Chapter FOURTEEN

Enemies of The Heir Beware

…

Harrison spent his first two months back at Hogwarts busy as usual. Not only was he now finishing third year self-study and starting fourth year of his Magical education, but he was also working on his last 2 years of secondary muggle schooling; having been bumped up another grade at the recommendation of his teacher when he had answered well above his grade group on his exams in the spring, as well as still researching the Prophecy. Which always brought his worries to the forefront of his mind.

Especially after his dad had told him he had found another Horcrux his first night back at school. They were still waiting for confirmation from the Goblins on exactly how many were out there waiting to be destroyed, but from what Sharpclaw had said, there were at least three, but possibly more.

While he was doing all of that he was also doing everything he could to avoid his new Defense Professor. Apparently, the man had decided not to take his dads threat to call their Solicitor seriously, because he was constantly trying to get Harrison alone; to talk about the best way for him to manage his 'Fame'. Because as the pompous man said every time Harrison was unfortunate enough to be in his presence, "Fame is a fickle thing Harry, you've done well to earn yours, but if you want to be like me one day, you must start perfecting it now."

After having decided that he was going to use his DADA class for self-study, as he refused to buy his books - and had taken great pleasure in telling the man himself that exact fact while also reminding him for the second time that his name was HARRISON and to refer to him as Mr. Potter-Black as he did not have permission to use his given name.– as well as refusing to accept the signed set Lockhart had oh so graciously gifted him, and witnessing first hand, just how terrible the man was as a teacher. Harrison had also asked his friends, to help him when it came to making sure he was never alone with the man.

He also made sure to mention any of his encounters with Lockhart to his dad when they would talk on the mirrors during their scheduled weekly lessons, so they could keep track of the date and time as well as any details of the encounters in case they needed them in the future. Harrison wasn't positive, but he had a feeling his dad, was already putting a case of harassment together to send to Mr. Selwyn.

To help him relieve some of his annoyance, and to get him out of the castle and to have breaks from his studying, Harrison had decided to try out for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team and was more than excited when he had made the team. Their current seeker was in his seventh year, so Harrison had become the reserve seeker. It meant while he won't always be guaranteed to play in the games, he was expected to attend all practices to make sure he had all team strategies memorized just in case he was needed as well as get him ready for following year.

HPSBHP

As time passed Harrison started getting the itch that someone was constantly watching him. Now you might think that he should be used to the feeling; He's Harrison Potter-Black, his fellow students have been watching him since he first stepped foot into the castle the year prior. But this feeling, was different enough that Harrison took notice immediately. It started at one of his first practices. He had just taken off into the air when it hit him; a tingle on the back of neck, his instincts telling him to look around as he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched while he flew around the pitch in search of the Golden snitch. But every time he looked, no one was there except his teammates who were all focused on their own task.

This feeling continued to grow as his days went on. He would feel eyes on him, making the hair on the back of his neck stand up while he was studying in the library. After classes as he walked the halls. He would constantly get this irritable tingle down his spine while he was walking the grounds with his friends, or sitting by the lake, enjoying the last few weeks of good weather before the air would turn crisp and the first snow fell. He would even get the feeling in the evening as he was trying to fall asleep.

It got to the point that Harrison noticed his temper was beginning to rise. His irritability, making him short when he spoke to others, or roll his eyes and snap out a comeback when Granger tried to shove her nose into his business, as had become more regular lately. It became apparent rather quickly that she had discovered his self-study habits, and that he was on the fast track to take his OWLS and NEWTS early and was both jealous and incensed at the idea. He knew from idle gossip that she had gone to her head of house immediately after to learn how she too could take her higher examinations early, only to be told that while she was one of the brightest Witches of her age, they didn't feel that it was in her best interest to allow it. Hermione Granger: while intelligent had the bad habit of allowing stress over he schoolwork- especially during Exams, as was proven the year prior- which would have a negative impact on her mental health. Thus, she had left Professor McGonagall's office furious when she was told they could re-evaluate in a few years when she had time to grow and mature a bit more.

So, while, he would usually politely turn her way and continue on with his day paying her no mind. He was starting to find it getting harder and harder as time went on. With the days turning into weeks, and the feeling of being watched never went away; the more paranoid he was becoming, and his sleep was beginning to be affected, his tight hold on he tried so hard to keep on his temper was starting to slip. His temper was something he was constantly aware of and tried to keep a tight lid on, as his father once jokingly told him, he had gotten it from his mother, and the Evans temper was legendary.

As you can imagine, it all came to head one day, when he was on his usual Mirror call with his dad. He had lost his temper, snapping at the man when he had gone over the same thing for the third time, when he had noticed his son's focus was lacking.

"You want to try that again?" Sirius asked him, raising his eyebrow at the snarled 'I Know Dad!' He had just received.

Harrison sat there and just glared at the wall behind his desk where he had the mirror propped so he could be hands free if needed.

"Talk to me kiddo, what's going on? I've noticed you haven't been yourself for a bit now, you ready to let me in on what's bugging you?"

After a few minutes Harrison sighed before looking at his dad. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for, you didn't deserve me snapping at you."

"You're forgiven, now tell me what's going on." Sirius told him, prompting an explanation once more.

"I don't know dad, I've been getting this feeling, that I'm being watched for weeks now, but every time I look, no one is there. No matter how discrete I am, still nothing. Its everywhere and at random times throughout the day. On top of Lockhart repeated tries at cornering me, its just too much.

