Chapter 15: The Opening
DaughterOfIris23 is the beta for this chapter.
HP-BTVS-HP-BTVS
"Arthur Weasley, I see your standards of acquaintances has not improved," Lucius Malfoy drawled, peering at the motley crew with disdain. They ranged from purebloods to muggles. Muggles, they were polluting the Alley. He would never get the stench off.
"Lucius," was all Mr. Weasley said, then he turned around and resumed his talk with Xander about dinner arrangements. The rest of the group ignored the blond as well.
Malfoy ignored the snub, he was quite used to it when it came to Arthur Weasley, and he eyed the muggle man with yellow eyes. Fudge had said the man had magic, wandless magic at that. But how? According to Draco, and his many spies, the man was just a muggle. But for one fanciful tale of the man flying he had never been seen using magic. At all. True he had killed Quirrell, but it was with a muggle weapon. His yellow eyes, and how he obtained them, could not be explained away though. Perhaps they were all mistaken. The paper said he was King of the Goblins. But rumor said that he beat the former king without magic. The whole thing was a conundrum.
Wanting answers, Lucius tapped the man on the shoulder with his cane. "You there…" was all he got out, when suddenly his cane was ripped from his hand and snapped at the middle. His eyes went wide. He hoped that his wand was okay. However, the sparks coming from the cane belied that thought.
"Don't ever touch me," Xander said, his eyes glowing with a touch of wildness. "I will see you as a threat and act accordingly, if you touch me again," he warned, throwing the broken cane at Lucius.
Lucius looked at the damaged cane and was dismayed that his wand was indeed now snapped. He would need a new one from Knockturn Alley. One of the Dark Lord followers made top-notch custom wands and gave discounts to all his brethren. It would not be the first time he ventured there; his wand had been broken many times during the war.
Angry over his wand, and never one to back down, Malfoy said, "You, Harris, would do well to respect your betters. You will be paying for my cane and wand, and you will be apologizing to me for your affront. That cane was an heirloom, handed down for ten generations."
"Not in this lifetime. I don't put on airs, and I don't cater to those who do. You touched me first. Your cane was a weapon that I rendered useless. The fact that your wand was in there, was not my fault. If you don't want your toys broken, don't touch people," the wolf-eyed man said, taking a step closer and making sure the kids were with adults.
"I was merely trying to get your attention," scoffed the tall blond. He looked around and was pleased to see that many people were watching. This would put the man in his place when he handed out some discipline.
"You don't get people's attention by touching them with a weapon. I am not one of your toadies, Malfoy." He smiled at the man's surprise. "Yes, I know who you are, Lucius. Your son looks just like you. He puts on airs too." Xander nodded to the quiet boy who was sneering at him. "Now the way I see it, this can go one of two ways. You can leave and forget this ever happened, or I can embarrass you and you will still leave, but no one will forget this day," he said, taking another step closer and getting in the man's face.
"I don't know who you think you are, Harris," Malfoy sneered at who he deemed was the lesser man. "However, I will not be spoken to that way by a muggle," he spat, not backing down one wit. He still needed to get the Dark Lord's diary to the youngest Weasley. He had no idea how to do that in this situation. The Weasleys and the Grangers were fanned out, surrounding the two men and Draco. There would be no opportunity to get to the youngest child. She was shielded by her oldest brother, and Lucius knew better than to mess with William Weasley.
"The hard way it is," Harris said cheerfully, stepping back. He conjured a clay-pigeon, making it look like it had come from his pocket, and threw it in the air. He then drew his gun and fired. The pigeon shattered, and the fragments showered down on the now screaming crowd. "If you don't want your head to explode like that, you'll leave," he said menacingly, pointing the gun at said head.
The audience for this little drama had settled down, but stayed far back, especially the muggleborn, and were looking at Xander with fear and respect. The muggle-raised admired at how quick and accurate the shot was. The wizard-raised were just in awe, period.
