By the time Harry had rebooted his brain the train had arrived in Hogsmeade and the students started to disembark. A lot of students were shocked to find that the horseless carriages were horseless no more. It quickly spread that the black winged leathery creatures were thestrals, and only those who had seen death could see them.
Harry felt saddened as he recognized a few of the former first years could see the beasts as well. "It must be either from my own… battle with Perseus or the people who died to Vodyanoy's illusions." Hermione gave him a hug and gently helped him onto the first available carriage. "There is nothing you could do about it Harry. Don't blame yourself." Hermione assured her boyfriend.
The rest of the trek to the castle proper was done in silence. A muffled curse from Harry upon seeing Snape's thunderous expression broke it. Beside the displeased potions professor was an equally unhappy transfiguration mistress. "Mister Potter. Headmaster Dumbledore wishes to speak with you most urgently."
"I'll see you later Hermione." Harry said with a nod towards his girlfriend who shot him a worried look. Harry was surprised about himself on how calm he was as he followed the two unhappy professors to a small office. "Miss Develd, Miss Layla. Could you please wait outside?"
"Harry?" Cressida asked softly. "I'll be fine. Knowing Malfoy he only told half the story." The young woman hesitated for a moment before doing as asked. Harry sat down at Dumbledore's prompting. "I suspect you are right, mister Potter. So I would like to hear what happened from your perspective."
He quickly explained what happened, making no attempt to hide that he did indeed draw his sword on Malfoy. At the end of the explanation Dumbledore sighed as Harry reiterated that Voldemort was back. "I was aware of this mister Potter." It was not often that Albus Dumbledore could say that he was pinned to his seat by a glare. The air around Harry Potter also slightly shimmered.
"Why didn't you tell me." It was not a question. It was a demand and despite being pinned to his seat by Harry's glare, a part of his mind wondered if all Campione had the ability to project this more mundane form of authority. "Mister… No. Harry." He was surprised most of the heat let up at the use of the Campione's name. "I had hoped to deal with Tom Riddle. Your ascension has freed me from a few unintended shackles that held me back all those years ago. That is why I said I would ask for your help if I truly needed it."
"Shackles?" Harry repeated with a demanding edge. "I beg of you not to ask Harry. Even now they still haunt my dreams." Albus said frankly. The inability to do anything while you could. To measure every step carefully to hinder Voldemort without incurring the divine's wrath. To be forced to stand aside when they punished not just you for overstepping your boundaries but also those dear to you…" the old wizard trailed off with a tired sigh.
The frown on Harry's face was a clear indicator he was not happy with the answer. "Fine. But I want to be kept in the loop, Headmaster." A nod signalled Dumbledore concession. The old wizard wincing slightly at the use of his title even as they were in private. "I only ask that you do not inform the Witenagemot yet." He did not give Harry the time to ask why. "There are still certain steps that need to be taken to stop him from resurrecting again. I fear that the Witenagemot will start a hunt for both Voldemort and the terrible dark ritual that allows him to do so."
"They would. Immortality is something that would tempt them wouldn't it." Harry agreed. Although he hadn't met many members. Cressida was surprisingly frank that a lot of them were working for their own gain.
"Quite." Dumbledore confirmed with considerable understatement. "That is why I hope to resolve the issue quitely. Now to other things I am afraid. You do realise you put me in a rather awkward position mister Potter?" Harry was taken aback by the sudden change in tone but nodded regardless.
"On one hand I have a student who threatened another with a lethal poisoned weapon. Although considering the actors involved I think I can safely say you are both capable of using your wands for such methods as well. On the other hand I also have a foolish student who decided to poke the sleeping dragon. Furthermore this student has also attempted to blatantly lie towards the faculty." Dumbledore summarized with a sharp look to one of the students involved.
Harry cringed and the old headmaster was pleased to see it was genuine. It meant that Harry knew he had been wrong. "For what it is worth, Headmaster. I admit I should have resolved it differently." "Would you do it again?" The question brought Harry up short before he cringed again as he knew the answer would make the old wizard unhappy. "Yes Headmaster. I would."
Dumbledore gave Harry a piercing look before sagging slightly as he could guess the young man's line of thought. "I sincerely wished I could say differently mister Potter, but I can see why you would do so. I also find myself pressed for reasons to punish you for obtaining what you justly thought as vital information." he held back from releasing a mighty sigh. "I shall consider how I shall punish you mister Potter."
This time it was his turn to pin Harry to his seat with his eyes. "The next time you have reasons to believe a student has some kind of information that is vital for the safety of yourself and others, and you are unable to retrieve this through your own words I insist you come to me instead of choosing a more heavy handed method." For some reason Harry couldn't help but feel that the words 'I will find a way to pick you up by the scruff off your neck and throw you out this castle, Campione or not.'
