Disclaimer: this story uses characters and settings from J.K. Rowlings wonderful creation Harry Potter. I get neither fame nor money for the stories I create off her work. All I get is the reviews my readers grace me with. This yet another collaboration with darkshadowedrose. This one is a bit of an even split the way The Day Albus Dumbledore Never Remembers is.
Yet Another Universe
Chapter 38
Slytherin house was in shock. One of its own was dead. Dead at the hands of another snake, a snake that seemed as much lion as snake. Those that were honest knew that Draco had few redeemable qualities, his self absorption making it difficult to like him. He had attacked a fellow snake with dark magic, and if rumor was to be believed, if he hadn't died he still would have been expelled and hauled away to Azkaban.
Those in the house with death eater ties were told to make things difficult for Luthor. It was an order only a few attempted to follow. Vincent Crabbe tried but shortly thereafter was found sobbing his apologies and begging to be sent home outside the Deputy Headmistresses office. It was clear that whatever had happened, it had been more mental than physical because there wasn't a mark on him. It was said that he confessed to helping Draco rape the Hufflepuff girl the previous year. He got his wish to get away from Hogwarts, but he didn't get his wish to go home.
Harry tried to make it easy for his housemates spending long hours in the library, studying, and looking for clues to Rowena's library. He would come back to the dorm about the same time the prefect rounds were over at night and would be up and gone before his roommates rose for breakfast. He spent hours developing a protection charm for the many silver chain necklaces he had purchased for his female friends during the last Hogsmeade visit before Christmas.
Crabbe wasn't the only one to leave Hogwarts. Everyone wondered where the Headmaster was these days. No one ever seemed to see him. Minerva had her hands full because the Headmaster avoided the school as if it had plague. Finally one day she summoned Harry to take him to task for driving the Headmaster away.
"Mr. Potter I need to speak to you." she said once the transfiguration classroom was empty of students.
""Of course. Oh and by the way it's Luthor."
"The Headmaster has all but abandoned the castle."
"Really?"
"He can't stand the constant feeling of being followed and watched and the music. I'm sure you're are behind the prank and I'm ordering you to cease."
Harry said smiling, "Prove it." He pulled his holly wand and let Minerva examine it. His methodology of wand use was pretty simple. If he didn't want to answer questions he used the elder wand, for everything else he used his phoenix feather wand.
Minerva frowned, the boy was entirely to cocky. "I don't know if you realize this but Albus' presence is critical to the safety of this institution."
"Why, because Voldie fears him? It doesn't matter to me because I want Voldie to come , I want him to bring his precious Nagini with him so I can off both of them and be done." As to the safety of the students, I can tell he so cares about it. Tell me Deputy Headmistress how goes the getting a defense teacher?
"As to him disliking the feeling of being followed everywhere, and being stared at. Did he do anything to protect your world's Harry from having to experience that fish bowl feeling every day from the moment he sent Hagrid to give him his letter? I think the Headmaster is merely receiving a long overdue lesson. Besides he should be used to it and knowing what I know about him he probably likes the attention. I'm surprised he isn't here trying to bask in it. Of course the adoration of a lemon drop army isn't the same as that of simple minded fools who bend to his every whim."
Harry smirked as Minerva's face got even more screwed up in anger. "You might want to think about some catmint tea and taking up meditation. After all you wouldn't want your face to get stuck in such a sourpuss expression. It would be far too frightening for the firsties and the muggleborn might believe in all the old fairy stories about witches being ugly evil Hags."
His face changed expression "I was fond of you, you know, in my world. It's really only been since I came here that I took off the rosy colored lenses. For all you were a Gryffindor, you lacked courage. You always believed precisely what the Headmaster told you. You never had the courage to see the truth not when I came to warn you someone was after the stone and not now when I tell you the Headmaster cares more for his machinations than his students. He brought me here and expected a pawn. Instead he got a king, well maybe not a king, a queen the most powerful piece on the board. I will fulfill my contract but I will make my own moves not his. Perhaps instead of moving to his desires you should find a spine of your own. Good day Deputy Headmistress."
Down in the dungeons, Snape sipped at a glass of fire whiskey. He felt an ache, All his efforts to steer his godson clear of Dumbledore and the Dark Lord, and now his godson was dead. Dead at the hands of the offspring of his own worst enemy. He swore, "Damn you James Potter! First you harassed me then you stole Lily. She was mine never yours. And now your spawn has stolen the life of the only good thing in my life. I will get my revenge. I'll wait for him to get rid of the Dark Lord but then he will pay."