Chapter 39
The next day there was a prefect meeting, Harry managed to get there first, he needed to talk with Dumbledore. He frowned as he hurried through the halls, his leg ached, it would be so much easier just to teleport…but if the healers were at all to be believed he wouldn't be able to summon so much as a small lightning bolt until a few weeks into the summer. Damn those elementals, damn you Voldemort for helping to make them so much stronger!
"Did Sirius tell you-"
"Yes, thank you Harry, the Order got there too late, he already had control over the island, and had enslaved or killed all the muggles. He's trying to take over the entire world, starting with all the islands."
"Oh joy, about that program, the one to keep students from becoming death eaters?"
"Are you reading my mind Harry?"
"No."
"That is what this meeting is about, as well as a few other issues." Just then the others entered. "Alright everyone please sit down. Now, last night Voldemort began to seriously attempt to take over the world, starting with the islands and moving onto the large continents." He waited for their shock to subside a little. "There isn't much we here can do about that, you'll be kept updated…better than the rest of the wizarding world in fact. Now this Friday a new program started jointly by all the magic teaching schools will be coming to Hogwarts. It's called TADE, Truth About Death Eaters. They'll be giving their presentation on Saturday." He passed out handouts made by TADE to all of them to distribute to the students. "Now, do any of you know the signs of the imperius curse being used?"
"The person starts acting skitsofranic? (Is that how it's spelled?)" Harry suggested, there were a few chuckles.
"No…Albus stopped for a moment, his eyes unfocused. "I'm sorry but I have to go, Voldemort is on the warpath again. We will meet tomorrow after dinner." With that he departed, signaling for Harry to follow.
Harry didn't get back until three am the next morning. Voldemort had taken over Honshu and all the neighboring islands. Why he had chosen to start taking over the world form Japan onwards was anybody's guess. Perhaps it was because of a recent drop in the economy, or maybe he finally gotten a death eater or two into the high government. Anyhow so far he had only been hitting at muggles; the murder rate had shot up. Two hundred dead or missing in Japan alone since yesterday. Most of them taken away to Voldemort's new stronghold as slaves.
However there wasn't much that could be done, but Harry was forming a plan.
**
There was a Order of the Phoenix Council meeting on Saturday, so Harry never got to see the TADE.
"Are there any ideas about the recent problem?" Sirius asked quietly, he looked exhausted, they all did.
"Yes, Voldemort has sent up a base on Honshu. He neglected to notice that there is a system of caves under it, filled with water. A dive team could easily get through and blow away the entire operation. Because of the spells surrounding it no one without the dark mark can use magic in there. But muggle devices would work very well." A faint glimmer of enthusiasm appeared in many eyes at Harry's idea.
"Yes, that would work. We'll have to put a team in training. Does anyone here have any scuba diving experience. Harry raised his hand, last summer his godparents and he had gone to Hawaii where he had taken a month of diving classes, and had assisted in the exploration of an underwater cave newly discovered. He was the only one, neither of his godparents had taken the class, they had been too busy with the Order.
"Alright Harry, and we also have five others. You six will have to train a patrol…"
"How about we start a new patrol, a Special Projects Division?" Miranda suggested, there was a vote and it was arranged for Harry and the other five to jointly teach the new team. Unfortunately Harry wouldn't be going on the Honshu mission, he had exams.
**
Harry spent most of the next two months studying hard, and working with the dark power stone to try and create a stronger link to Voldemort so he could drain more of the dark lords power. Unfortunately the year old link created from Severus's dark mark wasn't big enough to drain enough power to really do much harm. Harry was currently experimenting with some captured Mesmerds. He was also spending long hours working with the elementals, the possibilities for their blood's uses was enormous. He had over a hundred gallons of each type of elemental blood stored away, the stuff was proving very valuable. With it he could give a person power over a certain element for a certain length of time, they also enhanced the effects of almost any potion. He was even trying to find out if air's blood, which had the most mental healing abilities, could reverse the effects of prolonged exposure to the cruciatus curse. If this worked Neville might someday be able to really meet his parents. And to top it all off there was Quidditch.