The old headmaster rose to his feet "Now let us head towards the great hall. Hopefully we can arrive before the sorting starts signing." Harry silently followed the man, Cressida and Mia joining them as they walked into the hallway and entered the great hall through a side door. The entrance gave him a good view of Malfoy holding court to a dubious crowd of Slytherins. He could not see the thoughtful frown that turned to disappointment on Dumbledore's face.
Harry walked towards the Gryffindor table and he couldn't help but feel a return to the previous year as all the tables broke out in whispers wondering what had happened. He sat down beside Hermione and a tiny bit of him was pleased space was left for him and his entourage.
"Is everything alright?" Hermione whispered to him as McGonagall disappeared to fetch the firsties. "The headmaster is still considering how he is going to punish me. Malfoy lied his pants off and he is not impressed by that." The transfiguration professor started to troop in the unsorted first year students and Harry wondered if he had ever been so tiny.
'I probably was.' He answered himself as the first student was called up. Soon a few were sorted towards Gryffindor and Harry wondered at the looks they kept shooting him. 'Did someone talk about me towards the impressionable little kids?' The last student was soon sorted and Dumbledore gave his speech that the forbidden forest was still forbidden, Filch's list of forbidden things has increased once again.
The new defence professor was one Delores Umbridge who gave them a smile better suited for a group of toddlers at a kindergarten. Dinner finally appeared and Harry dug in while keeping one ear on the rumors he clearly was missing. Sadly aside from everyone catching up to their summer vacations, something that was somehow not done on the train, Harry didn't learn anything interesting.
So Harry's eyes started to wander outside the table of gold and red. He roamed over the table of the ravens and soon spotted his quarry. The odd blond he had seen seemed to sit somewhat alone to the left of the other girls of what he suspected was the same year as her. She didn't make eye contact and seemed to see something the rest of the table did not. He couldn't learn anything else about her from sight.
He glanced over his shoulder to find Malfoy glaring at his back. This time eye contact was made and it was as warm as a pair of spells rushing towards each other with deadly intent. Malfoy sneered and said something low enough to the rest of the table. A few glanced with clear bemusement on their expression and Harry wished he could lip read so he could figure out what Malfoy lied about.
"So what do you think your punishment is?" Hermione asked softly. "I do not know. The headmaster said he was thinking about it."Harry repeated and then a grin appeared on his face. The sudden grin he sported threw Hermione off balance. "I am not going to be killed, or worse, expelled."
The groan of dismay from Hermione was music to Harry's ear "You are never going to let that go are you?" "I think I'll let it go when we can no longer be expelled." The sour look he got from his answer was enough indication to stop pushing the topic. So instead he gave a grin with a hint of apology in it. His girlfriend grumbled something he didn't understand before huffing. "You are a scoundrel Harry Potter."
"But you'd like me anyways." Harry reminded her. "Somehow yes." Hermoine grouched in return. The prefects which Hermione was now part of started to herd the first year students to the dorms at their head of houses indication. Harry slipped through the crowds and made his way towards 'his' common room. At the entrance of the great Hall he exchanged a quick chaste kiss with Hermione before she hurried up to the Gryffindor Common rooms.
He briefly discussed his conversation with Mia and Cressida, trusting them to keep it private, the latter agreeing that the knowledge of what seemed to be an immortality technique would draw unwanted attention. No matter that it was a piece of wand based magic. Since she agreed with Harry's suspicion that human sacrifice would be the least bit involved they both swore themselves to silence on the matter.
Headmaster's Office
"Good night Filius, Pomona." Dumbledore bade his two colleagues. Leaving his office with just himself, Minerva and Severus. "Now the only issue that remains is that of the punishment for mister Potter and mister Malfoy." "Mister Malfoy has done nothing wrong." Severus drawled easily. "He omitted some key details to the staff." Dumbledore reminded his subordinate with an unimpressed look.
"And he was looking for a reaction. Mister Potter should have not threatened him with violence. This incident would not have happened if Mister Malfoy decided to be a Slytherin for a change and not anger the sleeping dragon." the transfiguration mistress followed up leaving Dumbledore resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose in exasperation.
Minerva huffed exasperated. Well aware how her Campione Lion and the Slytherin clashed over the years. "What did mister Malfoy say in the first place that created such a reaction." "Severus, if you could." Dumbledore gave as an answer. The dour potion master gave the headmaster a glare before revealing the now fully active Dark Mark.
Minerva groaned as she put the facts together. "The Dark Lord is back and mister Malfoy decided it was a brilliant idea to wave that fact in front of mister Potter's face." "Who then thought it was an equally brilliant idea to extract that fact at sword point." Dumbledore confirmed. There was a muttered scottish curse at his reply that Dumbledore failed to translate.