It's getting to me, making me have trouble sleeping, because I will feel like I'm being watched when I'm going to sleep, so then I can't get to sleep. When I finally do, I'm waking up with the same feeling in the middle of the night. I can never fall back to sleep after that, so I just stay up. Most days I'm up before 5 in the morning because of it."

Harrison spoke in an exhausted whisper, finally letting his mask slip in front of the older man, allowing Sirius to see just how exhausted his son truly was.

"Why don't we cut this week's lessons short, let you get some much-needed rest alright? Put some privacy spells around your bed, you know the basic ones taught in fourth year, we went over them in July. You have them mastered enough to keep anyone out while you sleep. As for during the day, study up on any detection spells when you have the chance, don't just focus on human detection, do ones for creatures too. Cover your bases. If you haven't figured it out before the weekend, let me know and we will work on it together, okay?" Sirius told him, worried, but knowing that Harrison worked best if given some direction but allowed to work it out on his own rather than just being told how to do something. His Eidetic memory while allowing him to remember things better than most- example being his few memories from when he was barely more than a year old- was the most efficient and allowed him to learn quickly and remember things in explicit detail if he read them. So, he always worked best when he had his head in a book.

HPSBHP

Having a place to start to figure out exactly who or what was always watching him, Harrison felt a bit better. He set aside his fourth-year self-study to focus on learning different detection spells and finding a quiet place he could use them when he felt he was being watched once more.

In doing this, he learned that his observer, was not in fact human. Nor was it goblin, or a Centaur. After going through a few more spells, he was finally able to identify the culprit as a house-elf, but not one who's magic he recognized so he knew it wasn't one that belonged in Hogwarts.

Deciding to try and figure it out later, Harrison did his best to focus on his classes for the rest of the week, and enjoy his time spent with his friends and out practicing with his teammates for the first game of the season in two weeks.

At least he tried, until three days later when something new caught his attention.

HPSBHP

Harrison was walking down the hall with Neville, having met up with him on the fifth floor after their last classes of the day, and the boys were heading to the great hall for dinner.

When suddenly Harrison stopped for a second, barely stumbling before he continued on his way with Neville shooting him a curious look, his eyebrow raising in silent question.

"I heard something," Harrison told him quietly as he continued to listen intently. "It's gone now, but I swear I heard something hissing."

Neville just shrugged stating that he hadn't heard anything, as they entered through the double doors, separating after a quick goodbye, before heading to their respective tables.

The rest of the evening went by quietly, Harrison never hearing another sound, so he put the incident out of his mind for the moment, choosing to focus on his studies, instead.

Over the next few weeks, he heard that same hissing noise no less than five times, at all different times of the day in multiple locations around the castle. So, after bringing it up with his dad, he went to find his head of house on Saturday in late October.

"Professor Flitwick, may I come in?" He asked as he knocked gently on the mans open office door.

"Harrison, of course, come in lad. What can I do for you? Shouldn't you be getting to Quidditch Practice?" The tiny Professor asked him as he gestured for the 2nd year to sit on one the of chairs in front of the desk.

"I'm heading there right after this sir; I came to talk to you about something. Over the last few weeks, I've been hearing this hissing sound. It happens at random times throughout the day, in different parts of the castle. At first, I wasn't sure I was hearing anything, I've been a little stressed, so didn't think anything of it, but then the last time it happened just the other day, my friend Daphnee said she heard something too. A hissing, or slithering sound. Coming from inside the walls. Dad told me I should bring it up with you, said it might be nothing, but just in case it turns out to be something serious."

"Lord Black was right, it probably is nothing, but I'm glad you came to me, why don't you write down quickly where you have heard the noise, and then run along to your practice, and I will look into it alright?"

Nodding, Harrison took the offered parchment and quill, wrote down all he remembered before he thanked his Professor and rushed off to practice, arriving only a couple minutes late.

HPSBHP

It turns out, Professor Flitwick didn't need to look for very long to learn if the noise his students heard was harmless or not.

Because less than a week later on the evening of Samhain while everyone was thought to be enjoying their meal, and those who still practiced the old ways were preparing themselves to get up and leave for their own private celebrations -a message had written on a hallway wall outside a girl's washroom that was conveniently rarely used.

It would be barely an hour later, when the message would be found by a couple of Gryffindor 2nd years, along with Filtch's cat Ms. Norris, who had been hung up from the ceiling stiff as a board petrified.

Gasps were heard as more students came upon the scene, accompanied by the Headmaster and a few Professors having been summoned by one of the portraits.

"Enemies of the Heir Beware? You'll be next mudbloods!" Malfoy yelled with glee.

Harrison didn't acknowledge the self-proclaimed Slytherin Prince, as he couldn't take his eyes from the wall in front of him. Reading over and over again the message written in what he suspected to be blood.

"The Chamber of Secrets has been Opened, Enemies of the Heir Beware."

The chamber of secrets. He had read about it once before, over the summer before his first year, and knew from his research, there had been an incident almost 50 years ago involving the Chamber, and the death of a student.

Biting his lip nervously, Harrison turned and left, making his way to his dormitory with the intent to call his dad. He suspected the Headmaster would keep this as hush hush as possible. It wouldn't be the first time, as there had been no mention of what had happened at the end of his first year, and he wasn't going to allow the man to pull the same stunt.

So, with quick determined strides, Harrison made his way through the portrait hole and up the stairs to his dorm, grabbing the mirror from a locked compartment in his trunk. Calling out his dad's name, he only said one thing when the man appeared.

"The Chamber of Secrets has been opened."