**
The Quidditch cup came around all to soon in late April. There was only a month of school left. It would be Gryffindor vs. Slytherin again.
On the morning of the match the whole school seemed to shiver with a nervous atmosphere. Harry and the Gryffindor team ate out on the pitch. The current team was Harry (seeker), Ira (keeper), Morgan (now chaser), Phillip (beater), Larquan (beater), Sam (chaser), and Theresa (chaser). Sam and Theresa were transfer students from other schools, Sam was a sixth year and Theresa was a third year. The reserve team also ate with them, Gladys (chaser), and the McKinnion twins, Pearl and Janice (beaters). Harry had yet to find another seeker or keeper.
Finally it was time the team changed quickly, listening to Ron who was commentating.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the 824th Hogwarts Quidditch Cup! Our teams for this year are Slytherin and Gryffindor!" He paused for the cheers and applause to settle. "Now I see the Slytherins are coming out onto the pitch! It's Malfoy, Degrald, Nanahim third year and older brother Nanahim seventh year, and Dimorvich!" Everyone cheered, Harry sighed and smiled, pleased to see results form his work, apart from Pansy's troupe all the Slytherins had become friends with the rest of the school, everyone would be cheering for everyone now.
"Here are the defending champions of the past two cups the Gryffindors! Potter, Smithran, McKinnion, McKinnion, Alanai, and Frost!" The team flew out at top speed to zoom around the pitch, showing off. They all regrouped to hover, waiting while Harry and Draco shook hands, Madam Hooch released the snitch and the Bludgers and tossed up the Quaffle, which Morgan promptly grabbed, Harry shot off into the air to search for the snitch. Suddenly on the horizon Harry distinctly heard the low long rumble of a gigantic massing thunderstorm. But he was the only one, with his acute storm senses only he heard the approaching giant…and he knew that soon this would be more than a battle of team against team, it would be team vs. team vs. nature, and with his power so weakened that he couldn't call lightning if he tried, it would be weeks until he could again, they would be at the storm's mercy.
Cliffhanger! MWHAHAHAHAHAHA! I promise I'll update soon!
The next day there was a prefect meeting, Harry managed to get there first, he needed to talk with Dumbledore. He frowned as he hurried through the halls, his leg ached, it would be so much easier just to teleport…but if the healers were at all to be believed he wouldn't be able to summon so much as a small lightning bolt until a few weeks into the summer. Damn those elementals, damn you Voldemort for helping to make them so much stronger!
"Did Sirius tell you-"
"Yes, thank you Harry, the Order got there too late, he already had control over the island, and had enslaved or killed all the muggles. He's trying to take over the entire world, starting with all the islands."
"Oh joy, about that program, the one to keep students from becoming death eaters?"
"Are you reading my mind Harry?"
"No."
"That is what this meeting is about, as well as a few other issues." Just then the others entered. "Alright everyone please sit down. Now, last night Voldemort began to seriously attempt to take over the world, starting with the islands and moving onto the large continents." He waited for their shock to subside a little. "There isn't much we here can do about that, you'll be kept updated…better than the rest of the wizarding world in fact. Now this Friday a new program started jointly by all the magic teaching schools will be coming to Hogwarts. It's called TADE, Truth About Death Eaters. They'll be giving their presentation on Saturday." He passed out handouts made by TADE to all of them to distribute to the students. "Now, do any of you know the signs of the imperius curse being used?"
"The person starts acting skitsofranic? (Is that how it's spelled?)" Harry suggested, there were a few chuckles.
"No…Albus stopped for a moment, his eyes unfocused. "I'm sorry but I have to go, Voldemort is on the warpath again. We will meet tomorrow after dinner." With that he departed, signaling for Harry to follow.
Harry didn't get back until three am the next morning. Voldemort had taken over Honshu and all the neighboring islands. Why he had chosen to start taking over the world form Japan onwards was anybody's guess. Perhaps it was because of a recent drop in the economy, or maybe he finally gotten a death eater or two into the high government. Anyhow so far he had only been hitting at muggles; the murder rate had shot up. Two hundred dead or missing in Japan alone since yesterday. Most of them taken away to Voldemort's new stronghold as slaves.
