Chapter 8. Crown and Basilisk
Daphnie grumbled as she laced the door handle to Dawson's room with poison. It was a very tricky piece of magic for her, but she did spend the last three weeks practicing it. During the holidays she and her parents visited Knockturn Alley, and while the adults were minding their business, Daphnie quickly bought a vial of poison. The seller wanted to complain, but a bag of gold quickly silenced him.
The poison Daphnie used was based on basilisk venom, and thus was a very fatal one. However, it was modified to penetrate skin, so one touch of this poison would be enough to demonstrate all of the effects of basilisk poison on the unfortunate victim.
Finally, the liquid covered the entirety of the handle and was absorbed by the metal. Daphnie grinned and quickly left when she heard footsteps. Luckily it wasn't Dawson. Daphnie wanted to have a very good alibi when her group leader died.
An hour later found Tracy Davis in the common room. She was just passing by the bag of one of the sixth-years, Penelope Grover. Nobody noticed a small used vial slipping out of the bag into Tracey's hands. The girl in question internally smirked and went to her room.
"You got it?" Daphnie asked as soon as Tracey entered the room.
"Yep." Tracey smiled and put the vial on the table in front of Daphnie.
"Good." Daphnie sighed. "Now we wait for Harry." Just as she said that, a knock on the door was heard. Tracey opened it, but there was nothing there. She was surprised, but shrugged and closed the door. When she did and turned around she let out a shriek of surprise, Harry was standing in front of the vial and studying it curiously.
"Harry!" Tracey exclaimed.
"You need to learn from Daphnie how to keep a poker-face in all situations." Harry said absent-mindedly, not even looking up from the vial in front of him. "Daphnie, where is the vial from the poison you used?"
"Right here." Daphnie replied and placed the vial with the remnants of a green liquid on the table.
"Do you have another one?" Harry asked, still not looking up from the vials he studied.
"I bought two, like you asked." Daphnie replied, putting another vial full of green liquid on the table. Harry smiled in a very disturbing manner.
"Good." he nodded. "Now step away from the table. Things are about to get dangerous." Both girls complied and sat on Tracey's bed.
Harry took out his wand and vanished all traces of the previous potion from Grover's vial. He smirked at the now crystal-clear piece of glass. Then he carefully opened the vial full of poison. A simple wave of his wand and a spoonful of green liquid flew into Grover's vial. Harry corked both the vial with poison and Grover's vial. A smile graced his lips. Another wave of a cherry wand lifted the now not so clear vial in the air and made it spin in random directions rather quickly.
"Um, Harry, what are you doing?" Daphnie asked.
"I am making sure that any truth serum indicates that this Grover girl is a killer." Harry shortly replied, not turning away from the spinning vial.
"Um, how can you trick a truth serum?" Tracey asked. "I mean, it's the purpose of truth serums to force one to tell the truth, right?"
"The truth to the extent of one's beliefs." Harry smirked.
"You are going to alter her memories?" Daphnie in shock.
"Of course not." Harry waved her off. "I haven't mastered memory charms to that extent yet. But I do know a very good compulsion spell."
"But any seventh-year will most likely notice it." Tracey objected.
"Yes," Harry nodded, "If I put it directly on the girl. But I had Theo take her quill for me."
"And how exactly will that help?" Daphnie asked in skeptical tone.
"A compulsion charm is one tricky piece of magic." Harry started. "It is used when somebody wants to influence a person's actions. It is usually applied straight on a person. However that is not the main, nor the only, use of said charm. Compulsion charms were invented to influence a person's mind. I put it on Grover's quill when you told me of your plan in January. And then I had that quill returned to the poor girl. She has been using it for a month. That is more than enough for a compulsion charm to make her think that she tried to kill Dawson and she tried to do it with the poison in this vial." Harry pointed at the spinning vial. He waved his wand again and it finally stopped. "I extinguished the charm today. That means, if nothing reminds the girl of her actions, then the effects of the charm will wear off with time. However with this vial… it is not likely." He turned to the girls and smirked.
"What about Snape?" asked Tracey. "He's a legilimens."
"He is." Harry nodded. "But one's mind is such a complicated thing, that it is impossible to penetrate completely if you are not a master of Dumbledore's level or if you don't use active legilimency – the spell. As it is, Snape will be able to look in her eyes and will feel a sense of honesty coming from the girl's mind… maybe regret or something else, but that is irrelevant."
"Wow, Harry." Tracey said. "It is actually quite unsettling to know that you can frame anyone and do it successfully."
