[a/n0]I'd like to respond to 1 review, by Ausar The Vile who said in part …You made him way more reckless and brash than in canon, taunting anyone that he disliked? And no, I'm not offended, not at all. Now JKR certainly did show scenes that marked James as a bully. And he indeed might have been, though it's probably about half the story. Young Severus gave as good as he got, I think, though its not shown. Given the Slytherin/Gryffindor hostilities, he probably had allies against the Marauders.
I don't see putting Harry's behavior in #114 in the same basket as James' for a couple reasons. First, James and Severus were peers in school, equals. Professor Snape was in authority over Harry. The student is NEVER equal to the teacher. Throughout the books, Snape was the bully.
In my 1shot, Harry finally has a chance to get back. Can we really blame him? And how about, instead of his inner toerag, Harry was channeling his inner Slytherin. The antagonism was a deliberate ploy to get the defendant to lash out and make him look bad. I didn't think of it writing the chapter, but….hmmm.
[a/n]Again going back. This time to HDD#236. Wherein Harry summoned the Ghostbusters. MeinGimli 's suggestion was Harry can hire their Services to hunt for SoS (Slices of Souls) then Tommie-boy shouldnt be that big a Problem.
Harry Does Different CCCLXV
Ghostbusters 2
"This is an God awful situation Harry." Hermione lamented minutes after they'd been abandoned by their friend "Ronald was our strategy expert."
Still angry, the bespectacled teen countered "Well we don't have time to worry! Ron can piss off! Now let's think how he wouldn't." he ignored the look she gave him "How do we destroy these stupid things?"
"There aren't many books on the subject of horcruxes." She complained "Those that even MENTION them just say they are illegal and not to be used. Very bad doesn't help much either. Since I'm Catholic, I submit exorcism as one possible answer."
Harry scratched his chin thoughtfully and admitted "I don't know much more about it than what I learned watching Linda Blair, but I'm not opposed to the concept. That's thinking outside the box." He paused then went on "Remember, back at school? When I decided Binns needed to retire?"
"I think even Malfoy wanted to cheer." Hermione was amused.
His expression momentarily darkened "It took Dumbledore overriding the detention Snape gave me. But anyway, seems the Ghostbusters might have an idea or two. Especially your boyfriend, what was his name?"
"Egon! And he was NOT my boyfriend." She scolded "It's just so rare I find an intellectual equal outside Ravenclaw. But that idea has merit. I suppose you'll be wanting a fellytone?"
Harry looked a little melancholy "Haha. Though without your parents or my lovely relatives, we may need to use a Imperio to call across the pond. Too bad about Hedwig."
"Sorry Harry." Said Hermione compassionately "Nobody carried a letter like her."
Abcij
The pair met up with the Americans a few days later in London. The materialistic one spoke first "Well well well if it ain't the man with the gold."
"Miss Granger I believe it was." Nerd bowed to nerd "It is agreeable to see you again."
The witch nodded back and offered a hand "Likewise Dr. Spengler." There was a hint of a blush from Hermione that Egon was oblivious to. In order to hide it she went to business "This is a rather dangerous magical object. What can you tell us about it?"
"Enough flirting with the client Egon" said the leader "Get your ghost meter all revved up."
Egon rolled his eyes "Can't you at least use the technical term Venkman? It's a PKE meter. You have known that for five years. Very well lad, tell us your problem."
"And more importantly, how much it pays." Added Peter.
Harry addressed that "Ahh, yes, of course. You'll remember these, I hope." He handed over a rather large, heavy bag "I trust you'll forgive the small change. It's been collecting of late from purchases we've had to make. It'll easily cover the cost of your trip here. It's all silver."
"Whhhoooooo nice." The Ghostbuster was pleased.
Hermione took over "First question, can you tell us about this."
"An old diary?" noted Egon, flipping the dark leather book over in his hands. He turned on his handheld device "Some residual dark ectoplasm. Not a danger now but it certainly was at one time."
The teen witch gave a satisfied nod then reached into her blouse and pulled out a necklace "How about this?"
"Full of negative ectoplasmic energy." Egon read his PKE meter "Dangerous in the extreme."
