Harry Potter and the Return of Voldemort Part 32
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Rowena gaped at the "dead" Professor Kettleburn. He gave them a cruel smile "I suppose you have already guessed that I'm You-Know-Who's servant,"
Funny, Harry thought, I'd have thought that Voldemort's Death Eaters would be daring enough to say his name. "How?" Hermione whispered. "We all thought that Quirell…"
"Yes," Kettleburn agreed coldly. "Quirell did draw a lot of attention to himself, didn't he? The truth is, when his brother was discovered as You-Know-Who's servant, he dedicated himself to being an Auror. However, the Ministry wasn't sure of him. Dumbledore, though, is always ready with the benefit of the doubt.
"He allowed Quirell to work here. Meanwhile, after I resigned, I wen't to search for You-Know-Who. Pettigrew, however, beat me to him. You-Know-Who told me not to attend his meeting at the end of last year. He wanted me to come back and kill you,
"Quirell was hired this year. He knew someone was about to betray Hogwarts. I was careful. I kept my distance. I managed to get him into Azkaban. This, however, made another problem. With Quirell out of the way, and everyone suspecting he was the killer, I could not try to kill Harry anymore. My master had to get him out of prison to make it seem as if he was after you again.
"By this time, he knew I was the Death Eater. He escaped from Pettigrew and Lucius Malfoy, but luckily, my master warned me of him," Kettleburn concluded, an insane smile on his lips.
"What'd you do to Quirell?" Rowena asked, horrified. Kettleburn didn't answer, instead holding up an object. Harry gasped. It was Quirell's severed head!
* * *
"Cornelius, this is very unnecessary," Dumbledore said.
"Now, now, Dumbledore," Cornelius replied, holding up his hand to silence the old man. "It was put to a vote, as I promised. Everyone—well, nearly everyone, decided it was best if Harry id not return next year,"
"You are making a big mistake," Professor McGonagall told him, frowning angrily. Cornelius chose to ignore her, instead marching forward in determination.
"Where is the boy?" Cornelius asked, looking at the two of them.
"He is near the Forbidden Forest, near Hagrid's hut," Dumbledore informed. Fudge nodded.
* * *
Colin Creevey and his brother, Dennis, were walking and talking animatedly, going toward the Forest. "I want to explore!" Dennis said excitedly. "Come on, Colin! Please? I've never been to the Forest before. I hear that Harry Potter has been there a million times. At least once every year!"
Colin reluctantly agreed to allowing Dennis see the Forest, though he himself had never seen it. "Here we are," he said, nodding towards it as they came. "And, look! It's Harry! And those other guys he hangs out with!"
"Hey, look!" Dennis pointed. "It's Professor Kettleburn!"
"I like him," Colin agreed. "He's a really nice teacher. Unlike that stupid Professor Quirell. Let's go say hi," they walked forward to greet the five people. Strange, Dennis thought, before following his brother. I thought I overheard professor McGonagall say that he was dead.
* * *
"There he is!" McGonagall pointed. "With Weasley, Granger, Rodano and the Creeveys',"\"Hurry now," Cornelius said, hurrying toward the small group. "I have urgent business at The Three Broomsticks at three o'clock!" Urgent business indeed, Professor McGonagall thought disdainfully, hurrying after him and Dumbledore. All he wants to do is have drinks and flirt with that slut, Rosmerta!
* * *
"You shouldn't have come here," Harry said.
"Well, how were we to know that he was evil!" Colin yelled.
"No talking!" Kettleburn hollered, pointing his wand at Harry's chest. "Or I'll—"
"What's going on here?" Cornelius Fudge interrupted, bursting through. "Ah, hello, Kettleburn!" McGonagall gasped in shock, seeing the teacher she had thought was dead.
"He's a Death Eater!" Hermione warned.
"Nonsense!" Fudge blustered.
"Fudge! He must be!" McGonagall said. "This man is supposed to be dead!" Kettleburn turned his wand onto the Minister. He believed.