"You have nothing to worry about, ladies." Harry said, turning back to the vials. He carefully uncorked Grover's vial and poured the poison into Daphnie's empty vial. He smirked, corking both vials. "Though you have to keep it in mind, that truth can be hidden from anyone, and every tool, be it spell or potion, can be fooled."
"Daphnie, I am taking both vials." Harry said plainly. Daphnie just nodded. "And now I have to clear both of your memories, else you will spill the beans under a truth serum."
Tracey and Daphnie looked at each other with uncertainty, but then nodded.
"Good." Harry said. "Now, Tracey, open the door, but just enough for me to slip through."
Tracey did as asked and sat back on her bed, looking at Harry curiously.
"I will try to return you these memories as soon as I master memory charms completely." Harry reassured his followers. "Here goes." He pointed his wand at the girls. "Obliviate."
Both Daphnie's and Tracey's eyes became glazed as Harry removed all memories of anything that had to do with killing Dawson, even the one of their immediate talk. When he was satisfied with his job, Harry disillusioned himself and left the room.
Daphnie blinked. "Tracey, what are we doing here?" she asked.
"I… don't know, Daphnie…" Tracey stuttered. "Why is my door open?"
xxx
Meanwhile Harry casually strolled over to the common room and carefully placed Grover's vial back into her bag. He could always use any vial with poison, but using Grover's would be more efficient for maintaining the compulsion charm effects.
xxx
It was in the evening that Dawson gathered all Slytherins in the common room. He looked positively murderous. Harry, while keeping his face blank, was upset. Somebody definitely was poisoned that evening, but not Dawson. "No matter," Harry though, "I don't need Dawson dead specifically, though that would have been better for my plans. And yet, it changes very little in the long run."
"Right, then." Dawson said in a deceptively calm tone. "This evening my friend grabbed the handle of my dorm room door, and fell dead in two seconds. When I examined it, it turned out to be modified basilisk poison. Well, which of you did it?!"
Stunned silence met him. Harry, Theo and Blaise made sure to make appropriate surprised faces, though nobody was looking at them. On the contrary everybody was looking at Elizabeth Rosier.
'Just like I planned.' Harry thought. It was a known fact that Dawson and Rosier hated each other, after the incident with a break-in into Dawson's dorm. Harry had every intention of using that animosity to spread more animosity between the groups.
"Any suspects?" Harry asked. Dawson looked at him with angry eyes. Harry just raised an eyebrow.
"No." Dawson replied grudgingly.
"Are you planning to conduct an investigation?" Harry asked. Dawson nodded. "Then I don't need to remind you not to include teachers, otherwise they might just find out what is going on in Slytherin house and we will all be in a big deal of trouble."
"Yes, I know and I don't need reminders from a snot-nosed brat." Dawson sneered. Malfoy snorted, but when Basilisks' leader's furious glare turned on him, the boy gulped and looked like he wanted to shrink.
"Funny that. A snot-nosed brat sent about a dozen upper year students into the infirmary." Harry sneered in return. "Either way, the best solution would be an open interrogation under a truth serum."
"And where would we get that, Potter?" Dawson glared at Harry.
"From Snape, of course." Harry sighed. "Nobody is going to believe in any confession under a potion brewed by someone else."
"Very well. Stay here." Dawson barked. All the basilisks, who strategically stood near every entrance and exit from the common room, drew their wands.
xxx
"Well, Potter, you first." Dawson said as he and Snape, who was carrying a medium-sized vial of clear liquid, walked into the room.
All the Slytherins stepped back and created a round, clear space in the center of the common room. Dawson conjured a chair and Harry sat in it.
"Is that Veritaserum?" Harry asked, looking at the liquid.
"As a matter of fact, it is." Snape drawled." Now open your mouth, Potter." he ordered. When Harry did Snape poured three drops of Veritaserum on Harry's tongue.
"Did you lace the handle of the door to Dawson's dorm room with poison?" Snape asked.
"No." Harry replied in monotone voice.
"That proves nothing, he has Nott and Zabini." Dawson barked.
"Watch your tone, Dawson." Snape snapped. He was not going to be barked at by a student.
"Sorry, Professor Snape." Dawson appologized.
"Dawson is right, however." Snape said. "Did you order anybody to try to lace that doorhandle with poison?"
"No." Harry replied in the same tone of voice.
"Did you plan to poison Dawson?" Snape asked.
"No."
"Do you know anything about this crime?"
"No."
