Last time on Slade's Apprentice:
"Lead the way." Harry remarked coldly, everyone watching as the Headmaster and hired gun left for Dumbledore's office, intent on getting answers.
As soon as Harry left with Dumbledore, Cedric turned to Professor McGonagall. "Did he say Sirius Black? As in the convict that was recently freed from his previous charges?"
"That's correct, Mr. Diggory. Now, off you go, to the Hospital Wing. Get that nose looked at. I trust Headmaster Kakoroff and Madame Maxime will escort Mr. Krum and Ms. Delacour back to their appropriate rooms." Professor McGonagall ushered Cedric out of the room to get looked at, before exchanging a glance with Professor Snape and Moody. "Let us hope that Mr. Potter will not act rashly."
"I'm sure Potter will be fine. He's normally cool-headed, is he not?" Moody growled out, before limping out of the room, needing more of his drink.
XxXx
"Start explaining, Dumbledore!" Harry ordered, his voice sharp and demanding as he gazed into the eyes of Dumbledore, before remembering his previous encounter and proceeded to look away, focusing on Dumbledore's phoenix.
"Mr. Potter," Dumbledore sighed, "The magical blocks were placed on your core to prevent you from turning into the next Tom Riddle." He winced, seeing Harry's head whip towards him, anger practically spilling off of him. "Now let me explain," The elderly wizard began, licking his lips nervously, "had you not received the magical block, due to how the Dursley's treated you, you would have most likely killed them in a cold rage, and became an uncaring, emotionless machine." He regarded the boy with a wary eye, not flinching when Harry's fist was slammed down upon his desk.
"Turn into the next Dark Lord? I may have had more power than I have right now, but I know when to use that power, especially if it's immense. As for how the Dursley's treated me..." He trailed off, something clicking in his head before he drew his gun and pressed the barrel against Dumbledore's forehead, the elderly wizard merely looking up into the cold emerald eyes that glared down at him, "Are you telling me that you had an eye on me? That someone could have saved me from that hellhole before my mentor did? That someone could have prevented the abuse?"
Dumbledore sighed and nodded his head, "As much as it pains me, yes. It seems that my old sins are coming back to haunt me in the form of you, Mr. Potter." He chuckled lowly, his voice holding no mirth, only a deep sadness. "Someone could have taken you away a long time before your mentor did, whomever he was. And I don't think you really want to kill me, do you Mr. Potter?"
Harry regarded him coldly for a moment, stowing away his pistol, gaining satisfaction at the small sigh of relief that escaped Dumbledore's lips. "Remove the blocks, now."
"Mr. Potter, that would be a very unwise course of action. The sudden amount of magic that would course through your veins would put you into shock, causing you to pass out or even go into a coma." Dumbledore warned.
"I could give two shit's less, old man." Harry spat out, venom in his tone. "You are my magical guardian, are you not?" Seeing him nod solemnly, a tear running down his face, Harry nodded once again. "Do it then. Try to atone for your past mistakes, Headmaster!" Dumbledore stood up and began to chant lowly, a shimmering light raining down on Harry, before pain filled his entire nervous system.
The assassin let out a low growl of pain, collapsing to his knees as his magical core expanded, trying to accommodate the power the magical blocks held back over the years. His insides felt like they were liquefied, changing and adapting. He raised his head, staring into the wide eyes of Dumbledore, who merely stood there and watched as Harry's body adjusted to it's changes. After five minutes of agonizing torture, Harry finally released a breath, breathing heavily as he panted. He was sweating profusely, his clothes drenched. "Are you alright, Harry?" Dumbledore's voice reached his ears, sounding far away rather than three feet away. The assassin coughed and stood, watching as lightning danced across his finger tips, before lightning struck the top of the castle outside, more lightning bolts raining down. "Harry, you have to control it! Don't let it control you!" Dumbledore advised, taking a step forward, only for Harry to disappear in a flash of lightning. The headmaster slumped down into his chair, suddenly feeling older than he really was. He put a hand to his face and wept, "Oh Harry, I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry. I only hope that your mother and father can forgive me." He continued to weep, while Harry finally got accustomed to his new lightning powers.
The lightning storm continued for two hours, most of Hogwarts unable to sleep due to how loud or bright the lightning was. The assassin re-appeared in the middle of the Forbidden Forest, his gun and knife missing along with his overcoat and the majority of his outfit. He looked down and felt the cold soil underneath his bare feet, realizing he was only in his torn and tattered jeans. "Son of a bitch. I never got to ask him about my father." Harry rasped out, his throat feeling as if it had went through a grinder. He began to walk back to the castle, only to stumble and fall to the ground, suddenly drained of energy. He looked up into the looming trees of the Forbidden Forest, slowly closing his eyes shut and letting darkness overtake him, one thought in his mind 'Daphne'.
Daphne, Draco, Blaise and Pansy were sitting in the common room whenever Harry's overcoat, gun and knife materialized out of the shadows cast from the roaring fire, the gun and overcoat landing safely on a leather armchair nearby, the knife nearly impaling itself within Blaise's leg. "What in the bloody hell?" He exclaimed, his eyes wide with fear. "Where the hell did that knife come from?"
