Chapter Ten: The Beginning of the Fourth Year:
Another year had passed, and Harry was entering his fourth year, third done and past him. Third year had been quiet, too quiet if you asked him, there was no sign or word of Wormtail which worried him, there had been one death though just recently, that of Sebastian Avery, his son had died in Azkaban and it was rumored he had been a death eater himself. It was ruled he had died of a heart attack though Harry was sure it was something more sinister. The magical world had been worried Wormtail would come after Hadrian but so far that had not happened. There was something that had happened, something that made Harry very happy, and really the professors too. The curse on the defense position had been lifted. Rookwood had studied the classroom and corridor over the summer of Harry's third year and had found they were runes. Bill Weasley was called in as it was well known how good a curse breaker he was. He broke the curse in only a week and now they had, hopefully a permanent defense professor, a man by the name of Alastor Moody.
Alastor Moody was a horribly scarred man, his face was so savaged and scarred it looked as if it had been carved by someone who had the barest idea of what a human face should look like. Part of his nose was missing but most bizarre was his magical eye, he had one normal beady eye but the other was vivid blue and whizzing around in his head. He was an older man by the grizzled gray hair that hung about his head and he wore a leather tunic, trousers and one boot under his brown robes. His other leg was a wooden one that ended in a clawed foot and he never drank from anything but a hip flask. Harry knew it contained hot cocoa with healing potions added as he had heard madam Pomfrey talking to Moody while he was in detention covering for one of the twins pranks. Moody had seen him and Harry swore he would tell no-one and Moody believed him. He was a great teacher though it seemed Severus liked to rile him up at times.
"So how are you doing Mr. Granger?" Moody asked Harry as he made his way to the newly installed baths located on the third floor where the stone had been in his first year.
"Well sir, I can swim now with my leg on, the charms allow that." Harry replied, "I was ever glad to get my first magical prosthetic, that was nice to have feeling in my leg."
"Aye, it is grand, my late wife made mine." Moody replied, then his magical eye caught sight of Severus behind him, "I was having a grand day, but that has ended."
"So was I, until I saw you." Severus said walking up as Moody turned, fixed both eyes on him and leaned on his carved staff, "as if you scare me you old…"
"Stop it you two." Charity Burbage, the Technomancy teacher said, "you have to set a good example to the students."
Charity taught a new subject to most of the magical world but something very new to Hogwarts. As first years were taught about both the magical and muggle world there was no need for muggle studies. However the new field of Technomancy was something that many students took as an elective, it taught how to meld magic and muggle electricity together so that both could work well together. Harry took that along with Arithmancy and Ancient Runes, Hermione took Arithmancy, Ancient Runes and care of magical creatures. Harry thought professor Burbage was very pretty, she was tall and shapely with her dark blond hair done in careful braids on her head, she had pretty blue eyes and was lightly tanned and always was dressed in pretty robes, today she was wearing a lovely set of dark blue with a high collar and long bell sleeves that showed the dark under robes, she had a belt about her narrow waist of crystals and smelled faintly of lime flowers.
"You should wear a mask, maybe the helmet that Darth Vader in the Star Wars movies would help a bit?" Severus said getting Moody to get right in his personal space, "or perhaps a bag? You do scare the students."
"He doesn't really sir." Harry replied, "it's not his fault what happened."
"Oh I know, it's the eye, you could not go for something more natural here could you?" Severus said to Moody, "you old pervert."
"Evil bat."
"Ba-"
"It's quite a lovely day, you should be outside, or supervising the students swimming." Dumbledore said stopping a very vulgar verbal fight, "or watch Star Wars, yes you should watch that again, muggles have done marvelous things with moving pictures!"
"Yes they have, I want to be a Jedi Knight!" Harry said beaming.
Last year a few upper year students as part of the muggle culture studies for the first years brought all three Star Wars movies. The upper years heard about the movies and there were several weekends of watching the movies, and to say most of the students loved the movies would not really do it justice. It seemed that movies were doing what the classes could not fully do, they were showing that muggles were very advanced and getting even the hardened purebloods interested in learning about the magical world. All to learn about their enemy the muggles of course, no other reason, as they did not enjoy the movies of course. Harry headed off to the baths and Severus turned back to Moody who was watching Harry and him at the same time.
"I hate that eye of yours." Severus grumbled.
"You hate me because I know you very well Snape, that chat we had." Moody shot back.
"Would you two stop it?" Charity said, "you are on the same side, why must you fight?"
