Introduction: I am SO excited about the next Harry Potter book coming out!!! I couldn't wait any longer, and so I decided to write my own book 5. The plot goes off in all different directions; just like the real HP books but in the end it all comes together.
A/N: You may think you know the ships in the beginning... I'll let you think you do at least. ::Mischievous grin:: I will tell you this about the ships, they're R/Hr, H/? G/? and a few others. It is so not Cho/Harry though!!
A/N: Does the Professor's name sound like any other word to you? Just like in the real HP books, I tried to make names give hints. AKA: Remus Lupin= Remus and Romulus. Try and figure out the mystery before you read the end!
A/N: The stone is NOT the sorcerer's stone.
A/N: You can tell I wrote this a long time ago, because I say 'September 10' very casually. Isn't it freaky that the train leaves September 11?
A/N: Sorry for the spelling errors, but my Microsoft Word is uninstalled so I'm stuck with Word Pad and no spell check!
A/N: The excerpt in the summary is from a future chapter that I already have mostly written, I'm just waiting to see if this goes over well to post it.
A bright stone shone in the distance as Harry walked to it through the complete darkness. It blazed a bright sapphire color as he reached down to touch it. With a start he stumbled back as his scar burst into pain. He felt as if his head would split and he couldn't so much as open his eyes. He heard an explosion, and wasn't sure if it was his head the pain was so intense.The pain dulled for a second and Harry opened his eyes in time to see a pair of brown eyes staring at him that flashed red as he reached out to touch the person. He saw the bead glowing from below their eyes and thought it was somewhere around what would be their neck was if he could see the person.
"Close your eyes, Harry." A cold voice issued from the dark face. The pain returned into Harry's scar and he sat up with a start.
Harry opened his eyes and stared across his bedroom at a mirror by the closet. His scar was burning like fire, not like the normal pain it caused. He turned to look out the window when a light caught the corner of his eye. His mouth opened in shock as he realized his scar was glowing. A bright blue light shone from the lightning bolt-shaped scar on his forehead. He jumped a little and fell off his bed.
"Ouch!" he said as his leg bent under him in an odd position. He put his fingers gingerly to his scar and realized he was clammy, cold and sweating besides his scar, which burned him to the touch. He pulled his hand away quickly and watched the red mark fade from his hand. Listening carefully, he could hear his heart beating quickly.
Dizzily he put his head on his knees and breathed deeply. Although he didn't want to admit it, he was scared out of his wits, which meant there was only one thing to do. He stood up and went over to his desk to find his wand.
"Lumos," he whispered as the wand lit up. Quietly as possible, he bent over his bed and pulled up his loose floorboard. His head was still hurting, and he knew every time his scar hurt it was a cause for panic. He didn't want Sirius to think he was a toddler in need of constant care, but he didn't want him to think he didn't trust him either. He pulled out a quill and some parchment and began to write, sitting cross-legged on the floor.
Dear Sirius, It's me, Harry. I didn't want to worry you, but I thought you'd want to know my scar hurt again tonight. I had a dream it was pitch black and I saw this glowing stone. I was walking to it when a pair of brown eyes (They looked like the Weasley's.) suddenly shone. They flashed red, and I saw they were wearing the jewel as a necklace, or at least it was where a necklace would be on a person. Then my scar hurt- no actually it burned- like fire. When I woke up it was glowing blue, the same color as the necklace. I figured maybe I just dreamed the whole thing, but my scar still stings so I don't know. Hope your doing well, and give Buckbeak lots of care for me. Your godson, Harry
Harry tied the letter to Hedwig's leg and opened the window a crack. A light breeze played with his hair while the moonlight danced across his face. The breeze cooled his scar down and he relaxed a bit.
"It's all just a bad dream," he assured himself and walked over to his bed to go back to sleep. He fell onto his back and looked over at his calendar. With a happy grin, he realized it was September 10. He would be leaving for King's Cross tomorrow! With a grin firmly on his face, he closed his eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep.
"Harry!" he heard a voice call and turned around. A girl with bright red hair ducked when she realized she'd said her thought out loud.
"Hi Ginny!" he answered and started to pull his trunk toward her went he felt someone pull him into a bear hug from behind.
"Harry! I missed you all summer!" Ron said as he spun him around. "To bad the muggles kept you. Ginny talked about how brave you were all summer though." He said with a grin. Harry blushed and looked over to where Ginny had been. She was gone, Harry presumed, most likely to go board the train. "Where's Hermione?" Ron asked and looked around.
