Harry James Potter sat silently at the Slytherin table. Draco Malfoy, just like his father, was bragging arrogantly. Harry sighed and picked at his food. Tonight was the first meeting for his club.
Everything had started in his first year, when he was sorted into Slytherin. Many students and families were upset and feared the boy-who-lived. Everyone assumed he would be powerful and a brave Gryffindor- like his parents. For a while, everyone avoided the boy. Not that this particularly bothered Harry. He was never really popular thanks to his cousin Dudley.
A few weeks into the term, Harry approached his favourite teacher. Snape. He wanted to know the full story of his parents and the so called Dark Lord. Severus wasn't overly happy that the James Potter look alike had stopped by. Just having the arrogant brat in his house was bad enough. Somehow, Harry managed to convince his Potions professor into talking. In truth, his emerald green eyes piercing into Severus' obsidian ones forced the man to talk. Those green eyes were so like Lily's, yet not. They had an eerie coldness to them, reminding Severus of someone else's eyes. Someone who inflicted pain with practiced ease. Someone who was constantly trying to come alive. Someone whose name almost everyone feared. Voldemort.
Armed with more information on his parents, Dumbledore, and Voldemort, Harry spent the next few years developing trust between his peers and teachers. Only one person never let that 'relationship' grow. They kept up their suspicion and tried reporting it. None of his reports of suspicions were believed, though. The boy who lived was friendly, intelligent, and exactly what the people wanted him to be. Severus was frustrated, but there was nothing he could do about it. The boy scared him more than anyone else. A measly fifteen year old boy.
"Coming Harry? The meeting is in ten minutes." Draco's voice cut through Harry's thoughts. Harry blinked, and realized dinner was over.
"Of course, Draco." Everyone around him waited until Harry stood to follow him. Draco took his place beside the boy. A group of Slytherins from various years followed the two fifth years upstairs to the room of requirement.
When Harry entered, he looked around the room in approval. Perpendicular to a shorter wall were seven rows of benches. A low table, about six feet long, sat in front of the rows. Harry sat on the table and the mob of Slytherins sat down according to year. Draco stood beside Harry at the table.
Harry watched as Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and Gryffindors crowded into the room. Three more people accompanied Harry at the head table. Eyeing the crowd, he waited until the silence was deafening.
Harry slowly slipped off the table, taking a step towards the crowd. He smiled kindly, though it was forced. "Welcome everyone. I thank you all for coming. Tonight will just be an introductory meeting. Anyone who wishes to join at the end, must write their name on the piece of parchment on the table.
"Now, this club will be about duelling. We will work on defensive and offensive tactics. Mock duels will be held every Friday's meeting. All meeting will be overseen by High Inquisitor Madam Umbridge and duelling professional Professor Flitwick. I know some of you have a problem with Professor Umbridge, and if you cannot control yourselves, you may leave now."
Harry stood still and watched the crowd. Several students stood and left the room. This year Delores Umbridge came to Hogwarts, taking the DADA position. She was investigating Dumbledore and various teachers. In the previous years, Dumbledore had insisted that Voldemort had returned, Harry Potter beat him, and that he would return. All of which were true, however, Harry claimed that he never face the so called Dark Lord since he was an infant. The ministry had accepted his claim, much to the annoyance of Albus Dumbledore. Despite the ministry and Harry Potter being against the Headmaster, many students stayed loyal to the insane old man. Each year he somehow managed to put them in danger, but some just couldn't realize that.
Harry nodded, "Good, now-" Harry began to explain how the club worked, rules, and took suggestions on what to do.
xXxXxXxXxXx
An hour later, Harry closed the door behind the last member. Waving his hand, the room changed. A single round table was placed in the middle, with the sign up paper on it. Five comfy looking chairs were placed around it.
Harry sat gracefully into a soft chair, waiting for his friends to take their places around the table. "Hermione, who in Gryffindor signed up?" He turned to face his friend. Her once frizzy hair was combed smooth and pulled into a messy, yet elegant, bun.
Warm brown eyes went down the piece of paper she held in her hand. "We have the Weasley twins, the Creevy brothers, Ginny Weasley, Katie Bell, Neville Longbottom and Dean Thomas."
Harry nodded, "Draco, what about the Slytherins?"
Grey eyes stared at the parchment in pale hands, "Parkinson, Crabbe, Goyle, Bulstrode, Davis, Montague, Nott, and Zabini." Harry raised an eyebrow. "Some couldn't join because they already signed up for the quidditch team.
"Mmm, alright. Luna, any Ravenclaws?"
Luna smiled and looked right at him, "Cho, Terry, Penelope, Michael, Stephen, Morag, Padma, Lisa, and Sue."
"Alright, and how about Hufflepuff, Hannah?"
"There's not too many, but Susan, Zach, Gabby, and Matt signed up."
Harry absentmindedly tapped his finger on the table, "Excellent. Now, where did Neville, Forge, and Gred go?"
On cue, the doors opened. "We're right here."
Three more chairs joined the table and the Gryffindors took their seats. "Excellent, do you have your designs?"
Four papers with a small drawing on it were placed on the table. Harry gathered them and placed them in front of him.
Draco's picture was a snake in the form of a lightning bolt. A forked tongue was poked out of a fanged mouth. Luna's drawing was of a coiled snake with a pair of emerald eyes behind round glasses. Harry smiled and shook his head, amused. Next was Neville's. A black snake was rising from red ashes. It seemed to be a combination of the dark mark and the order of the phoenix. Fred and George's was a wand with a snake coiled around it. Black fire was coming out of the tip of the wand.
Harry tapped his wand against his cheek, thinking. Taking a blank sheet of parchment and a quill full of black ink, he began to draw. The finished result was a black snake taking the form of half of a lightning bolt. The other side was made up of a wand and grey flames erupting from the tip, forming the rest of the bolt.
Harry passed it around the table for approval. A few minor details were added and fixed before it came back to Harry. He smiled and held out his left wrist. Placing the tip of his wand to the image, he copied the picture to his wrist. Watching, the others saw the black ink set onto their friend's skin. The light wrist now had a permanent black symbol.
The picture was soon passed around and each of the eight people at the table left the Room of Requirement with their Grey Mark. Thus began the reign of those who were neither light nor dark. Under the leadership of Harry James Potter, those who were not good or evil came took over the wizarding world. They began a new era of peace, of grey.