Chapter Five
The weekend passed by fairly quickly. Harry was allowed out of the infirmary at lunchtime on Saturday and spent the weekend sorting out his belongings and playing Exploding Snap and Chess with Ron and Hermione.
He avoided Draco the whole weekend who went to extraordinary lengths to talk to him, including following him around the corridors until Harry was forced to return to the Gryffindor Common Room and banging on the Portrait of the Fat Lady until Professor McGonagall told him in no uncertain terms that if he ventured anywhere near the Gryffindor Common Room for any reason other than a personal invitation or there was no other possible way to get to his classroom she would remove fifty points from Slytherin.
Monday morning found Harry seated at the Gryffindor Table at breakfast looking over his timetable.
'I swear someone up there is out to get me! Double Potions first. What the hell is going on?'
Hermione looked at him. 'You can't put it off forever. You are going to have to talk to him. Especially since you returned the present.'
Ron looked up from his porridge which he had completely smothered in cream and sugar, 'What present?'
'Snape sent me a birthday present and I returned it.' Harry grimaced as he thought of what Ron could be doing to his teeth.
Hermione spoke up. 'Yeah, and he apologised.'
'Snape apologised?' Ron's voice rose several octaves.
'Shut up, do you want the whole world to know? He sent me a card with the word sorry on it. I hardly call that an apology.'
Hermione started packing the book she had been reading in her bag. 'At least he was trying, which is more than can be said for you.' Harry's face twisted in indignation and opened his mouth to protest so Hermione continued hurriedly, 'if we don't leave now we will be late.'
Harry and Ron groaned simultaneously, but gathered their belongings and headed down to the dungeons.
They half jogged into the classroom and just made it to their seats before Snape strode into the room, his robes billowing out behind him in their usual intimidating manner. His face was not far from absolutely furious and Harry mentally groaned. Ron banged his head on the desk as Snape slammed the cauldron he was carrying down with a heavy thud.
'Stand up! I will not have my class showing any disrespect. You are seniors now, and any minor issues of impoliteness are no longer going to be overlooked.'
Ron turned to Harry. 'I must have been asleep when he overlooked those.'
'Silence Mr Weasley. 10 points from Gryffindor. In this class you will be brewing many dangerous potions and complete and utter care is needed every second in this room.. More than half of you don't deserve to take this class and if anyone deliberately impairs our work here he will be sorry. ' Snape's eyes passed over the trio and his eyes flickered as they looked at Harry. Harry stared defiantly back and raised an eyebrow, daring him to say something.
Snape held the stare for a moment but glanced down at his desk before moving on. He looked back again at the trio and then around the class. 'Where's Malfoy?'
A voice sounded from the very back corner of the room.
'Here, sir.'
The corner was an odd one. In the building of Hogwarts, some land had slid during the construction of the dungeons and the spells which had been holding the stones of the walls together had somehow melded together as other spells were cast at them to hold the castle up while repairs had been made. The whole lot had fizzled together and caused that particular corner to permanently repel light. A desk had been placed there as a spare in case an accident with a potion had left the room one desk short, but there were to many desks in the room as it was, thus it had sat their for years gathering dust and broken vials that students were to scared to inform their potions master about.
Snape raised his eyebrows. 'In future, Mr Malfoy, I suggest that you sit slightly closer to the front of the room, lest you miss any crucial information from sitting so far back.
He looked quizzically at the barely visible outline in the corner but continued without any further comments.
'Today we will be making a simple sleeping potion. I realise it is work so simple that even Mr Longbottom should be able to get it half right, but the properties are very similar to those in an animagus test potion which is what you will be beginning at the end of the week. We will be working in pairs and - Stop! Do not even consider forming your own groups.'
The class, especially the Gryffindor's began mumbling under their breath. Snape always seemed to take great delight in placing Slytherin's and Gryffindor's together and then blaming every argument that broke out on the Gryffindor's. However, today Snape had another motive. He wanted to know what the problem was between Malfoy and the Eternal Trio.
'Granger you shall partner with Longbottom,' That was another good reason, leave Longbottom with anyone but Granger and the entire school lives in mortal peril. 'Weasley with Finnigan,' and Snape continued through the list. 'Potter, you go with Malfoy; and C.'
'No sir.' Harry cringed. *So much for keeping your head down Potter.*
'What did you say?' Snape fixed Harry with his most frightening glare and Harry could hear Neville's whimper from across the classroom.