Lucius Malfoy, right hand man of Voldemort, pissed his pants. He had heard the rumors of how quick Quirrell's death was, but he had brushed them off. Now, he witnessed something he had never seen before. He didn't know anything that could do that, it was faster than a bludgeoning spell. The man didn't have a wand. He didn't cast a spell. He simply pointed a muggle object, created a loud bang and the disk exploded. It had to be enchanted. There was no way a muggle weapon could do this. Harris must be as powerful as the Dark Lord. He, Lucius, was defenseless, no wand and no way to protect himself or his only child. So, he took the coward's way, and without saying another word, he grabbed his son, who was also shaking in fear, and Disapparated. He was going to get Harris for this embarrassment. He'd figure another way to get the diary into the school.
Hpbtvshpbtvs
The crowd outside the bookstore exploded with whispers and clapping. They had never seen anyone put a Malfoy in his place.
"Come on, let's go eat," Xander said to his group.
"What was that?" Arthur asked, very wary.
So, Xander, Harry and the Grangers spent the next hour at dinner explaining the workings of firearms to the magicals. Arthur and Augusta paled at every word. This was something else the magicals would have to report. Longbottom to the Wizengamot, and Weasley to his boss.
A few days later Harry and Xander came home from a weekend camping trip. It was great. They camped in the woods and reveled in serene nature. Xander taught his son how to cook on a fire, catch small game, and find water. All with and without magic. If Harry ever got caught in the woods, he now stood a better chance of not starving. Well, maybe after they did this a time or two.
When they got home, Harry went to pack for school. They'd be leaving in a few days, and he wanted to make sure he had all his books put in his trunk. He entered his room and on his bed was a house elf. The elf was in sad shape, the coloring on parts of his exposed skin looked to be bruised. Harry was immediately concerned. He stunned the elf and laid him on the bed. "Xander!" he called.
Xander came running. He saw the abused elf on the bed and asked, "What's up? Who's this?"
"I don't know. I didn't give him time to talk. He looked like he was in pain, so I thought we'd treat him first, then find out what he wants."
"So… you just knocked him out?" he asked with a chuckle, pulling out potions and balms that he had put in his pocketspace for the camping trip.
"Have you ever tried to get an elf to take care of itself?" Harry asked incredulously, picking up the bruise balm. He had once, when one of the Hogwarts elves had cut itself. The poor thing tried to continue what it was doing, but Harry argued with it for a half an hour to get the cut treated. He didn't want to have to do that with this guy.
"Point," Xander conceded, helping Harry apply what was needed.
The two worked on the unknown house elf, until the bruising faded, and all the wounds they could find were healed. They then revived the little guy to find out what he wanted.
The elf jerked awake and marveled in how good he felt. "Harry Potter has healed Dobby," he said in awe. "Dobby is being knowing you is a great wizard, but to bes healing a lowly house elf…"
"Is that your name? Dobby?" Harry asked, sitting on the bed next to the elf. He ignored the praise for now. House elves tended to do that.
"Yes, that is being Dobby's name," was the answer from the still shocked elf.
"So, Dobby, what are you doing here?" Xander asked as he conjured a chair next to the bed.
"Dobby is coming to warn Harry Potter and Mr. Wolfy. There is to be bad things happening at Hogwarts. My master is being very angry at Harry Potter and Mr. Wolfy. He is saying terrible things," the elf confessed coming out of his shock. His bulbous eyes wide with sadness and fear. He looked up to Harry Potter with hope and worry.
The two humans shared a look. It didn't take much to figure out who Dobby was talking about, but they stayed silent about that for now.
"What bad things?" Harry inquired instead. Hoping to head anything off early.
"Dobby cannot say," Dobby said, hanging his head in shame. "Dobby is truly wanting to help. He is being trying to hide Harry Potter's post, but Harry Potter did not write to anyone."
