Disclaimer: I own only the obvious, the rest belongs to JK Rowling.

Authors Notes: Here's chapter eight. Hope you like it, thanks for all the reviews, and I really hope that you'll review this chapter too.

-Chapter Eight-



It was late at night, everyone were asleep, not a light was on in the whole castle. However, one lone figure could be seen sneaking out from the school. The person was dressed in all black clothes, and was almost impossible to spot. It swiftly moved from the castle and into the Forbidden Forest, where it practically melted into the shadows.

Once in the forest, the person began to walk quickly and quietly further inwards. It walked for a while, then stopped in a glen. The person began to whistle. The sound could, and would, drive anyone ordinary nuts within minutes, but this person was either not normal, or already nuts, because it just continued to whistle. After a few minutes the whistling was answered by another, sounding just the same. A medium-sized bird with lime-green and yellow feathers landed on the outstretched arm, and pecked the person under the hood lovingly on the cheek. The person petted the bird for a few minutes, then stuck its hand into its pocket and took out a letter. It chirped to the bird, and it replied before taking the letter into its beak and flew off. The person watched the bird fly away for a couple of minutes before it, too, turned homewards.

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"Harry!" Harry groaned and turned away from the voice. "Harry!" Harry pulled the covers over his head. "Get up Harry!" this was yelled right into his ear, and Harry jumped up growling angrily like a lion. He glared at Ron who was standing over him. "What? That's what you get when you ignore my calls. I've been trying to wake you up for ten minutes. Where were you last night, anyway?" Harry just growled and snuggled under his covers again. "Dreaming about Cho? You know she has fallen for that Rex Chase-guy we hear so much ab-" Ron was cut off as Harry threw a pillow at his head. "Anyways, you should be getting up. Breakfast begins in ten minutes, and Double Potions after that."

Harry jumped out of bed. Growling at Ron while finding his clothes.

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

"My, you're eager to get to Potions. What is it? Got a crush on Snape?" Ron received another pillow to the head for that one. "Someone's not a morning-person, that's for sure." The redhead was muttering as he left the room, just to be safe.

'You'd be grumpy too if you had to save a whole goddamned school at the other side of the world.' Harry thought angrily, but put his mask back on before he left the dorm, and walked down the stairs. He met up with Ron and Hermione in the common room. "Hi Herm. Ron, sorry I snapped, just had a nightmare."

"Not about You-Know-Who?" Hermione squealed. "You should go to Dumbledore, or maybe write to Snuffles. Or to Professor Lupin. He probably knows where- "

"Herm, calm down." Harry interrupted as they where walking down to the Great Hall for breakfast. "It was a normal nightmare, nothing else. I'm fine. Really."

Before Hermione could ask any other questions or kick up a fuss, they entered the Great Hall. The trio sat down at the Gryffindor table, and started on their breakfast. Ron had gone down all the pounds he had gained after they had started to help Hagrid in the mornings, and was watching his weight better this time. Mainly because Hermione and Ginny had threatened to write to Mrs Weasley if he kept on going like that, but also because a few girls had caught his interest and he wanted to impress them. Harry just shook his head. He hadn't yet hit that stage where the hormones did all the thinking, but he had no doubts that it would come soon. Even Hermione could be caught watching other boys with interest.

In the middle of breakfast the post arrived. After the owls had cleared out, Hedwig stopping by to get petted by Harry, a lime-green and yellow feathered fwooper swooped into the Great Hall, silencing it with just one chirp. Everyone watched the bird as it flew up to the teachers table, and landed in front of Dumbledore. It dropped the letter it had been carrying and flew out again. The Headmaster took the letter, opened it and read it. His eyes lost the merry twinkle and got a serious expression. He showed the letter to McGonagall, who gasped, and then gave it, surprisingly, to Snape. The Potion Master just stared at the letter, reading it several times. Then he took out his wand and tapped the parchment with it, whispering a word no one caught. He waited for a few minutes, then nodded to Dumbledore, who nodded back. The teachers got up and left. Dumbledore walked quickly out of the Great Hall and towards his office. Madisa, Cassar and Imir strategically surrounded McGonagall, effectively blocking her way out, and began to interrogate her about the letter. Snape sent Harry a look that he met, challenging the ex-Death Eater to do anything, then the Potion Master looked away and continued on his way to the dungeons, and his first class of the day.

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Harry was late for the last class of the day, and was hurrying down the corridor to the Charms classroom. However, before he could reach his destinations, something made him stop and look around, hand going down to his wand. Snape stepped out from the shadows, and fixed him with a glare. Harry glared right back, still holding his wand ready.

"Running in the corridors is forbidden, Mr Potter," the Potion Master said. "I thought that as a prefect you would know that better than anyone."

"I'm late for class Professor," Harry replied. "So if you could hurry up with the point-taking, we could both be on our way." He gave the Professor a glare that would have fit a Slytherin. If Snape was surprised, he didn't show it.

