This is the first chapter of the "Counterpart" story. I hope you like! If there's any information you'd like, please ask in a review or e-mail and I'll gladly answer if I have one!
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Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything associated with it.
*****
Counterpart
Chapter 1- Letters
By KZerina
"Wake up, Harry," Ron said, sleepily. "It's Saturday morning. We can go visit Hagrid."
Harry moaned and rolled over, ignoring Ron. He wasn't in the mood to wake up, not for Ron anyway.
"At least come to breakfast with me," Ron persisted.
"Fine," Harry said more forcefully than was necessary. "Fine. I'll go with you if it'll get you to keep you mouth shut."
Ron started. Harry must have been in a really bad mood to be that irritable at ten o'clock in the morning on a Saturday when they didn't have any classes. Harry had gone into the bathroom to change into his wizarding robes for the day. Ron followed suit when Harry had returned to his four-poster bed, and when Ron was dressed, the two boys went to the Great Hall for breakfast.
They sat next to Hermione who had already made her way to breakfast and saved her best friends seats on either side of herself. She slid to the right, and Harry took the middle seat while Ron took the remaining seat on Harry's left.
The owl post came right on time. Hedwig swooped in bearing a letter bound to her leg. She landed in front of Harry, but when he reached out to remove the letter, she bit him hard on the finger and fluttered to Hermione's far shoulder, sticking her beak up and ruffling her feathers haughtily.
Hermione looked at Hedwig, brows knitted in confusion. She looked over at Harry who was sucking gently on his bleeding finger. Harry looked at his finger and glared stonily at his snowy owl with a glare he had never used before. Hermione didn't know he could look like that—almost evil.
She looked back up at Hedwig who was now returning the glare. She stood up with Hedwig still perched upon her shoulder and walked away nonchalantly to sit by Ginny who was sitting with the other fourth year girls. Ron was looking at her strangely, obviously wondering why she had left. Hermione looked at Hedwig again and removed the letter from her leg. She recognized the handwriting as Sirius's. Hermione dared not open it at the breakfast table without Harry, so she slipped it into a pocket inside her robes where it would be safe from prying eyes.
Ginny had been looking at her curiously since she had seated herself away from her two best friends.
"What's up, Hermione? Why'd you move down here?" she asked in a confused tone.
"I'll tell you after breakfast," Hermione replied, her voice lowered to barely above a whisper.
Ginny nodded and scooped eggs onto her breakfast plate; Hermione did the same and ate her breakfast in peace, occasionally feeding strips of bacon to Harry's perched owl, who accepted them gratefully.
As soon as both girls had finished, Ginny excused herself from her friends, and they headed to Gryffindor Tower for explanations.
"So," Ginny asked, "why did you sit by me?"
"Hedwig bit Harry and sat on my shoulder," answered Hermione, gesturing at the snowy owl still sitting on her shoulder. "Even when she's in a foul mood, she doesn't bite him, not like she did. There's something wrong with Harry; there has to be."
"What if there's something wrong with Hedwig?"
"It's not Hedwig, or she'd be having problems with me, too," Hermione sighed. "I just wish I knew what was wrong."
Ginny shook her head glumly, and both stared at the floor.
"We should tell Professor Dumbledore," Hermione announced suddenly. "Maybe he could help."
Hermione jumped up and rushed out of the common room, catching Ginny off guard, but she was soon on Hermione's heels as they headed up to the Great Hall, hoping that Professor Dumbledore was still presiding there. He was just leaving as they arrived.
"Professor Dumbledore!" Hermione called.
The headmaster raised his eyebrows to show the girls they had his attention.
"There's something important we have to talk to you about," Hermione panted, "preferably in private."
"Of course," replied Dumbledore, assuredly. "Let us go up to my office; you may tell me there." The headmaster motioned for them to follow him, which they did.
They reached a large, ugly, stone statue that seemed to be a gargoyle. Dumbledore spoke the password ("sugar quill"), and the creature pounced aside for them to pass. They stepped onto the stairs and nearly fell over when they began to move, although Dumbledore didn't move at all since he was used to the staircase moving beneath his feet.
The ride finally ended as they reached the door. The professor opened it and stepped inside, inviting the girls in after him. A beautiful scarlet bird was perched by the window swaying gently and singing a heart-soothing, but almost mournful song.
"That must be Fawkes," Hermione said, awestruck at the gently glowing bird. "Harry's talked about him. He's beautiful…."
"Yes," said Dumbledore. "And he seems to be acting strangely. He's usually not this talkative. I thought he must be in a particularly happy mood. Anyway, you had something important to say to me."