"Very well." Snape concluded. "As far as he knows, he is innocent."
"But he spent the entire afternoon and evening in his dorm room!" came a retort from the crowd. "What were you doing there, Potter?"
"I was writing a journal." Harry replied.
"That's enough!" Snape barked. "As entertaining it is to invade Mr. Potter's private life, we will do no such thing." He opened Harry's mouth, poured a drop of orange liquid on his tongue, and then closed his mouth. Harry blinked and glared at the girl from the crowd, who asked about his spending time in his dorm room.
"You are free to be on your merry way, Mr. Potter." Snape drawled. "Well, who's next?" It was then that Snape spotted a squirming and uneasy-looking girl, who tried to shy away from him.
"Ms. Grover." he said. She flinched.
"Y-yes, Professor?" Grover stuttered.
"Come here, Ms. Grover. Sit down." The girl complied. Snape poured three drops of Veritaserum on her tongue.
"What is your name?"
"Alice Millicent Grover." the girl replied in a monotone voice, that was much like Harry's, only a little bit different. Nobody, except Harry noticed.
"Did you lace Mr. Dawson's doorhandle with poison?"
"Yes." There were gasps in the room. Dawson looked murderous, but Snape stopped everything with a raised hand.
"What poison did you use?" Snape asked.
"Modified basilisk venom."
"Where did you get it?"
"In Knockturn Alley."
"Why did you try to poison Mr. Dawson?"
"He rejected me."
"You bitch!" exclaimed Dawson.
"Silence, Mr. Dawson!" Snape barked again. "That will be a detention with me for foul language." Dawson scowled at Snape but wisely decided to hold his tongue.
"Ms. Grover, did you work alone?"
"Yes."
"That will be all." Snape drew his wand and stunned the girl. Then opened her mouth and poured a drop of Veritaserum antidote on her tongue.
"We have found the criminal." Snape sighed. "Look after Ms. Grover." Snape barked at everyone. "I will go fetch the headmaster." Snape said as he walked out of the common room. He could feel big headache coming.
xxx
In Harry's room Theo and Blaise snickered. The boys were seated on Harry's bed, while Harry himself was seating behind his desk, looking through some of his notes.
"That was brilliant, Harry!" Blaise said quietly.
"But how did you trick Veritaserum?" Theo asked in confusion. "You didn't wipe out your own memories, did you?"
"No, that would be overkill." Harry replied. "I did it with the girls, though." he turned a page in his journal.
"Then how exactly did you do it?" Blaise looked at his friend inquisitively. Harry looked up from his journal and sighed.
"Very well." he said. "But know this, I consider you two my friends now. You mustn't breathe a word of it to anybody. Don't look anybody in the eye, don't drink anything you are absolutely sure is truth-serum-free, and do not ever discuss it outside of this room." Both boys nodded. "I am an ice elemental." Harry said plainly. To prove his point, he lifted his palm and a sword of ice appeared in his hand.
"That's why it's always colder around you than anywhere else, even in summer?" Blaise asked.
"Yes." Harry replied. "Is that honestly the first question on your mind?"
"How long have you been an elemental?" Theo asked.
"Ever since I can remember." Harry stated.
"And what does it have to do with Veritaserum?" Theo asked again.
"I froze it as soon as Snape closed my mouth." Harry said simply. "And since it has to be swallowed to become active, I simply hid it under my tongue."
"Cool." Blaise and Theo said at once.
"What are you reading, Harry?" Theo asked again.
"These are my observations of my dear dunderhead brother and his dunderhead friends." Harry sneered. "They are up to something. I don't know what, but they are constantly speaking of Nicholas Flamel and a three-headed dog, Fluffy."
"How do you know so much?" Theo asked. "I didn't think you were stalking them." Harry glared at his friend, who just laughed.
"I put a listening charm on their cloaks." came an indignant reply.
"But that's like…" Blaise started.
"Fifth year material?" Harry asked. "Yes, I stumbled upon it and found it incredibly useful, so I learned it."
"Wait, Harry, did you say Nicholas Flamel?" Theo asked carefully.
"Yes, I've been trying to find references to him – all pointless. Do you know the man?" Harry asked.
"Yes!" Theo exclaimed. "Nicholas Flamel – one of, if not the most famous alchemist in history. He is the only known creator of Philosopher's Stone."
"Does Philosopher's Stone turn metals into true gold?" Harry asked.
"Yes, and not only that." Theo said excitedly. "The Stone can produce elixir of life, that grants the drinker immortality. Flamel is still alive and he is over six hundred years old!"
