Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. That is the rightful property and world of J.K. Rowlings. My rights belong only in the OCs that will be added for this story: Sin, Ifrit, Kri, and Ivy.
A/N: Okay, I've no excuses. This one just popped up and just wouldn't turn off. SO I wrote it down so it'll stop pestering me so I can work on my other stuff.
xXx
Harry Potter and the Shadowmancer Chapter 1: Shadow intervention
Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, was down on one knee on the ground. Before him were two creatures that were the entity of hopelessness and fear, a Dementor. Behind him was his cousin Dudley, another creature that had made a living bullying and antagonizing people, mainly Harry himself. But the boy didn't deserve what the Dementors were planning to do. They were already working their veil power to drain Harry and Dudley of their will to live, the ability to think. If this proceeded, then they would become helpless and would be at the Dementor's mercy, and the vile phantoms would then give them the Dementor Kiss…and both of them would lose their souls and join the spectral ranks of the Dementors.
This might have been an unavoidable fate for Harry and his cousin; were he not trained in his third year at Hogwarts to defend against such beings.
He had produced his wand and was about to cast the spell that would repel the Dementors: The Patronus Charm. Nothing else crossed his mind but saving his cousin and himself from the hovering black horrors. The tip of his wand began to glow as he focused on his Patronus Charm. The spell was starting to take form when suddenly everything was enveloped in total darkness. Not even the silvery glow of Harry's wand could be seen when the mysterious darkness appeared and swallowed everything up. Harry was distraught. He couldn't see the Dementors or his Patronus Charm. If he couldn't see, then he had no idea if his spell was working and couldn't direct it at the Dementors.
He could still feel them. The air was still cold, even with the long heat wave the town had been suffering, and he knew they were still there. He didn't think Dementors had this ability to shroud an area with pitch black darkness, but if it wasn't them, then it had to be a wizard nearby casting it! Harry instinctively reached behind him, trying to feel his cousin Dudley, having to go low. Dudley had unfortunately suffered from the ill effects Dementors had on humans, and was more or less completely helpless. His quaking fingers grabbed at nothing at first, but then after his fifth attempt, he finally grabbed what felt like clothes. Giving it a quick tug to make sure he had a good grip, Harry then tried to pull the body back away from where he believed the Dementors were hovering toward them.
Problem was his cousin was a brutish built and was too heavy for Harry's rather thin frame to move. Giving up on trying moving him, Harry once more decided to try and cast his Patronus Charm, hoping it'll illuminate and fend off the Dementors. It might not work but if he could cast it, maybe he can make the Dementors think he could still see them and flee. Then he heard the Dementor's shriek. It was all too familiar to Harry, but this wasn't their normal shriek right before they struck. This one almost sounded like…they were in pain? Yes, they were shrieking in agony and it sounded like they were being dragged away. What happening? What could hurt Dementors? As far as he was taught, only the Patronus Charm could force them back.
The darkness that had blanketed over Harry and his cousin suddenly lifted. Harry jerked his head around to look for the Dementors but they weren't anywhere to be seen. What he saw instead of his cat-loving neighbor, Mrs. Figg, come running toward him. Startled, Harry started putting his wand away, not wanting his neighbor to discover the truth that he was a wizard, but as he was starting to hide it, she waved her hand at him.
"Keep that wand out, Harry! No telling if or when those Dementors will be coming back!" Mrs. Figg urged, quickening her pace.
Harry was startled. "You know what those were?"
I've known for a long time, Harry. I'm a Squib, and I was stationed here to help keep an eye on you. Better than Mundungus Fletcher! The complete moron! He was supposed to be watching you today! It was lucky that I felt something was out of miss and decided to come check on you, Harry!" Without waiting for the boy to respond she urged him to pick up his cousin. "We need to get out of here! You're not safe here, Harry."
Doing as he was told, something Harry found he was forced to do all the time, he struggled to lift his heavy cousin and carried him as best he could back to Pivot Drive 4. Along the way, Harry talked to Mrs. Figg and learned she had been placed there under Dumbledore's orders to watch over Harry, and was to never reveal her connection to the wizardry word to keep Harry and the Dursleys from learning the truth. As they were journeying away, none of them saw the lone shadow that had remained in the spot the Dementors had attacked. It rose up and took a semi-humanoid form as a pair of crimson red eyes and a smile as white as the mouth and filled with teeth as sharp as daggers appeared.
