Chapter 11: Diadems and Dragons:
Black Manor: November 1994:
Slughorn walked into the gleaming hall of Grimmauld place and smiled, this house looked so warm and inviting, much as it had when he first became head of Slytherin. He noticed with a pleased smile the elves' heads were no long on the wall and the portraits that remained were clean and well cared for. He was glad to see Phineas Nigulus Black seated regally in his frame clad in robes of green trimmed with silver. He had long gray locks of hair with a neatly trimmed beard and gray eyes and smiled at Slughorn before he went to grab and book and take a sip of his goblet of wine. Sirius it seemed would spare no expense for his so many great grandfather in having added to his large portrait things of comfort, including nearly all of the Black library at its disposal.
"They are in the drawing room." Phineas said.
"Thank you, is Albus here?" Slughorn asked.
"Yes, would you like some sunglasses?" Severus asked walking down the hall and getting a chuckle from Phineas. "Really headmaster Black I think sometimes headmaster Dumbledore is colorblind or insane and I am leaning towards insane."
"Says the man who dresses all in black." Phineas shot back.
"It hides the blood of spilled virgins." Severus shot back, "mostly hormonal teen boys."
"Make sure you have decent silencing charms up." Phineas shot back, "you do not wish to disturb the young ladies when you have to torture, oh pardon me discipline them."
"The way you two carry on it would seem you torture and torment the boys at Hogwarts." Slughorn said.
Despite how Phineas would stated he believed in a good whipping he really did not. Sure he used corporal punishment in Hogwarts in his day but it was always the paddle and never a cane or anything that could cut or leave bruises on a student. He felt lines, detentions and the like taught a child much more than a beating ever would, besides a child was more likely to not forget why he or she was being punished if they were scrubbing cauldrons or cleaning bedpans or the like. Even Filch who threatened the students with chains and had a set well oiled in his office never would really beat a child. Maybe a good stern spanking but other than that he would not harm anyone, he had to instill fear in the students as he was a squib and it was the only way they would respect him.
Slughorn made his way up to the drawing room and saw that the other heads of house were here, tall stern McGonagall , short merry Sprout and cheerful Flitwick. Then there was Dumbledore, while the others here were mostly conservatively clad, even Slughorn in a magnificent set of emerald green velvet robes trimmed in navy blue he was clad in robes of very bright blue with stars and moons all over them. He had on a tall pointed purple hat and blue boots. Severus took a seat by Slughorn who, like Dumbledore got the chairs nearest the fireplace. Sirius made his entrance clad in jeans, heavy buckled boots, a leather bikers jacket with his hair tied back. Last came Nicolas and Pernelle Flamel, the Flamels were not, as may assumed dead, they were alive and well and here to help with the Horcruxes. They both had snow white hair and were clad in muggle attire, he in a navy three piece suit and tie, she in a long simple dress of the same color. They took a seat and the meeting got underway.
"So what do you have to show us Horace?" Dumbledore asked.
"I know how Tom has stayed alive all this time." Slughorn said, "he created Horcruxes."
"Such a waste." Nicolas said sadly, "he was so talented and destroyed himself that way."
"Excuse me did you say he created Horcruxes?" Sirius asked.
"Yes, what do you know about them?" Severus asked.
"I had a book called Magic Most Evil, or the devil's handbook. Only nine were ever made, three remain, or did."
"Where is the book?" Dumbledore asked.
"Went to Romania and visited a few friends, had a bit of a book Barbie and that was that." Sirius replied. "So how many did ol' Voldy create? Six seven?"
"Six, he wanted to know if he could spilt his soul into seven pieces." Slughorn said taking out a bag, "I found one, in the room of requirement. Seems he turned Ravenclaw's diadem into one."
"Oh no, that evil foul." Here Flitwick let off a few very harsh swearwords and took the now broken diadem from Slughorn., "I will see if I can get the goblins to repair this."
"That means if we are right there are four more out there." Slughorn said.
"And you my dear sir know what they are." Nicolas said to Dumbledore.
The rest of the evening was spent learning what evils Voldemort had done and how to destroy both him and his evil anchors. They knew that time was short, they had a year if they were lucky before he managed to come back, they could not get to Riddle manor, both it and the grounds were now well beyond their reach, as much as they hated it they could only wait and watch and hope they could get all the Horcuxes before the dark lord could rise again.
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Hogwarts: November 1994:
Harry had enough of Dudley, he really had. Most of Hogwarts believed him when he said he had not entered his name in the goblet (it did help having a rock solid alibi as well) and per his insistence rallied around Cedric the Hogwarts champion. Yet Dudley could not keep his mouth shut which was why Harry served not one but two well deserved detentions with Severus. Dudley ended up in the hospital wing with a broken nose and a few broken ribs and twenty lost points to Slytherin, from Severus. Harry was now finishing scrubbing the last cauldron to a gleaming shine when Severus entered the room and sat at his desk.
"So any idea what the first task is going to be and how you will get around it?" Severus asked.
"Yea, dragons, not fair to everyone else, though I did warn Cedric and told him seekers skills could help." Harry said.
"Helping the competition how noble Harry." Severus said.
"No just helping the true Hogwarts champion." Harry replied.
"You do need to be careful around Skeeter, she can turn on you." Severus said.
"I know she normally would, but I made her promise to tell the truth regarding me." Harry replied, "besides it was a lovely article on the true champions, not a word about me until the very end and only in small print."
"I know how you hate your fame, but you cannot hide no matter how you want to." Severus said, "I am glad you are so like your mother."
"As am I, we don't need a swelled headed Potter back at Hogwarts, James was enough." Remus said walking into the room. "If he were here he would agree with me, he did grow up unlike Sirius."
