Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. There it is, plain and simple.

Chapter 11: Silver

The forest was silent. Not a soul, nor shadow moved as the magic of the place seemed to freeze the moment in time. A light mist lay close to the ground snaking its way through the trees leaving the surrounding foliage with a light coating of dew. The drops sparkled in the moonlight as the dark grey cloud that had been eclipsing it seconds before drifted away. And it that instant where the world was illuminated in the moon's eerie sliver glow, a sudden crack shattered the suffocating silence that hung over the trees.

Behind an aged trunk a man appeared, his hands clutching the rough bark like a lifeline and his eyes wide and terrified. He peeked out from behind his hiding place, lifting a slightly pointed nose, and sniffing the air warily. Seeming to be comforted by what he found, he relaxed his grip on the poor tree slightly. However, his moment of ease did not last long as another crack cut through the night like a knife and an additional man appeared. He was much taller than the first, with long, pale fingers that gripped a slender piece of elegantly carved wood, sparkling with concealed power.

The first man scrambled away from the tree, scratching his skin on the sharp protrusions littering the trunk in his haste, as he kneeled before the taller man kissing the hem of his robes. His hood, which had previously been raised to mask his face in shadows, fell back to reveal a short, chubby man with a balding patch in his sandy blonde hair.

"Wormtail," the second man whispered, the words floating away on a chilling breeze that passed through raising the hair on the back of Wormtail's neck.

"Yes, my Lord?" Wormtail queried, glancing up into scarlet eyes, before quickly lowering his head, cursing himself for his stupidity. However, the aforementioned Lord ignored the perceived slight and continued to speak.

"How are the plans?" he questioned the rat animagus, watching carelessly as he started in surprise, nearly falling over.

"Oh fine, my Lord, just fine," he stuttered, regaining his composure and running a hand through his thinning hair not noticing as he accidentally accented the flaxen color with streaks of blood. He dared not move from his kneeling position on the damp forest floor, fearful as he was of the consequences, although his back was beginning to cramp.

"Good," the crimson eyes glinted in a menacing manner at the thought of the 'plans', "I hope, for your own health Wormtail that you do not fail in this task. The consequences shall not be pleasant, I can assure you," he added silkily, a sinister smile to match the look in his eyes forming on thin lips.

Wormtail shuddered.

"Do not worry, my Lord," he replied, trying to convince himself as much as his master of his worth, a silver hand clutching and releasing the moist fabric of his robes compulsively, "Harry Potter will be in your hands before the end of the year."

"I cannot believe they did that!" Lily raged, pacing the room at an alarming speed, "The nerve of them to disrespect all of the teachers like that. Even Professor Dumbledore! What were they thinking targeting the headmaster?! They could be expelled! I hope they are expelled."

She paused in her ranting to dream of a life at Hogwarts without the Marauders, a smile gracing her pretty features like it was the best thought in the world.

Harry merely nodded, not really paying attention as he read a fascinating book on Werewolves (Hairy Snout, Human Heart), far too used to these tirades by now to be really affected by them. Although, he had to say, he had been scared out of his wits the first time the fuming redhead had burst into the common room seething about something James had done and making sure to tell Harry all about it. Now, however, these incidents were so plentiful and all of them so similar in nature ("Will you go out with me, Evans?" "No, Potter" James hexes Snape "What about now?"), that he had learned to tune them out very effectively.

It worried him slightly that Lily seemed to hate James so implicitly, but he understood that his interference would probably do more harm than good and that it was better to just observe and allow things to run its course.

"Harry? Harry, are you listening to me?" Lily's annoyed voice broke through his thoughts and he looked up at her apologetically.

"Sorry, spaced off for a second there," he said, giving her a small smile, "What was it you were saying?"

"I was asking you why you don't hang out with them anymore," she said, finally calming down from her outburst. She folded her legs beneath her and settled into an armchair, watching him with those disturbingly familiar eyes, "A few weeks ago, you seemed to like them and now you barely talk to them. What happened?"

"Oh," said Harry uncomfortably, his smile falling from his face, "I dunno. Just didn't have a lot in common, I suppose."

"Oh, alright," Lily said watching him shrewdly, her voice displaying that she knew he clearly wasn't telling her something, "Well I think your better off anyhow, without their horrible influence. Honestly, what were they thinking?! Going after the teachers?"

And she was off. Harry sighed and lowered his eyes to his book once more. This might take a while.

