The Dark Conspiracy
DISCLAIMER: see PROLOGUE
A/N: Just in case you're wondering, this is set around 3 years after the defeat of Voldie in their 7th year, which makes Harry around 20 or 21 in this story. All mistakes are mine alone. I don't have a Beta for the moment because I still can manage it. Maybe later when I start to lose my head. Read and Review!
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CHAPTER 1: Where Have You Been?
It was a chilly October night. Harry heaved a heavy sigh. When he said yes to Xeno, he thought he was going to have fun pretending to look for Nargles whatever those were, if they did exist. Turns out, being a reporter wasn't all that fun and looking for possibly imaginary magical creatures can get taxing after a while. He had been raiding deserted meadows and back alleyways (rumored to be the favorite places of Nargles)for three months now to no avail. He went to speak with Xeno before he pulled out all the hair on his head.
"Hello, Xeno." Harry said, taking his fedora hat off.
"Morning Harry Potter, what brings you here?"
"I work here."
"Oh, yes, yes, I quite remember. What has it been, three months?" Xenophillus Lovegood smiled from behind his desk. Harry slightly grimaced. "Yeah, uh, listen, Xeno, about the Nargles…"
"Well, I trust you've gotten the story?"
"Well no, I was thinking maybe you can get another assignment for me? I don't think I can do this…" Harry murmured. Xeno looked at him quizzically.
"Why, dear Harry, I have complete trust in you. It is just a matter of time and I'm pretty sure you can do it. You see Nargles are very patient creatures, they test your will and endurance."
"But I've been looking for three months! Maybe they don't exist!" Harry exclaimed. 'This is crazy," he thought to himself. Xeno took out a pair of spectrespecs. He looked like a bug wearing it.
"Patience my dear Harry." He smiled dreamily, much like how Luna did. Harry sighed dejectedly. His boss was bonkers. He was, even more so, for agreeing to this contract. It was too good to be true anyway. He put his fedora hat back on and exited the building for the Quibbler. It has been a long night. He was walking towards the apparition point when all of a sudden, he heard a noise, like two or more people arguing. He went towards the bushes where the sound was coming from and then he saw them. There were two men wearing black cloaks that were standing up with their backs toward him. A third man,(he assumed he was) was on the ground, looking beaten. Harry crouched down low and listened in. He knew, from having survived the war that one does not just barge in to meddle with other people's fights. The Sorting Hat might have put him in Gryffindor but he still had his Slytherin self-preservation. No matter what Snape said, he wasn't a complete dunderhead. He cast a quick 'Muffliato' and trained his eyes and ears on the three men.
"You have tested our patience enough," one of the two men that were standing said.
"G-give me time!" the man on the ground spat out. From what Harry can see, he was already bloodied up. He lay like a crumpled sack of potatoes on the dirt.
"You've had three years! What more time do you need?" the other man who was standing said. He kicked the man on the ground.
"I-It's not easy to lure him in!" the crumpled man said. "He d-did not defeat the D-dark Lord for n-nothing!"
Harry's ears perked up. 'Oh no, they couldn't just be talking about...'
"You are not trying hard enough!"
"I-I am t-trying! I-I need m-more t-time."
"That is why we gave you three years! You worthless scum!"one man said
"Oh, now don't tell me, you are still in love with him?" the other man laughed evilly. "He will not have you, especially not now when he sees what you've become..."
The two men grabbed the 'scum' by his armpits and threw him against the nearest tree. Harry expected them to take out their wands an curse the man but the two did not. Instead they beat him senseless with their fists. He had to give it to the crumpled man, not once did he scream or cry out. Harry drew nearer. The moonlight streamed brightly all of a sudden as a group of dark clouds went by. 'Great, I could see better' he thought. But what he saw surprised him. A startled gasp escaped Harry's lips as his eyes went wide. The two men who were standing weren't ordinary men at all. He saw the red eyes, the extended claws, the pale skin and the-the... FANGS. 'Vampires!' his mind screamed. Now he was Harry Potter, but vampires, in plural form, he doesn't deal with them at all. He remembered the ugly episode during the final war wherein he almost got bitten by a raving lunatic of a vampire. He shuddered at the thought. He switched his thoughts back at the spectacle in front of him, thinking of a way he could get out of the situation unscathed. He still couldn't see the third man, but he assumed that he was a vampire too, because if he wasn't, the other two would've already feasted on him. Harry heard them speak again.
"Now, do you still remember what you are living for? Or do we have to remind you?"
"I-I do..."
"You will not fail, lest we make sure you die a terrible death." one of the two vampires he saw said to the one on the ground.
"Y-Yes."
"Make sure you get him or else."
"I-I will..."
The two vampires, seemingly satisfied with the amount of blood on the third man's face, swished their cloaks and apparated out, leaving the third man behind with his head bowed down. Harry approached him cautiously, thinking he was out cold, but he was startled when the man shuddered, his shoulders were shaking uncontrollably. "Harry Potter..." the man sighed. "You are the bane of my existence..." then the man laughed, a bitter laugh. Harry raised his eyebrows. He recognized that voice, that laugh... but it couldn't be...
The man was now trying to get off the ground, his face still bowed down, covered with long inky black hair. He brushed dirt off of his robes and his arms. Harry was rooted to where he was. The man then brushed the hair off his face with his pale but bloodied hands. Harry felt like he was hit by a bolt of lightning. 'That face...' He stood up from the bushes, not caring anymore who saw him.
The rustling of the bushes startled the pale-handed man. He drew out his wand with his fast reflexes that saved him from the last war. He cast a quick "Lumos'. What he saw drew blood away from his face.
"Harry Potter!" the man exclaimed with much venom. "What-"
Harry inched forward. He already had his wand out now that he knew what, or rather, who, he was facing.
"Give me three reasons why I shouldn't curse you," Harry walked closer...
"Severus Snape" he spat out with equal venom.
A/N: Now If I'm evil I would cut this right here but I'm not, sooo...
He half-expected the man in front of him to curse him or spit out insults harsher that what he could ever come up with. After all, this man was legendary when it comes to getting on his nerves. To his surprise the man lowered his wand and turned his back on him. Severus Snape was really hard to figure out.
"Go away, Potter! It's not safe for your hide to be out here." Snape had an unrecognizable look on his face that looked like a mixture of pain, relief and constipation.
"Wait, Snape-!"
The man turned and apparated away before Harry could say another word. He stood frozen at that spot for quite some time, trying to process what he had seen and heard but it just made his head hurt even more. Harry sighed and turned to apparate himself home. He would figure this out tomorrow. He would need to find Snape and find out what the heck is going on. Again.
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A/N: I know I said I would only update when I've gotten 5 reviews but I'm really nice so I had this out for you guys as well, just to give you a little feel of what the story really is all about. As I have said I already have the first few chapters mapped out, so it's just a matter of encouragement from you guys for me to keep on posting. Just a simple logic: If nobody bothers to read or review, then why post, right? Now I have been really nice so I hope you would be nice to me too. If I get enough reviews I'll post more before Christmas. If not, then I'll just chuck my drafts and flush it down the loo. Ciao Bellas! Review! Review! Review! :-)