Severus seemed to weigh his options "Well if punishment is required. I know that Madam Malfoy spent a sizable amount of time in an attempt to avoid the current situation. I suggest I will rehash these lessons with mister Malfoy." Both men were surprised as Minerva perked up and strode to the well stocked cabinets to extract a thick rule book. It landed on Dumbledore's desk with a thump.
"Then I think it is suitable for mister Potter to learn each and every rule in detail." she declared. Severus allowed a quick grin to flash on his expression before it returned to his usual dour self. "I expect mister Malfoy is similarly tested." Minerva added. "I am glad to see that it is resolved." Dumbledore noted, pleased that he had nothing to add. Still it gave him an idea to think about over the night.
Malfoy Manor
Narcissa Malfoy nee Black read the letter she received from her son Draco. It was addressed to her husband but since he was out and about on the whims of the resurrected Dark Lord she opened it in his stead. What she read had her incensed and worried to the bone. Incensed that someone dared to draw a weapon on her precious, and most likely, only child. And worried that the person doing so was the Campione her child saw fit to taunt.
'Did you think I instructed you on Campione because it amused me?!' Narcissa screamed in her head. She compared the tale in her son's letter to that in Dumbledore's letter. The old headmaster had politely informed her of the altercation between Draco and Potter and that matters had been handled. She was not fooled however as the wizard was subtly fishing, for a Gryffindor, about the Dark Lord's resurrection.
"Oh Draco you did not." Narcissa pleaded to the empty mansion. She knew her son well enough to know why Draco had seen fit to taunt the Potter Campione. If she read between the lines of both letters she started to fear that the Potter had figured out where Draco's confidence had come from and retrieved the information at sword point.
She glanced at the clock. In a hurried but dignified pace she headed to the floo and called out for the headmaster's office. To her relief that call was answered and she stuck her head into the fire. "Headmaster Dumbledore." she intoned to the wizened wizard, looking every inch the pure blood princess she could be despite being on her knees. "Madam Malfoy. How can I help you this fine morning?"
"I received your letter and one from my son." she paused for dramatic effect. "I am severely disappointed in my Draco. I spent a sizable amount of time in the summer instructing him to avoid the altercation that happened yesterday." The remorse in her tone was real. Although the reason for it was different then Narcissa suspected that the headmaster thought.
"I can understand that. I have expressed my own disappointment towards mister Potter about his actions." Dumbledore agreed. Narcissa barely managed to hold back from gaping at the old wizard. Inwardly however she wondered what his candy obsessed brain was thinking from trying to chide a Campione, even if the suspicions of being his mentor were true.
"That is brave of you." she mumbled. "I wish to discipline my son in person." she cut off whatever amused response Dumbledore had on her first comment. "Why so?" Dumbledore asked with a raised eyebrow. "It is clear that Lucius has been too lenient with disciplining our child. He must learn that all actions have consequences before he angers an individual of Campione Potter's standing who is less lenient towards his indiscretions."
Dumbledore hummed thoughtfully as he stroked his beard and despite being a grown woman Narcissa couldn't help but fidget under the headmaster's thoughtful gaze. She wondered what kind of plots spun behind those seemingly kind eyes. "It is a bit unusual. But please come in madam Malfoy. Although mister Potter is even tempered I can't help but worry that your son will taunt him once more when he is not. He has a history of doing so."
"I am most grateful." Narcissa said as she pulled back to step through the floo. She hoped the headmaster's plots did not go further than ensuring he would not have to clean her precious child blood off his school's walls.
"Welcome to Hogwarts, it has been a while since you graced her halls." Dumbledore greeted once she cleaned the ash of her clothing. "Thank you for your kind welcome." Narcissa replied with a courtesy. "Shall we head down for breakfast? I believe mister Malfoy will be there as well." Dumbledore suggested kindly. "That sounds like a splendid plan. Do you perhaps know if my son has his first period free?" Narcissa inquired as she mentally formed her 'lesson' plan.
The headmaster hummed for a moment as he dug through his memory. "No. I believe he has transfiguration first period." he replied as the pair descended downwards towards the great hall. Narcissa was grateful that whatever route the headmaster had chosen prevented them from encountering any of the students. "Would it be a problem if he misses this lesson?" she asked as she wanted this to be dealt with before Lucius could get the idea that the behavior should be excused at best, or encouraged at worst.
"I do not know, although I believe if you ask professor McGonagall and explain it is for a disciplinary measure that she will be amiable for it." Dumbledore replied. The former Black wondered if it was a genuine suggestion or a bit of added humiliation to the Malfoy family. But the twinkling eyes of the headmaster gave nothing away to her dismay.