"I believe that's the first smart thing you have ever suggested Mr Potter." Snape said, he took out a green vial with a red potion in it. The Potion Master gave it to Harry, then stalked down the corridor. However, before he turned a corner he turned back to Harry. "Oh, and Potter," Harry looked at him. "Ten points from Gryffindor for running in the corridors, and another five for being late for class." Harry just nodded and Snape was gone.

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They were in the middle of dinner, when Dumbledore stood up and mentioned for silence. Every student turned their attention to him, even the Slytherins.

"This morning Durmstrang was attacked by Death Eaters." The whole Great Hall was as silent as the grave. "Thanks to some sources we got the students out in time, though the Headmaster, Igor Karkaroff, was taken prisoner. The students from Durmstrang will be divided between Beauxbatons and Hogwarts. Your new classmates will be arriving tomorrow night, and will get Sorted into their House." Dumbledore looked over the room. "If I even hear about someone who doesn't treat these students nicely," here he shot a glance at the Slytherins, "I will personally see to that they get a whole month worth of detentions, and loose half their House-points. Thank you." The Headmaster sat down, and gradually people returned back to their meals.

"I can't believe it." Hermione said. "Why would You-Know-Who attack Durmstrang? I mean, they are rumoured to actually teach the Dark Arts."

"He was going after Karkaroff." Harry said and everyone turned to him. "Remember, the guy was a Death Eater, he got away from prison by ranting on fellow Death Eaters. It's natural that Voldemort wants revenge."

"But isn't it a bit strange that You-Know-Who managed to break the schools defence system?" Neville asked from opposite Harry. "I read that Durmstrang was just as well protected as Hogwarts, that means that the Dark Lord had one, or several, agents inside the school that Karkaroff trusted enough to tell them about the defence system."

"Or," Seamus said. "He could use one of the students. I mean, they have been there for, what seven-eight years-"

"Nine," Hermione put in quickly. "They go nine years in Bulgaria."

"Yeah, anyways, the students have enough time to find out lots and lots about the defence spells and system."

"And don't forget the Death Eaters that went to Durmstrang in their youths." Dean said swallowing a potato. "That gives You-Know-Who a big advantage against the few Professors. And I doubt that Karkaroff even told them any important details about the school."

While the rest of the table were discussing what could have happened, Harry had been thinking. He needed a meeting with all the Phoenix Agents, and that fast. Harry concentrated and a parchment with the directions appeared in every Agents pocket. He met the eyes of every one of them and they nodded to him. Harry sighed, this was becoming more and more complicated.

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Harry met the Phoenix Agents by the painting of Sir Cadogan. The little knight began to yell and kick up a fuss, until Harry silenced him with a glare. Right opposite the knight there was supposed to be a hidden door that the painting was guarding. It took him some time to convince Sir Cadogan to open, but in the end he managed to do it, after he had promised to come by and talk daily. The picture of the knight swung outwards and revealed a pure white rock in the middle of the ordinary grey. Harry pushed it gently and the door on the opposite wall appeared and opened. He mentioned the Phoenix Agents inside first then followed. The room was done in the four House colours. There were four comfortable couches with a table in between. At the far end, just opposite the big fireplace, was a red chair with incredible dragon-patterns in gold. When Harry entered the fire in the fireplace began to burn. There wasn't one single speck of dust in the whole room. The Phoenix Agents took a seat in the couch that had their House colour, and Harry was left with the high-backed, red chair.

"Now," Harry began cutting straight to the case. "We need someone to keep an eye at the Durmstrang students without it becoming obvious. Anyone got ideas?"

"Well, why don't we put the first years to it?" Frank Melby, a fifth year Hufflepuff prefect, suggested. "They weren't here last year, and don't know about what Krum did to that Delacour-girl. And first years are easier to trust."

"I hope you meant that in a good way, Melby." Maxine Jones threatened.

"Of course I did. You first years look so innocent that no one would suspect you." Melby replied. "And each of you have enough curiosity to kill a hundred cats. That way you could explain why you were following someone if this person discovered you."

"You should've been in Slytherin." Zabini said. "The Sorting Hat is getting old."

"If none of you have other ideas for this," several heads were shaken, "then we can continue." Harry said. "Any cases that needs discussing?"

"Yeah," Alicia chirped up. "I've noticed that Neville has been sneaking out of the common room every day right before dinner. And he doesn't eat in the Great Hall anymore-" before she could continue, Harry interrupted her.

"Don't worry about that Alicia. I know what he's doing, where he is going, and why he's doing it." Everyone looked at him curiously. "Lets just say that he is walking on flowers."

"Anyways," Zabini said after a while where everyone had tried to figure out what Harry had meant. "This Rex Chase fellow that has been popping up now and then. What are we going to do about him? The Order has been searching through all their files, but not one mentions a spy with that name. And whenever they think they have got him in a fix he can't get out of, just like the one with the Minister and Chang that was staged though no one knew about it, he manages to find a way out of the fix and disappears right afterwards. I bet that the one that sent that fwooper this morning, was Chase."