"Dumbledore owes me big for this," this shadow whispered to itself and then it quickly descended back into the ground and vanished into the surrounding shadows. It had many things to do and one of them was to report back to the old wizard that dragged it into this mess. "You really are going to owe me, you old goat!"
Much happened after that incident for Harry. First he was almost thrown out of the Dursley household after he explained what happened to Dudley. It never crossed his Uncle Vernon's mind that Harry had saved the man's son from a fate worse than death. He just figured it was Harry's fault because he was a wizard and such troubles followed him like flies to a corpse. After a sudden appears of a Howler that was sent to his Aunt Petunia, which blasted her with one single sentence, his aunt forced her husband to stop and let Harry stay. Then after a few days, Harry sent letters out to Sirius Black, Harry's Godfather, and his friends explaining what had happened, but he never got a response from any of them. He was growing frustrated from wondering why they hadn't replied yet, forcing him to lock himself away in his room just to keep out of his Uncle Vernon's sight, not wanting to deal with the man's short-fused temper.
Harry thought he might get a break when the Dursleys went to an award ceremony for the Best Lawn in England. A strange thing as the Dursley's lawn looked exactly like the rest of the neighborhoods'. Then not even after a minute they were gone, Mad-Eye Moody and Reminus Lupin and some strangers that Harry never met appeared and told him he had to leave with them right away, stating Dumbledore wanted to transport Harry to a safer location. Doing once more as he was told, Harry packed his things and after Lupin, left a note explaining to the Dursleys what was happening, they left Pivot Drive 4.
After a long flight on broomstick, Harry was taken to a strange house in London. It was only a few minutes later that he learned that it was his Godfather's family home, which was also being used as a headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix, a group that had fought against Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters back when the Dark Lord was in power. There Harry was surprised to see the Weasleys and Hermione Granger staying in the Black residence. They explained why they hadn't gotten back in touch with Harry and apologized. After which, Harry had a moment to talk to his Godfather, Sirius Black, who also was there and was relieved to have Harry away from the Dursleys and staying with him.
During his stay in his Godfather's home, Harry learned he wasn't the only one dealing with woes. The Weasleys were dealing with their own when one of their older sons, Percy, had practically disowned himself from them and allied himself fully to Cornelius Fudge, the head of Ministry of Magic. Also he had learned that the Ministry of Magic has been supporting Rita Skeeter's distorted facts to make Harry look like an attention seeking brat to the entire Wizardry World. As if that wasn't enough, Harry received a summons from said Ministry of Magic to stand trial for his illegal use of magic, as no wizard underage can use magic outside school grounds. It even stated that Harry was expelled from Hogwarts for breaking the rule.
Having to plead his side of the story to the Ministry of Magic, Harry was forced to undergo the summons. When he arrived he quickly found the whole thing was merely for show as Cornelius Fudge had no intention of giving Harry a break or a fair trial. Had it not been Dumbledore himself showing up and convincing the Ministry that Harry had not technically used any magic, having never really cast anything to ward off the Dementors, stating that the Ministry was overreacting, Harry would no doubt be visiting Azkaban and up above his ears in Dementors. Since it was proven that Harry himself did not actively use magic to ward off the Dementors, who Cornelius had major doubts they were even there in the first place, Harry was pardoned of his charges and reinstated into Hogwarts. But then as soon as the trial was over, Dumbledore immediately left without a look or word toward Harry.
Greatly disgruntled by the Headmaster's lack of acknowledging Harry during the whole trial, Harry had to admit he was very angry with the old man. What had he done to earn the distant treatment from the headmaster? Why was he being ignored and treated like he didn't exist anymore? All these questions and more followed Harry after he left the Ministry of Magic and was allowed to stay with the Weasleys for the rest of the summer break before the new school year at Hogwarts commenced.
Things seemed to have gotten back to normal, at least calmer, for Harry while he stayed with the Weasleys…that is until the owls delivered the mail, and Harry learned that only Ron and Hermione were promoted to Prefect. Harry had done so much for Hogwarts and yet he wasn't given the same honor as his two best friends? All that did was increase Harry's growing anger toward Dumbledore's strange behavior. He saw this as a form of punishment and it stung Harry deeply that he wasn't chosen to be a Prefect, mainly that Ron was made one, who in honestly wasn't the likiest choice to be picked as Prefect.