"Wait, you tried to get my mail?" Harry asked, not sure if he should be upset.
"Dobby is only being trying to help," the little guy reiterated.
"That's okay, Dobby. I understand," the dark-haired boy said, putting his hand on Dobby's shoulder, making the poor elf flinch and sigh at the same time.
"What can you tell us?" Xander asked, hoping to get as much information as possible.
"Only that Harry Potter and Mr. Wolfy must not go back to Hogwarts," the elf warned.
"Well, seeing as I own the building, I don't think that's going to happen," Xander said with a chuckle.
"Harry Potter and Mr. Wolfy have healed Dobby. Dobby will stop you. Yes, he will." And with that the little guy disappeared.
"Well, this should be a fun year," Harry quipped.
"Yeah," Xander agreed, clapping the boy on the back and gathering up the balms and potions to put away.
Dobby didn't visit again, and they enjoyed what was left of summer, and it was now time to board the train. The two went to the train station, via Harry Air, and they boarded without issue. Harry was safely sequestered with his friends, and Xander did his patrols. They were halfway to Hogwarts, when Neville noticed the train slowing down.
"Are we there already?" he asked, peering out the window.
"We shouldn't be," Hermione answered, also looking outside. "Oh no, we've stopped," she wailed, then went on a small rant on how they were going to be late or miss school all together.
"Hermione, calm down. I think I know what happened," Harry said mysteriously. He wasn't worried, they'd get to school one way or another. Though he thought it a bit funny that his bushy-haired friend seemed to be getting worked up.
"What?" the other two kids asked.
"I have a stalker," he answered with a smirk.
"Who?" was the next question.
"We're pretty sure it's the Malfoy's house elf. Dobby."
"Why would a house elf be stalking you?" Neville questioned. "I've never heard of an elf that went outside the household without their master's permission. Maybe Malfoy Sr. wants the elf to hurt you, which doesn't make sense, since elves are pacifist."
"He's trying to protect me," Harry replied.
"Oh. Okay," the other boy drew out a bit confused.
"Anyway, we should just wait for Xander to come and get us. He'll figure out how we'll get to school," Harry said, settling back on the bench. He could hear the rest of the students in the car running around, trying to figure out what happened. He knew that Xander would come. He always did. And he was right.
Xander popped in a minute later and looked around. "Well, this is a fine pickle," he said with a chuckle. "Harry, want to pop us to the school? Put the car at the gates, so it doesn't block the tracks" he suggested.
"Do you really think I can?" the dark-haired wizard ask, wrinkling his brow.
"Yup. It should be as easy as transporting a group, just include the car," Xander said encouragingly.
"Okay," was the reply. And with more wrinkling of the brow, Harry did as was asked.
The two other children noted the change in scenery outside and looked at Harry with wonder. They knew Harry was powerful, but this was amazing. He had to have moved the train car over hundreds of kilometers.
"What do we tell all the other students?" Hermione asked, knowing they wanted this type of magic kept quiet.
"That it's a safety feature of the train. Since it's never happened before, no one will question it," Xander answered, that and it would be easy to make it one. He then stood and stretched. "I need to get back to the rest of the train. You guys head to the castle." He made a small announcement to the rest of the car, via the magical loudspeakers, and then he disappeared.
"Let's go," Harry groused. He knew it was going to be an interesting year, but did it have to start so early?
Harry, Hermione, and Neville explained to the rest of the carriage the story Xander told them to. They all went to the castle, and most everyone but the trio, were in wonder what all the lights were for and how they worked. The trio of second-years said they would learn at the feast.
When the rest of the older children came to the castle from the carriages, they were in awe. Hogwarts was brighter than before. It was like a shining beacon in the night. They marveled at the electric lights that lined the hall and were completely floored by the crystal chandeliers in the Great Hall. In a daze they all took their seats, hoping the Headmaster would explain. They got their wish when the old man stood.