'I said: No sir.'
'Would you care to elaborate?' Snape looked at Malfoy who had risen from his seat and was, to Snape's considerable shock, was staring at the ground and trembling.
'I will not work with Malfoy. You can take as many points, and give me as many detentions, but I absolutely, categorically refuse to work with Malfoy.'
Snape looked back at Harry who was also trembling, but with suppressed rage. 'Potter you will do what you are.'
He was cut off by the empty beaker on his desk exploding, thankfully missing the students. Potter's face was more furious than Snape had ever seen it, he had gone bright red and appeared to suffering from some internal struggle. Ron laid a hand on his shoulder.
'Calm down, mate. It's not worth it.'
Harry turned abruptly toward Ron, appearing to be about to hit him but then he visibly began calming down.
'Very well, Potter. Seeing as how I don't want my entire classroom exploding, I will relent. But you will see me after class. Pair up with Zambini. Now, I will brook no further argument.'
Harry sneered at him, gathered up his books and ingredients and walked to the front of the classroom, whispers following him as he went.
He banged his things down on the desk, still shaking. Kicking the chair viciously, he slumped into it and with the knife he was supposed to be chopping ingredients with, he began gouging chunks out of the table.
He could feel Ron and Hermione's concerned gazes boring into the back of his head and fought the urge to scream. Taking the knife in his fist he began stabbing a caterpillar he was supposed to be chopping.
*Fucking Malfoy!* Stab *How could I ever believe he had changed?* Stab, Stab *You're a blind dickhead Potter.* Stab, slash. *He's a Slytherin and a Malfoy, dying must have addled your brains* The caterpillar was now a mangled mash.
A soft voice startled him out of his angry thoughts.
'Are you ok?'
Harry looked up briefly 'I'm fine!'
Aware that he was now being observed Harry began chopping the rest of his caterpillars properly, although the new dents in his knife were making it difficult.
'Are you sure, after what happened on the train, I was worried.'
'Does everyone know my problems?' Harry snarled.
Blaise's face looked startled and a bit hurt. 'No, um, I was in the carriage when you had the fit, the school thinks you just taken ill with a stomach bug or something.'
Harry felt slightly abashed. 'Oh, sorry. I'm just a little uptight.'
'That's alright. I know what it's like to be moody, most girls do.'
Harry smiled a little and began chopping some root that he didn't recognise.
'So, what happened on the train?'
Harry flinched. 'Sorry, I didn't mean to pry. Are you sick? I'm sorry, I won't talk about it if you don't want me to.'
Harry shook his head. 'No, I had a vision of the train crashing and Death Eaters attacking the wreckage. The usual torture and gruesome deaths. I couldn't save Ginny Weasley and she fell down this ravine and I had my soul sucked out of me by a Dementor and. why am I telling you this?
Blaise shrugged, 'Because I have a pretty face and I'm a wonderful listener and you can't resist my charm, to name just a few reasons.'
Harry burst out laughing. 'You keep telling yourself that.'
'Awwww, you mean you don't find me irresistible?' Blaise pouted and her eyes filled with fake tears.
Harry shifted uncomfortably. 'Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings.'
'Relax, Dumb-ass, I'm kidding.'
A grin spread across Harry's face and he added the caterpillars to the bubbling mixture.
'I only meant that I didn't know why I was telling this stuff to a potential Death Eater, er I mean not like that of course, it's just...'
'Paranoid, aren't you? My family are strictly fence sitters. We are on no- one's side except our own.'
'Typical Slytherin.'
'Why, thank you, now be quiet and write down these properties. I'm not doing everything.'
As Blaise bent her head to write on her parchment, Harry studied her. He hadn't really noticed her before, she was just one of those faces in the crowd. Now as she dipped her quill in the bottle of black ink, he took in her features. She had clear, pale skin with a light dusting of freckles over the bridge of her nose which were hardly noticeable the viewer wasn't up close.
Her hair was a deep brown, rich like expensive dark chocolate and tumbled down her back in large, soft curls to her waist. The smaller pieces at the front fell forward, concealing her face as she bent her head to write. A slender, white hand pushed away from her face as she glanced up toward the mixture in the cauldron.
Harry took the opportunity to consider her eyes. They were an odd colour that wasn't quite grey and wasn't quite blue. They were flecked with black, which Harry found intriguing. They were framed with thick, curling eyelashes and a pair of perfectly shaped eyebrows which were furrowed with concentration.
