4-04

The entire thing was more showy than I expected. The speech was more showy than I expected. The speech from the Sorting Hat was more than I expected, but for the first time in a very long time I saw emotion in the Headmistress beyond the staunch lady I'd come to know as my Head of House.

She seemed genuinely happy for the honour of being the Headmistress of the school and spoke to making sure that nothing like what had happened in the past week would ever happen again.

"…I am happy to inform you all that the recent vacancies which have opened up of late have also been closed," she said. "There will be a small shift in Professors for each course, with Professor Severus Snape taking on the role of teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts."

There were a few claps, murmured words before a scowl from Headmistress McGonagall quieted them all down. Maybe there was a power in being Head of Hogwarts, the wards working with you in ensuring there wasn't any dissent.

"Taking over position of Potions is a Professor who's chosen to come from his retirement, Professor Slughorn."

There was a small applause at the man as he came to his feet and gave a small bow before sitting down. I saw many of the expression that had been confused at his presence settling.

"The Transfigurations position will be filled by Professor Olive Flamel," she said.

A woman, thin and with pale skin, dark hair and the most eye-popping red lipstick. She stood, smiled and gave a small bow before returning to her seat.

"Flamel," I said to Blaine. "You think she's related to Nicolas Flamel."

"That's a pretty rare surname," he said and then shrugged. "How goes everything? I head you were making plays to go into the Quidditch team."

I sighed. "Can nothing I do remain secret in this place?" I muttered under my breath.

"It can if you do what I do," said Theo. "Play everything close to the chest."

"That makes you seem very suspicious," said Blaise.

Theo shrugged. "We're all suspicious. I just live up to it. I'm in by the way," he said to me. "Might be a great experience."

"You're joining his army?" said Blaise.

"I wasn't invited into the Society," he said and shrugged. "I have to do something. I don't have some large plans like the rest of you and I don't want to be bored throughout my stay in Hogwarts."

"Then why did you come here in the first place?" said Tracy. "And I'm a little insulted I haven't been invited to the Army or the Society."

"It's not an army," said Harry, just as Zabini was saying, "That's not what we call ourselves." Tracy steadily ignored the both of us, instead looking at Theo to whom she'd asked the question.

"Pieced together the odd things that were happening, that there might be more of us and thought that you lot would think along the same lines. It would have been stupid of me to miss this excitement."

"So you're just an adrenaline junky, then?" asked Daphne.

"Not just," he said. "I might be up to something. I might not. The mystery is what makes me exciting."

"Or you just might be posturing because you're really not."

"Should it really be a measure of pride that we're scheming?" asked Millicent. "I don't think this is what anyone would term normal behaviour."

"I don't think anyone has any illusions to our normalcy," said Blaise. At that all of us looked around us, at the rest of Slytherin who was shooting glances at us and even the older student who were subtly moving their wands trying to disenchant the privacy spells around us. All of them were paying attention to us, even those that were doing a very good job at showing otherwise.

"It's also in our nature and everything," said Ron. "Being Slytherin and all."

"Here, here," said Theo, taking a goblet and raising it in the air, earning the attention of everyone else beyond the barrier. I couldn't resist and from his grin neither could Ron. With the two of us the others felt more comfortable with following suite and just as quickly we broke into laughter as we saw the longing faces of those around us.

"At some point we'll have to lay low," said Ron. "Stop getting all of this attention."

"That much was blown out of the water the moment Harry got sorted here," said Theo.

"Or just after the whole Quirrell mess," said Blaise.

"Then Hagrid," added Millicent.

"Then of course, Dumbledore," said Daphne. "I think in the short while that we've been here we've managed to rattle the entire world more than everyone else before us."

"Makes me a little anxious towards the future," I said. "What's next, I'm wondering. And will it progressively get worse."

"Most probably it will," said Ron. "Only thing we can do is get ahead of it."

"Moving onto lighter subjects," I said. "Ron, I wonder if you'd do me a favour."

Ron's smile slipped from him and he looked guarded. "Depends on what it is."

"I want you to try-out and succeed in getting the position of Keeper today," I told him.

"Why?"

"Firstly, I know you enjoy Quidditch. Secondly, I want to set precedent. I recently said some things to Professor Snape and I'm feeling he wouldn't take too kindly to me being the person he gets to allow to be the first First Year player in our house. If that's you, then it will be easier for me to slip through."

