Disclaimers and Notes: See Part 1. Feedback is a lovely thing indeed, and
I'm very grateful if I ever get any.
Huge thanks to Anna and Starlight for their kind feeback, I'm glad you are enjoying it.
~~~~
Harry had been amazed at how well everything had gone so far in the year. While Snape insisted on taking points from Gryffindor at every opportunity, Professor Dumbledore seemed to enjoy giving them back for a job well done in settling Susan in, and during DADA lessons. That subject had become even better than before with the Headmaster teaching them. He was one of the greatest fighters against the dark arts that had ever lived, and he was teaching them. It was mind-blowing.
Susan didn't hang round with them much any more, which proved it to have been a job well done, she'd found her own set of friends, mainly some of the friendly Slytherins, and Hufflepuffs.
While was thinking this, he and Ron were supposed to be ploughing through their Divination homework, but it wasn't going well. "I give up. None of this makes sense."
"I'm glad I'm not the only one with problems. Look at it this way Harry, at least you can get away with prophesying your own death, people try it often enough. I can't, no one wants to kill me."
"You make it sound like a good thing."
But at least now they could be light hearted about it. For all the talk of Voldemort being back, you couldn't have guessed it from the school, everything carried on as normal. And at least no one had tried to kill him this term.
And the Quidditch season was starting which meant he got to train nearly every day, and he got to play against Cho when they faced Ravenclaw in the first inter house match of the season.
Some people though weren't as exited about it as others. Susan had stated her intention not to go and watch the match because she had better things to do.
"What do you mean?" asked Ron, "There's nothing better than Quidditch."
"There's plenty of thing better than Quidditch. It's just fourteen idiots on sticks whacking magical balls at each other."
"There's a lot more to it than that."
Susan gave him a quizzical look. "Pardon me if I don't agree. That and I've got a ton of Astronomy notes to copy up. You were right, there's too much writing."
"Told you so." Susan set at him with a feather she had conjured up.
Susan wasn't the only person who didn't go and watch the match, Professor Snape didn't either, but that was normal. He didn't crawl out of his dungeon unless Slytherin were playing, or it was meal time. Some first years also told Harry that Snape had taken them for a Transfigurations cover, but he didn't want to believe them.
~~~~
Gryffindor had won, but it was a close run thing, only ten points in it at the end. Without Fred and George, they were being overwhelmed by the bludgers, and the Ravenclaw chasers were very good but luckily Harry spotted the snitch before the chasers had scored too many points. Katie Bell, now their captain, looked murderous afterwards but that was because she wanted to keep Oliver Wood's high standards up.
~~~~
The rest of the Autumn term would have gone as smoothly had it not been for two things. The first was a mysterious package that Harry received one morning. It had seemed like an ordinary parcel, except for it not having an address on it, all it said was 'To Harry Potter, treat with extreme caution'.
He was more than a little worried, so when he opened it he made sure he was sat far away from everyone. He had told Hermionie and Ron to watch out in case it exploded or anything like that.
He need not have been so careful. There was nothing in it apart from a small scrap of paper saying, "You're next."
That was what worried him. Next to what. He was about to get up and show the message to Professor Dumbledore when the dreadful itching started. His flesh felt like it had hundreds of ants crawling beneath it, so he scratched. But that made it worse.
The next thing he could remember with any clarity was Mrs. Pomfrey dousing the burning skin in some potion or another, telling him that it would be okay. At some point between the start of the itch and looking for the piece of paper in question, it had vanished.
Luckily, Professor Dumbledore believed that it existed when Ron and Hermionie backed him up. Malfoy on the other hand made it out to be another one of Harry's little stunts to gain attention, and Snape voiced this opinion in class as well.
While Professor Dumbledore insisted that Snape was good now, Harry was never so certain, especially not after double potions, where he, his friends and his house had been ridiculed for two hours. Who else would have been able to brew such a potion?
Snape also had to do with the second incident. Harry had suffered through yet another detention, even though he wasn't sure what Snape was using as the cause for it. He was in such a rush to get out that he forgot to pick up his Charms textbook as he left the room. Since he had Charms homework, that he hadn't done yet, due in for the next day, he thought it would be best if he collected the book.
He was about to knock on the door when he heard two angry voices. He leant closer to the door.
"I can't believe you put me in Gryffindor! Gryffindor of all places. I'm Slytherin to the core and you stick me with them." The voice sounded familiar but he couldn't quite place it.
"I had to, for the plan to succeed." That voice was unmistakable, the faint sneer, the hatred of humanity that poured out, it could only have been Snape.
"I know, blah, blah, cosy up to the little 'uns, make nice."
"...You're..."
"Don't say it, I know, I'm only a little older than they are, but I feel ancient. I mean opening that parcel, how stupid can he get?"
"You'd be amazed, sometimes Potter astounds even me with his foolishness."
"Which is why I am here."
"Precisely."
The door creaked, there was the muffled sound of an incantation and Snape snapped open the door. "What are you doing here, Potter?"
"Sorry sir, I think I left my Charms textbook in here."
"Getting a little forgetful are we? Or is this just an excuse to come spying on me."
"I don't know what you mean sir."
"Oh but you do Potter, you do. And you'd do well to remember that I'm on to your little game."
Harry shut up and searched for his textbook. He also took a quick look to see if there was anyone else in the room. No, no one there. "Thanks sir," he said, brandishing the textbook.
"Good, you've found it. Now get out."
"Yes sir." Harry scarpered.
So Harry was receiving strange parcels and Snape was having visitors who could vanish in seconds. How very odd. Were they connected? He'd have to find Ron and Hermionie to ask them, but he'd have to wait till tomorrow morning, they were busy watching a film in Hogsmede as part of Muggle Studies, Harry would have been there himself if not for this blasted detention.
