the ravenclaws during which Harry tried to catch Natasha's eye but she pointedly looked away. After a dinner of peas and salmon Harry gave Ginny a quick kiss saying he wanted to turn in early. He closed his canopy around his bed so no one would disturb him then put his invisibility cloak on and walked out past Ginny, Ron, and Hermione.
He new where the Ravenclaw dorm was from an expedition up there the last year. When he was a corridor away he took the cloak off stuffing it into his bag. Natasha was waiting for him at the door. The eagle asked
"What wizard has the longest way to fall?" Harry saw something dark flit across Natasha's eyes.
"Open up. I don't have time for stupid riddles." she said angrily kicking the door which promptly opened. Harry gazed open mouth at her. "Well are you coming or are you going to stand there catching flies?" she stomped into the room as he muttered
"Er. Right" and followed. The dorm was just as he remembered it. The night sky twinkled high above him and cozy chairs and book cases with students in them sat around the fire.
Natasha led him towards a staircase he had not noticed before. The people around them stared but she ignored them. The weird thing was none of them seemed to notice Harry.
"Why isn't anyone looking at me." He realized he sounded like a little child and blushed but Natasha just answered his question.
"I have an invisibility spell on you. Don't want you to get in trouble now do we." she smiled.
"So you don't live with the other girls?" Harry asked as she led him up the staircase. She shook her head. The staircase spiraled up and at the top Natasha looked at the blank wall. "Suri." she said and the brick turned into a large door which she opened. Harry felt like he had stepped into the Forbidden Forest. There were trees everywhere he turned closely packed together making it hard to see the stars. Birds were flying to and fro and he saw a black eagle with purple eyes on a lower branch of a nearby pine. That seemed to be Natasha's trade mark.
She led him along a path into the forest. After a while they came to a clearing. In the center There was a large treehouse and hammock which Suri lay across. Her kneazle, which she told him was called oca, sat in a tree. Natasha nimbly climbed up a rope hanging from the tree house and Harry followed rather clumsily. When he got up he looked around him. There was a bookcase stocked full with large leather bound novels, and oriental rug, a four poster bed, a fire place though he had seen no chimney, and a bureo. On top of the bureo htere was a molded pad that would fit Natasha's necklace perfectly there also was a long black box with a diamond pierced into the top. Harry sat o the window seat and looked out. It really looked like the forest. Stars shown onto a pine covered ground. Natasha spoke saying.
"This is what I wanted to show you." she picked up the black box with the diamond. Harry took it and opened it. Inside was a beautiful dagger. Red rubies incrusted the hilt looking like blood drops in the star light.
"It's beautiful." he said handing it back.
"I want you to have it." she told him refusing it.
"I couldn't" Harry replied
"If you think of me and hold it you will be able to talk to me through the hilt" he looked at her in awe.
"Er. Thanks but, why me?"
"Because from the moment I met you I knew you were special. Something about your eyes. I don't know how to explain it." Harry blushed
"I'll keep it with me always."She took the dagger out placing it in his hands. When their skin made contact Harry felt a jolt of electricity like the first time they had touched in Diagon Alley.
"Now I have something else to show you." She smiled and grabbed his hand. They walked down the clearing and Harry noticed she had a Firebolt broom leaned against a tree next to the hammock. They walked down to a clearing where a small group of horses stood. Three adults and one baby. All black with purple eyes. They were powerful and he could see the muscles running down there legs and backs. Natasha reached into her green robe pulling out a thin long black wand with a diamond snake twisting its way to the very tip. She touched the tip of the wand to the top of her forehead and she was in riding clothes. Her hair was plaited down her back and he noticed her necklace had turned from gold to black so it would match her all black riding gear. Then she touched Harry's head and he was in black riding gear too.
"I don't know how to ride." he admitted abashed. A golden peal of husky laughter escaped her as she told him it was just like flying on a hippogriph except you stayed on the ground. She walked over to the largest horse in the herd. Apparently a male and jumped astride him gracefully. The she gave him a smile of encouragement as he scrambled up the side of the smallest adult horse possible. It was still difficult and he definitely didn't look graceful. Once on he felt himself slipping to the side. Unlike on Buckbeak he had no convenient bone hollows to place his feat in.