The annual trip to Diagon Alley to pick up their school supplies and books they would need for their fifth year wasn't even pleasant for Harry, as Mrs. Weasley made it a point to see that Ron had proper robes and belongings to fit his station as Prefect. It was only out of his love for the Weasleys, who really had shown him nothing but kindness since they met him, that Harry kept a calm exterior and tried his best to support his best friend's promotion to Prefect. The burning embers of jealousy were put out when Sirius came to visit and had a little heart-to-heart with his godson. Sirius explained that neither he or Harry's father, James Potter, were made Prefects either, having been too spirited during their Hogwarts years to have earn that title, and how he and James dealt with the disappointment to not being named Prefects, even though their friend Lupin was made one.
After things had settled down, Harry once more tried to put his troubles behind him, wanting to focus on what this year may bring him and focus harder on his studies to prove to Dumbledore that he still intended to become a good wizard, even despite not being made a Prefect. After everything settled down after Ron's celebrating party of being made a Prefect, and after Mad-Eye Moody and Lupin dealt with a Boggart after it had given Mrs. Weasley too much of a fright. Harry was all too willing to just get some sleep and hope this year at Hogwarts would be better than the last, wishing with all his might to just have one normal year in a school full of wizards.
Poor Harry, he should have realized by then…nothing in a wizard school would be normal, and his life was never meant to be normal.
The next day, Harry, Hermione Granger, and all the Weasleys were standing on Platform Nine and Three Quarters. Next to Harry was Sirius Black…in his Animagus form, a black dog, wanting to be with his godson as much as he could before he was out of his reach in Hogwarts. Although he was proven an innocent man, the rest of the world believed he was still a criminal as the only proof of his innocence had scampered away to return to Voldemort's side. It meant a great deal that no matter what happened; at least Harry had Sirius to rely on. The man was the only real family he ever had and wanted so long to live with. Were it not for the criminal charges he was accused off and his impressive escape from Azkaban, Harry would have left the Dursleys and moved in with Sirius as soon as he learned the man was his godfather.
But as Harry was getting on the train to Hogwarts he was sadly reminded of his friends new station as they had to ride in the Prefect carriage, leaving hair all alone until Ginny offered to sit with him during the long train ride. Joining them was Neville Longbottom, a few Gryffindor and accident-prone person, and a new person, a really strange girl by the name of Luna Lovegood. She was a Ravenclaw and had a father who was in charge of the Quibbler, the wizardry worlds version of the Tabloids. She had a very odd personality but really she was kind of interesting to Harry. They were all enjoying their time chatting the time away, when suddenly, the compartment door opened a girl who looked like she might be a sixth or maybe seventh year student stick her head into the compartment and appeared to be sniffing about.
"Uh, is there a problem?" Harry asked the strange girl, only to stop dead when she locked her eyes on him.
It wasn't so much as the cold, uncaring look on her face that took Harry off guard, it was her eyes. They glowed like neon crimson and yet had an eerie energy in them like someone was charging electricity through them. She stared at Harry with those eyes without saying anything, then continued to sniff in Harry's direction. Harry kept very still under those piercing eyes, barely managing to move his own eyes to take in her other features. She was a brunette with extremely long hair that was tied back in a ponytail with a white ribbon. Her skin was the whitest Harry had ever seen on a person, like she never had an ounce of sun touch her skin in her entire like. She was dressed like them, in standard Hogwarts robes and schoolgirl-style uniform. On her chest was a crimson badge with a white star on it.
Everyone in the compartment stayed silent as the bizarre girl, save for Luna, who had her nose buried in her copy of the Quibbler. Neville was scared out of his wits about this girl, not able to understand why. Ginny regarded her a bit differently. She curled up against Harry and started wrapping her hands around his arm defensively.
The strange girl pulled away, scanning the room but not looking at any one, as if she was searching for something in particular. Apparently not finding what she was searching for, she looked right back at Harry, then said, "You smell like snakes."
Harry froze like he was struck by a Petrificus Totalus spell. Ginny gripped at his arm tighter, feeling how stiff he suddenly became, and then she spoke up. "Who are you and why did you say that?"
The girl ignored Ginny and entered the compartment fully and leveled her face right at Harry's, staring deep into his eyes. "You've had a lot of pain in your life, haven't you?"
Harry was getting really freaked out with this person, and not with her just invading his personal space but how accurate she was. Almost everyone in the wizardry world thought he had the life of ease, being The-Boy-Who-Lived, and with the recent publicity made him out to be a spoiled, attention seeking brat. No one but Harry's real friends knew the real truth of his horrible upbringing and all the near-death experiences he's gone through, and not to mention the trauma he was still carrying after watching a fellow Hogwarts student, Cedric Diggory, die before his eyes. How did this total stranger know?