"How?" Fudge whispered, horrified, eyeing the wand. Kettleburn let out a nasty laugh.
"Dumbledore is such a fool!" he cackled. "He actually believed I left because I had enough of working with dangerous animals, when the truth is that I was searching for the Dark Lord!"
"So he's back?" Fudge asked, turning deathly pale. Kettleburn nodded. "I'll be kicked out of office for this!" he slapped a fat hand to his forehead.
"We have other things to worry about!" Ron snapped. Suddenly, Harry grabbed for Kettleburn's wand, accidentally swiping against his hand.
"OW!" Kettleburn screamed, his flesh boiling. Everyone watched in horror and fascination as the skin burned away, turning black and falling to the floor. "Son of a bitch!"
"Hit him again, Harry!" Ron cheered, but Kettleburn had other plans. Using his deformed hand, he held Harry back, some of the skin crumbling. With the other hand, he held the wand.
"Now, you die!" he hissed. "Avada Kedavra!" But by the time the green light had started growing at the tip of the wand, getting ready to shoot, Harry kicked the wand away. Eveyone watchd in horror as the wand shot its spell at…
"DENNIS!" Colin screamed. Dennis's eyes rolled up into his sockets. He was already dead when he slumped to the floor. For a moment no one moved or spoke. Then, all hell broke loose. Colin dropped to the floor with his brother, tears in his eyes. Harry had whipped out his own wand, and was frantically shooting spells at Kettleburn who as desperately trying to avoid being hit. Fudge seemed stunned, mumbling "No more office. No more office," unaware of what was happening around him.
Ron was swearing and hitting Kettlebur. Hermione was helping.
"I won't die!" Kettleburn gasped. "Not when I'm so close!"
"Was so close," Rowena corrected him, flinging out an axe and tossing it to an amazed Harry. He didn't argue. He just beheaded his enemy.
* * *
Hermione knocked softly on the door of Harry and Ron's room. "Hi," they greeted her.
"We were just packing," Ron said. "How's Colin?"
"He doesn't want to go home," Hermione said. "According to Madam Pomfrey, his parents are abusive. He can't imagine what will happen to him if he tells them Dennis died."
"Poor kid," Harry winced. In a sick way, he was glad that all this had happened. Now Fudge had real proof from a Death Eater that Voldemort was back. That meant he was definitely coming back for his sixth year.
"By the way," Ron interrupted. "How did Rowena have an axe with her?" Harry shrugged.
"You heard her," he said. "She was a warrior. I suppose the axe was her weapon. She must have kept it with her throughout the centuries. It was in perfect condition,"
"Are you ready to go?" Hermione asked him. "The train will be here in half an hour, and they're posting our OWL grades to our homes. Harry, yours have special orders to go to the Weasleys," Harry nodded.
"I'm ready," he said.
"Me too," Ron nodded. "Let's get a carriage,"
"You guys go ahead," Harry said. "Sirius is still with Madam Pomfrey. I just want to go say goodbye," Ron wanted to say goodbye too, but one warning look from Hermione told him this was something Harry wanted to do on his own.
* * *
"How was the year?" Mrs. Weasley asked them, hugging all of them. Harry, saw, out of the corner of his eye, the Dursleys watching them warily. And amongst them were Aunt Marge!
Oh no! Harry thought, but it didn't last long. He was going back to Hogwarts! And he had defeated yet another of Voldemort's minions! Nothing could ruin the feeling of pride he had right now. Not even Aunt Marge.
A/N: Must be my longest chapter yet! I promise sixth year will be longer! And with longer chapters! Think my story is over? Not a chance! Look out for my story 'Harry Potter and the Days of Darkness' in April. See you then! Sorry for the long wait for my next series!
I thought it'd only be fair to warn you of the several characters you'd see in the sixth year who will play a big role:
Harry Potter
Ron Weasley
Hermione Granger
Rowena Ravenclaw
Draco Malfoy
Cho Chang
Lawrence
Voldemort
Lucius Malfoy
Peter Pettigrew
The Anointed One
Chelsea Donovan