Harry Potter and the Time of Hell

Created by Com.
Beta edited by Prophetess of Hearts.

Com-A/N 1: Hi! The last chapter was entirely done by the all-brilliant and powerful Prophetess of Hearts my beta reader whom I don't deserve at all.
Prophetess of Hearts-A/N 2: Now that's not true... Com is the all-brilliant one!
Muhahahhahahahhahahah! (word!)

Chapter 3: The Plan.



It was night time; two hours after Dumbledore had left the Hospital wing with the promise of being aloud to be re-sorted. Harry wouldn't enjoy moving away from all his friends in the least, but if that was what he had to do to get away from the Dudley, so be it.

Harry would have to get used to the Slytherin's from there on in as the Sorting Hat would probably put him there. At least thats what he supposed since that was the Sorting Hats original first choice for him.

He wouldn't be able to play Quidditch anymore he realized, the position of Seeker was already for filled by Malfoy, but it was still worth moving. He could always apply for different positions on the Slytherin team. Oliver Wood had said he would make an alright Beater and he was sure he could follow in his fathers footsteps and become a Chaser but it still wouldn't be the same as being Seeker, hero of every game. That is unless by some show of defiance the team captain shoved Malfoy to one of the other positions and allowed Harry to be the Seeker.

He wondered if he could still remain friends with Ron and Hermione, he probably could. After all Slytherin was only a house not a way of life. Besides, it might make a good way to bridge the gap between Muggle-borns and Purebloods.

All in all it wouldn't be that bad. And with that thought he drifted in to an uneventful sleep, partially thanks to the wonders of the dreamless sleep potion Madam Pomfrey had provided.

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"Why do you think Dumbledore put him in here," Ron's voice came from some where to the left of Harry's bed.

"Quiet Ron you'll wake him!" Hermione's irritated voice came from his right hand side. He decided to play along to find out as much as they knew.

"Ok, but why?" Ron asked in a quieter voice.

"Well it obviously has something to do with the Sorting Hat, doesn't it? It wouldn't be here other wise?" Harry nearly blew his cover there and then when he let out a sigh of relief but he quickly covered up with a cough and rolled over pretending to still be asleep. They, Ron and Hermione, went quiet and Harry thought they hadn't fell for it but after a few minutes they returned to their conversation.

From where he was lying now he could see Ron's face clearly enough to know that he was gazing over at the other side of the room where Hermione was probably sitting judging by Ron's fuzzy face. It was filled with love that much he could see. Love for the one he was staring in the eyes right now.

Harry had always had a feeling that Ron had feelings for Hermione. But the way they always argued put him off the idea, but maybe it was their way of showing they cared about each other.

There was a long silence; Harry knew that he wasn't getting any information this way. He cleared his throat and yawned pretending to have just woken up. He stretched and looked around actually confused, this wasn't the Hospital Wing he had fallen a sleep in this room was circular like the Gryffindor common room decorated in red, gold, green and silver one side red and gold the other green and silver. He sat up but was immediately pushed back down by Hermione and Ron as they both wrapped their arms around him. He hissed in pain it still hurt him to move and he still had a few cuts and bruises that still had to heal.

They quickly moved off him, "Are you alright, Harry?" They asked worry clearly written on their faces. That was just the kind of friends they were.

"I think so," he managed to groan out, he had a seriously sore throat, and he was sure if he kept on talking he would lose his voice.

"Do you know why you're here?" She asked. Harry just shrugged his shoulders not really wanting to give the truth away, it was best if they waited and saw the answer. They might not feel betrayed as much.

"Ahem!" Harry swore he jumped a mile then. He looked over Ron's shoulder to see Snape standing in the doorway with the ugliest sneer on his face, "The headmaster wants to speak with Harry alone if he may..." This wasn't as much as a question more of an order, but that was just the way the slimy git of a Potions Master was.

"Yes sir." Hermione said, stressing the word sir as Ron glared at Snape as if to remind Ron that he was still a professor. They then left after muttering their good-byes as they went.

"Bye." Harry said as they walked out the door. He had tried to sound sad; but he didn't want them to be they're when he begged the Sorting Hat to reconsider its decision.

This left Harry and Snape alone, they hadn't talked since that night Harry liked to call the 'cat in a chicken suit day' Snape caught his eye and they both smirked.

Although they don't look it Snape and McGonagall were close friends during the summer holidays. Harry didn't quite know if they fancied each other or if they had any history together. But what ever their relationship was, she swore, literally, that if she ever heard the words 'McGonagall' and 'chicken' spoken by any one else she would kill him/her, Snape and the person that had let the cat out of the bag (no pun intended of course). Weirdly enough she was looking straight at Harry when she said this.