"As you can see, Hogwarts has been supplemented with electricity. We will explain after the Sorting is done." He then sat and waved McGonagall to get the first years.
The Sorting went off without a hitch and soon it was time for further explanation. Albus and Xander stood and the Hall silenced.
"As the new owner of the building, Mr. Harris, felt it was his duty to make sure you, the students, had as easy of a life as one can get in a school. He will now explain what he has done," the Headmaster said, then waved to Xander then retook his seat.
Xander nodded to him and turned to the kids. "I have added lights so that you can read and write without a headache. I am surprised that half of you are not blind. Though I suppose that your magic heals you. There you go, think of it this way, if your magic is not healing you, then you have more to do spells with. We added outlets for things like computers, radios, and even small televisions. It is up to you to use them responsibly."
"How dare you defile this prestigious school with muggle garbage," someone shouted. There was a lot of grumbling in agreement.
"This is my castle. You don't like it, go home," Xander said, then turned back to his explanation. "There will be punishment if you are disrespectful of your fellow dormmates. We only added lights and heat to the sleeping areas, no outlets, so that no one is kept awake by their friends. You can have battery operated clocks, but nothing else." He heard a few groans at this announcement and added. "There will be no cooking, or potion making in the dorms. We have rooms set up for that with enough fire-retardant spells on them to prevent the burning down of my home."
That seemed to perk a few up. There were many kinds of food they missed during the year, and now they could make some and share with their friends.
"We can use spells for alarm clocks, why would we need a battery operated one?" a seventh year Ravenclaw asked.
"The lower years don't know those spells," was the obvious answer from Joyce.
"One other thing, there will be a mandatory class, held on Saturdays, taught by me. This class will explain how we got the electricity, what can be done with it, and how to safely use it. I do want to state right now, we are not trying to stomp on tradition, nor are we trying to replace magic. These are tools to help you get further in life. They will educate you enough that you will not accidently break the Statute of Secrecy. And you can have fun with them as well. Now, let's eat," Xander said, waving his hand for the feast.
The children talked excitedly while they ate, and soon were reconnecting with their housemates. They all had a wonderful time, and for Harry it was a relief. He loved Xander, and it was because of that man's tireless patience, that Harry was able to be around people without flinching. Unlike his first year, Harry got to know the people he was to spend the next six years with. He found them to be just like him, mostly. They had quite a few of the same worries, and expectations. Most of them just wanted to do well at school and get a job after.
Xander was not having as good a time. He was next to Lockhart. He hated that man's bragging and vowed to get rid of him first chance he got.
"I heard what happened to you during my book signing," the blond man said, smiling in a knowing way. "I would have come to help, but my adoring public needed me."
"What happened?" asked Dumbledore, with a bit of hope in his voice that Xander had no trouble interpreting. He knew that Dumbledore was trying to get some goods on him.
"Malfoy decided to try and make an example of me. He failed," Xander answered succinctly. He hoped to stop the story from being elaborated on.
"Oh dear, I do hope you did not alienate the man. He is quite powerful in the Wizarding World," Albus said in his disappointed grandfather voice that didn't fool anyone.
"From what I hear," Gilderoy said, tossing his long blond hair over his shoulder, "Xander here made the man urinate on himself. I would have caused the same effect, had I been there."
"Meh, I don't like braggarts or stuck-up people," Xander said pointedly, pausing to take another bite of his meal. "They both run when the chips are down," he declared when he finished his piece of steak. He gave a meaningful look to the blond next to him.
Lockhart fumed at his dinner. His thoughts were clear on his face. He was still mad at Xander for getting his books nixed. He had to be calculating how to turn the odds in his favor.
"I know what you're thinking," Harris softly stated right next to Lockhart's ear, almost gagging on the man's overwhelming aftershave. "Your face is like an open book. I will just say one word. Don't," he threatened, his voice dripping with dangerous tones, his eyes flaring with power.