"Press with your knees and hold the mane in your hands." she told him. When he did so he felt a little more stable.
"The horse your riding is named Tisa she is the sister of that horse there," she pointed at the grown horse that wasn't being ridden "His name is Jacki, The horse I'm riding is the father of that filly his name is Papi, the filly is called Riani. They are all from a great breed of magical horses who live in the Redwood forest of America. I was lucky to be able to tame these ones."
"What's their power?" Harry asked feeling ignorant.
"Power?" she asked
"Well you said that they were magical"
"Yes they are just like you and me except they don't need a wand to do magic. They use their minds." Harry stared in awe at the horse.
"Lets race!" she made an odd cawing sound in the back of her throat and both horses leaped forward. Harry let out a very unmasculine scream of terror and wrapped his hands around Tisa's muscled neck holding on for dear life. They rode for what seemed like hours and when they got back Natasha tapped him and his clothes were back to normal. Her face was flushed and her full lips were dusty making Harry want to kiss her. But he refrained himself. He had a girlfriend! She brought him in for tea and they talked about random things. Finally Harry had to go. He go up and was going to shake her hand when she enveloped him in a warm hug. After a second he hugged her back.
As he walked back to Gryphindore tower under the invisibility cloak he thought what a great night it had been.
Harry awoke a few days later with one thing on his mind. Quiditch tryouts. There first game was coming up and he needed a team. He ate breakfast quickly and walked down to the pitch. There he made his plan. He would have keeper tryouts first then beater, than chaser. Peple started arriving thirty minutes later. Harry had them assemble themselves to what they wanted to have as a position. Keepers were to see how many goals they could save out of four.
Ron went first his face was green. Harry heard the feminine voice of Hermione scream "GO RON GO" he looked back and saw her not standing with the other bystanders but with the chasers! What was she doing? He thought. Harry worried for a second if Ron would be able to stop the goals thrown by Ginny but there was no need. He got four out of the four. The next two kids saved three out of four and one out of four.
Beater tryouts were next and he ended up with Emma Pikeworth and John Cambler. Two very tall second years. The chasers were next. He looked at Hermione to see she was riding one of the school brooms. He had them all fly twice around the pitch. Four students fell off and two couldn't even get on their brooms. They were immediately disqualified. Harry was now left with five students.
Ginny, Hermione (oddly, he hadn't expected her to make it this far), a second year named Claire Gradeley, A fith year named William Seirla, and a fourth year Alexis. He had them shoot on Ron. The two with the least amount of points would be disqualified. They were each allowed seven shots. Hermione got in six. Ron was trying too. Harry was shocked. When had Hermione ever gotten good at Quiditch and when had she even cared? Ginny got seven. Alexis got three. William got none, he was a good flyer but couldn't shoot worth a rat. Little Claire got eight. Harry couldn't believe it. On her last shot she had curved it so it went in one hoop and then curved around getting another point! He was amazed.
He was very happy with his team. He was confident that they could win the cup this year. He told them the practice times then went back to the room to shower and change.
The next few days passed happily. Each day Harry would rise, go to classes then have quiditch practice. After that he would study with Ron, Ginny, and Hermione or they might go down to the lake and sit on the shore side enjoying the last month of good weather. Around eleven he would visit Natasha's and they would ride brooms or horses and practice talking with the dagger. Harry looked forward to these times most. Natasha was very good company, well that is unless she was having a bad day.
It was during one of these pleasent evenings that Harry and Natasha's talk turned to Quiditch.
"Did I tell you? I'm the seeker for Ravenclaw!" Natasha asked tucking a stray hair back into her bun.
"No that's great!" Harry exclaimed " So that means I'll be seeing you next game, it's Ravenclaw verses Griffindore."
"May the best team win" she said laughing her pretty laugh.
"Oh I have something I want to show you!" she said taking his hand and leading him into the woods down a narrow path Harry hadn't seen before. They came out in a small clearing with a dead cow in the middle. Chomping on the cow were three thestrals and one black hippogriph with purple eyes.