Blaise suddenly glanced up at him and Harry quickly looked back at his parchment, a slow blush creeping up his face. He fumbled with his quill and dropped it under the table. Cursing at the idiocy of his actions he bent to pick it up, at the same time Lucifer decided to pop his head out of Harry's school bag to see what was happening. Harry yelled in fright, jumped back and hit his head on the table sending it flying into the cauldron and knocking the potion to the ground.
Harry began to grab his and Blaise's things out of the way of the river of potion that was flowing towards him. Suddenly he saw the boiling fluid heading straight for Lucifer and uttering a curse snatched him up off the ground.
He began scolding the snake as he up righted the table.
^^Lucifer! What the hell were you doing in there? Warn me next time damn it. I could have injured some one.^^
^^I am truly sorry Master. But I hadn't had a chance to speak with you, since we arrived at this place. I wasn't aware that you were busy. Why are people screaming?^^
^^Shit. I forgot they didn't like me talking to Snakes. Shush for a bit whilst I try and fix this.^^
Harry stared around the room at the students who were staring at him in horror and fascination.
'Potter!'
Harry cringed at Snape's voice and glanced at Blaise, hoping that she wasn't too terrified of him now.
#Why do you care?# A little voice at the back of his head queried him.
Harry pushed the voice away. Blaise was still sitting in her seat. Her legs were now crossed to avoid the boiling potion running under her chair. She was holding the parchment that she had been writing on and the quill. She looked at the potion on the ground, scribbled something on the parchment and looked back up at Harry and arched an eyebrow, a small smirk hovering somewhere around the corners of her lips.
'Typical Gryffindor' she mouthed at him.
Harry was frantically thinking up a retort when.
'Are you paying any attention to me at all Potter?'
'Um, no sir, I mean yes sir.'
The whole class snickered and Snape started looming toward Harry, his expression indiscernible, his high-collared robes making him look like Dracula. Thankfully the bell rang.
'Class Dismissed!'
Harry began to pack his things up.
'Not you, Mr Potter. I think you have some explaining to do. Oh yes, and some cleaning.'
Harry flopped back down in his seat with a groan as Snape also smirked, a surprising likeness to Blaises. Harry wondered if smirking was the 'in' thing for Slytherins at the moment. Ron and Hermione stopped as they went passed.
'We'll try and save you some lunch.'
Harry nodded glumly and jumped as a whispering voice came from behind him. He turned around to see Blaise holding Lucifer.
'I think you dropped something.' Her voice Harry could have likened the wind had it not been for the light jeering tone it held. It was soft but had an element of strength.
Harry blushed for what seemed like the hundredth time that day.
'Um, thanks.'
'See you around.' Blaise didn't give him a second glance as she left the room and Harry rested his head in his hands.
'Fuck.'
'Potter.'
Harry jumped. Snape had returned from carrying a stack of books into his office which was located at the rear of the room.
'Yes sir I know, clean the floor with no magic. Am I using the toothbrush this time?'
Snape looked at him for a moment and waved his wand. The mess automatically disappeared and a chair appeared behind Snape.
'We need to talk, Harry.'
Harry looked at him in horror. 'I'd rather clean the whole castle with a toothbrush.'
'I am sure you would, and while it would delight me to arrange it for you and I may even do so since you requested it so nicely, the fact remains that we are going to talk.'
Harry sighed.
'I understand that I am not your favourite person at the moment.'
'Damn right you aren't.'
'But we do have to talk.'
'No Snape, we don't.'
'Yes we do, whether you and I like it or not, I am still your uncle.'
'No you aren't. I have tried the whole uncle/nephew relationship before and I'm not suited to it. In my experience uncles starve you, beat you, neglect you and lie to you. And oh yes, they cause their wife's deaths.'
Snape jerked back, as if Harry had physically hit him. Harry ignored the stricken, haunted look on his face and continued.
'For most of my life you either haven't existed or you have been my evil, greasy potions master. And that is the way it's going to stay. You will be my potions master until I leave, and then after that you will be nothing. Sound good to you? Sounds wonderful to me.'
A flicker of hurt crossed Snape's miserable face before he smoothed it out. 'Very well, Potter. But I am always here if you need to talk.'