"Yes which is why I warded the dungeons against him, it is good to be head of house here, I can do that." Severus said smiling coldly. "Next time he tries to come down here he will find himself de-aged and doing lines."
"Oh and look my classroom has become a side show act." Severus said.
This last was to Alastor Moody, the real Alastor Moody limping into the office. He nodded to Harry and Remus and turned to face Severus leaning on his staff smiling grimly. He knew full well it made him look terrifying as he was a horribly scarred man with only one normal beady eye and one round vivid blue magical one that was whizzing around in his head. Walking with him in full view was a house elf clad in a belted tunic and breeches made of a soft brown blanket, a cap made of a tea cozy. It was clear that Moody, like many families who had house elves treated his well and even required them to wear uniforms (they still, even if free refused clothes for the most part and did not like taking time off or pay). He owed Harry thanks for suggesting he keep his house elf, Nobby by him at all times, the elf could protect him and stay invisible when needed.
"Yes the biggest freak is you Snape." Moody said glaring at him, "I enjoyed the talks we had years ago."
"I hate you, pervert." Severus said coldly, "what you must get up to with that eye."
"It's magical, it sees magic, not through clothes, not anything like that, it sees magic and can see in normal sight too." Moody said taking it out shoving it to Harry, "take a look."
"Um no thank you sir, I believe you, maybe professor Snape would like to?" Harry said shuttering. "Um professor I am done."
"Good, go and stay out of trouble brat!" Severus said.
"Yes sir." Harry replied.
He left the room and Moody slumped to a chair and took a seat, he conjured up a glass, filled it with water from his wand and dunked his eye in it. Then he took it out, cleaned it off carefully and put it back in his head, all the while knowing he was seriously unnerving the Severus at least. Good, the eye was not much in looks but it did allow him to see magic and that was more important than matching now wasn't it? Besides he now really had earned the name "Mad-eye" now hadn't he? He sniffed the potion that Severus shoved at him and let his house elf check it before he took it. Old habits died hard and though he could trust Snape he was not too sure of the wolf, not yet anyway and not because he was a werewolf, he just did not know the man's mind as well as he knew Severus's. What he did know is that when he got his hands on those who had dared kidnap him and torture him (something he was far too used to) he was going to make them pay and pay dearly.
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Hogwarts: November 28, 1994:
Harry waited calmly in the tent for his turn to come up. He was the last champion and so he had to wait for Cedric to finish with his Swedish Short Snout before he could go out and face the Norwegian Ridgeback. He hoped she would at least listen to him and not try to hurt him before he could explain what it was he needed to do. Already Krum had come back with a burn on his shoulder and Fleur had a cut on her arm. He saw Cedric come back pale but unharmed and knew it was his turn. He walked out clad in battle robes of green, he figured if he was going to be in this tournament he had better be well prepared, or so Sirius and Severus had said. Severus had insisted on green trimmed in red with a suit of basilisk armor under it (this from the harvesting of the basilisk in the chamber and part of the skin given to a goblin armor maker) charmed to grow with him to his adult height. He walked up to where the ten foot long dragon stood on all four powerful legs over her eggs the end of her tail flicking in anger.
"Ah hello?" Harry hissed to her softly in Parseltongue.
"You speak the tongue of snakes." The dragon said her eyes narrowing much like a cat's.
"Yes oh great one, please I wish not to harm your eggs, but there is one that is not yours, it is gold if I might have that?" Harry asked.
"Ah so you are right." The dragon said looking at her eggs and nosing the false one forward, "take it, but run I cannot look soft to those here."
"Yes oh great one, thank you!" Harry said.
He got the egg and ran for it the dragon giving out a roar of what everyone thought was anger. Harry got to the end of the arena and grinned at the roar of the crowd. He was stunned when he got perfect scores, from all the judges and was in first place! In second place was Cedric then Fleur and then Victor who did not seem to mind being in last as he had only entered the tournament to please his headmaster who now was disgraced and had as of yet to be found as he had fled and left the twenty students from Durmstang in the care of a foreign school.
"That was amazing, you must have put her in a trance!" Cedric said clapping him on the back, "that was amazing Harry!"
"You did great too from what I heard, all of us did, we are all alive." Harry said.
"This is true." Victor said, "we could have party yes?"
"Sure, I mean why not that is what this tournament is really all about right?" Cedric said.
"I agree, I am sure madam will not mind as long as we are behaved no and Hogwarts she is a lovely castle." Fleur said.
This was how another feast was had in the great hall and after, fourth year and up were allowed to stay up late and have a party in the great hall. Of course the professors were there to make sure the students were behaved and that none tried to sneak in any alcohol (namely Fred and George Weasley) and a great time was had by all there. Dumbledore beamed as he spoke with madam Maxine and Alexander Bauer the new headmaster of Durmstang a tall stocky man with long raven hair tied back, sharp blue eyes and a patch of hair on his chin. He was clad in sweeping robes of dark red and seemed a better fit as head of Durmstang than Karkaroff ever had.
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As Slughorn is helping Harry here he has had time to think on what he knows. That is why he called this meeting to deal with Voldemort. He trusts the heads of houses at Hogwarts which is why they are at Black Manor. Sirius got the house nice and clean now and talked to his loyal house elf too. That is why there is no more portrait of his mother either.
Yes the real Moody is here and more than willing and ready to take on those that harmed him. Oh and those who annoy him like what Severus seems to like to do, I mean I don't see Moody as an evil hard torturing kind, more cunning and such and Slytherin. As for how Harry took care of the dragon, I don't see it as cheating more as using his strengths.
So anyway do please review!