Hi everyone!

Surprise, surprise!

I decided that I don't want to let you wait longer after the last cliffhanger (I got some threats) and here is the new Chapter!

Thanks to my beta knitchick who already read through the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

Enjoy!

Chapter 14

When Harry opened the envelope it started to smoke and a loud booming sound was heard before a very familiar voice started to shout:

"HARRY JAMES POTTER!"

Harry cringed a little bit but smiled slightly nonetheless, waved a bit nervously at the other students that were looking at him now, before the shouting started anew.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU HAVE BEEN RE-SORTED?! AND WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING BY NOT TELLING ME IN WHICH HOUSE?! DON'T TELL ME THAT YOU ARE IN SLYTHERIN, PLEASE! I SWEAR I'M GOING TO DISOWN YOU IF YOU ARE! THIS IS THE END… WHAT DID I DO WRONG? WHAT DID I DO THAT YOU ARE IN SLYTHERIN NOW… WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THAT, OH GOD! MY LIFE IS OVER… YOU-"

Another voice that Harry recognized shut the other one up and he grinned slightly when the voice talked normally. "Shut up Padfoot! I'm sure he is not in Slytherin and even then… he is still the same. Harry, your parents would be proud no matter what house you are in."

"DAMN MOONY, LET ME FINISH! So… um… well… what house are you in now?"

"BE QUIET NOW!" shouted the other voice firmly. "Sorry for that Harry. I couldn't stop him sending you this howler. I hope you are alright and… I think Padfoot sends his greetings… um… yeah. Well then… bye!"

The letter burst into flames and Harry stared at Ron and Hermione who where gaping at the ashes with slightly wide eyes.

He smirked and vanished the ashes with a flick of his wand. "Did either of those two even consider the possibility that I could also have been sorted into Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or a totally new house?"

Ron was still staring at the place where the ashes had been, and Hermione frowned.

"Isn't it a bit dangerous for him to send a howler? I mean…," she lowered her voice. "… what if somebody recognizes his voice?"

Harry gave an amused snort. "You know that Snuffles takes nothing seriously. He would rather dance the limbo in front of the Minister and rub it into his face that he still wasn't able to catch him than being quiet."

Ron blinked and stared at Harry who was finishing his toast. "Are you serious? He would really dance-"

"Honestly Ronald!" huffed Hermione and crossed her arms. "That's not the point! What if the new teacher gets suspicious?"

"You mean that Umbitch?" Harry innocently wanted to know.

Ron broke out into laughter. "That's a good one! I like that name."

Hermione rolled her eyes but had to stop herself from grinning, too. "Her name is Umbridge, but yes I mean her. She seems… odd."

"You mean like a toad?" asked Ron, and Harry sighed before Hermione started to argue with Ron. It seems like they will never change; he thought.

Harry tuned them out and looked up at the ceiling where more owls where still flying around with packages for students that had forgotten something at home. He blinked in slight surprise when another owl landed in front of him.

It was a beautiful dark brown, nearly black barn owl. The tips of her wings where white, just like her chest and she blinked at him with calculating eyes.

Hedwig, who was still sitting on the table and drinking from a goblet of milk, hooted and puffed her chest out. Harry looked at her and saw that she seemed to be glaring at the other owl.

He frowned and took the letter from the owl. It was a bit heavy and he asked himself who else would be writing to him on the first day of term. He stroked the owl's feathers and suddenly she snapped at him and rose into the air.

Harry just shrugged and looked at Ron and Hermione who were still arguing. This time, however, about why Hermione was still getting the Daily Prophet. A large damp barn owl had dropped it in front of her and she had dutifully placed a Knut inside the small pouch on the owl's leg.

He looked back at the letter resting in his hands and something in his brain told him to be careful. So Harry opened the envelope with his knife and grabbed a tissue. He held it under the envelope and turned it around and a thin metal plate fell into his now protected hands. He frowned but didn't really look at it before placing it on the table and unfolding the letter.

Ron and Hermione meanwhile had stopped arguing and were watching Harry curiously.

When Ron tried to grab the metal plate, Harry's hand shot forward to stop him. He sent his friend a warning glare and turned his eyes back to the letter.

"What is it?" asked Ron slightly miffed. "I just wanted to look at it."