"It doesn't matter." Draco said with shock. "Look, the knife, the overcoat and that muggle weapon...it's Harry's! But where is he?"
Daphne didn't answer, merely getting up and grabbing her wand, only for the man in question to fall from above, causing her to cradle him within her arms, while she promptly landed on her ass. She ignored the pain in her bum before she looked at Harry with worry. "Harry? Harry?!" She shook him, only for Harry's head to loll to the side, as if he were dead. She put a finger to his nostrils, breathing a sigh of relief as she felt air across the skin. "He's alive, but he's not in good shape. Something happened to him."
"Well that's obvious, Daphne." Pansy remarked, eyes widening as Daphne glared at her.
"Go get Professor Snape." Whenever no one moved, she tried again snapping out, "Now!" Pansy and Blaise rushed off, while Draco levitated Harry with his wand, allowing Daphne to get up from the floor.
"What is it? What's happened..?" He trailed off, his eyes landing on Harry's prone form. He wasted no time, motioning for Draco to follow, "Come along Draco. We must get Harry to the hospital wing at once. If I think what has happened, he will be drained and will need medical attention at once." The Potions Master and Malfoy heir rushed out of the common room, a levitating Harry in front of them, while Daphne went to follow, only for the gleam of his knife to stop her. She turned and grabbed his overcoat, sliding it over herself and grabbing both the knife and gun, taking note of how heavy the muggle weapon was. Without wasting further time, she rushed after her boyfriend, knowing that she would have to get Luna as well. With that in mind, the Slytherin Ice Queen changed direction and headed toward the Ravenclaw house.
Upon seeing her, the Ravenclaw portrait demanded to know why Daphne was there, "I need to see Luna Lovegood." Daphne snapped back, the portrait opening a few moments later to reveal Luna in a tank top and shorts. Before Luna could ask, Daphne started to walk off, prompting the blonde to follow, "It's Harry." She explained.
"What do you mean, Daphne?" Luna asked seriously, her dreamy voice gone. "What happened?"
"I don't know. One moment he was declared a champion in the TriWizard Tournament, the next he's landing on top of me from somewhere." Daphne said in a rush, the two practically sprinting to the Hospital Wing. They burst through the doors, no one commenting on Luna's state of dress as they joined Professor Snape, Draco, Madam Pompfry and Dumbledore around Harry's bed, Dumbledore looking as if he had been crying. Daphne was about to comment, only for Dumbledore to speak up.
"How is he, Pompfry?" Dumbledore asked lowly.
"His magical core is depleted, it's a miracle he's still alive. However he is showing signs of recovering quickly, almost an an alarming rate. He should be recovered enough by lunch tomorrow to move about, but for now he needs his rest. What happened, Albus?" The mediwitch asked, her eyes showing concern for the boy. Luna and Daphne had pulled up chairs on either side of the assassin, their hands intertwining with his. She smiled slightly before turning to the headmaster, who looked ashamed.
"He had his magical core unblocked. And as of right now, Harry Potter is no longer Harry Potter. He is in fact.." He was cut off by the doors opening once more to reveal two men practically sprinting to Harry's beside.
"He is in fact, Harry James Black, my son." Sirius Black announced, his brown eyes swimming with concern and unshed tears. A free man for only a year, and he had found out that Harry had been missing since he was ten. But now he was back and at Hogwarts. Sirius would have came sooner, but there were some things that needed to be cleared up with a certain rat in Azkaban. But now he and his son would be reunited, but would Harry accept him? He turned to his dear friend, Remus Lupin who merely squeezed his shoulder in a comforting way.
"Yes, Sirius, he is in fact your son." Dumbledore agreed tiredly, before quietly excusing himself. He had a bottle of Firewhisky that was calling his name, and he would be an idiot to not answer.
Sirius regarded the retreating back of the headmaster with an indifferent look, yet slightly filled with anger. That old badger had been meddling in affairs long before Harry was born, and it resulted in his wife and a man he considered his brother in getting killed. He turned and gazed upon the sight of Daphne and Luna in bed with Harry, the frame enlarged to accomdate the occupants. He merely rose an eyebrow, Luna deciding to explain.
"Hello there, Sirius Black. I'm Luna Lovegood, the other female is Daphne Greengrass and we're Harry's girlfriends." She said this in a calm manner, "Now if you'll excuse us, I think we need some sleep." Grabbing Harry's overcoat to blanket herself and Daphne, she promptly closed her eyes and left Sirius and Remus gobsmacked. They continued staring at the three teenagers before the two began to leave, Sirius silently promising to return in the morning. Once they were out of the Hospital Wing, Remus turned to Sirius.
"Hey, Sirius?" Remus spoke out.
"Yeah, Moony?" Sirius returned, referring to his friend as his old Maurauder name.
"Your son really does take after you, especially when it comes to bedding with women." Remus gave his old friend a toothy grin, causing Sirius to let out a bark-like laugh despite the serious condition his son was in.
Well, hopefully this chapter will sate your hungry appetite. If you have one. For reading. Yeah.
-V