"The Order is keeping an eye on him, are they?" Harry asked, his tone and face expressionless. Zabini nodded. "And how do you know this? And how could they have staged that thing and be sure that he would appear?"

"I broke into the database in the Headquarters last night." The Slytherin girl replied, blushing and looking at her hands. "They have begun a file on him. They seem to have gotten a sort of pattern with him or something like that. I'm not sure exactly. But what are we going to do about him?"

"Nothing." Everyone turned to Harry again. "Trust me on this one. There's nothing we, or the Order of the Phoenix, could've done even if they got a hold of him."

"How do you know this?"

"Well, look at what he has managed to do since he appeared." Harry replied. "He has saved Snape without leaving a trace, saved Chang from a fate worse than death, and saved the Durmstrang students. That is, if he sent that fwooper. The only way we could know is if someone was to break into Dumbledore's office, and steal the letter." Harry looked at the others in the room, and could see that already several of them were planning something. "But if he is smart enough to get by Death Eaters and Voldemort, he certainly won't let a letter like that get into the wrong hands. I bet that the letter self-combusted the second it reached Dumbledore's office." Several faces fell. "Now, anyone got anything else they want to take up? No? Well, then I suggest we all get back to bed." Harry strategically went through the door at the same time as Zabini, and made a note appear in her pocket. Only one person would notice, and only he would get curious enough to steal it. Zabini wasn't even going to notice a thing, not even if she put her hand in her pocket. "Please close the door good knight." Harry said to Cadogan, who nodded and began to push on the frame of his picture, that way closing it.

"And don't you forget the honourable promise you gave me." The little knight said. "A promise is a man's honour."

"Of course Sir Cadogan." Harry replied. "I bid you farewell and goodnight, and would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about our little meeting." He said formally.

"Of course good Sir." Cadogan replied happily. "I will see you tomorrow."

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Draco was sitting in the Slytherin common room the next day when he saw Zabini enter with a couple of her friends. A note in her pocket caught his interest and he watched as the girl went off to the fifth year girl-dorms. Just before she entered the dorm, the note fluttered out of her pocket and on the floor. It laid there just begging for Draco to take it, and he did.

'Zabini,

West Wing of the Astronomy Tower. 2400 hours. Alone. Tonight.



King.'

That was all the note said, but it was enough to get Draco's curiosity into high gear. The West Wing of the Astronomy Tower was deserted and mostly used by students to meet their sweethearts. But it was also occasionally used for secret meetings between Slytherin students that needed to give each other orders, and information, from their parents. Either way, Draco would be the one to get something out of this. He could catch Zabini with her secret boyfriend and get her in trouble by using the information to blackmail her, or he would get to know what side she belonged. His father had told him to keep an eye at the girl, since her parents where under suspicion in the Inner Circle. Draco grinned evilly and threw the note into the fireplace watching it burn.

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That night at dinner the Durmstrang students were sorted into the four Houses. Harry noted that Gryffindor got those who were the youngest; first, second and third years. He suspected it was because they weren't as deep into the Dark Arts as the older students, and still could be turned towards the Light side. Krum had gotten into Ravenclaw, something that had surprised everyone. He had winked at Hermione before going to the enlarged Ravenclaw table. But she had just pretended that she hadn't seen it. Harry got a distrusting feeling whenever Krum came within ten feet of him, and had to struggle to keep his mask on whenever the Bulgarian Seeker looked at him. Ron was glaring openly at Krum along with the rest of the Gryffindors. After what had happened in the Triwizard Tournament, the whole House had begun to hate him. Before the tension could rise to a incredible height, Dumbledore stood up and everyone turned towards him.

"I would like to welcome all the Durmstrang students back to Hogwarts. Some of you have been here last year, and others have not. If you need any help, do not hesitate to ask a prefect, teacher, ghost, painting or any other student that's available." Dumbledore looked around the Great Hall, taking in all the faces. "And I'll just cut my speech here, and let you eat." He clapped his hands twice, and the food appeared. "Tuck in!"

The meal went well after that, and the Durmstrang students began to relax. Harry chatted with a third year that had an English aunt, so she knew the language pretty well. Harry also discovered that he understood what the Bulgarian kids were saying to each other, but he decided not to dwell on it. In no time the meal was done and Dumbledore stood up again.

"Now, just a few words from me before you all leave to your common room. The passwords to your House, and the entrance to your House, are strictly secret. If someone is discovered to leak information out to other Houses, not matter if it is your best friend or not, they will get a weeks worth of detentions with Mr Filch and Hagrid. Also, I might tell you that if anyone is found out of bed, or common room, after the curfew, will also get punished. Now, off to the common rooms with you. Chop, chop."

Harry managed to get in behind some Ravenclaws and disappeared into the crowd. He hurried up towards the Astronomy Tower's West Wing.

'I hope this is worth it.' He growled to himself.

'Believe me,' the voice in his head replied. 'It is.'

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I know, weird place to end, but you'll just have to deal with it. I'll try to update soon, but I make no promises. Hope you liked it, and please review.

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