Trinity: Yes...the time has come...for an over-haul update!
Harry: No way...NO WAY! You're actually going through with this? What about all your hard work? Your sweat and blood and tears and reviews and fans and-
Draco: Harry, shut up. If she wants to repost an entire story, then let her.
Trinty: It will be faster, stronger, better than before!
Harry: You let Random Trivia have the mike again...
Trinity: Oops...
I'll say this once, and mabye many time more, but I don't own any of the Harry Potter-ness. How sad...
Chapter 1: Rivalry Partners
The Knights of Twilight, the servants of the Order of Mystics, have a sacred duty to carry out. I am a Knight of Earth in this organization, and have sworn my loyalty and promised my life to Lord and Lady. However, as I am still young and new to my powers, my duties are simple. I must find and observe those with Power, recruiting those would-be fellow Knights, or destroying them and their power. I cannot allow these youths to pass into the hands of another, for war is brewing. Without the help of future knights, the Order would certainly crumble.
But I have hope. At my current post, I have already found five potential Knights- one of fire, one of ice, and one of earth, like myself. The last two, however, hold the rarest power of all. Both are Knights of Shadow. The depths of the power remain untapped, their limits unknown.
With potential as large as theirs, they have top priority.
The sky over Hogwarts grounds was covered with clouds and painted inky black, and the field lacked its usual midnight glow. The castle residents slept peacefully, unawares and uncaring of the event. Without moonlight streaming through the windows, the dormitories of Gryffindor Tower were filled with darkness. The Gryffindors would care less, dreaming away the slow hours of the night.
Harry Potter hadn't had many dreams since the events of his fifth year. Instead, his conscious seemed to seal itself in a dark emptiness. Encases in the vast void, hidden from the real world and opened to another, Harry's thoughts would sort themselves, without effort and without Harry noticing much of it. For the most part, Harry's conscious rested, hidden from the distractions and demands of the world outside his body.
The darkness in Harry's mind swirled and Harry's mind dully became aware of a change. An odd pressure in the back of his head began prodding and poking. His first thought was the worst case scenario, that someone trying to break into his mind. A few moments later, he noticed that the prodding originated from someplace else, a place he couldn't quiet grasp. It was almost as if-
"Harry! Harry, get up! We're going to be late!"
Harry grunted. The void vanished and Harry forgot all about it in an instant. Harry groaned, rolled over, and pulled his pillow over his head in an attempt to make the poking stop. He got poked in his side instead. With an undignified squeak, Harry fell out of his bed and landed in a heap on the floor with a thump. Sitting up, he glared over the edge of his bed at the fiend who dared disturbed his.
"Was that honestly necessary, Seamus?"
"I doubt it, but it was funny," Seamus said grinning. "Now hurry up, or we won't be having any breakfast before class!"
Harry scowled and got to his feet. A quick glance at his clock confirmed Seamus' warning. Harry preformed his morning ritual and practically flew down the stairs into the common room. Seamus and Dean were conversing with each other next to the staircase, while Ginny and Hermione were scolding Ron near the portrait hole. He looked completely confused as the girls talked over each other in escalating voices. Neville sat in a chair a little ways away, watching Ron's situation go from bad to worse
"Look, Harry's here!" Ron shouted to direct the girls' attention away from him. It worked.
"Harry, what have you been doing-!"
"Oh, and look who finally decided to get his-!"
"this entire time! We've been waiting for you-!"
"lazy arse up! What made you think you could just-!"
" for hours! I can't believe you would just-"
"sleep in today of all days?! You know you -"
"forget about your promise to us like that!"
"promised to have breakfast together!"
Harry backed away slowly from their ferocity, but they continued to bare down on him. Harry held up his hands in defeat, and gave a sheepish smile. He waited until they calmed down a little and prepared to duck through the portrait hole before admitting he hadn't heard a single word. Instead, Ginny sighed deeply and Hermione turned sharply on her heel and left the common room. Ron exchanged uneasy glances with Harry, and the Gryffindors left after the girls.
It was going to be a bad day.
When the group got to the Great Hall, they had no time to spare. Even with all the short cuts, everyone, with the exception of Ginny, had class starting in10 minutes. Harry apologized again-with a piece of toast in his mouth- as they sprinted into the dungeons for their Potions class. Professor Snape gave them a rather nasty look as they burst through his door with seconds to spare. He swept to the front of the room without a word, while the Gryffindors slinked off into the back panting for breath. Immediately after the bell, the class was started on a potion that they had already taken notes on.