"Um… Harry?" asked Hermione uncertainly when his hands started to shake slightly. "Are you… are you alright? Did something happen?"

He looked at her and she flinched slightly, just like Ron. Heck, even he himself would have flinched if he had seen his look at the moment! If a look could kill, Ron and Hermione surely wouldn't be alive right now - accidently or not - and the envelope would long have burst into flames.

He looked back at the envelope and after a short time staring at the letter, with a glare that could rival Snape's, started to read it to them in a whisper.

My dear Harry Potter,

Are you faring well? I surely hope so, because it won't be very long until you will face your death at my hands.

I thought you needed a little reminder about what I promised you and was… thrilled to say the least, that some of my faithful servants were able to locate some… people that have been important to you.

You are curious now, aren't you? But I won't tell you who they were in this letter. What I can tell you; what I'm proud to tell you, that I – on my way to said people – killed six others. I doubt you knew them, but I hope you like my gift and take it to heart. It surely won't be my last, if you are alive that is.

If you want to know who the people were that I killed, you have only to look at the small metal plate I send you. Their names are engraved on it. Isn't that an honor?

Enjoy the little time you have left,

Tom Marvolo Riddle

Lord Voldemort

Ron and Hermione stared at the letter and simultaneously wanted to grab the small plate. Harry flicked his wand and it now hovered high over their heads.

"Don't touch it!" he snapped more rudely than he had intended to.

He abruptly stood up without another word and marched to the staff table, the small plate still hovering over his head.

"Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape. I need to speak with you immediately," he said and all the students that were in the hall looked over to him.

Dumbledore looked at him intently, looked at the envelope in his hands, then at the hovering metal plate and nodded when Harry's eyes flashed in annoyance at their lack of reaction.

"Can't you see that we are eating, Potter?" sneered Snape with a half-hearted glare. "We haven't time to listen to you."

Harry glared back and Snape actually flinched, which nearly went unnoticed by the others.

"Do I look like I care? I wouldn't even care if you were standing in the shower and singing a fucking opera right now!"

"Language, Mr. Potter!" chided Professor McGonagall and he sighed and mumbled a quiet apology.

Suddenly he heard a very unnatural cough and looked over to the new Defense Professor. He immediately thought he would go blind right on the spot. The bright pink clothes she wore should have been classified as weapons!

"Yes?" he asked more or less politely.

Professor Umbridge gave him a sweet smile and said in an overly high voice: "I would like to know what's going on. I'm highly interested in why you suddenly interrupted us in the middle of our breakfast Mr. Potter."

Harry just raised an eyebrow at her and looked back to the others. "I'll be waiting in front of your office then, Professor," he said and Dumbledore nodded. "I hope you can convince those two to join our discussion. It's… about 'Chicken-Club' business."

He turned around and left the Great Hall with billowing robes that would have made Snape proud if he had actually been watching the display. But he and McGonagall were too busy gaping. And Umbridge – what a surprise - was glaring at his back.

Harry didn't need to wait long for the professors to arrive, who watched in amusement as he rambled off the name of every single sweet he knew, hoping for the gargoyle to step aside.

"Um… bounty, mars, twix, milky-way, snickers, kit-kat… um… damn it! Pigshit!"

The gargoyle stepped aside and Harry blinked before looking at Dumbledore. "No offence sir, but… are you getting old? I mean…"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Why, yes of course I am. I'm nearly one hundred and twenty-six."

"You are joking, right?" asked Harry while they all took a position on the moving staircase.

He didn't wait for an answer and carefully watched the metal plate so that none of the teachers inadvertently touched it.

When they were all seated in front of Dumbledore's desk with the headmaster himself behind it, Harry lowered the small plate down and looked at each one of the Professors before slamming the letter down next to it.

They all looked at him before Dumbledore grabbed it. Satisfied, Harry noted that he carefully avoided touching the plate and turned to Snape while the Professor was reading.

"Did you know anything about this?" he asked in a dangerously low voice.

Snape blinked. "Know about what?"

"About… certain people being on Voldemort's 'most wanted' list," Harry said.

Snape furrowed his brow. "I know that he is targeting the Grangers, the Weasleys, Lupin and Black… but no one else that I know of."

Harry nodded and saw that McGonagall was now reading the letter and her eyes widened with every line. He looked at Dumbledore who stared gravely back, the twinkle in his eyes gone.