"Who are you…?" Harry demanded softly.
The girl pulled away from him and fixed him with a dead stare. She looked about ready to make a reply, until a very familiar and extremely unwanted voice echoed behind her.
"Move aside, girl. As Prefect, I need to inspect that all students are behaving!"
Ginny eyes widened in shock. "Oh, Merlin's beard…Don't tell me they made him a Prefect."
As if there couldn't have been anything worse. Draco Malfoy, a Prefect.
The strange girl that was blocking the entrance of the compartment slowly turned her head and glanced at the new Slytherin Prefect and a girl standing next to him with a Prefect badge of her own on her robe. She stared at them with a cold glare and said, "Go away…"
Draco Malfoy fumed. Some common student dared tell a Prefect what to do? He wasn't going to allow that to go by unpunished. His hand was already on his wand and it was being raised up to point right at her face, when a hand whipped out and snatched Draco's wrist, crushing it in a steel-like grip. Draco, not expecting a physical response, cried out in pain and fell to one knee instantly, trying to yank his wrist free from his attacker. Looking up he saw a tall male student with messy black hair with crimson highlights painted at the end of each lock, making it look like blades dipped in blood. At first, Draco thought the student was wearing make-up as his entire face was dark grey, like ash, but then seeing that his hand was the same color, he realized that was the guy's actual skin pigment. What hesitated Draco from throwing a few threats up at this man were the glowing eyes that bore down at him.
Or what were his eyes. Were they should have been were two orbs of what looked like molten lava swirling in his eye sockets.
"People shouldn't abuse their position. A Prefect should be setting an example for his fellow students, not ready to deliver punishment," the boy said with a dry, raspy voice that almost started like a whisper yet could be heard everywhere.
The girl Prefect had her wand out in a flash and was pointing it right at the glowing-eyed student's face. "Get your hand off Draco!"
The student tilted his head up and regarded her. "Same goes for you."
"Pansy, hex this guy already, will you!" Draco ordered panicky, trying to use his free hand to loosen the glowing-eyed student's grip.
Jumping at his command, she started to move her hand in the pattern of a hex and was moving her lips to cast her spell when the glowing-eyed boy released Draco. "No need for force, had you just said please, I'd have had released him."
"Damn wanker!" Draco cursed, fumbling back onto his feet and ripping the soreness out of his wand hand. "You'll pay for attacking a Prefect!"
"I wasn't attacking technically, I was preventing an international incident," the strange student declared, rising a hand and tapping a crimson badge, in place of a white star was an orange one. "My friend here and I are transfer students from America…had you attacked one without true probable cause; you might lose more than your position as Prefect."
Draco paled and looked quickly at Pansy to put her wand away, who was hesitant to do so.
"Regardless, you laid your hands on a Prefect while he was preforming his duty. What do you have to say about that, huh?" Pansy challenged.
"You might wish to ask that to my partner behind you," the transfer student replied simply, pointing a finger over their shoulders.
Turning around, Draco and Pansy saw a girl that looked exactly like the male student, only her hair had reverse colors, mostly red with black highlights at the end of her locks. Her skin was just as grey as his, and like him, her eyes were glowing but a brighter red. On her robe was a crimson badge with a bright red sun. She wasn't as tall as either the male or other female transfer student, but she still reached Draco's height and it was enough for her to just drill her own scary eyes into him.
The two Prefect Slytherins jerked back in surprise. Neither felt or heard her coming up behind them. Had the male transfer student not pointed her out, she could have easily taken them both down had they tried anything. The male transfer student faintly scratched at his left cheek idly as a faint smirk crossed his mouth.
"I'd suggest inspecting the other compartments. I think I saw one group playing with what looked like firecrackers…" he said.
Just as he finished saying that, one of the compartments further down the train erupted with smoke and twirling red sparks, followed by surprised cries from the people in there. Draco shot a hateful glare at the transfer student, but reluctantly pushed past him so he could go inspect the smoking compartment. After they had gone, the transfer students all entered the compartment with Harry.
"Don't mind if we bunk in here for the rest of the trip, do you? Our original compartment is currently smoked out," the male transfer student said, leaning against the door after he closed, leaving the two girls to have what was left of the sitting space.
"Not at all, thanks for getting rid of Draco, by the way. He's horrible to deal with, even before he became a Prefect," Ginny replied, smiling graciously up at him.
He nodded back. "Glad to deal away with spoil brats."
"Who are you guys, anyways? I never knew Hogwarts had a transfer program," Neville said, deciding to be a bit blunt.
