Harry Potter: The Inventor

I do not own this content.

All recognizable characters belong to J.

I only own the plot.

A/N 1 Galleon is worth 20£/ 26$

Sorry for the hiatus! I Don't have an excuse so on with the story!


Chapter 11: Friend or Foe

For a few minutes, the duo were in complete silence, basking in the freedom of books. The occasional whispers of a conversation kept the room at a pleasant level without dispersing the minds that were at work. That silence ended when an old friend entered the compartment.

Both Harry and Hermione looked up at the sudden intrusion and saw one Ronald Weasley, dragging in his old and battered trunk. Silence gripped the air as Ron heaved the trunk on top of the rack above Hermione's head. He flopped gracelessly onto the bench next to Hermione; she proceeded to redden and shift slightly away from Ron without him noticing.
As usual, Ron could not sense the tension that could be cut with a knife, and a blunt one at that.

"Did you see the Chudley Cannons this season?" Ron exclaimed, trying to make a conversation out of silence

"No. I was holed up at the Dursleys as you well know!" Harry muttered darkly.

"Sorry mate!"Ron grumbled at him, as if surprised by his cold nature.

Once again silence cut through the air.

Once again however, the silence (this one was far more awkward with both Harry and Hermione buried in books) was broken by the opening of the compartment door. Personally, Harry did not know who he disliked more at the moment; Ronald Weasley or the pompous blonde ponce himself, Draco Malfoy.

"If it isn't scar head, Mudblood and The Weasel; reunited after your breakup in Diagon? Or has Potter finally taken my advice on who he wants to be his friends? I'll give you a hint for free Potter, now you've gotten rid of one why not the Mudblood as well?" Malfoy lectured as he quickly smirked at the look of indignation on all of their faces.

Although Malfoy's dig at Ron was mildly funny considering the way that he had come into the compartment (come to think of it, he could say that about that time on the train back in first year as well) the dig at Hermiolne's parentage got his blood to boil.

"I seem to have struck a nerve!" Malfoy muttered maliciously, "You should really watch that temper of yours Pott..." The rest of his sentence was cut off as Ron lunged at Malfoy.

"How dare you say that about my family you filthy Death Eater scum!" Harry thought that he saw Malfoys eyes widen at this but he couldn't be sure due to the mass of Weasley that was locking the view.

'Could Malfoy be a Death Eater, sent on a mission to Hogwarts?' Harry muttered as the two purebloods fought in a very muggle way, kind of ironic when you think about it. Harry looked down at the two boys; still tussling on the ground with his temper now cooled down a bit. He quickly pulled out his holly and phoenix feather wand (he didn't want anyone finding out about his other wand yet, if at all as it was illegal to own more than one wand without a licence) and stunned them both.

Harry looked around t Hermione and instead of seeing gratitude for the removal of the threats to her learning, he saw shock.

"When did you learn to cast silently?" Hermione whispered with a gasp.


When the train ground to a halt, they faced a predicament. What to do with 'The Weasel' and 'The Ferret'. Eventually they decided on quickly enervate-ing the two of them and the making a hasty retreat, making it look like they had knocked each other out and presumably leading to another fight. they were going to place bets on the outcome but they felt that there was an example of stepping over the line. After escaping the compartment (which was filled moments later with the loud banging and cursing that clearly showed the ineptitude of the two duelers; it was pathetic.

Harry and Hermione stepped onto the awaiting carriages that were pulled by thestrals and Hermione made a gasp when she saw them. Harry quickly began the conversation about NEWTs to distract both Hermione and himself from the death of Sirius. The journey was far less eventful than that of the train although Harry thought that he saw a large cat following the carriage but when he looked again, it was gone.


When they entered the entrance hall, they no longer felt the Euphoria of magic thanks to the amount of exposure that they had to magic (not all of it was good either).The sheer size though was still impressive and it brought his mind back to the book that he had bought from Flourish and Blotts. It had explained the ceiling with a detailed description of runes, skill and pure magical power. Candles floated throughout the main hall, trying to make a magical experience for the first years Harry supposed, and many of the staff, barring Hagrid and McGonagall due to the first years coming over the lake. Students continued to wander into the ridiculously large room; the younger students with a sense of awe and the older students with the appearance of trying to avoid looking too excited for work. They sat at their usual seats at the Gryffindor table, the loss of their red hared 'friend' unspoken whilst still keeping up an interesting conversation about what they would be doing in the coming year.

