Disclaimer: I DID NOT INVENT J.K. ROWLING'S CHARACTERSWELL, OTHERWISE THEY WOULDN'T BE HERS, WOULD THEY?
Note: Sorry about my spelling, I hope it get's interesting, oh well read, review, enjoy.
* * * *
Not one person stirred, the great hall was wrenched in silence as Voldermort walked up towards the head table. At the far end of the table Harry saw Snape rocking back and forth, looking about ready to faint.
Dumbledore stood.
"Hello, it's been a while, hasn't it?" Voldermort said causually.
Dumbledore drew his wand, "Is there something you want?" He asked calmly.
Voldermort did something unbelieveable, without giving anyone anytime to consider, he droped his wand on the floor.
"I do want something I don't think I'll get it, but I thought I'd try anyway."
"And what would it be?" Asked Dumbledore evenly.
There was a tense pause in which a droped pin would have echoed loudly.
"Help," Voldermort said finaly. "There is a more powerful evil here. You've read the papers, no? Tewlve deaths, the rumors say I've started using voodooWell it's not true. I know very little about it. It has nothing to do with me. But I think I know what the murders are for, and unless I'm very mistaken, which I seriously doubt I am, there will be more, many more."
"What did you do?" Dumbledore asked, his voice mild, but his scanned Voldermort with hostile suspiscion.
"I had an acomplince, her name was Mariah, I knew very little about her. Then two of my number were killed, by her. She is a voodoo master, she has called upon several jumbi spirits to help her, I'm not sure how stronge she is but I don't think I can stop her alone."
"Well, that wasenlightening, however, I think you probably should have thought about hiring such a person as an assassin before coming to wine about how you can't pay your bills." A voice spoke up, suddenly everyone was staring at a rather scared looking Snape, it seemed he too, had thought Hogwarts was safer then this.
"Speak when spoken to!" hissed Voldermort.
"Hah. You turn yourself into something and then you can't play with your equals eh?" Snape retorted, but Harry heard a tremor in Snape's voice, making him think Snape was on the verge of breaking down instead.
"That's quite enough, Severus," Dumbledore said firmly, "So, this has more to do with you then when you first said?"
Voldermort was looking murderous. "It is true, I did hire her, but I hardly see it making a difference. The point here being, she has three jumbi'sthey need hosts, or at least souls to feed on, you will be affected by this, tooyou can't just sit there on your mountain of saintliness and ignore it."
"And if I choose to?" Dumbledore asked.
"Then that will be your choice, and whatever happens will be on your head as well as mine."
"Thank you, I'll keep your warning in mind," Dumbledore replied stifly.
"Goodnight," said Voldermot curtly, then he grabed his wand off the floor and swept out, the doors blowing open in front of him, and slamming in his wake.
* * * *
The next morning, everyone woke to see Voldermort proven right, six more people had been killed, this time the reporter wasn't even bothering to be subtle about telling the public that Voldermort was "on one of his infamous killing sprees".
"Oh god, I DO NOT BELIEVE IT! Hermione shouted hystericly, "OLIVER WOOD IS DEAD!" Everyone stared. Then suddenly it sunk in.
That day a good many people from Gryffindor stayed out of classes, Harry included.
* * * *
Two nights, twelve deaths later, Harry realized something very scary: everynight he had the same dreams, and everynight, six people died. What if I don't sleep tonight? Harry wondered. Tonight was as good as any night, he decided, and figured that he would get his invisability cloak and go to the kitchen, then maybe do a little sneaking around, possibly go to Hogsmeade, anything to stay awake.
* * * *
Harry wandered aimlessly around for a while, then he came across a very odd sight: Professor Snape, sitting on the floor, his back against the wall, talking on a cell phone. How does he even know what a cell phone is? Harry wondered, but he moved closer, trying to hear what Snape was saying.
"Oh. I see, I didn't know that." Was he blushing? Harry wondered.