Ron was quiet for a long moment, mulling the words over before he said, "I want to say no. After the whole deal with my brothers. But maybe I can use this for them. You give me what you took from them and I do try-out."

"That's a pretty uneven trade," I said. "I seem to lose an heirloom."

He shrugged. "You need something from me," he said. "This is the way you can get it."

"Is it the only way, though?" I asked. "Because I'm thinking this over, seeing the various avenues I can take and I think it might be too big to trade. Matter of fact, things are set against you. Snape's probably going to be in a good mood, he's just received something he hasn't thought he'd ever get."

"But I think we both know that Snape isn't the forgiving sort," he said, a certainty to his tone. And he was right, Snape wasn't one who let go of emotion, ever. Even after all those years he'd still loved my mother, hated my father and the others, even Remus who no doubt would have apologised profusely for his childhood errors.

"I'll think of something else," I said. There was still Draco, still that realm of things to work with. I just had to hope that he would be fast enough in catching the Snitch that Snape would be worried.

888

"You want what?" said Marcus, those he'd obviously heard me.

"I want to be Seeker of the Quidditch team," he said, the words said slowly to make sure my irritation didn't bleed through.

"We already have a Seeker," he said.

"I'm better than her," I told him. "Runs through my blood."

"Well, that's the thing. We don't need your blood on our team," he said.

I had to take a breath, keeping the anger that was starting to boil in the pit of my stomach back. "Are we really doing this?" my mouth said, unable to keep it back. "Are you really being that daft? Turning down me? The Boy-Who-Lived?"

He swallowed at that, but I could see it in his eyes, the way he stood that he wasn't about to back down.

He snorted. "That's the thing though, isn't it?" he said. "That whole thing was a fluke. Just like me you don't know what happened that night. You can't replicate it. You're not special at all, Potter, and just because everyone believes it that doesn't make it so."

This is manipulation, I told myself. Use what he wants to get what you want. So what does he want?

I tried to think, get an image of him but I couldn't find anything. I hadn't paid attention to him. But I had to throw various lines out there, see which he bit and reel that one in. Where to start though? Dudley had said I had to be aware of a pattern but I hadn't paid attention to people as a whole enough to manoeuvre like that.

Break it down into smaller pieces. He was Slytherin and though we weren't all the same there were things that all of us reacted to. We played the game, made alliances and earned favours that would serve us well in the future. Was he that smart? Did he play the game like we all did?

"How about this," I said. "I offer you something, anything that is in the realm of possibility that I give you and you give me, not a spot, by a chance to try-out this afternoon. If I do well, only then can you take to Snape to let me in."

"Anything?" he said, a smirk on him.

"Within reason," I told him.

"Okay," he said and the smirk got wider. "There are some Runespoor in the Forbidden Forest and during this time of year they start laying eggs." He pulled out his watch. "Four hours before we have our trials. You bring me three eggs and you can try-out."

"Consider it done," I said with a sigh. It might take me those four hours to fly through the forest and look for those damned things. "I'll see you then."

I left, moving further up into the castle until I found a window. I jumped, shifted and flew through the forest looking for those damned things. It was an hour in that I realised that perhaps I loved Quidditch, but then just as quickly the idea seemed stupid and I resumed my search.

I was starting to think this a futile effort when I heard them, "There they are, taking our eggs again," one voice said.

"Do you have to say that every time?" said another. "You'd think you could have gotten used to it by now."

"I have," said the first voice. "We have. But it's always noteworthy isn't it. That perhaps someday this won't be our fate? And we'll miss this?"

There was a snort. "Like I keep telling you, he's dead. It's stupid of you to think that we can get out of this with the amount of time we've spent in this place."

"It never hurts to dream," said the first voice.

"Sometimes I wish I could eat you," said the second voice. "But we need two heads." There was a sigh. I hopped closer, looking down at the small Centaur encampment. Four of them in total with a small basket filled with their eggs on the ground.

I flapped my wings and the four reacted, two grabbing bows and arrows and pointing them in my direction. I instantly took off, it wouldn't do that they expect anything especially when I was going to steal the eggs from them. I doubted Centaurs would just give a wizard their potions supply. I just had to play this right.

After making sure I was far enough away, I descended and shifted back to my human form. I started making conjurations of different sizes, all in the form of spiders. Luckily Hagrid wasn't here to get himself in danger when Aragog eventually took the flak for this, but I had faith in the spider and his ability to protect his brood.