"I apologize. We should have introduced ourselves first. My name is Ifrit. The first girl you met is named Ivy Morningstar, my partner is Kri," the male transfer student introduced.
"You're partner?" Ginny uttered, looking at them with a perplexed brow raised.
"Just as I said, my partner," Ifrit said and seemed content to leave it at that.
"I know Americans have some weird slang, but isn't that a bit plain for calling your girlfriend your partner?" Neville commented.
Kri looked at Neville and her eyes got brighter. "I'm more than his girlfriend."
"Then what are you?" Ginny asked curiously.
"They're soul-mates," Ivy interjected simply. "They're bonded in a magical and spiritual way that goes deeper than what you call love."
At this, Luna lowered her paper and regarded the new people that had introduced them. She sighed and expressed an even more dreamy face. "That's so romantic, always together...even when in the loo."
"It's a bit more than that," Ifrit said softly, giving the platinum a curious look, then his gaze lingered over to Kri, who reached out and gripped the edge of his robes affectionately. He reached down and stroked the back of her palm with his thumb.
"How did you two become soul-mates?" Ginny asked curiously, her eyes darting for a quick moment at Harry.
Ifrit lowered his head. "It's complicated…and very rare, even in the magical world."
They waited for Ifrit to elaborate further but he didn't say anything more about it. Harry decided to change the topic.
"So you're from America? How long have you been in England?" Harry said.
"We've been here for a week so far. We stayed in London and spent most of our time in Diagon Alley, until it was time to board the train to Hogwarts," Ivy answered, speaking back up.
"Never met anyone from the colonies before," Neville remarked. "None of you sound really American." He heard Americans had a very particular way of speaking English. None of it polished or very distinctive, but the way Ifrit spoke, he sounded like might have come from Asia.
"How are we supposed to sound?" Ifrit retorted roughly.
"Umm, er-I mean to say…" Neville said, flustered.
Ifrit stopped him with a rise of the hand. "It's all right. I'm just pulling your leg a bit."
"Oh…okay," Neville said, sighing in relief.
Harry chuckled a little under this breath and stood up from his seat and extended his hand out to Ifrit. "Well, my name's Harry Potter and let me be the first friendly Brit to welcome you to England and to Hogwarts."
Ifrit slowly took the offered hand and shook it. "Thank you, Harry. That is kind of you."
Harry smiled friendly-like and then offered his hand to Kri, who wordlessly shook it, then to Ivy who just stared at it and then looked away.
"Don't mind Ivy, Harry. She's really a nice person but you have to earn her respect before she acknowledges people," Ifrit said with a light chuckle. "And some will find that very hard to earn."
The Hogwarts group accepted that.
"So, what made you want to join the transfer program?" Ginny asked.
Ifrit shrugged. "Something different, really."
Ginny frowned at his simple reply. "There's got to be more to it than that."
The corner of Ifrit's mouth moved up and his eyes moved to Ivy and to Kri before looking right at Harry. "…There might be."
"Well?" Ginny urged.
Ifrit just grinned softly.
"Why do your eyes glow? Are you by chance a half-breed?" Luna suddenly said.
Ifrit looked at her sharply, as did Kri and Ivy.
"Why do you say that?" Ifrit replied, his tone hardening.
"Just normal people don't have colorations like you do, or glowing eyes. Usually, that is only a case if someone in their family bloodline has had a child with a non-human species," Luna responded in her calm, mellow fashion.
Ifrit frowned deeply. "If you must know, yes…I'm not entirely human and I'm not very fond of spreading that around."
It was then that Kri spoke up for the very first time. "We like to keep that bit to ourselves."
"Then you can be sure none of us here will let that out," Harry stated. "It's not our place to judge."
A faint smile appeared on Ivy's face, but only Ifrit caught it before it vanished when everyone else looked at her when she said, "Very wise for one so young."
Harry looked away bashful. He didn't think there was anything wise about it. He was just being considerate. After all, he would have appreciated it if someone kept something he didn't want others to know about to themselves. The rest of the trip had gone by peacefully. Draco had kept away from them. They enjoyed some of the treats from the candy trolley when it came to their compartment, Harry being generous and paying for all the sweets for his friends. Kri had asked why they didn't have any Pocky, and what person in their right mind would not think of adding that to a candy trolley. Ifrit then pulled out a little red box from somewhere in his robes and handed it to her when she started to look depressed. Seeing the box, she beamed and pounced on Ifrit and the Hogwarts students could have sworn they heard her purring.