All Gilderoy could do was nod, his fear evident.
Classes, new and old, were attended, practical and written homework finished, new teachers gawked at since they were the famous Flamels, and time moved on. The only bone of contention with his Housemates that Harry had was a new kid that had taken to following him around. Colin Creevey. The kid was okay, but he had a bad habit of taking Harry's picture randomly. Xander had confiscated a great deal of film from the boy and Colin was warned not to take anymore. That didn't stop him from following Harry around.
The other stalker Harry had was Ginny Weasley, but she followed from a distance. She would peek around corners, and blush madly when the Boy-Who-Lived looked her way.
Harry just hoped they didn't get together and form a Harry Potter Fan Club or something equally stupid. Little did he know there already was one, and his two stalkers were new members. Xander knew about it, but he thought it was funny, so he didn't let the kid know… yet.
Xander had asked Harry to keep a lookout for the 'big bad' that was supposed to happen. So far, all Harry had seen was a few rundown looking students. He used his metamorphous ability to go into all the common rooms, but he heard nothing about any monster. He had no idea what he was supposed to be looking for, but duly reported everything to his dad. Xander said he'd keep an eye out for those that looked worn, but they were probably OWL or NEWT students.
Lockhart continued to show his incompetence, with every class. After the first class where the man had released Cornish Pixies on the kids, and then ran when they got out of control, Xander had taken to sitting in. After seeing Gilderoy reenact scenes from his books, he told the man if he didn't teach from the textbook, he'd be fired. Still the braggart… bragged. He would read from the book and then would tell the kids how he would use the spell, making up stories as he went. The girls from all year groups were now staring dreamily at the man. Even Hermione. He didn't teach them any practical lessons. Harry hoped the man was gone soon.
It was a week from Halloween that Harry came running into the 'house'. "Xander!" he yelled. "Norberta can talk!"
"Now see, I've been to her alcove, and I've never heard her talk," the wolf-eyed man said with a lifting of his eyebrows.
"Not like humans," Harry huffed. "She hisses," he added as if it were obvious.
"He's a parselmouth," Joyce said excitedly, jumping up and giving the Boy-Who-Lived a hug. "Sally was one too."
"What's that when it's at home?" Xander asked Minerva. They had been sitting down to tea when Harry burst in.
"A person who can speak to snakes and larger reptiles," she answered with pursed lips. Xander gave her a questioning look. "There is a bad cognation with parselmouths. They are said to be inherently evil."
"I've always understood snakes," Harry confessed, looking down at the floor. "I thought all wizards could."
Joyce held the sad young man tighter. "Harry, you listen to me," she said, pulling them apart and holding Harry at arm's length so he could see her serious face. "You are not evil. Sally wasn't evil, though I'm sure that's where the rumor started. There have been hundreds of parselmouths in this school over the years and only a handful have been considered evil." She pulled him back into a hug and ran her fingers through his hair trying to reassure him.
"I wonder if that's what I've been hearing in the walls," Harry speculated, reflecting on the voice he heard just yesterday. He nudged out of the hug and sat on the couch next to his foster grandmum. Joyce sat on his other side. "They keep saying they are hungry and want to kill things."
"You heard murderous voices in the walls and didn't tell me?" Xander asked, perturbed. "How can I do my job if I don't have the intel?"
"I'm sorry," Harry said, looking at his father with sorrowful eyes. "When Hermione and Neville said they didn't hear anything, I thought I should keep it to myself. Being the only one to hear voices that talk about killing is not a good sign." He had been really scared too. The voice kept talking about being hungry and wanting to kill. He had wanted to tell his dad, but his friends said that it would not be a good idea.
"Mr. Potter, if you hear voices that talk about murder, then we need to examine you right away. There are many spells that can be cast on a person that will force them to do something against their will. Come over here and let me make sure none have been cast on you," McGonagall said, standing and pulling her wand from her sleeve.