Meanwhile, in the realm of the Marauders, a place where creating a rule is forbidden and pranking is a must, a celebration was taking place.

"Well, boys, I do believe this was a great success," Sirius declared genially, a grin spread across his face, clinking his butterbeer bottle with three of its fellows.

"I must agree with the mutt," James said, laughing loudly, "It was quite a scene."

"And Moony really showed his stuff," he continued, "Most believe that the shy little prefect could do no wrong, but he displayed his true Marauder colors today. That one on Dumbledore was priceless."

"Brilliant," Peter agreed, smiling, "A slow-acting potion in his Lemon Drops, triggered by sitting in that throne of his. Pure genius."

"Why thank you, Peter," Remus replied, ruffling the smaller boy's hair, "And let's not forget your prank, Wormtail. The look on McGonagall's face-"

Moony broke down laughing.

Peter smiled widely at the comment, a proud glow emanating from his face.

"Yeah, Pete, that was a good one," Sirius agreed and Peter's grin, if possible, grew even wider, "I personally enjoyed the one on Slughorn."

"Well you would," James commented, rolling his eyes, "You came up with it."

"I'm sorry, since when was there a rule about not being able to enjoy your own pranks?" Sirius replied a hurt pout on his face and he held a hand to his heart, "I'm hurt, James. What did I ever do to deserve such mockersy?"

"It's mockery, Padfoot," Remus corrected him with a sigh, but there was a small smile dancing beneath the exasperated look on his face, "Honestly, how in Merlin's name you manage to pass your classes is a mystery to me."

"Ahhh," Sirius said sagely, collapsing cross-legged on the floor and closing his eyes in the classic meditating position, "As it is to most, young one. But one must learn to accept such mysteries of the world or risk having one's head hurt very badly."

James kicked him, making Sirius' eyes snap open, "Stop being an idiot, Paddy."

"I'm not the idiot!" Sirius said defensively, rubbing the spot on his abdomen where James' foot had collided with his person, "I was merely showing you what Professor Clair would have done if she was here."

The other three groaned simultaneously.

"Why did'ja have to remind us of her Padfoot?" Peter moaned, putting his head in his hands, "Bloody woman can't keep her trap shut."

"What's wrong?" Sirius asked innocently, "Don't you like Professor Clair?"

James, Remus and Peter just gave him a look.

"What?! You don't like our darling Divination professor? What evil spirits must be at work here?" Sirius said, looking horrified and flapping his arms around wildly.

"And you said Clair can't keep her mouth shut?" Remus muttered to Peter. He snorted.

"Padfoot?" James asked, gaining the attention of Sirius who was now cawing as he ran around the room waving his arms attempting to get the 'evil spirits' away.

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

"Wha- me? But-"

"Quiet," James repeated, crossing his arms over his chest.

"But the spir-mmfph."

Remus smirked as his jaw locking curse hit Sirius head on.

"Finally!" James yelled dramatically and grabbed hold of Remus, keeping him hostage in an extraordinarily tight hug, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Not a problem, Prongs," Remus replied, grinning and together the two pretended to burst into joyful tears.

Peter just laughed.

The Marauders then continued their celebrations, gleefully ignoring Sirius' attempts to get their attention and remove the spell.

"May I have your attention please?" a calm voice echoed around the room, the words spoken so quietly one shouldn't have been able to hear it at all, but nevertheless the whole hall fell silent.

"Thank you," Dumbledore said, a grandfatherly smile on his aged face, "I would like to inform you of a rather special event that will be taking place this year."

Everyone watched him expectantly, Harry among them. What did Dumbledore have planned now?

"Myself and the rest of the teachers have decided," Dumbledore said, and the entire all held a collective breath, "that this year we shall be having a Christmas Ball."

Whispers broke out throughout the hall but were silenced by one hand gesture from the Headmaster as he continued.

"This ball will take place on Christmas Eve into Christmas Day, ending at midnight. It is to be themed a Masquerade, meaning, of course, that you will be required to wear a mask. 3rd year and above may attend and you must stay for the whole break. A list of who will be staying will be coming around soon so you may sign up then. There will be one more Hogsmeade trip on the 15th of December when you will have the opportunity to do what shopping you may need to. I believe that is all. You may now go back to enjoying this marvelous dinner."

"Oh Harry," Lily said as Dumbledore sat down and the hall broke out in chatter once more, "A ball! This is going to be so much fun."

"Yeah," Harry replied a very forced smile on his face as he felt a sinking feeling in his stomach, "Yeah, just loads and loads, I'm sure."