I set the things off and they started running. I shifted into my bird form again and set off, overtaking the spiders and found a perch to wait as they became my distraction. When they arrived it was with a small amount of panic, one of the Centaurs grabbing wooden sticks alight with fire and waving them about.

The things didn't have venom, but they attacked, pincers biting into the Centaurs. They killed a few, but there were more than a few of the things. Choosing how I sat, I shifted back into my human form and summoned five eggs, grabbing and shoving them in my pockets before I shifted and flew off.

Thanking Merlin that I had black feathers.

888

"You actually got them," he said, sounding begrudgingly impressed. The things hadn't been broken, fortunately and I'd found a little pouch that he now held in his hands. Flint was in his uniform, broom at his side with the rest of the team behind him.

"Yeah, so now can I try-out?"

An ugly sort of smile spread along his features before he broke into a guffaw. "Don't tell me you honestly believed me," he said, with amusement in his voice. "I gave you an impossible task, I didn't think you'd be daft enough to actually go out there."

I let out a long sigh. "Should have seen this coming. I'll take the eggs if you please."

"What? No," he said, tightening the bag shut and stowing it in its pocket. "Stuff like this could earn me a pretty penny. Thanks, Potter. Now bugger off."

I slowly shook my head. "Of all the things you could have done, you realise that this is the worst don't you?"

"Because you'll do what?" he said, taking a step closer and towering over me. "Sic Dumbledore at me? No wait, you can't, nor can you make any moves at the Ministry because its distancing you from them. Right now, you're weak in terms of actual power and in political power. Like I said, bugger off."

A quick motion and I pulled out my wand. He was quick because a second after me he had his wand out, his broom having fallen on the floor. He grinned.

"You're going to lose this, Potter," he said. "But, please, try. I might actually enjoy cursing you to sludge."

Looking at him, at everything he'd done and at his friends behind him, I could see the best method I might use to make him to what I wanted. And with the anger I felt, it was something I wanted more than anything to give him: Fear.

I took three steps back and got into a formal duelling stance. He chuckle and took three steps back, going into the same motion.

"Have the first move," he said and I obliged, moving my wand in a circular motions as I said, "Bombarda!"

He quickly moved his wand, conjuring a shield without even speaking, his features warping into genuine fear. The spell caught the shield and exploded into with a large bang, when the light faded, Flint was on the ground near his friends with his wand out of his hands.

I flicked my wand and his jumped through the air into my hand.

"None of that," I said, pointed my wand at one of the older kid's direction. Before she could pull her wand out she was hit by a spell and shoved through the air; another made to move but a small flick and he was grabbed and hauled up by an invisible by his leg.

"I can do this until you get the message," I said. "That I'm better than you. Stronger than you. That my way is the only way through this."

"Reducto!" said a boy but I quickly conjured a shield that was all edges, the spell rebounded and slammed into the wall behind him, leaving a large gouge; a flick in a circular motion and his wand was ripped from his grasped, with him pulled a little forward. He caught himself from falling over.

The girl had gotten to her feet, wand in hand and pointed in my direction but she hadn't fired yet.

"I won't be trying-out," I said to Flint. "Instead you'll make me your Seeker or I break this wand. And I know what you're thinking, that you'll buy it with my eggs but," a flick and they shot towards me, "that won't be happening."

"But, you're just a first year," he said. "You can't…"

"I can and I am," I said. I walked closer, doing the same thing to him he'd done to me. Standing over him and looking down. "Don't think about it too much. I'm telling you to do something and you're going to do it. Do we understand each other?"

He gave a nod.

"Good," I said. "You'll forward me our schedule?"

He gave another nod.

"Good," I said and threw him his wand, starting to walk away. They could attack, but I had to hope that I'd instilled enough fear in him and the others that they wouldn't.

"That was stupid," said a voice as I turned a corner. Lily and Davie Runcorn. The boy was shifting.

"I did a lot," I said, "and I was pissed. But it was all thought out."

"I don't think this is a good idea," said Davie.

"It's good," said Lily. "For all his bluster, Potter's not all that bad. We need your help."

"With?" I said.

"Moving through the stuff setup to protect the Philosopher's stone," said Lily.

"Why would I want to do that?" I asked.

Lily gave Davie a look before the boy nodded, letting out a sigh. "My girl here wants to use the stone," she said. "To make the outside match the inside without all those dreary potions they make you take for this sort of things."

It took me a second before I could get it. "Okay," I said.