"Aren't they brilliant?" she asked true joy radiating from her face "I got them from the dark forest yesterday. It was hard to get them up here but with the right magic I managed"
"Amazing." Harry excalimed
"We can ride them later" she told him
"Yeah. Er I have something for you too!" he took out a ruby incrusted key. The rubies were purple and looked black in the darkening light.
"I found it when I was visiting Hagrid. It was outside his door. I thought you'd enjoy it." he told her placing it in her slender hand. She took it delicatil her perfect eyebrows made a broken V over her long lashed and heavy eye lids. She frowned turning it over in her hands.
"Do you like it?" Harry asked
"It...it is beautiful." she agreed. She kept turning it over finally stopping as she looked at the circle at the end of the key where there was a small dent.
"See that?" she stated pointing at the dent
"Er yeah" Harry said not totally used to her odd coments.
"It says P.H.C." she told him
"What does that mean?" he asked. Her eyes turned black (by now Harry had realized when this happened she was angry) but when she spoke her voice was calm.
"I um. Don't know." she finally said. There was a pause.
"It's a beautiful key." she finally blurted out. "I'll keep it with me." she placed it on her bureo.
"Well I should be going." Harry muttered.
"Yes, I'll see you tomorrow." Natasha said cooly. Harry grabbed his bag and left. He did not know why he had gave that key to Natasha instead of Ginny but something about her, he had never felt this way about Ginny. He got back to the common room at 12:30 as he walked in he saw Ron and Hermione snogging on th couch.
The idea that they were together still made him a little uneasy. What if they forgot him entirely? He went up to his room and pulled the curtains shut. It was still odd to be in a room with Michael Cormer and Alex Vegas instead of Dean Seamus and Nevile but he had gotten used to it. HE fell asleep thinking of Natasha's beautiful face.
That night he dreamt he was in the room of requirments with Natasha. She was trying to give him the key back but he wouldn't take it Finally she started to change. Her eyes turned red and her face became snake like. The face of lord Voldemort. kill the boy she said in parsletounge. Harry awoke with a start. Knocking on the window made him rise from his bed and put his glasses on, he looked out to see Braxtany. She had learned to fly a few days ago and now that was all she did. He let her into the room and she flew to his bedside letting out small hoots of delight. But Harry ignored her, for outside the window he saw Natasha. She was standing by the edge of the forest. A man at her side. He was about Harry's age maybe a year older with a scruffy bad boy kind of handsome. He couldn't really make out their faces so he did a spell making them look closer. The boy had a scar snaking up his left arm but he couldn't see Natasha's face because she was turned to him.
Jealousy filled him Harry but he stopped himself. Natasha and him were not together. He and Ginny were. She could meet handsome strangers in the woods if she pleased he did not care. He went back to bed feeling very disgruntled.
Three days later Harry awoke feeling slightly nervous. Today was the quiditch match. He ate breakfast in between Hermione and Ginny.
"I don't think I can eat!" Hermione gasped. Ron oddly seemed to find comfort in making Hermione less nervous. He hadn't puked up his breakfast and his face was a normal color. In fact he didn't have a single air of fear about him.
"Hermione you'll do fine. I know you will you good at everything remember?" This brought a hysterical laugh from Hermione.
"Ron stop. Your just saying that to make me feel better."
"Is it working?" Ron asked looking like a puppy dog. Then he gave her a kiss. This was a little to much for Harry so he had to get up and leave. The conditions were good, if they got the north side of the pitch they would have the advantage of wind and sun. He jumped up on his broom and flew a few times around the pitch. He came to a halt when he saw someone run out onto the pitch. For a second he thought it was Cho because of the shining black hair but then he saw it was Natasha.
She flew up next to him her purple robes billowing behind her. Want to race? Her eyes said before her mouth could form the words and they were off. They raced twice around the pitch. It was a tie. They were laughing when suddenly Harry saw a very mad Ginny.
"Gotta go" he muttered hearing Natasha's laughter behind him as he flew slowly towards Ginny. Her flaming hair matched her flaming eyes and he gulped as he hit the ground bracing himself for her anger.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" she asked
"Er flying?" He said more of a question then a statement.