The NEWT level Potions class was small, and mostly held Gryffindors and Slytherins. As they began to work on potions that were becoming more difficult and complex, Snape constantly swept through the room, observing their every move and scrutinizing their mistakes, shouting them for the whole class to hear. Somehow, he always found time to constantly praise Draco. However, he ignored every other person in the room, even other Slytherins, on their progress.
Students began to clean up the supplies, store their potions, and pack their bags toward the end of class. Snape stood at the front of the room, apparently with some unpleasant announcement that would probably crush the Gryffindors and make the Slytherins happy. The last shuffling of cleaning faded away and the class sat silently, waiting for the professor to speak.
"This year, many of the professors have come up with something new for the students to do," Snape drawled in a bored voice. "Students will pair up with their fellow classmates in other houses to do various projects that will be assigned this year. Don't get so excited, you don't get to pick your partner," Snape said and the sudden swell of voices died. His lip curled. "I choose them for you. Your professors and I have already matched you up."
The students glanced around nervously. Work with a student of another house? Most students didn't even know a person from another house, and they didn't see how getting to know one now was going to do anything. The Slytherins loathed the mere thought of students of other houses and wrinkled their noses in disgust.
"Because of these…efforts to encourage inter-house relationships," Snape continued, "do not assume all Slytherins are paired with Gryffindors and Ravenclaws with Hufflepuffs. Most your partners aren't even in this class at the moment. They will be receiving the news when they come to my class at a latter time."
Snape held up a scroll and began reading the names of students in his class and their partners. Ron was lucky enough to be paired with a Ravenclaw by the name of Faeroe, convinced he was going to need all the help he could get. Hermione was pared with a Jared, Hufflepuff boy Harry had seen once or twice wandering around the school. He gave them a reassuring smile that disappeared the moment his name was called.
"Mr. Potter," Snape paused, then said in an almost sympathetic tone, "with Mr. Malfoy."
Harry's jaw dropped to the floor. Ron sputtered in a mixture of outrage and cruel amusement. Draco sat rigidly in his seat, as if shock had frozen him in a state of sudden attentiveness. The bell rang just as Snape finished reading the list and the class clamored for the door. While everyone else seemed pleased with the arrangements, they sensed the apocalyptic fury building and fled the room as quickly as possible. Ron and Hermione looked back anxiously as they left Harry and Draco behind.
"Before you start throwing your tantrums," Snape said when they reached his desk, "this particular pair was not my doing. Your dear, wonderful, Professor Jackson suggested it, and for some reason, the rest of the professors agreed. I, for one, would never wish such a horrible, cruel fate on you Draco, and you don't deserve such a punishment Potter. Try not to kill each other," Snape said, shooing the two out of his room. "Although, it would be nice to prove her wrong."
Harry's anger deflated quickly before Snape's sincerity. Professor Jamie Jackson was the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. She was an American witch with blonde hair she wore in a plaid draped across his left shoulder. At first glace, she seemed short, but she held herself tall and passed many seventh year boys in height. She was kind, a little sarcastic, and her cheerful sprit made all her classes fun. She seemed to be following closely in Lupin's steps and was much loved by the student body- Slytherin's included.
Harry shook his head wordlessly as he left the classroom and Draco stormed silently passed him. Professor Jackson was nice, but she was a weird woman. Harry couldn't think of one good reason for her to pair up Harry and Draco. During the first two weeks in school, she had witnessed several of their legendary feuds. Surely she could understand what a grave mistake it was to pair them together.
He caught up with Hermione and Ron as they climbed the stairs toward the Great Hall. They glanced over him, but Harry just shrugged. Hermione went the opposite direction from Harry and Ron when they reached ground level, heading for her class, while Harry and Ron went up to Professor Trelawney's tower. The class was filled with a low buzz as the news of the inter-house partnership spread from Gryffindor to Gryffindor.
By the time the bell finally rang, Ron and Harry were the first out the trapdoor, bolting from the stifling tower and down the many flights of stairs to the Great Hall. Hermione had arrived before them and sat at the table with her nose in a thick book. Harry sat next to her and Ron sat on the other side of him. Hermione put her book aside.