It was after Ifrit got Kri off him that he explained what Pocky was, and then produced another box that he had and let everyone try one. Then gave Kri what remained in the box. Harry found he liked them immediately, thinking they would be perfect with a hot cup of coco or even used when serving tea since they were a kind of biscuit, just chocolate coated. Ifrit had helped himself to some of the wizard candy, even trying some Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. He sniffed at each one before trying them, throwing what he considered bad away and popping one that smelled right to him into his mouth. They then started asking Ifrit to pick out the good ones for them and they were rewarded with excellent flavored ones. Not a single disappointing taste greeted their tongues.
The time flew by for the group and soon the train arrived at Hogwarts train station and all the students piled out and grouped up according to what year they were in. Harry looked around expecting to see Hagrid, who always was at the station to greet all the First Years and lead them to the boats that were traditionally used by First Years. It made Harry worry. Hagrid had some faults but he always took all his duties seriously and never faltered in them. For him not to be present could only mean something was keeping him away. It was just another part of the strange puzzle that was building up to Harry. First Dumbledore wouldn't speak to him and now Hagrid was nowhere to be seen.
Things didn't get any better when all the Fifth Years were instructed to ride strange carriages pulled by frightening looking winged horses. Harry had pointed them out to Ron and Hermione when he finally regrouped with them. They both gave him the strangest looks after he did, though. They stated they saw nothing, even after Harry was practically pointing at one of the winged horses. He gave up after Ron questioned if he was mentally okay and for a moment Harry feared he might be cracking up, until Luna came up to him quietly and said that she could see them. She saw them since she first came to Hogwarts and that they've always been there. This made Harry wondering exactly why he was only now able to see them.
Harry's new friends had decided to join Harry in his carriage, but oddly Ifrit chose to ride on top of the carriage while Ivy and Kri sat inside. It was probably for the best since there wasn't that much room in the carriage. As it was, Kri was forced to sit on Ivy's lap, but if the eerily quiet girl had any complaints, she never showed it. Harry quickly introduced them to Ron and Hermione. Ron stated very quickly they were weird, just like Luna and Kri in response flipped Ron off with her middle finger. Ivy just glared cold daggers at Ron and that silenced him throughout the rest of the ride. Once they arrived to the castle Harry had to break up an argument between Ron and Luna after he voiced his concerns about Hagrid to them. After he got them to stop. They joined the rest of the students as they filed into the Grand Hall and took their seat at their respective house tables, save for the first years who waited to be sorted by the Sorting Hat.
Ivy, Ifrit, and Kri were made to go stand with the First Years, as technically this was their first year at Hogwarts and needed to be sorted into one of the four houses. All of the first years gave the three older students a wide berth, most likely freaked out by their glowing eyes and odd skin color. After Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat in their seats at the Gryffindor table he glanced up at the table all the Professors sat at, seeing Dumbledore sitting at his usual spot in the middle, but not making eye-contact with Harry. Nor could he as the headmaster was in a deep discussion with someone Harry had hoped to never see again.
Dolores Umbridge.
She was the Senior Undersecretary to Cornelius Fudge at the Ministry of Magic and had been present at Harry's hearing, constantly commenting on what she thought was the truth and nearly calling Harry a flat-out liar. Watching the pair talk it appeared to Harry that they were arguing over something and at one point Umbridge jabbed a fat, short finger the end of the table. Not able to help himself, Harry looked to what Umbridge had pointed at and he unintentionally came into eye-contact with a new man sitting with the Professors. It was in that moment that Harry realized the man had been looking directly at him that entire time. As when Harry first looked at him, the man winked right at Harry.
The first thing Harry noticed was his skin was the exact same color as Ivy's and had crimson eyes, but unlike Ivy's whose were cold and distant and filled with energy, this man's eyes were full of amusement and dark in a way. Not dull in a sense, but rather they shined with a darker light in them and rather than have normal pupils, his were slit like a cat's…or a snake's. His hair was abnormally long and tied back in a complex braid behind him, save for a few long bangs that hung over his face, almost completely covering his left eye. Broad across his face was a grin that made Harry very unnerved. It was the kind of grin that someone would show when they had something on you and you didn't wish for anyone to know. He sat next to Severus Snape, who did not look at all pleased to be sitting next to the creepy-looking man.
Who could blame him? If someone had a Cheshire smile like that, they'd just be as uncomfortable.
Ron leaned over after tapping Harry's shoulder. "Who's that creepy looking guy?"
