Harry Potter and the Soul Shifter

By: Alex Lyons3


Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter and everything in the wonderful world of Hogwarts. Disney owns Brooklyn, the gargoyle. I own Jessica "Jess" Cotten.


Author's Note: Originally, I started on a story about Harry's sixth year before J.K.R. released OotP. Sadly, when Sirius died, so to did my ability to write that fan fiction. So, I've salvaged some characters and added some cross over points and re did the whole thing. I really didn't expect Sirius to die. Truthfully, I should have. Just for the record, the time line is going to be a bit iffy since most people put it up as Sirius died in 1996. I'm going to say that Harry didn't even start Hogwarts until 1997, so Sirius didn't die until 2002. Did I lose anyone? *A few hands are raised* Okay! Simply, first book published in 1997. So, that's when Harry starts as far as I'm concerned. Harry's fifth year would be 2001-2002, so Sirius (at least in my mind) does not die until 2002. Okay? Anyway, on with the story.


Chapter 27: Deceit


Professor Dumbledore, Lupin and Harry each trudged up the stairs in single file to The Entrance Hall. The doors to both the outside and The Great Hall were smashed inward and lying in a heap on the floors of the respective halls they led into. The three of them went into The Great Hall where Madame Pomfrey was tending to Seamus who had hit his head when he had fainted from fright.

Professor McGonagall was arranging all of the other Gryffindor students, aside from Harry and Seamus, into a single file line and telling Ginny and Colin, the new Prefects, to take them up to the dormitories. As was the same with Professor Flitwick, Sprout and Snape. Snape seemed to be eyeing Malfoy with something akin to utter dislike. An expression that Harry, in all his years here at Hogwarts, had only seen Snape wear when he, Harry, was around. Apparently something had happened up here that Harry nor Lupin were privy to just yet.

All the students except Harry, Seamus and Malfoy went up to their house dormitories. Seamus was taken to The Infirmary while the other two boys stayed down in the recked Great Hall. Now that everyone was gone Harry could see for himself what had become of Professor Cotten. She was transparent and waxy looking, like any ghost, but her torn and muddy robes spoke of a dark tragedy in her past. Her hair had grown to knee length and was now a ghostly grey-white instead of blond. Her body was long and her face gaunt. Her eyes glowed with a hellish green blaze and she floated a few feet off of the ground, coming closer and closer to Professor Dumbledore, Harry and Malfoy.

"Thought it was a good joke?" The banshee whispered, in a musical voice, "Thought to have some of your daddy's friends pay a visit, did you? Oh yes, but they weren't expecting me, were they? Of course not! Do you know how much trouble you've just caused, boy?!" The banshee keened loudly and the walls shook.

"Banshee! Softly. Please." Dumbledore said gently.

"The boy is too much trouble! Let me kill him! Let me make him suffer!" The banshee cried out in anguish.

"Shh. We can not let you kill him and even if I agreed that Mister Malfoy here were too much trouble, which I assure you I do not, I still would not agree to killing him." Dumbledore said quietly and reasonably. "Now, Mister Malfoy, why did you do this?"

Malfoy stood there looking defiantly out of his cold silver eyes, but all the while they'd flicker over to The Banshee. "I don't know what you're talking about Professor." He said after a moments silence.

"I believe you do Mister Malfoy and it would do you well to tell us why you help in this attack." Professor Dumbledore said quietly.

Malfoy snorted, "I had nothing to do with this attack, sir. I had no idea this attack was coming. I had no warning." Malfoy's eyes narrowed, "But, I really don't expect you to believe that, sir. You, like all Gryffindors before you, will always be against Slytherins."

"You have made several Slytherins angry with you as well, Mister Malfoy. Please, tell me why." Dumbledore said softly.

"I've told you, 'I had no idea this was going to happen'. If I did wouldn't you have thought that I'd go down to the dungeons or hidden somewhere like that?"

Dumbledore contemplated this and then finally sighed, "Very well, Mister Malfoy. Go back to your dormitories."

Malfoy left, his back poker straight and ridged with anger as he walked out of the ruined Great Hall and down the stairs to The Dungeons. When he was out of ear shot Professor Snape spoke up, his voice a deadly whisper, "He lies!"

* * *

Okay, I know this was amazingly short, but I'm building up suspense. Tell me what you think.

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To RogueFanKC: Very perceptive. The war is not over, not by a long shot as to your question about Jess, no she's not the same banshee (as the description tells you...remember that banshee is back safe and sound back home on Avalon, but I figured that The Banshee from Gargoyles could be this ones "queen" and that Jess would technically have the same powers as her).


To HPFanFicLuvr: Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying it.


To dreamer43: Cool! I'm glad your still enjoying it and that it hasn't become stale yet.


To mronimusha: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. Get ready for another twist, the next one should be coming up soon.