Harry lay on his back in the dormitory, hours after Dumbledore 'dropped the dungbomb', and the rest of his dorm mates were already asleep. A ball. How he hated balls. Harry groaned quietly as memories of the Yule Ball catastrophe arose in his memory. Why a ball? He hated balls. And it wasn't as if he could escape it by going home either. He didn't have a home here, not that if he could go back to the Dursleys he would by any means. He would rather suffer through a ball than go to that hell hole. Maybe…..maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe he could just hang out with Lily and have fun, because that's what these balls were supposed to be. Like he said earlier: loads and loads of fun…..Right?

Harry sighed and turned over. Well, at least he didn't have to get a date this time.

As the days drew nearer to the Hogsmeade trip, people began to pair off.

Sirius looked as though he was having a grueling time deciding which bimbo he should give the 'honor' of going with him, but he finally decided on a beautiful blonde girl with tan skin and amazing talent to make even the prim and proper school uniforms look risqué.

James was pursuing Lily with an unbelievable amount of determination, only seeming to become more set on his goal for each time the two letter word as opposed to the three letter one escaped her lips.

Lily on the other hand, was becoming increasingly frustrated as he repeatedly refused to take NO as an answer. Harry pitied the poor stag when the usually sweet-tempered redhead finally blows her top. The student body, who found the one-sided feud a wonderful source of entertainment, now had a new pool running alongside the old one (When the hell Evans would see the light and go out with the git). The new bet was what she would do when she finally had enough of him asking her to attend the ball with him. At this point what seemed to be the favorite was her slapping him across the face and asking McGonagall to give him detentions from now to eternity on the charges of sexual harassment.

Harry laughed when he heard this absurd prediction. Lily would never drag the Head of House into something as trivial as this. The slapping across the face however…..that might be a tad more accurate with the way things are going, no matter what Lily's violence policy normally is. The aforementioned violence policy consisted of about one sentence: Try as hard as you can to avoid murdering James Potter on sight, but if you slip…at least he won't be able to call you Lilykins anymore.

Oh and….

Speak of the devil.

"Hey Lily Flower," James said eagerly, sliding into the seat next to her, "You know the Christmas Ball is coming up."

"Your point, Potter?" Lily growled dangerously, her eyes narrowing into emerald slits. Harry shuddered. This would not end well.

"Well I would like to give you the privilege of having me escort you," James announced with a winning smile like it was the first time he had suggested this and he was sure she would agree.

As each syllable escaped James' mouth, Harry groaned and lowered his head to the table and banging it repeatedly. Stupid, stupid, stupid. The privilege? Has he met this girl? Ever?

"Oh Jamsie, that would be just lovely," Lily said in a falsely sweet voice, the surgery smile sending chills down Harry's spine. NOT good.

"Really?" asked James, looking vaguely surprised but pleased.

Lily's blinding smile quickly morphed into a snarl that contorted her pretty face into a terrifying whirl of hateful big words and fiery red hair.

"No, not really, you insensitive, egotistical, supercilious, pompous, IDIOTIC, BULLYING TOE-RAG!!!! I WILL NOT GO WITH YOU TO THIS DANCE NOW OR EVER, SO STOP ASKING ME!"

As Lily continued to berate his unwaveringly cocky future father, a hand suddenly clapped itself on Harry's shoulder causing him to jump about a foot in the air and pause in his routine head-banging. He turned quickly in his seat to come face to face with Remus Lupin.

Remus smiled at him and slid into the seat on Harry's other side.

"You're going to permanently dent your forehead if you do that every time James is…..well James," he said, smiling at him pleasantly, surprising Harry with his amiable nature. After all, he had been avoiding the werewolf and his three companions like they were going to feed him Polyjuice Potion if they got close enough. However, he was rather happy with this development. He didn't want his father and his friends to hate him.

"I'll take that into account the next time," Harry replied, rewarding Remus' grin with a small smile, "So….how've you been?"

"Oh, just fine," Remus said, his congenial expression faltering slightly before it was quickly covered up, "and yourself?"

Harry scrutinized his face closely and found the tell-tale signs of a pale complexion and healing magic residue on his skin. 'That's right,' Harry thought, 'It was full moon the other night.'

"Fine," Harry answered. There was an awkward silence.

"Did you have trouble on that Charms essay?" Harry asked finally, glancing up from where he had been staring at his shoes, "I couldn't find many books on permanent flying charms in the library."

