Hogwarts Conspiracy (chapter 1)

Hogwarts Conspiracy (chapter 1)

Harry threw down his quill. There was no way he could work out the 10 most important uses of transfiguration…basically because there were none.

"What have you got?" he asked Ron, sitting next to him. Ron looked up. "Does turning Malfoy into a ferret actually count as a reason?"

"Yeah, I thought of that," said Harry, scratching his neck. "But McGonnagal wouldn't really approve…Hermione, you got any?"

"Yes. For goodness sake you two, it was easy!" Laughed the curly-haired 15-year-old.

"C'mon…let us have a look!" moaned Ron. He tried to grab her piece of paper but she snatched it out of his reach.

"No! I…" suddenly Hermione's eyes glassed over. "I…I…I…" she said, as if in a trance. Harry followed her gaze.

Into the common room had just walked a new boy…but not just any. If Harry hadn't been straight, he thought he would have fancied him.

Every girl's head was turned towards him.

"He's a God" whispered Hermione.

Ron was staring jealously at the new boy, as the common room came back to life. About twenty girls started gathering around him…what's his name, where did he come from, how old, starsign, you get the gist!

"I don't see anything special about him," he muttered, as Hermione leapt up to join him.

It turned out he was called Martin. He was in the sixth year, and he'd come from a muggle school. He was what wizards called a 'late learner' and people like Malfoy called a 'True Mudblood'.

"Come on," Harry said to Ron. "You're not jealous?"

"Of what?" he asked, still staring greenly at him.

Harry coughed loudly, but you could definitely hear a 'Hermione' disguised into it.

"Shut up!" Ron said, his ears turning red. He threw his quill at Harry.

"Let's go upstairs," Harry suggested wisely.

***

Two months later and Martin Griggs had settled in completely. Heads no longer turned revealing gaping expressions…although he had developed a large and growing fan club. Of which, shamefully, Hermione was a member.

Ron was still pretty annoyed by him…but he was so nice he was hard not to like. Martin and Harry got on like a house on fire…mainly because Harry was treated like a real person around him. Martin didn't know much about Lord Voldemort, so he didn't understand why Harry was so famous.

He'd been through a number of girls, including (for this Harry was very jealous) Cho Chang. But none of them really had lasted and in the end, he was much like any other teenage boy.

But while the school was caught up in fascination with this new boy, they hadn't noticed the huge conspiracy happening blatantly under their noses.

***

"Look, for the last time," Dumbledore said the person in front of him. "I am not going to pay you."

To the eye, Dumbledore was cool…he had his fingers linked on the table and his mouth was a perfect straight. But if you looked closer, you could see his pupils wide and beads of sweat glistening on his forehead.

"You don't want the whole school knowing about your little secret, would you?" threatened the blackmailer.

"I daresay the school would not be in the slightest bit interested in my life," Dumbledore assured the man. "And if they were to find out, what can you guarantee that they will believe you?"

"Good one…I see you're as clever as they say. You will find out how quickly rumours ignite…and spread…when my link in the school has opened up.

"And who would be this link? No doubt your only trustee would be a Slytherin, since you are obviously scum.

"Tut tut…harsh words Albus. You should have equal opinions to all your houses…and what matters if my 'trustee' were in Slytherin. Of all the great four, Slytherin was the greatest. Don't you agree?"

"Look," said Dumbledore, addressing the blackmailer by his name. "I am not biased, I am not scared, and if the whole school is to find out the information that I chose not to disclose to them so be it. But for now…please leave my office."

"Oh no Dumbledore, I'm not going any…whaaaargh!" screeched the man, as he flew across the room and out the open door. "I'll be back," he shouted to a smiling Dumbledore.

But as soon as the man was out of sight, the smile dissapeared. Dumbledore almost ran into the room containing the pensieve and released the last conversation into it. He then carried on checking through all the recent meetings with the man. There was no doubt that the blackmailer knew his secret…or had convinced himself he did. And if he did have an agent at Hogwarts…well, it could be disastrous for his career.

As Dumbledore slumped back at his desk, he took the sword of Godric Gryffindor in his fingers. He stroked the guild, and spoke.

"Oh, Godric, what should I do?" He whispered. "The country would lose hope completely if they were to find out I was scared…I need a way of stopping him without having to pay so much money.

And slowly, the figure of Gryffindor, worlds greatest ever wizard, materialised in Dumbledore's study. This was Dumbledore's best friend, but even he could give no advice.