" No, look, actually- er yes but.uh huh, oh my God! No! Get out! Get out!" Snape breathed and burst out laughing, it was an strange sight to be sure.
"Okay! Mercy, mercyI um- BOWLIE! Listen, I missed you too, but" Harry heard him laugh again.
"Look, have you read the paper? You know all those deaths? Well Dumbledore want's.yeah, actually, what's that? Oh okay, good, excellent! You don't mind? . I never thought about thatright, well, serves him right, don't you think? Exactly! Alright, I suppose you'll be here tomorrowme too, okay, thanks, bye Amma."
Snape shook his head in a disgusted manner, then suddenly Harry saw the corner of his thin mouth twitch up and he started laughing again. Harry stared at him, Snape, his face lit up with mirth as he laughed silently. Suddenly a voice right beside Harry made him nearly jump out of his skin. "Well, how did it go?" Harry quickly backed away from Dumbledore so he could watch safely.
"Oh-oh-you knowf-fine, she'll--be here," Snape said gasping for breath, he looked quite elated.
"I take it she forgave you? Is she charging?" Dumbledore asked sounding a little annoyed.
"I assume soshe didn't say anything about not chargingI know you really don't like her but she's proffesional on the job," Snape said, wipping the smile off his face and with some difficulty, managed to get his usual sour look back.
"Okay, I'll get in touch with Gringetts, she's here tomorrow?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes headmaster, in the morning."
"Severus? I don't like thisthis voodoo thingit's not very good for the school, and probably not very good for you," Dumbledore sounded almost like he was lecturing.
"What do you have against it, Sir?"
"Nothing, but the people who practice it, are well, not the most dependableeven Voldermort won't recruit them," Dumbledore sighed, then added, "no offence to you, Severus."
"Whatever," Snape muttered, "I have essays to markno maybe I better not," Harry saw a smile flit across Snape's face again, "I do have to go now, headmaster."
"Oh, one more thing, Severus?"
"Hmm?"
"Don't, um, don't" He gave Snape a meaningful look.
"Whatever," Snape said again.
"I mean it, niether of you can afford something to happen- again,"
Snape looked bitter but nodded and walked away.
* * * *
The next morning, Harry scucessfully stayed up the whole night, but still, there had been six more deaths. All he had done was made himself tired.
However, even someone as tired as Harry had to pay attention to the person who walked into the great hall during breckfast.
"Attention! Today I have an early annoucement to make; this is Amma Bowlie, she will be with us for a while, please berespectful." Dumbledore said.
Harry and everyone else stared at her, she was quite pretty, her red hair was wavy and long, her dark eyes seemed to be laughing while she survied the students in the same way they were looking at her. In fact, sitting there, in her navy blue hood, cargo pants, and thick rimmed glasses, she hardly looked older then some of the seventh years. But there was something old about her, and Harry couldn't help but see an odd looking gun at her waist, along with a pair of amber rods strapped to her back.
* * * *
Professor Snape was very odd that day in class, and for some reason, their essays were going to be handed back a day late. (Harry however figured it would be longer then that though)
Snape was in the middle of class when there was a loud knock on the door.
"Come in," Snape called.
"Class is cancled, we got work," it was Bowlie.
"Can it wait?" Snape asked, but it was plain he really didn't want to be teaching now.
'No, does it look like it can?" Bowlie demaned, holding up a cell phone.
"Fine, but class is not cancled," Bowlie shot him a smirk, " I'll be minute," said Snape to everyone else, then he took the phone from Bowlie and almost immeadiatly upon putting it to his ear began to wince. "Well, I was under the impersion that-" he stammered, Snape walked out of the room and shut the door, leaving the students to Bowlie.
* * * *
Okay, so this thing is going to be pretty longactually I'm sorry about that [frowns] and of course the abysmal spelling and all thatbut stick with it, some realitivly interesting things do happenafter all Bowlie ooooh, I better not say, also Voldermort is going to-nothing [heh heh] ;0)