"So?"
"So, what?" Harry asked as he piled mash potatoes and meatloaf onto his plate. He had a craving for the school's gravy at the moment.
"What did Professor Snape say? About partnering with Malfoy?"
"Nothing really. I was a bit shocked because he said it was all Professor Jackson's idea."
"He probably just wants to make her look bad," Ron said with a shrug. He stuffed some of Harry's meatloaf into his mouth. "She's 'ay mo'e popula' tha' he'll eve' be."
"I don't think so, Ron. I don't doubt that she would suggest it, just question her decision. She has to have a reason for it."
"She secretly hates me and Draco?"
"No, Harry."
"Then maybe she thinks they could make up while they work. You know, be friendly or something." Ron said thoughtfully. Hermione nodded silently.
When the bell rang and lunch ended, the trio left the Great Hall and headed for their Defense Against the Dark Arts class. As a NEWT level class, Gryffindor and Slytherins were forced to put up with each other for another hour of their day. It wasn't a surprise that Harry, rounding a corner in deep and grudge-filled thought, would bump into a certain blonde. Harry bounced off of Draco and they froze almost nose to nose, staring at each other in shock.
"Are you two going to move out of the way?" Blaise asked nonchalantly.
Harry gasped and came too. He stumbled backwards, feeling his face burn with embarrassment. Draco continued to stand rooted to the spot, but stared coldly down his nose at Harry. He turned and continued down the hall without a word. Blaise regarded Harry silently, shrugged and followed the Slytherin price obediently. Harry let out a breath he didn't realized he was holding.
"Well that was…awkward," Ron said, glancing between Draco and Harry.
"It could have been a lot worse," Hermione whispered as she ushered Harry and Ron down the hall. "Draco would have usually threatened and insulted Harry."
"You're right. You know, he hasn't said a word to me all day. I wonder what he's scheming this time."
"He doesn't have to be scheming something to try and be nice to you, Harry."
"Yes he does," Ron and Harry said at the same time.
The trio entered the room shortly after Draco and Blaise. The Slytherins took their sets in the back of the class, while the Gryffindors sat at the front. The bell rang and Professor Jackson entered the room with her robes billowing gracefully behind her as she took her swift, long strides. She took her place behind the desk as usual, and waited for her students to settle down so she could start her class with announcements.
"I'm assuming you all already know somethingabout the partner projects by now, correct? Wow, word gets around this school pretty quickly," she said as the swell of voices rose and died in the affirmative. "In this grand class of mine, you will have three projects to turn in by the end of the year. Don't worry, they are all pretty easy, and you get to duel your partner for a fun little project at the end of the year.
"You're first project will be given to you in two weeks. I suggest that you get to know your partners a little better and come up with all the times you will be able to meet. Between classes, Quidditch, and all the other little meetings and clubs that take up so much of your valuable time, you'll all have to find set times and places to do your projects. Now, are there any questions?"
Harry and Draco's hands shot into the air. They wore matching looks of renewed outrage, and Draco glared daggers at Professor Jackson, daring her to ignore him. None the less, a sly grin split slowly across Professor Jackson's lips. She searched around the class for any other quivering hands in vain, before finally turning her attention on the two rivals. Her smile turned wicked.
"Gentlemen, you can put your hands down, because the only way for you two to switch partners at this point in time, is if you come to the front of the class and make out, right here, right now." Harry and Draco didn't move an inch form their spots. "Well? I double dare ya."
Harry gapped at Professor Jackson, Ron made a strange sound somewhere between a gag and a sputter, and several of the girls in the room, including Hermione, giggled behind their hands. Harry finally lowered his hand into his lap and leered at them. Hermione quick silenced her self. Draco was glaring contemptuously at Professor Jackson over the heads of his classmates. Professor Jackson allowed a few more moments of silent seething to pass then started her lesson for the day.
Professor Jackson had started her class on casting spells without using the magic words. She had been giving notes and lectures on the dangers and difficulties of using nonverbal magic for well over a week. She gave yet another lecture, reminding her students on the processes, and promised to start them on practice the very next class. The bell rang and Harry stormed out of the class and marched all the way to his next class with a dark cloud over his head.