Harry made a remarkable imitation of Snape's sneer and rose to leave.
'Wait, Potter. You have made it quite clear why you don't like me, but why this sudden aversion to Draco?'
'You don't want to know, sir. But let me say this. Right now, if I had to chose between whether I wanted Malfoy as a friend or you as an uncle. lets just say I would be happier to have you as a father than I would be to have Malfoy as a friend.'
Snape was noticeably startled by this comment, but before he was able to reply Harry was gone.
*****
Harry distractedly rubbed his head as he walked toward the Great Hall. What a wonderful start to the year and now on top of all his other troubles he was getting a headache. Increasing his pace he wondered what Snape was thinking after he had left. Had Harry been too harsh? No, he hadn't. People just didn't understand the situation from his perspective.
As Harry headed into the almost empty Great Hall he spotted Ron sitting down the far end. He grinned as he saw Harry.
'Did Snape give you hell?'
'Nah, he just wanted to talk.' Harry sat down in front of he plate of food Ron had saved him and stabbed a carrot, a remarkable imitation of his desecration of the caterpillars earlier.
'Lucky, I thought he'd have you scrubbing the dungeons 'till Christmas.'
'What?'
Ron glanced at him as he helped himself to the remainder of the huge jug of pumpkin juice. 'Scrubbing the dungeons. Oh sorry, did you want some of this? You know, you knocked the table into the cauldron and spilt the potion. What was that about anyway?'
Harry closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind as he took a sip from the juice Ron had poured into his goblet. 'Oh, I dropped my quill and Lucifer was in my bag and popped his head out and scared me.'
Shaking his head Ron chuckled. 'Well whose the duffer who let him sleep in your bag? No, never mind, what were you and Zambini talking about? It's odd to see you laughing with a Slytherin who isn't Dra'. um I mean any Slytherin at all, although she is pretty hot.'
'Ron, can we discuss this later? I've got a headache.'
'Ohhhhh, it's like that is it?'
Harry blushed, 'No, well, not really. She's nice and it's better than working in silence. Besides, we need to stop stereotyping Slytherins. If we get to know some of them we could get them on our side.'
Harry put his fork down and took another sip of pumpkin juice. He began rubbing his head before resting it in his hands with his elbows leaning on the table. Ron nudged him in the ribs, a silly grin on his face. 'So, what's this sudden interest in getting to know Slytherins? Really got to you did she? Did you find out any "information"?'
Harry would have been fighting himself to not hit Ron, but his head started throbbing even more. 'Yes,' he replied through clenched teeth, 'I found out the Zambini's aren't on Voldemort's side and that they are strictly neutral in the war, which will give us a chance to get her on our side.'
Ron recovered from his quiver at the forbidden name and looked at Harry in concern. 'Are you alright, mate? You don't look too good.'
'Gee, thanks for noticing. Don't worry that I already told you or anything.'
Ron sat up straighter. Harry was never sarcastic unless something was really wrong.
'Harry, mate? Can you stand up? I'll get you to the infirmary.'
Harry looked at him, forcing a smile. 'No, it's just a headache. It should pass soon.'
Ron looked about to say more, but Hermione came skidding up to the table.
'What are you to doing? Professor Flitwick has been waiting ten minutes or more for you.'
Harry winced as Ron helped him to his feet. 'Sorry, Mione, Harry's just got back from Snape and he's got a headache.'
Hermione immediately switched into concerned mode. 'Harry, are you ok? Do you need to see Madam Pomfrey?'
'Hermione, you're not my mum, you're my sister. Stop clucking, that's Mrs Weasleys job.'
Hermione was about to say something else but Harry suddenly buckled as all the pain from what was beginning to feel like a migraine surged into his scar and he fell to the ground.
'Harry?'
'Shit, shit, shit, shit, bugger.' Harry groaned into the rug on the stone floor.
'What is it, Harry?'
Sweat broke out on Harry's brow as he forced himself to stay conscious. 'Scar.' He croaked. 'Fuck, fuck it hurts.'
'Ron, go get Pomfrey and Dumbledore. Run!'
As Ron took off across the huge chamber, toward the door Hermione crouched down next to Harry. His eyes were rolling up into his head and he was convulsing on the floor.
'Shit, it's a vision.' Hermione muttered to herself as Harry began to wail and gabble incoherently. She transfigured a goblet into a bucket of water and a serviette into a cloth and dabbed his forehead which now had sweat running in rivulets down to his neck.