"Well, Theo," Harry looked at the boy in question uncertainly, "Blaise, I guess this stone is in Hogwarts."
"WHAT?!"
"Shush!" Harry snapped. "I don't know silencing charms yet."
"Sorry, Harry." Blaise said sheepishly. Theo just rolled his eyes.
"Anyway, the dunderheads are trying to figure out what the three-headed dog in the third floor corridor guards." Harry said evenly.
"What the hell for?" Blaise asked.
"I wish I knew." Harry sighed. "But I didn't even know my brother before Hogwarts. I certainly didn't get to know him here, so I can't tell."
"Shall we tell Snape?" Theo asked.
"For what use?" Harry asked back. "He will just go back to Dumbledore and what will Dumbledore do? Nothing. He tutored Eric before Hogwarts – that means they know each other personally. If anything, Dumbledore will just talk to Eric and let him be." Not to mention that Harry would have to reveal his extensive knowledge of charms to the staff and attract unwanted attention to himself, especially from the headmaster. Harry remembered that it was Dumbledore who erected wards around Privet Drive, so even if the man didn't want to leave him with the Dursleys, he certainly didn't protest either. In other words, Dumbledore was a complete unknown, and Harry didn't like unknowns.
"What was the old man thinking, placing such an item here?" Theo asked. Harry blinked.
"You know, that's a very good question." He said. "Why didn't I think of it sooner?"
"Let's talk about it tomorrow. It's getting late." Blaise said. Harry and Theo nodded.
xxx
Harry was in the library, in the restricted section. He planned to sneak into it, but yesterday he just got a perfect opportunity to enter this part of the library legally.
Flashback
"Mr. Potter." Flitwick said after his lesson was over. "Could you stay behind for a moment."
"Yes, Professor." Harry said, nodding at his friends. He was curious as to why the professor decided to speak with him. He didn't do anything out of the ordinary.
"Mr. Potter, I noticed that you did today's charm without incantation." Flitwick began, causing Harry to blink.
"I did?" the boy asked dumbly. He really didn't even notice. Harry mentally slapped himself, he needed to pay more attention to what he was doing.
"Yes, Mr. Potter." Flitwick replied with a small smile. "And I don't believe even for a second that a first or even a second year student could do it. That result can only be achieved through constant practice, and for some reason I do not believe that you were practicing a levitation, locking or unlocking charm, or even an animation charm, that is studied in the end of second year." Flitwick looked at his student intently. "Just how far are you in charms, Mr. Potter?"
Harry looked at his charms professor just as intently. He didn't trust the man. For that matter he really didn't trust anyone, except for Theo and Blaise, who he could no longer deny were his best and only friends. He didn't want to reveal true extent of his knowledge, but Flitwick would figure it out sooner or later, so lying was useless. Well, maybe something good would come out of it.
"I am in the beginning of the fourth year." Harry said quietly.
Present time
And something good did come out of it. First, Harry decided to preserve the memory of Flitwick's face – it would always brighten his day. But more importantly, Flitwick said that he didn't want to waste any more of Harry's time and gave him an offer of private tutoring. Harry agreed, and then Flitwick said that Harry needed to read something more about charms theory than just school books. So he gave Harry a pass to the restricted section of the library with instructions to find a book called "Advanced charms theory" by Edward Black. The book was about three hundred years old and not very accurate, but it would do for Harry, since he only needed a part of it. Along the ride Harry took another book – on alchemy.
The alchemy book was for beginners and Harry understood very little, and that came from the advanced transfiguration and charms he was studying. However, that was not enough, not to mention that even a beginner alchemist would need a very good grasp on potions theory. Not an option for Harry, but he still read the book – it was interesting after all.
Edward Black's Book was a completely different matter. Harry understood most of it. It didn't have any new spells, but it provided a very detailed description of how charms worked, came to be, and interacted with different branches of magic. Harry was positively fascinated by this information.
AN: Once again I would like to thank VocalAurora for beta-reading this chapter.
Replies to some of your reviews:
Thundramon: About Hermione and the Troll. I do believe, that I didnot tell that hse was in the toilet. I didn't actually tell, that she wasn't in the Great Hall during the feat, did I? So yes, Hermione is not stupid enough to give enough damn about Ron's oppinion of her, so she did cry a little, but not the whole day. I think I will not commant on other points of your review, because well, spoilers!
Guest: Reading at six or five? Do you really care? And I believe that I didn't ask any questions about it.