Harry was irritable for the rest of the day, fuming silently until dinner. He didn't want to hear another word about the partner projects, but that was what everyone was talking about. When he reach the Great Hall, he ate his dinner with a scowl on his face, ignored the cheery conversation around him, and every person who dared to approach him was met with a rather unpleasant look that basically said "Bother me, and I'll something unimaginably terrible and painful to you."
"What's wrong with you?" Ginny said, sitting across from him, unfazed by his glare.
"He's not going to say a word to you," Hermione said, "but it's the partner projects. Professor Jackson paired him with Malfoy. She refused to let them change partners unless they were willing to make out for all the class to watch."
"Oh, and I suppose they didn't," Ginny said.
"You sound a bit disappointed about it, Ginny," Harry snapped venomously.
"Well, I am a bit disappointed, yes. The two hottest guys of Hogwarts weren't kissing," Ginny said, with a casual shrug. "…In retrospect, I'm glad I didn't miss such and important and historical event."
"The two hottest guys of Hogwarts?" said a familiar drawl. "Then Potter must be second to me, though I was so sure Blaise had claimed that spot."
"No, Zabini is in second. You and Harry tie for first with a 50/50 split," Hermione said without looking up at him. "By the way, what are you doing at the Gruffindor's table?"
"Without your cronies, either," Ron said mockingly. A muscle in Draco's face twitched in annoyance.
"Harry, get up," Draco said- or more accurately demanded.
"What? No, why should I?" Harry said, staring at him over his shoulder.
"Because I can't stand that know-it-all, because I refuse to stay in the presence of these peasants, and because I said so!"
Draco swept up Harry's bag and strolled out to the Great Hall with it. Harry, jumped up with a "Hey!," tossed the last bit of his dinner into his mouth, and sprinted after him. Draco walked at a fast pace, and was already at the top of the staircase by the time Harry skidded through the doors. Draco led Harry through the empty halls, up another staircase and into a dark room.
"What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry said, struggling to see him through the darkness.
"We're going to make out next class," Draco said. He shut the door behind Harry, making him jump and turn to see Draco's silhouette walk around him. "After all, do you really want to be partners with me?"
"Not really, but-"
"Good. Then it's settled."
"NO! I'd rather be your partner than…" Harry shifted nervously as his voice trailed off, "than give her that pleasure."
"I thought you wouldn't mind. Aren't you gay?"
"WHAT?" Harry shouted, startled by the innocently posed question. "I-I haven't really…no, I don't think so. I mean it's not as if I-"
"You live in the same dormitory as the school slut and you're still a virgin?"
"Who, Seamus? He's not a slut. He just likes sex…a lot. Okay so maybe he is, but-"
"But you're still a virgin."
"That's not any of your business!" Harry felt as if his face was glowing red by now. He wondered if that was how Draco knew where he was, because it seemed like he was circling him, as if Draco was going to pounce on him at any moment.
"Well, at least you've made out with someone before, right?"
"Also none of your business," Harry said defensively. "But yes. Just not a guy. This is…awkward. Malfoy, does it really matter now?"
"I thought you were against being my partner, Potter. Isn't that the reason why you were sulking all day?"
"Not really. It was because what Professor Jackson said was uncalled for. It made me angry."
"That's all? So that was what you were talking about…" Draco stopped circling.
"Yes, Malfoy," Harry said, taking the opportunity to snatch his bag from him. "I'm not going to make out with you tomorrow, or any other day. Good night."
Harry left Draco standing alone in the dark room. He started heading back to the Great Hall, then detoured and headed to the Gryffindor Tower instead. The common room was empty when he arrived, so he through himself into one of the squishy chairs next to the window. He stared up at the stairs and shook his head in wonder. Draco Malfoy offered to make out with me. The end is nigh.
Harry glanced at his watch. It wasn't even eight o'clock yet, but Harry felt like going to bed. He reached the top of the spiral staircase just as a group of younger Gryffindors entered through the portrait hole. He ducked into his dormitory, hoping he avoided detection, and quietly changed into his baggy nightclothes. I wonder why I still sleep in these old things, Harry thought to himself as he dived under the sheets. He mentally shrugged and soon fell asleep.
Harry: And so it begins...Whoo...
Trinity: You seem excited.
Harry: I have to wait thrity weeks until we get to the chapter we left off on last time...
Trinity: We'll be there by June.
Harry: How do you know that?