"Because they are men." Poppy said walking up, "very sexy men too, oh don't look at me like that Severus, you are good looking and Moody, well I don't see the scars, I remember how he looked in school and see him that way, to me he is a handsome man."
"You mean that don't you." Moody said smiling at her, "would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me?"
"I would love to." Poppy replied.
Severus forced himself not to roll his eyes as Charity was looking at him now, and he really wanted to show his best side around her. It did not matter he had told her everything about himself, his love for studying the dark arts, his involvement with Voldemort during the first war. She loved him and he her, she accepted him and understood he had made horrible mistakes but was doing all he could to change and be a better man. She could be a bit dark at times too, who wasn't? Well maybe the saints but she understood the draw to them and knew why he so wanted to teach the defense class, it was to keep others from going down the path he had once trod. She loved his dark humor and angular face, and nose, and other things too. She said something quietly to him getting him to smirk and leave with her to the upper levels and her rooms.
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Hadrian gasped and came awake at once, the dream had been so vivid and real. He could remember even now every detail and fumbled for the mirror Sirius had given him and called him. He told him what happened and Sirius said to meet him in Remus's office at eight that morning. Hadrian did and sat looking upset and miserable, he deserved what was happening, he was evil, he knew that now and if only Harry had survived he could apologize to him for the evil he had done. He had been scared of Harry and his aunt, scared when he heard Harry speak to a snake, he had truly thought him evil and his fear clouded his judgment getting him to do evil and wicked things to his brother. If his brother could speak to snakes he had a link to the dark lord's mind, one way. Either the fates, God or gods had given the boys their gifts on the night they were attacked and their parents died. Hadrian had a link to Voldemort and Harry was a Parselmouth.
"This has to be a link to the dark dork." Sirius said, after viewing the memory-dream in a pensive "so we now know Wormtail is with him."
"I am evil, you know I treated Harry so badly, I thought he was evil but it was me." Hadrian said, "when he drowned and died I knew I was wrong. I could not show it, if I had Petunia would have killed me."
"What of Vernon, he ever hit Harry or you?" Sirius asked.
"No, he just ignored me, as long as I did not show magic, not that he cared about it you see, but he did not want Petunia upset. I hated her and myself mostly, I just wish Harry were here and I could apologize." Hadrian said sadly.
"Well we all make mistakes, you were in a bad situation." Remus said, "you were only a child, a very young child and Petunia was wrong in how she treated you and Harry. You were abused, maybe not like Harry was but you were, Petunia knew how to get you to do her dirty work and she used you. I have good news, you know Mrs. Figg?"
"The old squib?" Hadrian asked, "what of her?"
"Well she managed to dig up evidence that Petunia was part of a terrorist organization your mother and father were fighting and got killed by. Oh and that she had a hand in Harry's drowning, it is now no longer viewed as an accident. Vernon is shocked and upset but is cooperating fully, Petunia will never see the light of day again when all is said and done." Sirius said grimly.
"I should face the same fate." Hadrian said, "I all but killed my brother!"
"No, he saved a life, you cannot blame yourself." Remus said, "you are not evil, not by a long shot."
Hadrian had a hard time believing that at all. He knew he had hurt his brother, had been horrible and cruel to him and he had betrayed him too! He had ignored the quiet sobs of Harry when he was locked in his cupboard room, had made sure he got into trouble so he could watch him suffer has he was denied food. He had beat on him and called him all sorts of foul names. Good people did not do that, good people stood up for those who were abused, and he had not. He was not a good person, not at all and it would take a long time before he could ever believe he was in any way redeemable.
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Halloween came that year and Harry smirked as he realized that the school was in for a surprise. Over ten years ago a well choreographed muggle music video was shown on TV first in America then around the world. It was very popular and many dancing groups liked to show off their skills with dancing to Thriller. Hogwarts was about to be introduced to the song and dance. What had been interesting was the competition between Lee Jordan, Blaise Zabini and Dean Thomas, the only black boys in the whole school at the time for the starring role. Lee Jordan got it as he could sing very closely to Michael Jackson, the dancing was practiced and some was changed a bit as a few moves would be far too scandalous for the school. Harry was excited because he could join them, he could use a brace for his back and leg, he had moved from his crutch to a carved staff and could go without for short periods.
Halloween day was fun, the students, one hundred, picked for their skill in dancing and willingness to do this had spent the last part of the day in makeup. They had not shown up to the feast as they would eat in one of the smaller halls and come down in time for the entertainment. Their costumes and makeup were designed to look like tattered school uniforms and robes and their makeup was so well done that they looked like the undead. They put hooded robes on and headed down to the great hall where the tables were vanished and the students were standing along the wall to watch the entertainment. Severus watched as all one hundred walked in and took their places, cameras would catch the action for later viewing too he knew.