Harry shrugged and suddenly remembered his dream. "When we get on board, I need to tell you and Hermione something important." He explained. Ron nodded and started to pull his trunk onto the train.
"Gin's got Pig, so he won't bug us. She's been dying for a pet of her own all summer, and I didn't really have the money to get her one, so I thought she could sort of borrow Pig permanently, besides when I really, really need him." Ron said in an embarrassed tone as he went into an empty compartment and sat down.
"That was awfully nice of you. Hermione should find us soon and then I can tell you about something rather odd that happened yesterday." Harry said as he followed Ron inside and slid the door shut behind him. He set down his trunk and turned to Ron just as the door flung open.
"Ron! Harry!" Hermione yelled and embraced them both, banging their heads together.
"Oy! Nice to see you too! But no need to kill me!" Ron said as he rubbed the said of his head. Hermione's bushy brown hair had been curled lightly over the summer, so that it sprang out almost twice as much and she'd gotten a bit taller as well, Harry noted and laughed at Ron's comment as he opened the door to Hedwig's cage so she could stretch her wings.
"Oh, I have the most brilliant news!" Hermione said as she sat down. Harry watched Hermione as she uncovered a cage on her trunk he had assumed belonged to Crookshanks. A small, brown barn owl opened his eyes and shrunk back as he saw Hedwig. "Poor Crookshanks passed away over the summer, so I got this owl as a present. I named him Romulus, after the ancient Greek twins Remus and Romulus who were raised by wolfs and grew up to rule Rome." She announced proudly.
"You mean like Professor Lupin? Are you fond of him or something?" Ron teased.
"I've found the most fascinating things in our text books over the summer." Hermione announced to change the subject as she moved the cage and pulled out her books. Harry saw Ron roll his eyes and tried to look blasé, although he hadn't heard anything of magic over the summer and actually found himself wanting to hear whatever it was the textbook had to say. "I've discovered something about Snuffles!" she announced proudly, "You see, I was reading through a book for history of magic, the same one I found something about hippogriffs on for Hagrid, when I saw something about Wormtail. I mean, not him exactly, but what happened the night..." She stopped to let it hang in the dead air.
"The night Vold- I mean you-know-who killed my mum and dad." Harry finished for her in a whisper. Hermione nodded sympathetically and continued.
"You see, there were a ton of witnesses that night Snuffles backed Wormtail into a corner on the street, which was convenient for Wormtail so he could make the whole thing look like Snuffles actually killed him. Then Wormtail made it look like he was blown up by Snuffles. All muggle witnesses though, so they had memory spells put on them-"
"Just get on with it. We know this already! And when you're done, Harry says he has something important to tell us too." Ron said impatiently.
"Well all right then," Hermione said, looking rather ruffled. "We won't be learning this until probably 7th year, but there is a sort of counter-curse for memory spells. It makes the person that the spell was cast on tell what they really saw. Sort of like a veritaserum. So I figured since your dad is involved with the ministry Ron-" She stopped dead as Malfoy sauntered into the room.
Harry realized there was no way he could tell Hermione and Ron about his dream with Draco around. His usual sneer was placed on his face, and his cronies Crabbe and Goyle waltzed in behind him casually.
"Potter, Granger, and Weasley. Having a meeting of the purebloodless, penniless and parentless?" He asked as he sat down and put his feet up on Harry's trunk. He pulled his wand out and twirled it idly in his fingers. "Wouldn't try anything if I were you, Potter." Malfoy drawled as he saw Harry's hand start toward his own wand, "You see, Snape decided to accompany our little train ride. He felt since the end of last year when you maimed my friends here that we needed a little... protection. He said he'd be sure to keep an eye on you since that git Dumbledore seems to have joined your fan club and would let you get away with murder."
"Eat dung Malfoy." Ron said as he stood to leave. Harry and Hermione stood to follow him into the hall when a face appeared into the doorway. He appeared to be a man of about 21, with a hint of an Australian accent. His hair was a light blonde color, and his eyes were a deep shade of gray.
"Is something the matter?" he asked and smiled. "There you are Hermione. Can I talk to you in the hall? I got your owl about the summer homework." He requested. She nodded and started to follow him into the hall with Ron and Harry at her heels. The man closed the door quickly in the face of a very baffled Draco.
"Who are you?" Ron started and the man out a hand to shake.
"I'm your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Vicissit," he explained calmly and turned to shake with Harry next. Harry shook hands and noticed with pleased surprise the new teachers eyes didn't wander directly to his scar. "If that one gives you trouble, just let me know. I can tell he's not going to be one of the nicest chaps ever. I met him earlier. Gave me sort of an attitude." The professor explained.