Whilst they were wondering about who the next DADA Professor, they saw Hagrid enter through the door behind the head table and knew that the first years were about to be sorted. When McGonagall entered the chamber, the rest of the school gradually fell into silence. The stool and the sorting hat that it carried were just as decrepit as when he was sorted and Harry wondered if The Hat was supposed to look like that; h would check in the founders book later. The nervous group of first years were lined up behind the Deputy Headmistress, all looking the same yet all with unique futures ahead of them.

It was then that the sorting hat began to sing.

Hogwarts,Hogwarts all gather round

Listen closely to the message I bring

Although many will scorn me when I sing

My advice is really quite profound

It is therefore important that you listen

Listen for the message the dire consequence

That these repeated actions will hasten

If you do not unite together, as one

Then I can already tell you the battle will not be won

The Four Founders bestowed upon me

The gift of intelligence which tells me where to put you

However, this is not how it is meant to be

The whole school divided with no unity

With the Gryffindors brave and true

The Huffelpuffs Loyal and teamworkers

The Ravenclaws intelligent and hardworking

The Slytherins cunning and ambitious

Woe betide if the Founders could see it now

The traits of the houses taken to extreme

This must stop Hogwarts must be clean

Of this way of thinking or be forced to bow

Bow to the fate that awaits us all

I hope that you will heed my warning

In this time of need unite as one

Or the days of tomorrow will be filled with mourning

Absolute silence filled the hall until someone at the Ravenclaw table muttered:

"Well that was a bit morbid." Some laughed at that. Others, like Harry an Hermione did not.

The sorting then began with the usual cheering at a new housemate more subdued than normal, mostly thanks to the message that the sorting hat had brought this year.

When the final name had been read out, Ben Snowdon in Gryffindor, Dumbledore tood up and grabbed the attention of the Hogwarts masses.

"I have many things to announce but, as always the power of food is not to be ignored. Tuck in!" He spoke grandly. As if by magic (or house elves), the golden platters were filled with food. Harry, surprised that he hadn't seen Ron at the mention at food, looked up and down the Gryffindor table and could not find him.

Harry glanced at the Slytherin table and saw Malfoy with a bloody nose but apart from that he seemed okay. This meant that Ron was likely on his way back on the Hogwarts express. At least he wouldn't have to deal with him until tomorrow then. When everyone had had there fill and Ron still hadn't turned up (which confirmed his theory as Ron would never miss out on Hogwarts treacle tart) Dumbledore stood up at the head of the staff table and the students began to quiet down.

"To our new students, welcome. To our old students, welcome back. I trust that you have spent the spending time removing your mind of the burdens of school so it is nice and empty for the new year!" Dumbledore smiled down at them all with his signature 'grandfatherly smile'.

"Look at his hand Hermione!" Harry muttered as Dumbledore raised his hands in the air. His entire hand and a small section of his arm were blackened and dead looking. He wasn't the only one that noticed and Dumbledore quickly shimmied his arm slightly which covered the dead part with his sleeve

"Mr Filch, our care taker, has asked me to say that there is a blanket ban on any joke items bought at the shop called Weasleys Wizarding Wheezes. Those wishing to play for their house Quiditch teams should give their names to their head of house as usual. We are also looking for a new Quiditch commentator who should do likewise. We are pleased to welcome a new member of staff this year. Professor Slughorn," A man stood up at the staff table, his bald head gleaming in the candle light and a waistcoat, which was straining severely seemed to cast his section of the staff table into shadow.

"He is a former colleague of mine who has agreed to resume his old post of Potions Master!"

"Potions?" Harry muttered to Hermione, "But that means..."

"Professor Snape meanwhile, will be taking the position of defence against the dark arts teacher," Dumbledore announced over the increased muttering. An explosive cheer deafened the room as the entirety of Slytherin burst into applause whilst Snape smirked down at them in victory.

'What's Dumb dore playing at now?' Harry thought

Dumbledore cleared his throat and the student population once again fell into silence.

"As everybody in this hall knows, Lord Voldemort and his followers are once more at large and gaining strength,"

At this the muttering began again at much higher volume this time.

"I cannot emphasize enough how dangerous the present situation is and how much care each one of you must take to ensure that you are safe. I trust you to conduct yourselves, always, with the utmost regard for your own and each others safety," Dumbledore said all of this with a grave look on his face but then it suddenly changed to his 'grandfatherly smile' as his piercing blue eyes swept the chamber. "But now your beds await. Off you trot!"


A/N

WOW!
That chapter seemed to take forever to write!

I hope you haven't felt the chapter took much too long to come out as it should have even though I should have done it last week ;)

Any way, please follow and review to let me know on what you think about the chapter and where the story should go.

See you in the next one!