Huge thanks to Anna and Starlight for their kind feeback, I'm glad you are enjoying it.
~~~~
Harry had been amazed at how well everything had gone so far in the year. While Snape insisted on taking points from Gryffindor at every opportunity, Professor Dumbledore seemed to enjoy giving them back for a job well done in settling Susan in, and during DADA lessons. That subject had become even better than before with the Headmaster teaching them. He was one of the greatest fighters against the dark arts that had ever lived, and he was teaching them. It was mind-blowing.
Susan didn't hang round with them much any more, which proved it to have been a job well done, she'd found her own set of friends, mainly some of the friendly Slytherins, and Hufflepuffs.
While was thinking this, he and Ron were supposed to be ploughing through their Divination homework, but it wasn't going well. "I give up. None of this makes sense."
"I'm glad I'm not the only one with problems. Look at it this way Harry, at least you can get away with prophesying your own death, people try it often enough. I can't, no one wants to kill me."
"You make it sound like a good thing."
But at least now they could be light hearted about it. For all the talk of Voldemort being back, you couldn't have guessed it from the school, everything carried on as normal. And at least no one had tried to kill him this term.
And the Quidditch season was starting which meant he got to train nearly every day, and he got to play against Cho when they faced Ravenclaw in the first inter house match of the season.
Some people though weren't as exited about it as others. Susan had stated her intention not to go and watch the match because she had better things to do.
"What do you mean?" asked Ron, "There's nothing better than Quidditch."
"There's plenty of thing better than Quidditch. It's just fourteen idiots on sticks whacking magical balls at each other."
"There's a lot more to it than that."
Susan gave him a quizzical look. "Pardon me if I don't agree. That and I've got a ton of Astronomy notes to copy up. You were right, there's too much writing."
"Told you so." Susan set at him with a feather she had conjured up.
Susan wasn't the only person who didn't go and watch the match, Professor Snape didn't either, but that was normal. He didn't crawl out of his dungeon unless Slytherin were playing, or it was meal time. Some first years also told Harry that Snape had taken them for a Transfigurations cover, but he didn't want to believe them.
~~~~
Gryffindor had won, but it was a close run thing, only ten points in it at the end. Without Fred and George, they were being overwhelmed by the bludgers, and the Ravenclaw chasers were very good but luckily Harry spotted the snitch before the chasers had scored too many points. Katie Bell, now their captain, looked murderous afterwards but that was because she wanted to keep Oliver Wood's high standards up.
~~~~
The rest of the Autumn term would have gone as smoothly had it not been for two things. The first was a mysterious package that Harry received one morning. It had seemed like an ordinary parcel, except for it not having an address on it, all it said was 'To Harry Potter, treat with extreme caution'.
He was more than a little worried, so when he opened it he made sure he was sat far away from everyone. He had told Hermionie and Ron to watch out in case it exploded or anything like that.
He need not have been so careful. There was nothing in it apart from a small scrap of paper saying, "You're next."
That was what worried him. Next to what. He was about to get up and show the message to Professor Dumbledore when the dreadful itching started. His flesh felt like it had hundreds of ants crawling beneath it, so he scratched. But that made it worse.
The next thing he could remember with any clarity was Mrs. Pomfrey dousing the burning skin in some potion or another, telling him that it would be okay. At some point between the start of the itch and looking for the piece of paper in question, it had vanished.
Luckily, Professor Dumbledore believed that it existed when Ron and Hermionie backed him up. Malfoy on the other hand made it out to be another one of Harry's little stunts to gain attention, and Snape voiced this opinion in class as well.
While Professor Dumbledore insisted that Snape was good now, Harry was never so certain, especially not after double potions, where he, his friends and his house had been ridiculed for two hours. Who else would have been able to brew such a potion?
Snape also had to do with the second incident. Harry had suffered through yet another detention, even though he wasn't sure what Snape was using as the cause for it. He was in such a rush to get out that he forgot to pick up his Charms textbook as he left the room. Since he had Charms homework, that he hadn't done yet, due in for the next day, he thought it would be best if he collected the book.
He was about to knock on the door when he heard two angry voices. He leant closer to the door.
"I can't believe you put me in Gryffindor! Gryffindor of all places. I'm Slytherin to the core and you stick me with them." The voice sounded familiar but he couldn't quite place it.
"I had to, for the plan to succeed." That voice was unmistakable, the faint sneer, the hatred of humanity that poured out, it could only have been Snape.
"I know, blah, blah, cosy up to the little 'uns, make nice."
"...You're..."
"Don't say it, I know, I'm only a little older than they are, but I feel ancient. I mean opening that parcel, how stupid can he get?"
"You'd be amazed, sometimes Potter astounds even me with his foolishness."
"Which is why I am here."
"Precisely."
The door creaked, there was the muffled sound of an incantation and Snape snapped open the door. "What are you doing here, Potter?"
"Sorry sir, I think I left my Charms textbook in here."
"Getting a little forgetful are we? Or is this just an excuse to come spying on me."
"I don't know what you mean sir."
"Oh but you do Potter, you do. And you'd do well to remember that I'm on to your little game."
Harry shut up and searched for his textbook. He also took a quick look to see if there was anyone else in the room. No, no one there. "Thanks sir," he said, brandishing the textbook.
"Good, you've found it. Now get out."
"Yes sir." Harry scarpered.
So Harry was receiving strange parcels and Snape was having visitors who could vanish in seconds. How very odd. Were they connected? He'd have to find Ron and Hermionie to ask them, but he'd have to wait till tomorrow morning, they were busy watching a film in Hogsmede as part of Muggle Studies, Harry would have been there himself if not for this blasted detention.