Harry slowly stood and turned towards her and she cast her spell. They all sighed with relief when it came up negative.
"So, we have a snake in the walls who wants to kill. Do we call an exterminator?" Xander said joyfully. He was actually hoping it was something to hunt. He had not hunted anything but small game since he got here. He didn't include the troll, that was not hunting.
"It sounded really big," Harry offered. Not sure an exterminator would help.
"How big?" the wolf-eyed man inquired eagerly.
"Um… as big as this room," Harry guessed.
"Great," Harris said, all but jumping in place.
"Xander, this is a school," Joyce reminded him. "And if it's in the walls, then it is dangerous to the whole school."
"Phooey. Well, we'd better find it fast," Xander said, his shoulders squaring up and ready to go. "Any ideas?" he asked Joyce. She was the school after all.
"Sally's room. He had a pet snake, though I'm not sure what kind, he said it was a surprise and that it would protect the school. But the idea that a snake lived a thousand years is iffy. He made the room before I was the school and hid it from me. I know it's somewhere below the lake. I'll reabsorb and tell you when I feel the snake come out and where it came from. I can try to block off the pipes, and hold it off before it attacks the children," she offered and then burst into particles and flew through the walls.
"Until then, we should declare a state of emergency. I want all the children to walk in groups with some escorts. If one child gets hurt, then we might have to close the school," Minerva said, straightening her dress. "I am unsure how Albus would treat this. It might be a test of his true feelings about the safety of the children."
"Yeah, while you're doing that, I'll hit the books. We know it is a large snake that might be a thousand years old, but we don't know what kind. How many snakes can get this large?" Xander asked, getting up as well. Harry followed suit.
"Quite a few magical snakes can grow the size of this room and live that long. Unfortunately, they are all deadly," McGonagall answered as she made her way to the door.
"Do you guys have magical mongooses?" was the playful question.
"No," came the serious answer.
"Geesh, just asking," Xander pouted at her stern look. "Okay," he said, clapping his hands together, "we have a giant, possibly old snake. We need to kill said snake. Any suggestions?"
"Nope," Harry answered. He was still new to this world, and he hoped Xander would fix this.
"Then I better get to cracking," Xander said, and the three went their separate ways. Harry's job was to listen and report. He was to let the adults handle the 'big bad'.
The school did go into a state of emergency. The kids walked in groups and the teachers were to escort them. Since they had no real proof, Albus said that these measures would do for now. Xander, after doing his research, had hung mirrors all over the halls. He read that one snake could kill with a look and was hoping to prevent that. He knew his movie mythology, and reflections worked for Perseus against Medusa. He only hoped it worked in reality.
Days flew by and the Halloween Feast was in full swing, with candy, pies and treats for everyone. The kids were enjoying the non-tense atmosphere and Harry was relaxed for the first time in days. He and his housemates, with full bellies, were getting ready to leave. Harry thought he heard whispering in the walls, but it was too faint to be sure. He had not seen Joyce in days, and he had faith that she would prevent injury to his schoolmates.
The Gryffindors were on their way back to their dorms, and were almost to the Fat Lady, when they came upon a stiff Mrs. Norris. She was hanging from a candle holder and there was red writing on the wall.
THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. COME FIND ME, POTTER.
To say the kids were disturbed was an understatement. They all looked to Harry as if he had the answers.
Harry was standing there pale and scared. His name was in what looked to be blood on the wall. That could not be good.
"Mum!" he yelled.
Joyce appeared next to him and the Gryffindors relaxed, slightly. "Oh my," she said, looking at the scene. She had felt the snake and thought she had it cornered near Myrtle's old bathroom. How it got here was a mystery.
"Can you get Xander?" Harry begged.
She only nodded and disappeared, only to reappear seconds later with Xander.
"Shit," the wolf-eyed man said as he read the words.
"Yeah," Harry replied sorrowfully.