Hermione looked up, too. "…You think he might be a plant for…You-Know-Who?"
"Can't be," Harry said instantly. "Dumbledore knows the truth about Voldemort. He's as paranoid as we are. He wouldn't allow someone here unless he wanted him here."
Ron and Hermione inwardly shuddered. They still couldn't get over the fact that Harry would say the evilest wizard's name so nonchalant. But Hermione secretly admired that Harry wasn't giving into the fear that everyone else had when it came to the Dark Lord…she just hoped that courage he had didn't get him killed, which brought her to the imposing threat that the Senior Undersecretary might present.
"Then why is that Umbridge lady here?" Hermione questioned, giving the fat, toad-like woman the stink eye.
"Nothing good, that much I can tell," Ron uttered.
They quieted down when Dumbledore finally tired with arguing with the fat woman and addressed the students that had all been waiting patiently. The Sorting Hat had been brought out and as expected, it started off with a new song it had no doubt been working on all year on. Yet this time when it finished, it held a warning for all students, and only Harry and his friends understood the weight of that warning. Dumbledore had basically told all the students to beware…Voldemort was indeed back…without directly insinuating that the Ministry was being ignorant of the looming danger.
Umbridge had started to stand and looked about ready to make some grand speech….without permission from Dumbledore, but as soon as she stood, the new professor with the slitted eyes looked away from Harry—who had never stopped looking at the boy—and turned to Umbridge. "…Deary, why not wait until the hat has a chance to place the new students, they've been standing long enough waiting to be sorted. Let's at least get that over with and let them sit before you start crocking."
"Why you rude, un-couth—!"
Her voice died in her throat when the entire Great Hall suddenly dimmed. It wasn't just a slight deem, it almost went pitch black. The flames on all the floating candles above everyone's head looked to have lost their glow.
The new professor leaned forward in his seat, resting his elbows on the table and intertwining his fingers together. "It wasn't a request…" he said with a deadly note in his voice.
Umbridge flinched at his words and quickly planted her rump back in her seat and closed up her wide mouth. As soon as she did, the dimness backed off and everything returned to its normal lighting. The new professor grinned like a fiend and reclined in his chair, then said, "Headmaster…you may commence with the Sorting."
Dumbledore had a worried look on his face, something that made everyone nervous. If the headmaster was weary, then they all should be, too. Harry kept wondering to himself…who is this guy?
Deciding to proceed with the Sorting, Dumbledore called Professor McGonagall to begin the sorting. She started calling the names of each new First Year and soon they were sorted into their houses, but the last to go were the three transfer students. At this, Dumbledore sat back up and spoke. "Ah, our three first volunteered students from across the Atlantic Ocean. Coming all the way from America to attend our humbled school. Please, everyone welcome them."
All the students and the teachers gave a round of applause for the transfer students, save for Umbridge, who was glaring very disapprovingly at them when Harry glanced at her. She apparently wasn't at all pleased about them being here for whatever reason. Maybe she was one of those families that still held a grudge when the colonies severed their ties with the King of Britain. But Harry had to wonder what did the toad-ish woman approved of and it involuntarily made him shudder to just what those could be.
Dumbledore left his place at the table and waved for Professor McGonagall to return to her own seat. "I think I will conduct this part of the Sorting, if you don't mind, Professor McGonagall."
"Of course," Professor McGonagall replied respectfully and bowed her head and handed Dumbledore the scroll with all the First Years names, then took her place amongst her fellow professors.
Dumbledore took a moment to gaze at the bottom of the scroll and then waved with one free hand. "Mrs. Ivy Morningstar! Would you please come forward."
Ivy strolled up to the headmaster and walked with purpose up to the stool. Harry noticed that many of the male students were gazing at her admiringly and some leaning toward their buddies to whisper about how attractive she was. If Ivy noticed any of it, she looked completely devoid of it. Her face was as calm and solid as sculptured ice as she looked directly over everyone's head as Dumbledore placed the Sorting Hat on her head.
"Hmm, what's this?! I never would have imagined we'd have someone like you here!" the Sorting Hat gawked as it came to life on top of her head.
This puzzled everyone. What did he mean by someone like her? The mystery only grew when the hat looked at the headmaster, or what passed for looking with the wrinkled folds that made out its eyes.
"What sort of challenge is this, headmaster?" the hat requested.
The headmaster shrugged with that amused gleam in his eye.