"Yeah, I did," Remus answered, sounding relieved to be on familiar ground. Classes, the best fall-back topic ever, "And that Astronomy essay, too."

"Right," Harry agreed, "But that was partly do to how boring it was. I honestly don't care where Pegasus decides to go during the winter time. I have a life, thank you very much."

Remus chuckled.

They continued conversing and a new friendship was born.

Funny how all these new platonic relationships began with discussing classes. Hermione would be proud.

Harry wandered through the halls of Hogwarts castle, taking comfort in the familiar magic surrounding him. No matter if it was a few years younger, Hogwarts was still Hogwarts and it was still his home. He closed his eyes and leaned against the wall, greeting the sentient side to his sanctuary. Something he had learned early the previous year was that the combination and continuous influx of magic within the architectural genius' walls had become so built up and saturated that overtime it had developed a conscious that could be accessed if you had a deep enough connection with the edifice.

The speech of the ancient structure came more as feelings and detached phrases than actual words or conversation.

'Hello,' Harry thought, 'Long time no see.'

He felt a slight brush against the edges of his mind and a sensation of affection come through his unique link with the castle.

Harry smiled inwardly and continued his conversation with the castle. He wasn't entirely sure how long he had been standing there, chatting through his mind until something interrupted.

"Well if it isn't the ickle Potter look-alike. What's he doing all the way down here in the dark and spooky dungeons?" a cruel and mocking voice swept over Harry making his blood run cold. That voice was disturbingly familiar.

His eyes snapped open to land on…

(A/N: and CUT!!! Alright everyone pack up. Time to go home…

or not lol. A little more shall we?)

Bellatrix Lestrange or, at least, the future Bellatrix Lestrange. For the here and now, this was Bellatrix Black …and she was still using that god forsaken baby's voice. Harry sighed inwardly. Some things just don't change.

"Do I know you?" Harry asked feigning ignorance and extending his hand politely.

"Bellatrix Black," she replied, a vein of icy pride running through her snooty tone, but she made no move to shake his hand.

"Very nice to meet you," he said, his hand not moving from where it was waiting patiently in the air for it to meet a fellow, "Harry Jameson."

"Yes," she acquiesced, her words civil, but there was no mistaking the threat that hid beneath years of pureblood training, "Now what I would like to know is, what are you doing in the Slytherin domain, Gryffindor?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Harry said, pretending he was unaware of this knowledge, keeping his words light and hiding the incensed fire licking his insides behind blank eyes and finally moving his hand away, "I was not informed that the dungeons were not welcome to Gryffindors except for classes. I'll leave now if you want."

The future renegade was not quick enough to mask her surprise at his cordial reaction and the fact that a Gryffindor was asking her for permission to stay. In her experience, Gryffindors, including her cousin, did whatever they damn well pleased, and if it pissed of a Slytherin all the better.

Harry smirked inwardly after sensing this thought. Really, what a stereotyped opinion.

"Yes," she sneered, "You and your kind aren't welcome here."

"My kind?" Harry inquired politely, managing to look mildly interested.

"Yes, your kind," she scowled, "You filthy mudbloods think you can come down here and dirty up the only place that is free from all you imbeciles, but we won't hold for it-"

"I'm sorry," Harry interrupted, "What gave you the impression that I was muggleborn?"

Bellatrix stopped short in her rant, surprise glittering in her violet eyes as she studied him carefully.

"My parents were very much a witch and wizard, whateve you might say, and I would appreciate it if you would refrain from making such assumptions to the contrary when you have just met me not a minute ago," Harry said, keeping a pleasant smile on his face, although inwardly he was fuming. She was just as much a disgusting Death Eater now as she ever was.

"Now if you don't mind, I have some things to attend to," he said, quickly ending the conversation before things could escalate any further, and turned on his heel walking into the shadows. In his quick exit he left behind a mildly confused Slytherin with muddled thoughts of the new Gryffindor plaguing her mind.

Consumed by his inner fury, yet managing to keep any of it from showing on his face, Harry fought not to storm down the corridor in his rage.

So it was, distracted by his inner turmoil, Harry did not notice the hand that flew out and dragged him into a nearby passageway, scaring him half to death when he saw the glint of silver from their hand.

(A/N: oh ho! you may have escaped the other cliffie, but you will not escape this one. So who is our friend with the silver hand? Tune in next time to be sure and for now I would love to hear your guess in a REVIEW!!

btw sry this took so long)