McGonagall finished reading and with shaking hands, gave the letter to Snape who narrowed his eyes. They all waited in silence until the Potions Master had finished reading and looked at Dumbledore.

"This is most troubling news," he said and sighed. "But nonetheless, I'm proud of you Harry, you where careful enough to see the danger coming from this letter."

McGonagall blinked. "What could be dangerous about the letter?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Not the letter… the plate that was sent along with the letter."

The transfiguration teacher eyed the small plate on the desk and it seemed to suddenly dawn on her. Snape also had an understanding look on his face and gave Harry a small smirk.

"It seems that you are learning," he stated. "Draco must be a good influence for you."

Harry snorted. "You don't know the half of it… but I'm more interested in who the people are that old snake-face rambled on about. I… have a guess… but I hope I'm wrong…"

"So this thing could be a portkey?" asked McGonagall hesitantly.

Dumbledore looked at the plate and cast a complex spell on it. "Yes, I'm afraid so. The plate is indeed a portkey. It will activate when someone touches it."

Snape looked at Harry with a raised eyebrow. "Why are you still here then? You must have touched it when you took it out of the envelope."

Harry shook his head and smirked slightly. "Nope. I used a tissue."

"That was good thinking," said McGonagall, and frowned while examining the plate carefully. "But… I can't see anything written on it… was it just a ruse to get him to touch it?"

Dumbledore lifted his wand and turned the plate around with a quick spell. The other side was empty, too. "It looks like it."

Harry looked at the letter and sighed. "Professor… do you think that the whole letter is just to make me angry and capture me? Or is what he wrote the truth?"

The headmaster read the letter again and looked at Snape over his half-moon spectacles. "We should start an investigation into this. Severus, would you be so kind as to tell Kingsley and Nymphadora that they should try to gather some information?"

Snape groaned and rubbed his temples. "It's too early for that… but yes."

"They should start with Privet Drive," said Harry quietly. "I can't shake off the feeling that this has something to do with the Dursleys."

Dumbledore looked at him with a frown. "But he won't be able to cross the wards. Even assuming he were able to see it, the blood protection around your aunt's house would cause mortal injuries to him and his followers."

Harry shook his head and smiled sadly at the headmaster. "You forget that he used my blood to resurrect himself. A little bit of my blood is flowing in his veins now. I know that it affects the wards because he was able to touch me in the graveyard."

All three professors gasped, and Dumbledore's eyes widened. "My boy… I didn't even think about that… if that really is the case, then you were in very grave danger the whole time you were in their house!"

Harry nodded. "It's a good thing that I was only there for twenty-four hours. So much for being safe at my relatives…"

Dumbledore had his eyes downcast now. "I'm sorry Harry. I should have thought more about it. You could have been killed."

Harry stood up. "But I'm alive. What's done is done. I guess I will be informed if something has happened at Privet Drive?"

All the professors nodded and Snape stood up and went to the fireplace. He turned around before throwing floo powder into the flames and smirked at Harry.

"Before I leave… five points to Phoenix for being cautious and clever."

He vanished into the flames and Harry stared dumbfounded at the fireplace. Did Snape just award him points? Willingly?

"Who was that?! And where is the real Snape?!" sputtered Harry and the other two professors chuckled.

Dumbledore once again turned serious. "We will tell you if something has happened. I suggest that you go back to your friends."

He nodded and left the office after wishing them goodbye. He really hoped that he wouldn't see any of the professors again today. It would mean that nothing had happened.

When he was halfway down to the Great Hall, he met Ron and Hermione who both threw worried glances at him.

"What was that all about mate?" asked Ron.

Hermione gave him a soft hug. "Are they doing something about the letter? And what about the small metal plate? When you snapped at us not to touch it I guessed you thought it was a portkey. Am I right?"

Harry smiled and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. "As always Mione, right in one. And the plate was indeed a portkey."

"Blimey!" said Ron and sighed in relief. "Thanks for stopping me from touching it!"

"You're welcome," replied Harry and looked at his watch. "Are you up for a little bit of research? I think the Hogwarts library will be a challenge."

Ron chuckled quietly. "If it was, Hermione wouldn't already know every book there."

Hermione threw him a mild glare, but Harry just smiled and led the way to the library. When they arrived there he took out a small piece of parchment and went straight to Madam Pince while Ron and Hermione waited for him.