'Hang on, Harry,' she whispered in is ear. 'Help's coming.'
Harry's back was now arching and tears pouring down both faces of the children.
'Herm- Granger? What are you doing? Flitwick's getting the shits, really bad.'
Hermione barely glanced up. 'Fuck off, Malfoy.' She snarled across the room.
'What the hell? Hermione, you never swear.' Malfoy ventured further across the room. Shit, what's wrong with him?'
'He's having a vision, Malfoy. You know, like the one that you could have prevented on the train.'
Harry suddenly sat up, his eyes open and unseeing, but a forceful look upon his face.
'You will never win, Tom. Try all you like, but you can't. Dumbledore won't let you and I, I won't let you.'
He fell back to the ground with a shudder and Hermione just caught his head before it hit the stone.
'Get out, Malfoy.' She hissed between her teeth as she cradled her brothers head in her lap. 'If he wakes up, I don't want you here.'
Malfoy looked from the scared and angry face of Hermione to the white, quivering one of Harry and nodded his head. He looked at Harry again, an imperceptible emotion flickering in his eyes and turned, walking unsteadily across the room, the doors opening for him as he lifted his wand.
The doors had just closed behind him when they opened again and Hermione could hear Ron shouting. 'You'd better not have been in there, Malfoy, You stay the hell away from Harry.'
'Mr Weasley, now is not the time.'
'Sorry Professor.'
Hermione sighed with relief to see Dumbledore, McGonagall, looking sternly at Ron, and Madam Pomfrey walking quickly over to her.
'Miss Granger?'
'Hello, Professor Dumbledore, I think the vision is over.'
'Vision? Are you sure it was a vision?'
'Yes, sir, pretty sure. It was the same as the train, but this time he spoke.'
'What did he say?'
'He sort of opened his eyes and sat up, but he couldn't see me or Malfoy,' Dumbledore looked at her quizzically at the use of Malfoys last name, 'and said something like "you won't win, Voldemort, Dumbledore and I wont let you".'
Dumbledore and Hermione ignored the slight shudder from the other three at the name. Suddenly Harry opened his eyes with a groan.
'Fuck me, but head hurts.'
'Whilst I am pleased you feel that you are still able to perform certain energetic activities in spite of your recent ordeal, I would recommend that you wait a few days before partaking in any strenuous activity.'
Harry looked up with a start, but closed his eyes with pain.
'Sorry sir, I didn't see you there.'
'Stop that sniggering, Mr Weasley.' Harry mentally groaned as a sharp Scottish voice drilled through his head.
'Harry?' A soft Welsh accent sounded slightly panicked.
'I'm fine, Re- er Professor Lupin.'
A wet nose nudged Harry's neck. 'Sirius, go away.'
The voices above Harry's head faded as he drifted into unconsciousness.
When he came around, he was lying once again in the infirmary with teachers clustered around the bed.
'Why, don't I just move in up here? It would save the frequent trips.'
Dumbledore looked down at him. 'We were just considering a similar possibility.'
'What?'
'We'll discuss it later, Harry, but now I have informed the staff of your, ahem, shall we say problem. They will be most supportive if it happens again. But right now, these teachers all belong to the Order and we were wondering if you can tell us what you saw.'
Harry ignored him. 'Where are Ron and Hermione?'
'They went to their next class, but that is beside the point. What happened, Harry?'
Harry closed his eyes. 'Colin and Dennis.'
'I'm sorry, Mr Potter?' The smooth voice of Snape was like oil, soothing Harry's aching head. 'Mr Creevy Junior is sitting in my class right now, trembling lest I return and his potion is less than perfect standard.'
Harry managed a weak smile at the unexpected dry humour. 'No sir, it's their parents.'
'Harry?'
'Do, I have to spell it out, sir?'
'Harry, we have to know what happened.'
'Well, that's super, Remus, but I don't particularly want to relive the experience right now.'
Dumbledore looked at Harry carefully, 'Would it be easier if I were to put a spell on you, so that we could see into your memory, but you would be put to sleep?'
'Revealous Previoso Memorous?'
'Not quite, but similar. Just lie back and we'll do the rest.'
'Wait, sir. I don't think that you should all see it. It's a little gruesome.'
'Nonsense, Mr Potter. We have all seen many unhappy things before.'
'Very well, