Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters they all belong to Rowling. I would also like give my thanks to all who reviewed.

I would also like to give my thanks to imiko-hiei, my new beta reader

The wand makers' apprentice

Chapter 8

Morris healed well in the night and was up for lessons the next morning, but Madam Pomfrey insisted he stay for observation for the next week because he 'healed too fast for it to be safe' which caused Morris to go into a whole health argument with her.

It was aright though, because Hermione Ron and Harry would visit him to give him his homework, as well as books he requested from the library, which included one that snapped at you finger tips if you spoke while holding it. Then there were the hundreds of letters he sent a day. When asked, Morris said it was because 'I have a lot of time on my hands and was so board I started to think of new designs for wands and 'things''.

Before they knew it, November began, the weather was cold and unbending, the school had become icy and depressing. The lake was like frozen liquid steel, which Morris, as only Morris would Harry thought, loved to swim in the morning, to put into practice warming spells he'd learn while bed bound in the hospital wing.

Harry had began to think Morris and Hagrid were up to something, they both disappeared into the forest as Harry would practise Quidditch, which had been everyday now that the Quidditch season had begun, always with two or three broomsticks, laughing as they did. Saturday was a day Harry was dreading and dearly looking forward to, it would be the day of his first Quidditch game and Gryffindor had to win against Slytherin

If it wasn't for Hermione and Morris, Harry would never of coped with homework or potions. Snape hadn't stop asking him questions since the beginning of November, Morris said it was because he wanted Harry to be too sleepy to play, and that it was also the reason why Snape had taken the book away from him that morning.

Hermione had lit a small blue flame that was water proof, they sat with their back towards it as Morris read through a library copy of Quidditch: a history up against a tree. As Harry read through a copy of Quidditch through the ages Snape had limped over to them angry and taken Harry's book away, luckily not seeing Hermione's fire or Morris book. That happened on the first, it was now the seventh, and Saturday was only one day away.

The Gryffindor common room was in full swing that evening. Harry, Ron and Hermione were huddled up at a table, Hermione was checking their charms homework, and Morris was helping Hagrid prepare the Quidditch pitch for tomorrow's game.

Harry was restless, and so decided it was time to try and collected his book back from Professor Snape. He asked if Ron or Hermione wanted to come, but they just burst into laugher, so Harry, somewhat embarrassed went alone to the dungeons.

Trying to remember all of Morris's advice about talking to Snape; 'don't smile, don't frown, don't joke and never, never look him in the eye, only the selected few can do that' Harry was now standing outside the door of Snape's office. Harry took in a deep breath, and knocked, there was no answer so he knocked again, still no answer. Harry opened the door slowly ajar.

"Darned dog, how are you supposed to keep your eye on all three heads at once?" Snape was saying, his robes were lifted, showing a large deep bite wound. Harry quickly tried to close the door.

"POTTER!" Snape's furious voice rang out as he lowered his robes hiding the wound. Before Harry could even mention the book, he was being forced way from the doorway as it flew shut and locked with a click.

Harry ran all the way back to the common room. Sitting with Hermione and Ron he whispered low so no one else could hear. "You know what it all means though, it means it was Snape who let the troll in as a distraction so he could try and get what ever that dog is guarding"

Hermione looked distraught "no-he couldn't"

"He wouldn't" came Morris voice from behind them, he smiled and pulled up a chair "what have I told you about being quite when trading secrets" Morris winked at Harry, before his face became serious

"I don't think Snape would go after what's in that chamber, he wouldn't need it" Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at him.

"You know what's in the chamber don't you" Ron whispered, Morris nodded with a smile.

"How?" Hermione asked, as she and Harry pulling in closer.

Morris looked around "Hagrid." He said simply "I only found out a few days ago, as soon as I realised what it is was about and what it meant" Harry and Ron were clearly lost, Morris sighed "Hagrid let it slip that the thing in the chamber was only between Nicolas Flamel and Professor Dumbledore, so I put one and two together and I had the answer" he shrugged, there was a long pause.

"Well?" Harry finally said, Morris just looked at him "what is it?"

"what's what?" Morris smiled.

"The 'thing' in the chamber?" all three of them snapped. Morris laughed, his face turned into a live copy of Peeves.

"Shan't say nothing if you don't say please" Morris said in an annoying sing song voice. Ron's face twisted.

"Please?" Harry asked. Morris smiled with Peeves face.

"Nothing!" he yelled happily running up to the dorm room, Harry and Ron right behind him, sending weak sparks out of their wands as they chased him.

Hermione was now alone in the common room. She picked up all her stuff and sighed "boys" as she left for the girls' dorm.

8

The next morning Harry felt overwhelmed with emotion, at first he thought it was nerves because of his up coming game, but then it changed,. His head felt like it was going to explode, he couldn't stop sweating and he could hardly touch his own wand without it shaking violently.

Somehow he managed to get to the great hall, but he felt so dizzy. He sat down, hunched over, he felt so cold inside, like something was sucking the life out of him, he looked up from his plate.

Draco Malfoy was staring right back, looking at him oddly, Harry wondered why Malfoy was sat at the Gryffindor table, then he realised he was sitting at the Slytherin table.

"What are you doing Potter? You are not wanted here" Pansy Parkinson sneered, Harry look up at her, she sounded just like his uncle Vernon. Harry tried to move but all his joints were too rigid and firm in their sockets.

"I-" Harry was suddenly yanked away from the table by Morris and Ron, both of whom looked terribly concerned… the same as with most people in the hall.

Harry couldn't tell if he was swaying or the hall was, he heard shouting but it sounded like a swarm of bees buzzing under water to him, and then everything went black.

Harry awoke many hours later in the hospital wing, with Morris looking at him from the next bed, his eyes yellow and doted with pink, he gave Harry a sad smile, Harry smiled back moving to get up, but finding he couldn't, he felt as if he was strapped down.

"I wouldn't move Harry, if I was you" he said sitting up from his bed and quietly walking over, and cranked up Harry's bed into sitting position "we had to put a restraining spell on you, the more you try to move the harder it will become" he pulled up chair besides Harry's bed "do you remember what happened?" Morris asked sadly.

Harry stared at him for a few seconds, before tightly shaking his head "nothing after you pulled me away from the Slytherin table" Harry said his voice strangely scratchy and horse as if he'd been yelling for days with out stop.

"Magic wipe lash, I'm afraid" Morris shrugged.

"From what?" Harry managed to croak.

Morris breathed in and let out a large sigh "you had a magic seizure in the great hall, you could have hurt a lot of people if Dumbledore hadn't known how to-"

"Seizure?!" Harry made a loud panicked squeak, and then went into a horribly coughing fit.

"It's not the same as a Muggle one," Morris said quickly "it's when your magic is forced inside, then after so much pressure builds up, explodes outwards. It doesn't happen often. Normally it only happens to kids who are traumatized in someway, but its been known for it to happen for no reason. A lot of accidental magic is caused by a magical seizure"

"So it's not serious?" Harry questioned hopefully.

"Oh no, it's deadly serious" Morris said simply "when, if ever, is there a time when a seizure isn't serious."

"But what if it was just some sort of accidental magic like you said?"

Morris shook his head "Even if it was 'just accidental magic', it shouldn't be happening, you've got a wand to channel your magic now so…" he just trailed off as if he was remembering something important "Harry where's your wand?" he asked slowly looking Harry over.

"It's in the dorm next to my bed" Harry croaked quietly so his throat wouldn't hurt any more than it need to. Morris started walking back and forth in front of Harry's bed, rubbing his chin repeatedly his hair turning hue.

"Why?" Morris questioned. Harry wasn't sure if Morris was talking to him or to himself "Why Harry, why leave it in the dorm?"

"Um…well it was kind of" Harry tried to think of a way to explain "shaky"

Morris stopped dead in his strides "when?"

"This morning" Harry said

"No" Morris said irritably "when did it shake? Did it shake on its own or did it shake when you touched it?"

"When I touched it" Harry said slowly "I think... I don't know"

Morris bit hard on his jaw everything about him seemed to radiate annoyance, his hair and skin had turned a deep dark blue and his eyes a deep, angry red.

"Ok, Harry I'm going to ask you a question that is very, very important" Morris whispered looking Harry hard in the eyes "do you have a blood ward?"

Harry frowned "no, I don't think so" his answer looked to be the wrong one, Morris was looking for, Morris pulled out his silver diamond incrusted wand.

"I'm sorry Harry, I really am, but this is really important" Morris whiped his wand forward "Legilimens"

Harry's life began randomly flashing in front of his eyes, getting his Hogwarts letter, coming to Hogwarts, his first time on a broom. Then older memories moved forward, meeting Morris, getting his wand, his life under the stairs, the years of torment. Faster, faster they came, never slowing deeper and deeper, pain grew into agony. Then it slowed a seen unfolded.

A man's voice shouted "Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off" The sounds of someone stumbling from a room a door bursting open a cackle of high-pitched laughter

"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!" a woman screamed.


Harry hears a shrill voice laughing
as a dark hissing voice filled the room "Stand aside you silly girl … stand aside now."


"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead
not Harry! Please … have mercy … have mercy…" the woman screaming a blinding green flash and a burning pain in his forehead, the high, cold cruel laughing died.

Harry opened his eyes, unsure of when he closed them. He was sweating and his head felt blindingly painful. Morris didn't look much better, in fact he looked worst. Everything about him was white and dead.

"What have I done?" slowly his wand fell from his shaking hand, he looked down at his hands in shock "the blood ward" he fell to his knees "What have I done?"

He kept repeating himself, over and over until the words he spoke lost all meaning. It seemed like hours before he said anything else, he looked up at Harry, still pale and with as much life as a stone said.

"We need Ollivander he'll know" he then ran out of the hospital wing, leaving Harry alone, extremely worried, and impossibly confused, but only one thought seemed to travel through his mind. It was a strange thought, perhaps it was the shock of what had occurred that brought this thought to the surface, but all Harry could think about was Quidditch.