But then if Harry did get into Slytherin (like he believed he would after the sorting hats original attempted sorting) a well placed Canary cream in her saucer while she was a cat could just as easily duplicate the whole event in front of the student body, although the kind of bird would be different. After all, it would be what a cunning Slytherin would do, and it wouldn't be breaking his promise either.

He promised himself if he got into Slytherin he would carry out his plan. No wonder everyone thought he was the Heir of Slytherin with all the devious parts of his mind coming to the surface. Then again if that was all it took why exactly the Weasley twins didn't get sorted into Slytherin would be a very logical question.

Then to Harry's shock the Dursleys came swaggering in. They took one look at Harry and started laughing, they had obviously missed Professor Snape, who was now sitting in a chair in one of the corners of the room. That is because they jumped 2 feet in the air when they did realize he was there, but the simple fact that he was there, was not the reason they jumped, it was because he was pointing a wand at them. Which in Harry's mind pleased him very much so, probably as much as it pleased Severus Snape himself.

Harry hadn't even seen Snape move but now there he was standing in front of the Dursley's with his wand pointed right in the center of Vernon's chest.

"AHHH! What the hell do you think your doing!?" was Vernon's outraged question. It was almost as if they thought that everyone would simply allow them to laugh at the 'boy-who-lived', or in their minds the 'boy-who-was-their-door-mat'.

"You think it's funny seeing your nephew like this because of your son? How about if your son was in this state?" With that he pointed his wand directly at Dudley who automatically moved his hands to his bottom.

Snape laughed at this. An actual true laugh that would have scared Neville into hiding in the deepest darkest caves for a good millennium. "Now, now, Severus stop winding them up." Was heard from behind the immense Dursleys. It was Professor Dumbledore as if anyone else would have protected such filth as them.

"Although, they do deserve it. Dudley is serving detentions for his punishment he won't appreciate getting a pigs tail as well." Dumbledore continued non-paused. Dudley squealed and ran behind his mother as Dumbledore gave Harry one of his trademark smiles with eyes twinkling.

Snape gave the Headmaster a questioning look, but Harry just lay there with his eyes closed trying not to pay attention. "Harry, I would like to know if you wish your relatives present for this..." Dumbledore continued as he looked at Harry as well.

Harry shook his head but immediately stopped cursing at himself because he thought he should know better the amounts of time he'd been in here he should have known it'd make him dizzy.

"Ok then, now Vernon," he continued "will you be as kind as going to get Minerva I think she'll need an explanation to this as well and please Mrs.Dursley and young Mr.Dursley, Harry and I would both like it if you left and went down to the great hall and waited. We'll inform you what has happened later and I'm sure Vernon will join you after he brings us Professor McGonagall." Dumbledore finished after giving Harry a kind smile. The Dursley's for their part walked grudgingly out of the room and Dumbledore turned back to Harry.

After the chicken night he had avoided Minerva as much as he could, and in such a big castle that was easy. What he had done to her was very un-Snape-ish but it seemed to have worked well, as Potter now didn't hate him. But he did have a reason to being nice, and that was simply Albus. Albus who had asked him to look after the boy during the summer. When he had broken the news to the boy he had seemed fine but that was probably the shock that he was in.

Minerva took several minutes coming back and she seemed to be in a very angry mood. Minerva in a bad mood was a very horrible and dangerous thing. It was worse than Peeves in a good mood. Then again it probably had something to do with who exactly was leading her.

"Dursley! This is all your fault if you hadn't have let your son do this, one of my best students wouldn't be bed ridden like an invalid." McGonagall said as she ran into the Dursley's put in the hallway.

"OH SHUT WOMAN! All you've ever done is nag at me I don't know how anyone stands it!" Vernon countered, even though it was obvious to just about anyone else that this was a rather bad idea.

"How dare you! We bring you here for your own protection and find out you've been abusing your own nephew but Albus forgave you and gave another chance! If I didn't know any better I'd say he's mad bu-" Minerva McGonagall exclaimed, showing just how upset she was as she was speaking in a voice harsher then to a misbehaving first year.

"On the contrary Professor McGonagall I assure you I am quite insane." They had just come around the corner and into the room but they were so busy arguing that they hadn't noticed. "Now if your quite finished," Dumbledore said while giving them each a piercing glare before conitnuing "You may now join your family Vernon."

"So Harry are you sure you want to do this?" he said while looking at Harry in a concerned manner after Vernon had left.

"Yes Sir." Harry said politely, almost a bit too happily, then nodded his head again cursing at himself.

"Well just walk up to the hat and put it on your head if it asked any questions just say the head master says its aright" was Dumbledore's kind and patient explanation as always. Then again it was left to Dumbledore to be polite and cheerful in even the most dire of circumstances.