Seeing it wasn't going to get an answer out of the headmaster, the Sorting Hat went about doing what it did best. After a moment, the folds that made up its mouth were gaping opening and it looked as if it was shaking, like it was afraid, then it quickly shouted out. "G-Gryffindor!"
The expected sighs of disappointment came from the other three houses, but a roaring cheer from the Gryffindors as they were first to get a transfer student. It would give their house more to boast since over Slytherin. Dumbledore took off the Sorting Hat, who was almost trying to jump off her head to get away, and she calmly made her way over to the Gryffindor table and without looking at anyone, even when she was being offered a seat, she went start to Harry and glared at Ron. Getting the clue and almost flinching under her scary gaze, Ron bolted to the side, nearly knocking Neville off his seat to make room. Ivy then planted herself right next to Harry and the faintest of a playful smirk appeared on her face when she glanced at Harry before returning to her neutral expression.
Harry blushed a bit at that look, but nonetheless feeling ecstatic that his new friend would be in the same house as he. Hopefully Ifrit and Kri would be, too. Dumbledore called Ifrit next, but didn't state his last name, just Ifrit, leaving everyone wondering. As soon as the Sorting Hat was on his head, the hat almost screamed at the top of its non-existent lungs.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The Gryffindor table almost leaped out of their seats since they got another of the three transfer students, getting angry glares from the Slytherin house and disappointed ones from the other two houses. When Kri was called, like Ifrit, only her first name was called out. She just looked at the Sorting Hat and it shivered in Dumbledore's hand and shocking everyone for the final time. It didn't want to be placed on her head at all and shouted out Gryffindor one more time.
Kri didn't bother waiting after that was announced, she turned around and hooked her arm around Ifrit's, who had stood waiting for her turn, and then led her to the Gryffindor table and sat next to Harry's group. Dumbledore handed the whimpering hat to McGonagall, who started patted the back of it, like one would a frighten child, then the Headmaster coughed nervously and extended out an arm to the Gryffindor's table.
"What fortune has smiled down on the Gryffindor House to not gain one by all our first transfer students. Many things will be expected this year from you, Gryffindors, so please welcome these transfer students as you would anyone joining your house!" Dumbledore declared and then went back to his seat. Once he was seated, he waved a hand over to Umbridge. "Now I turn the floor over to Professor Umbridge, who has a few things she has been requested to say to all the students on behalf of the Ministry of Magic."
Here, Harry tuned everything out. He already figured that Umbridge would tell everyone that Voldemort hadn't returned and that everything was still the way it has been since his defeat. But he was horrified and angry when the toadish woman proclaimed how the Ministry of Magic was going to have a more active role in Hogwarts and namely…how the students were taught.
"…Now that you all know the truth. I will now take this time to inform you that I will be your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and that I will see that you are properly...educated, and that is why…"
The room went almost pitch black, cutting the speech short. At this, Dumbledore glanced over at the grinning professor who was looking directly back at him. Dumbledore rose, clearing his throat, and as he did, the room lit back up. "I'm afraid that there has been a slight misunderstanding, Professor Umbridge. You will not be teaching the Defense Against the Dark Arts, rather, you will be observing it and acting as assistant or substitute for our newest professor." Dumbledore waved his head in an upward gesture.
The grinning professor did as he was asked so all in the room could see him. Harry gawked some when the man did rise. He was abnormally tall, not nearing Hagrid's height, but the man easily towered over an average person. His grin widened as his slitted eyes scanned the room, as he spoke. "You will know me as Professor Sinclair, I prefer another name, but that is only given to those that earn it. It is rare for someone like me to be among so many witches and wizards, especially a whole flock of young ones. Be sure….you will never meet another person like me, ever."
With that, he sat back down with that Cheshire smile plastered on his pale face. That might have seem to be enough of an introduction for him, but Umbridge did not seem pleased at all with having her authority changed. "Now see here! I have orders from the…"
"This matter will be discussed in my office, Professor Umbridge," Dumbledore said, cutting her off before a long winded argument could erupt. Any further outbursts were halted from Umbridge, no doubt saying her fury for then. Seeing she would remain silent, Dumbledore turned to all the awkwardly staring students. "Let the feast…begin."
As before, food magically appeared on the table, foods of various kinds. Even on the Professors table…but not in front of Professor Sinclair. Only a golden goblet appeared in front of him, and Snape started to flinch away when Sinclair reached for it and started sipping from it. Harry knew this because he never took his eyes off the grinning professor since he was spoke. There was something eerie about him and Harry was going to find out why a guy like him was in Hogwarts.