"Thanks." Harry said gratefully.
"Well, I better be going to the lunch trolley, but I'll see you all at classes!" he said and started to walk toward the front of the train.
"Maybe this teacher actually knows his stuff." Ron commented as they opened the door back up to they're compartment. Mafloy, Crabbe and Goyle simply glared at them and retreated back out the door.
"I have a very good feeling he does. In fact, I'm positive." Hermione said with a grin.
Harry hopped into a horseless carriage and shivered. The rain had started suddenly, as it seemed to do every time the year began at Hogwarts.
"Have any of you seen-?" A voice said as Neville Longbottom pocked his head in the carriage.
"No toad here. Sorry Neville." Said Harry.
Neville groaned and hopped into the coach as it started to drive away.
"I've lost him already." Neville moaned and put his face in his hands.
"There there, he'll turn up. He always does." Hermione said as she wrung out her hair, which Harry thought was rather pointless as they were just going to have to go back into the rain.
"You seem to really think this new professor is great, judging by how you talked about him for the rest of the train ride." Ron said.
"Drop it. Now." Hermione said and lost her smile. The rest of the ride was full of an awkward silence, and Harry was glad when the carriage finally came to a halt in front of the school.
Ron, Harry and Hermione made a run for the castle while Neville stood in the rain to look for his toad.
"I feel sorry for him, always loosing Trevor." Ron tried to start a conversation.
"Not as sorry as I feel for you. Since when has your memory been the best either?" Hermione retorted.
"Harsh, but I suppose I deserved it. Sorry for what I said Hermione. I'll stop now." he apologized though Harry could catch a bit of sarcasm in his voice.
"Apology accepted." Hermione declared.
"Is it just me, or does she seem a bit... Stressed?" Ron whispered to Harry when Hermione turned to look up at the big oak doors, which remained closed, shutting the students out in the cold.
"I believe you're right. But what mudblood wouldn't be when the new teacher is a Death Eater?" Draco asked from behind them.
"She's not a mudblood. She is of muggle descent Malfoy. Muggle descent. And if I *ever* hear you call her that to her face, you'll be worse off than any bouncing ferret in history." Ron threatened hotly.
"The new professor is very nice. You just don't like him because he's fair. Besides, don't you have some friends you could talk to instead of listening in on our conversation?" Harry asked him.
"Do I hear a threat? You don't want me to have to do this, but you've forced me already, Weasley. 5 points from Gryffindor. And three from you Potter, for egging him on. That leaves you with what? Negative 8 points? Good way to start the year..." Snape said silkily and walked towards the doors.
Ron pushed his wet hair out of his eyes. "Wish the git would just hurry and open the doors!" he said through a mouthful of water. Ahead of them Harry saw Snape throw the grand front doors open. Students rushed towards them hurriedly trampling each other along the way.
Harry fell to the ground as a student pushed him in order to get to the door.
"Are you okay Harry?" a attractive voice said from behind him. He looked up and saw Cho Chang with her hand extended.
"Thanks." He said and tingled as he touched her hand. He slipped slightly as she pulled him to his, right into her arms. "Sorry!" he said hurriedly and slipped away into the crowd. He let his breath out in a long sigh as he entered the great hall and saw Ron and Hermione giving him a look.
Ron grinned. "I saw you and Cho, Harry." He said and winked.
"You're more like Fred and George every day." Harry said and pushed him forward as they surged toward the great hall. It was dry and warm inside, and Harry could feel the smell of the feast drifting toward him and enveloping him. The familiar feeling of being home swept over him. A group of first years to his right followed Professor McGonagall, looking soaked to the bone.
After they had all filed in, Harry saw Peeves floating above a few first years heads. "Ohhh! Ickle-First years!" he said cooly and swooped down as the soaked boys and girls screamed.
"Peeves!" The Bloody Baron boomed as he appeared at his side.
"Oops! Got to fly!" Peeves cackled as he swooped high into the air and went through the ceiling.
Harry turned to see Professor Vicissit walking into the hall when suddenly a rush of dizziness swept over him. He tottered forward, knocking Hermione to the ground.
"Are you alright, Harry?" she asked as she got to her feet.
"Fine, just got a bit dizzy for a moment." he said although he still felt dazed.
"You should sit down." Ron said in concerned voice.
"I'm fine, really." Harry repeated.
As they entered the great hall, Harry sat down shakily in the first seat available at the Gryffindor table with his two best friends on either side. The first years were lining up to be sorted, but Harry couldn't seem to focus as the world spun in and out of focus...