When he came back he grinned at them.

"What did you do?" asked Hermione curiously.

Harry looked at Ron. "I believe you when you say Mione knows every book in this library but… what about the restricted section?"

Hermione stared at him. "You didn't!"

"Yes, I did," he chuckled and held up the small piece of parchment. "I have permission to go to the restricted section."

"Who gave you this?" asked Ron astonished.

"Dumbledore signed it two weeks ago…," he blinked innocently. "…didn't I tell you?"

"NO!" they said both at the same time which earned them an angry glare from Madam Pince.

"Well you know it now," stated Harry. "Come on then. Maybe we can find something interesting before lunch."

They nodded and Harry felt Madam Pince's piercing stare on his back as he entered the restricted section.

He smiled at Ron who had never been here before.

"I think I know now why it's restricted," the redhead said and looked around in disgust. "The books nearly scream dark magic!"

Harry grinned as he thought back to his first year when a book really had screamed when he opened it, and shook his head remembering that he had nearly had a heart-attack at the time. Of course, adding to his stress at the time, were also Filch, Quirrel and Snape.

This time around he wouldn't get into trouble for being in here.

They all vanished into different rows of the restricted section and met fifteen minutes later at a big table in the middle of the room. Each of them was carrying a big pile of books about dark magic.

Ron looked uncomfortably at the books. "I don't really like the idea… learning dark magic is bad… but… I see the reason behind it."

"So you will do it then?" asked Harry and Ron nodded a bit hesitantly.

Hermione opened the first book and looked at Harry. "What should we be looking for?"

He thought for a moment before answering. "Look for simple curses at first. We will start with those. After that we move to rituals and the like, and then… we try the Unforgivables."

Ron and Hermione both gulped but nodded nonetheless and started to work their way through the books.

*******

"What about this one here?" asked Ron, half an hour and four useless books later. "It actually describes how to do them."

Harry looked at the book. It had a shimmering black cover and blood red letters on it in a language he didn't understand. He read through the first couple of pages and nodded. "It's good, but a little bit too advanced to start out with."

"How do you know that?" asked Ron while Hermione took out a piece of parchment and wrote some titles on it.

He smirked. "I told you that I already started practiced them with Draco and… Narcissa. I'm at blood-rituals at the moment."

"Damn…," whistled Ron when Hermione came back with another big pile of books. "Are you planning on sleeping here tonight?"

She shrugged and gave a small smile. "If I can't find my Common Room again I just might do that."

Harry snorted and buried his head into another book while glancing occasionally at his watch, to check the time. Nothing… he took another book. Again… just theory but nothing telling you how to do it…

He sighed in exasperation and threw the book on the desk. How he wished now that he hadn't burned down France Manor… or at least taken all the books out first. Or… his eyes widened and he banged his head on the desk, which earned him surprised looks from Ron and Hermione.

"I'm obtuse, crazy, or just plain dumb!" he murmured. "Why didn't I think about it before?"

"What is it?" asked Hermione. "Do you know something that would help us learn the curses?"

He nodded when suddenly the door opened and a familiar person entered the restricted section. He didn't bother to turn around, he just sighed.

"I have the perfect person to help us," he said to them while the footsteps behind him grew louder. "If they don't have any good books, then nobody will have them."

"Who?" asked Hermione immediately.

"Harry?" said a familiar voice and Harry closed his eyes before slowly turning around to look at Dumbledore.

He regretted it immediately because he could see in the headmaster's eyes that something had happened.

"Yes?" he asked quietly and braced himself.

Dumbledore sighed and sat down on another free chair while Hermione put her chair next to Harry's and snuggled against his side.

"My boy… I'm afraid Voldemort's letter wasn't just a fake… what he wrote was indeed true."

Hermione gasped and Ron looked ghostly pale now. Harry on the other hand just looked at the headmaster without blinking and waited for him to continue.

"Nine people lost their lives last night," the headmaster said and shook his head sadly while looking at his hands. "Arabella Figg was one of them and…"

"My relatives?" asked Harry.

Dumbledore looked him in the eyes. "I'm sorry my boy, but the Dursleys… are dead."

I hope you liked it.

And please, don't forget the Reviews! It's just a small click and I know what you think about my story.

Dark Phoenix of Slytherin