Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter alas. I do own the Staff Draconis and Marten Diggory.

Author Note- I must admit I'm having loads of fun. A bit of fair warning, I'll be updating sporadically, so don't get mad at me! Thanks so much for your reviews! Here's hoping you like this one!

2. The Disgruntled Squib

Harry inhaled in a rush, and felt his insides return. For a horrible moment, he had been reliving the moment the previous year when Cedric had died. The green flash, the high cold voice of Lord Voldemort as he murmured, "Kill the spare." Harry blinked and shook his head. It wasn't Cedric Diggory, but the similarities of feature were far too great to be coincidental.

He forced his mouth shut as Petunia used her bony elbow to shove him out of the way. "And you must be Marten!" she squealed in false delight. The boy smiled and proffered his hand to shake hers.

"Mrs. Dursley, good morning." He said smoothly. He shifted his gaze to Harry and his smile became a knowing sneer. The lazy greeting in his eyes shifted to a quicksilver flash of superiority and loathing. It reminded Harry of the way Snape and Draco Malfoy always looked at him. He knew. Harry realized suddenly, as those spiteful eyes now did the familiar flicker to where his scar was hidden in his hair.

Then he turned back to Mrs. Dursley and the look of loathing was once again replaced with bored politeness. The moment was gone, Aunt Petunia was turning to shout down the hall to the kitchen. "Vernon! It's Dudley's friend from Smeltings, Marten Diggory!"

Uncle Vernon rumbled down the hall and shoved Harry aside out of habit. "Diggory!" He bellowed jovially, "Another fine student from the finest private school in Britain!"

Marten repeated his smooth greeting with Uncle Vernon. After a few moments of politely answering Vernon's questions about the school, he and Dudley escaped upstairs and Harry found that he was once again alone and ignored.

* * *

The morning passed uneventfully, Dudley and Marten had barricaded themselves in Dudley's room to play Space Nukes III and Harry had done likewise to work on his History of Magic essay. When he had arrived in his room he had discovered a few pleasant surprises. The shock of seeing someone who looked like a dead person standing at the door had completely driven the fact that it was his birthday out of Harry's mind, but a small stack of cards and packages at the foot of Hedwig's cage reminded him.

The first card was from Hermione, an intelligent witch who was at the top of her class and had been one of Harry's best friends since their first year at Hogwarts. It was short and pleasant. Enclosed was a wizard photograph of Hermione and Viktor Krum waving vigorously. Behind them was a mountainous backdrop that Harry assumed was Bulgaria. Harry grinned to see that she had decided to take the boy up on his offer after all. Judging by the smiles on their faces, both she and the Quidditch star seemed to be having a great time. He pushed the card aside and tore open her gift. It was a handsome set of training robes for Quidditch. Harry glanced at the tag to see that they were enchanted with a comfort charm which would make them waterproof, warm in the winter, and breathable in the summer. Harry let out a low whistle when he saw the tag. Drostchove's Quidditch Supplies. Official Supplier of the Bulgarian World Cup Team.

Harry hung up the training robes with a grin and turned back to the pile. The next card was from Ron, Harry's other best friend. Ron Weasley came from a large wizarding family who lived in a fantastic old house called The Burrow. The Weasleys had always been a bit poor but you could not find a nicer family. Ron's card was bright and funny. It was accompanied by a gargantuan package. Inside was a book from Ron called Quidditch Through the Ages.

The package also contained a large assortment of meat pies from Mrs. Weasley, several plates of cremes that Harry considered with great trepidation (Ron's twin older brothers Fred and George were notorious pranksters and the memory of their canary creams were still a bit too vivid for Harry to trust food from them) and a box of heart shaped sweets that Harry had a sinking feeling came from Ron's younger sister Ginny, who had been taken with Harry since his second year. At the bottom of the bundle were some samples of Fred and George's more easily recognizable pranks, including a couple truly excellent fake wands.

Harry turned back to see that he had only one card left. He opened it eagerly but found it was only a letter from Professor McGonagall, the head of his school house, with a list of books and supplies he would need this year and a reminder that the Hogwarts Express would be departing from Platform Nine and Three Quarters of King's Cross station on September first. Harry sighed and sat down. Now that he thought of it, he couldn't really be surprised that neither Sirius of Hagrid had sent him a card. Hagrid was off negotiating with the giants and Sirius, well, who knew where Sirius was?

Harry stretched and headed for the door, feeling it was probably time to sneak downstairs for a bite to eat. On his way out he ran straight into Marten Diggory. They were alone in the hallway and Marten sneered. "So, Harry Potter." It was a cold statement with just a touch of superiority.

Harry drew back a step. "Who are you?"

Marten struck a tragic pose and his face widened in a laconic grin. "I'm my father's deepest shame, the shadow of my wonderful brother, and a failure in the magical world. I'm Marten Diggory. Pleased to meet you."

Harry was still off balance. "An-And you're a-"

"A squib." Marten finished bluntly. His expression flattened for a moment, but in an instant his laconic grin was back. "I don't like you much Potter. I hate all wizards, as you I'm sure you understand, but I didn't hate my brother."

Harry shook his head. "But I didn't-"

Marten cut him off again. "You were supposed to humiliate him!" He hissed, "But he wasn't supposed to die."

Harry felt anger blazing in his chest. "I didn't kill him. I didn't know it was a portkey!"

"Of course, of course," Marten said in a falsely soothing voice, "but I'm just here to deliver you a bit of news. It's almost funny, really, when my father found out I was a squib, he got me into the best Muggle school he could find, where who should I meet, but the cousin of the famous Harry Potter! And now I've come here to give you a bit of a news clipping, one you'll find interesting. Just came in two days ago."

He pulled a bit of parchment from his pocket and for the second time that morning, he felt his insides drop in horror.

Albus Dumbledore Fired, Hogwarts to be Taken Under Ministry Control

Harry didn't have the heart to read it right then and there, he merely placed it in his pocket and stared blankly at the wicked grin spreading on Marten's face. "See you around, Potter." he murmured as he turned back towards the stairs and disappeared from view.

Author Note: Hope you liked, please review! Flamers accepted!