"Oh, yeah," Hermione said. "Well, this morning Hedwig brought a reply from…" Hermione paused and Dumbledore nodded his knowledge of Sirius. "…And when Harry tried to take the letter, Hedwig actually bit him—hard." Hermione finished, stroking Hedwig's feathers gently while the owl hooted indignantly at the story.
Dumbledore stared at his desk vacantly as though in a deep trance of thought. Fawkes's song was accentuated by the silence of voices.
"Very interesting," the headmaster spoke finally. "I don't know what I can do since I don't know what's going on, but keep me informed of any other strange behavior of Harry or anyone closely connected with him."
"Yes, sir," both girls answered.
"Have a good classless day then," he said cheerfully, ushering them out of the office politely.
Both girls walked down the hall, heading to Gryffindor Tower. They entered and sat on a comfortable couch.
"Well, like the professor said, there's nothing we can do until we have more information," Hermione said disappointedly. "Excuse me, Ginny, I have a letter I need to write."
She got up and went to her dormitory. She pulled open the window and sent Hedwig up to the owlery where she could sleep. Hermione grabbed some parchment, a quill, and a bottle of plain, black ink. She set the ink on her bedside table and opened it, dipping the end of her eagle feather into it. With the parchment set on a hardbound book on her knees, she began to write.
Dear Sirius,
This is Hermione, not Harry. We received your letter, but there is something more important to address, concerning the handling. Hedwig wouldn't let Harry take the letter, which caused me to be suspicious. He seemed different—more than different actually, almost evil. Ginny, Ron's sister, and I talked to Professor Dumbledore about it, and he'll be able to help us once we get more information to him. I thought you ought to know, but don't get yourself caught! I'll keep you informed of what we gather.
And, by the way, the letter you sent is completely sealed in my pocket, unread, even by me, so it is perfectly safe.
With Love,
Hermione
With that, she folded the letter and slipped it into an envelope without a single spot of ink on it. She sealed it with a proper sealing charm and made her way to the owlery for Hedwig to take to Harry's godfather. She opened the door slowly, and no one was there. She whistled to Hedwig who responded immediately, realizing that Hermione was helping their absent best friend.
"Here, Hedwig," Hermione said gently. "Take this to Sirius for me will you? And hurry."
Hedwig gave an important hoot and flapped out the window toward the fugitive Sirius Black.
Hermione turned and left the owlery and returned to her dormitory and to do her weekend homework, which consisted of Charms, Transfiguration, and Potions, and when that was completed, she headed to the library to research magical methods of cloning and brainwashing.
***
Tiny slits of dim light shone brightly as Harry slowly woke up from a deep sleep. He groaned and rolled onto his side and opened his eye fully, gaining a blurry image of a dirt-covered floor. He shook his head to clear it, only obtaining a similar response. He tried to sit up only to get a wave of dizziness, and he lay back down. Massaging his forehead, he looked up at the stone ceiling.
"Where am I?" he asked himself rhetorically, since he knew he wasn't at Hogwarts.
"You are in the brig," a sinister voice drawled.
Harry started himself into a sitting position, being hit by another bout of dizziness, which made him clutch his head again, this time feeling a large lump where he had been hit on the Quidditch pitch.
"Don't worry, Potter. I'm not here to execute you. I don't have that authority," explained the voice. "I'm only guarding you. If you are to be killed, the Master will to it himself."
"Oh, what a comforting thought," Harry muttered under his breath.
"Now, Potter, I suggest you relax. You're going to be here for a while."
"Lovely, just what I always wanted, a jail cell all to myself."
"And I also suggest that you keep that sarcastic tongue of yours inside of your mouth," the Death Eater warned, "or I might be forced to tell the Master that our prisoner is getting a little…hostile."
Harry snorted in spite of his guard who merely glared at him.
Seeing no reason at this point to panic, Harry lay back down on the crudely made bunk and stared at the drab ceiling.
This is Voldemort's work, he thought. Who else would want me locked up like this, to be toyed with? I need to figure a way out of here....
***
So, who liked? Who didn't? Constructive criticism is very welcome. Flames shall be used to put a fire in the chimney, as winter is approaching rather quickly this year. Thank you to those who reviewed the prologue.
Notes to reviewers:
Rowan: Here's more! I hope you liked it! I hope to get the next chapter up soon.
Gemini: I'm glad you liked last chapter. I hope this one meets your standards as well.
Thanks for reading this story! Any questions, comments, etc… can be posed through a review or an e-mail. Hope you liked it!
KZerina