The black Ghostbuster wanted to know "Where does it rate on the Gozer scale? I'm charging my Proton Pack." He flicked a switch at his shoulder and his backpack emitted a whine."
"It shows rips in its matrix." Egon turned a dial that altered the analysis "As it there isn't a full spirit here. The full spirit would probably be a fiftieth to a twentieth of Gozer. But given she was a demigod that's still pretty scary."
The rather pudgy American dug into a dufflebag and pulled out a couple large metallic boxes "Probably best we divide it in different traps."
"Slow down there Ray, slow down." Said Peter "You know how expensive those things are to make."
Harry knew it was obviously his turn to contribute "One each of these gold coins should do the job. They're called Galleons." He offered up five.
"Well better safe than sorry." Egon acknowledged "And remember, we're not dealing with a cross-dimensional rift. No need to cross the streams here. Power up!"
Harry still had a concern "Hold up a sec there, guys. We think there's more of these things out there. Can you help locate others?"
"How long will it take?" asked Venkman "I mean your little island is nice and all, but we ARE a business."
Hermione glared at him "You know? Over 60 million people live here."
"Get on with it!" Harry was a bit impatient "And I've got both silver and gold coins to keep this project purring like a kitten. Twenty silver a good start?"
The greedy Ghostbuster lit up like a Christmas tree, ironic that it wasn't far away "It'll do nicely my young friend. Nicely indeed. Though the team would be grateful if some of the gold coins were sprinkled among any …err… donations. Get me drift?"
"Hermione, leave it" Harry wasn't of a mind to have a grammar discussion "I have a fairly large, but NOT infinite, supply of coins. Even a stack of less valuable bronze coins." He remembered well spying on the Malfoy visit to Knockturn Alley.
The portly one was thrilled "Honest-to-God bronze? Good quality stuff would be real useful in expanding and fortifying the matrix."
"We have the makings of an agreement, then." Said Harry with a smile "Here's a few. I can get more from the wizard's bank easy enough."
One Ghostbuster was running a metallurgical analysis while the other was using his PKE machine "There are actually two right in this room. The necklace we know about….as for the other…" he eyed his device narrowly turning about. Finally focusing on Harry "Right there."
"Why am I not surprised?" asked a defeated sounding Harry.
Winston put in "Don't worry about it kiddo. If anyone can find a solution it's good old Doc Spengler."
"I suggest first dealing with the necklace." Said Egon "Accelerators on!" All the proton packs whined up to speed. Miss Granger, set it on the floor please….FIRE!"
The ancient locket was engulfed in atomic fire. It burst open in a magical sense. There was a flash of light. From his conversation with teenaged Riddle, Harry recognized the apparition that suddenly dominated the room it sneered "Muggles? I am immortal! You cannot harm me! You cannot touch me!"
"Think so Tom?" asked Harry. He had two ghost traps in his hand. He threw them and they added their refulgence to the protonic fire. The black American spun three more like slingshots and they landed right by the demon.
The spectral young Voldemort found he couldn't move and switched tactics "I see you are powerful. I could use men like you in my cause. Join me and you will be rich beyond your reckoning. You? Peter Venkman? Yesssss I ssseee. You would be sssso rich you could wear gold. Perhapssss you would like platinum ssshoe lasssseees?"
"Stylish." Peter acknowledged, he did show a flash of greed, but then sneered back "How much money you got in your pockets?" then he turned up the power to his stream.
The center of action seemed to flare then, Voldemort howled in pain. The spectre lost its form as a person as it was ripped apart by the competing ghost traps. The spectral energy split apart and the traps snapped shut with metallic clunks.
"Stupid thing trying to bribe me when he's got no gold." Peter kicked one of the traps. He glanced at the others in the room "What, we had a contract."
Ray coughed and asked "So Egon? What about the boy?"
"Set our output frequencies as far away from human electrical impulses and it SHOULD be safe." The scientist offered "Say 204KeV. The only thing is, it'll ...well…probably…hurt."
Harry shrugged philosophically "Me and pain are old friends. Get this horcrux out of me without killing me, or driving me insane and I'll be grateful."
"Boy you're too young to be that depressing." Said Winston, he lit a cigarette.