"Wonder what they have in store for tonight?" Severus asked Charity.
"Not telling, you will just have to watch and see." Charity said smiling.
"Should be fun." Moody muttered hand on his wand.
"Relax, should be fun, I hope." Severus said.
The music began and one of the students threw off his robe walking through the crowd, he was clad in a muggle red leather jacket sleeves pushed up, black trousers, white socks and black shoes. Everyone could see it was Lee Jordan, dread locks and all but where did he learn to dance and sing so well? As he sang the other students removed their robes and everyone gasped at their clothes and faces. Severus was surprised that Draco was with them, his father, well who cared what his father thought, his mother would not fully care. The dancing was perfect and very nicely done though creepy at the same time.
It's close to midnight and something evil's lurking in the dark
Under the moonlight, you see a sight that almost stops your heart
You try to scream but terror takes the sound before you make it
You start to freeze as horror looks you right between the eyes
You're paralyzed
'Cause this is thriller, thriller night
And no one's gonna save you from the beast about strike
You know it's thriller, thriller night
You're fighting for your life inside a killer, thriller tonight
You hear the door slam and realize there's nowhere left to run
You feel the cold hand and wonder if you'll ever see the sun
You close your eyes and hope that this is just imagination, girl!
But all the while you hear the creature creeping up behind
You're out of time
'Cause this is thriller, thriller night
There ain't no second chance against the thing with forty eyes, girl
Thriller, thriller night
You're fighting for your life inside a killer, thriller tonight
Night creatures calling, the dead start to walk in their masquerade
There's no escaping the jaws of the alien this time
(They're open wide)
This is the end of your life
They're out to get you, there's demons closing in on every side
They will possess you unless you change that number on your dial
Now is the time for you and I to cuddle close together, yeah
All through the night I'll save you from the terror on the screen
I'll make you see
That this is thriller, thriller night
'Cause I can thrill you more than any ghost would ever dare try
Thriller, thriller night
So let me hold you tight and share a
Killer, diller, chiller, thriller here tonight
'Cause this is thriller, thriller night
Girl, I can thrill you more than any ghost would ever dare try
Thriller, thriller night
So let me hold you tight and share a killer, thriller, ow!
(I'm gonna thrill ya tonight)
Darkness falls across the land
The midnight hour is close at hand
Creatures crawl in search of blood
To terrorize y'alls neighborhood
I'm gonna thrill ya tonight, ooh baby
I'm gonna thrill ya tonight, oh darlin'
Thriller night, baby, ooh!
The foulest stench is in the air
The funk of forty thousand years
And grizzly ghouls from every tomb
Are closing in to seal your doom
And though you fight to stay alive
Your body starts to shiver
For no mere mortal can resist
The evil of the thriller
The end of the song and the dancing came and the students were thrilled and awed by this talent. It was clear that the students had really put a lot of love into this song and dance and had been as faithful to the original choreography and singing as possible. The costumes were very well done, they were called Zombies, another term for Inferti it seemed. Severus really liked it, in fact he loved muggle literature, mostly Shelly and Poe and well anything dark, violent and horror filled. This had been right up his ally and he smiled evilly getting Charity to roll her eyes and Remus to nearly whimper in terror. Severus looked over at Flitwick who was grinning himself, this had been a great day despite what had happened so many years before.
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So that is a bit of fun, the curse is fully gone from the defense job and Moody is going to stay at the school. It's a great thing for such an old maimed warrior like him. Instead of sending him off to pasture as it were let him teach what he knows to the children. It's good for him and good for the children too.
As for Hadrian, he is not evil, he was in a situation that no child should have to be in. He was scared of his aunt and Harry and made mistakes. I wanted to make it very clear that he is not evil, not at all, and he was abused just as Harry was. I hate Petunia and see her as the one to do any abuse and Vernon as spineless really. In fact more women abuse children than men, but it's the men who are always in the spotlight when abuse is found out.
The song used here is not mine of course and is from this site:. elyricsdotnet/read/m/michael-jackson-lyrics/thriller-lyricsdothtml .. I wanted them to have a fun exposure to the magical world, which is why they watched all three Star Wars movies (there were only three at the time Harry was at Hogwarts) and put on the song and dance they did.
Anyway do please review!