"YOU LITTLE...GRRRR, HARRY EVERYONE IS WAITING FOR YOU INDSIDE IF YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED YOU'RE THE EFFIN CAPTAIN! HERE YOU ARE FLYING AROUND WITH SOME SLUT FROM THE OPPOSING TEAM!! she said sounding a lot like Mrs. Weasley.
"Sorry Gin. Er are you er jealous?" he asked quietly all the while looking up at Natasha who was barely able to stay on her broom from laughter.
"Harry I'm sorry but yeah. I mean she's really pretty and I just feel like I'm not up for the competition for you." she sighed.
"Gin I'm so sorry. Don't worry you're the only one for me." he said knowing it was a lie. He had feelings for Natasha that didn't stop at friendship. They walked back to the locker room hand in hand. Harry explained the plan for the day. He tried to keep it short. He knew that he had wasted a lot of time with Natasha. When they walked back to the pitch Harry felt very ready. Harry shook the Ravenclaw captain, Mark Stevens, hand. Then Madam Hooch blew the whistle and they mounted their brooms. Harry started scaning right away for the snitch while listening to the commentry by Luna.
"The match has begun and Ginny Weasley has the quaffle. She is very nice to me. My father says that her broom is made out of Nurgle feet which help increase magical flight."
"Luna please, the match!" Professor Magonagal stated loudly.
"Right, Well Ginny just passed off to Hermione who is shooting down the feild. She passes Robby Oaktar and dodges a bludger by Danny Weilder. She is really smart. I suspect that she uses Poratsla spit. I heard that you can gain lots of intelligence from poratsla spit. Any smart witch or wizard is using it even though it's illegal. I also suspect that the minister himself is using it. Not that I really blame them..." He looked up to see Professor Magonagal giving Luna a death glare. "Erm right well Hermione passes to Claire who makes the winning shot for Gryhpindoor. It's ten to zero. The quaffle is up and Danny has it. He's going down the field toward the Gryphindoor side. Passes to Lea she shoots and... Ron stops the quaffle. He used to be very nervous about playing but now he seems to be in control. I bet that he's been eating quagmire venom in his food it is said to increase bravery. Theres a whole article on it in the Quibbler. Claire has the quaffle oooooh that looked painful. She just got hit by a quaffle if she was wearing tabloid skin she would have been fine but that isn't the case." Harry turned to see Claire righting herself on the broom her tiny frame seemed like it could have been knocked over by the slightest wind but the bludger had only made her drop the quaffle nothing else.
He sighed in relief. The game continued. Gryphindoor was up 100 points when he first sighted the snitch but it was over near Natasha who was circling the left goal post. The only thing he could think of doing was a fake. He hurtled down towards the ground hand outstretched fingers reaching as if to grab a small golden ball. He heard a sound behind him and looked to see Natasha smiling. He pulled out of his dive and circled back to the left goal post looking for the snitch. She came up behind him and he heard her voice whisper on the breeze, "I let you get away with it that time" he looked at her as she beamed and flew off. So she had been sparing him she had known the snitch was here. Shaking his head he began the search again.
Gryphindoor was now up 170 to 10. Even if Natasha caught the snitch she would lose. As Hermione scored there 180th goal he saw it. It was a glint of gold down by the other side of the field. Luckily Natasha was behind him. But she seemed to see it to because when he sped up she was right on his tail. A bludger came from out of now where but he dodged it and sped on. He was now close enough that he could catch the golden ball but then a thin tan hand reached out from his right and took it from under his nose. He stared in astonishment. He had never lost the snitch except for once when dementors had been on the field. He gaped as Natasha raised her hand in triumph. Ginny landed next to him and gave him a hearty kiss. "You did amazing!" she said kissing him again. Just then Natasha pushed past Ginny nose high in the air. "What a git!" she muttered angrily.
"Hey she's not that bad!" Harry immediately regretted his boldness when he saw Ginny's face.
"But she's ugly," he lied. She laughed and then gave him another kiss.