However there wasn't much that could be done, but Harry was forming a plan.
**
There was a Order of the Phoenix Council meeting on Saturday, so Harry never got to see the TADE.
"Are there any ideas about the recent problem?" Sirius asked quietly, he looked exhausted, they all did.
"Yes, Voldemort has sent up a base on Honshu. He neglected to notice that there is a system of caves under it, filled with water. A dive team could easily get through and blow away the entire operation. Because of the spells surrounding it no one without the dark mark can use magic in there. But muggle devices would work very well." A faint glimmer of enthusiasm appeared in many eyes at Harry's idea.
"Yes, that would work. We'll have to put a team in training. Does anyone here have any scuba diving experience. Harry raised his hand, last summer his godparents and he had gone to Hawaii where he had taken a month of diving classes, and had assisted in the exploration of an underwater cave newly discovered. He was the only one, neither of his godparents had taken the class, they had been too busy with the Order.
"Alright Harry, and we also have five others. You six will have to train a patrol…"
"How about we start a new patrol, a Special Projects Division?" Miranda suggested, there was a vote and it was arranged for Harry and the other five to jointly teach the new team. Unfortunately Harry wouldn't be going on the Honshu mission, he had exams.
**
Harry spent most of the next two months studying hard, and working with the dark power stone to try and create a stronger link to Voldemort so he could drain more of the dark lords power. Unfortunately the year old link created from Severus's dark mark wasn't big enough to drain enough power to really do much harm. Harry was currently experimenting with some captured Mesmerds. He was also spending long hours working with the elementals, the possibilities for their blood's uses was enormous. He had over a hundred gallons of each type of elemental blood stored away, the stuff was proving very valuable. With it he could give a person power over a certain element for a certain length of time, they also enhanced the effects of almost any potion. He was even trying to find out if air's blood, which had the most mental healing abilities, could reverse the effects of prolonged exposure to the cruciatus curse. If this worked Neville might someday be able to really meet his parents. And to top it all off there was Quidditch.
**
The Quidditch cup came around all to soon in late April. There was only a month of school left. It would be Gryffindor vs. Slytherin again.
On the morning of the match the whole school seemed to shiver with a nervous atmosphere. Harry and the Gryffindor team ate out on the pitch. The current team was Harry (seeker), Ira (keeper), Morgan (now chaser), Phillip (beater), Larquan (beater), Sam (chaser), and Theresa (chaser). Sam and Theresa were transfer students from other schools, Sam was a sixth year and Theresa was a third year. The reserve team also ate with them, Gladys (chaser), and the McKinnion twins, Pearl and Janice (beaters). Harry had yet to find another seeker or keeper.
Finally it was time the team changed quickly, listening to Ron who was commentating.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the 824th Hogwarts Quidditch Cup! Our teams for this year are Slytherin and Gryffindor!" He paused for the cheers and applause to settle. "Now I see the Slytherins are coming out onto the pitch! It's Malfoy, Degrald, Nanahim third year and older brother Nanahim seventh year, and Dimorvich!" Everyone cheered, Harry sighed and smiled, pleased to see results form his work, apart from Pansy's troupe all the Slytherins had become friends with the rest of the school, everyone would be cheering for everyone now.
"Here are the defending champions of the past two cups the Gryffindors! Potter, Smithran, McKinnion, McKinnion, Alanai, and Frost!" The team flew out at top speed to zoom around the pitch, showing off. They all regrouped to hover, waiting while Harry and Draco shook hands, Madam Hooch released the snitch and the Bludgers and tossed up the Quaffle, which Morgan promptly grabbed, Harry shot off into the air to search for the snitch. Suddenly on the horizon Harry distinctly heard the low long rumble of a gigantic massing thunderstorm. But he was the only one, with his acute storm senses only he heard the approaching giant…and he knew that soon this would be more than a battle of team against team, it would be team vs. team vs. nature, and with his power so weakened that he couldn't call lightning if he tried, it would be weeks until he could again, they would be at the storm's mercy.
Cliffhanger! MWHAHAHAHAHAHA! I promise I'll update soon!