Giving the Ghostbuster a cold look, he retorted "Don't call me boy. It's what my bitch aunt and her lardarse husband called me. Just do it."
"The reading is much smaller. Instead of all four of us, I recommend just me …at least to start… and at that, start with a quarter-stream." Was Egon's suggested procedure. To which his colleagues drew their proton packs, but didn't aim.
Hermione nodded "I completely agree. No sense inflicting more pain than necessary."
"I'm no sadist." Harry agreed.
To which the young witch had to correct "That would be someone who enjoys inflicting pain on others."
"Whatever." He rolled his eyes then "Dr. Spengler? Please?" And he didn't need to scream until the first proton beam was maxxed out and a second added. When this process was done, a couple more Ghost Traps were smoking hot and the wizard hadn't quite passed out.
Egon finally gave a nod of total satisfaction, then went for his other device which whirred for a bit. He hummmmed, spun this way and that, reported "There are more of these. A few miles east of here. Another quite some distance west, in Wales. The last, far to the north. Scotland?"
"Hogsmeade maybe" Hermione cogitated "the close one, Diagon Alley probably. Wales? I dunno."
Abcij
"Fascinating, a dimensional subset; possibly even transcendental." * Said Egon, adjusting his glasses as the bricks in the Leaky Caldron yielded to Harrry's patterned wand-tapping.
Ray translated for the befuddled magicals and Ghostbusters "He means, my friends, it's bigger on the inside than it is on the outside." *
"That's impossible." Hermione Winston and Peter commented in disbelief.
Harry shook his head and eyed his friend mockingly "Couple words come to mind, dear. ROOM of REQUIREMENT. Which way Dr. Spengler…Bloody hell, does it hafta be Gringotts?"
"You know actual Goblins?" asked Peter. He then added, quite pompously "What Egon? Never read Tobin's Spirit Guide?"
Abcij
In the bank, the head Ghostbuster commanded the situation and approached the most impressively attired goblin and spoke in a guttural language "Ghal' leEz'nish jeOznaj jugh mi juGE."
"Myr~iy#aP" the shift supervisor replied pleasantly, then switched to English "Your accent is abominable, human. I will use your inferior method."
Snarling back, he replied "Clan Venkman ab Peter. How can someone so short even hear me?" he sighed boorishly "Get yer thumb out of yurazz and find me someone important."
"Pleasant to find Civil Conversation with a human. Non-wizard at that." The Goblin woman almost bowed. "Clan Branya ul Warhammar."
Head bending slightly more than hers, he addressed them "We're to follow her."
"Humans can barely tell us apart, even gender." She was impressed.
Venkman sneered before answering "I cheated. Your name told me."
"Careful" Egon warned.
Warhammar smiled and this time did bow "Through here please."
"Egon, they loathe what we call manners." Said the lead Ghostbuster "And I totally get them. Don't mind providing service, they just want their piece of the pie. You of all people should get it. Talk like you're with one of your geek buddies. Don't use ten words when two will do."
Harry nodded. This goblin sat behind an ornate desk. He did as he was told "Voldemort has no respect for you people. If he takes over he'll start another of what Binns calls Goblin Rebellions and one way or another it'll be the last."
"Your point wizard?" he demanded with a sneer. He slapped a heavy weapon on his desk "My people are prepared to take their full measure."
Harry didn't exactly follow the wording, but he didn't need to "Voldemort used horcruxes to try to be immortal. At least one is in this building."
"Humans construct the most despicable things. I assure you we would not tolerate such within our borders. If you have knowledge, even that is forbidden." It was clearly a threat.
Harry didn't care "I've already been dead. And if he's right, there's one here…NOW!"
"Approximately 20 yards that way" Egon's detector was flashing quite brightly "Ten to fifteen stories deep."
The executive looked angry "That is our high security area. A depositor would have to have had the cooperation of an employee. Treason!"
"Well, we'll split the vault with you. 50-50." Said Peter.
The goblin was both so furious at the betrayal of his nation and giddy over the prospect of a likely large payout he simply nodded "If you are correct, it will be well worth it. Heads will roll."
"I will skip on that." Hermione looked a bit queasy.
X x x
* Dr Who reference
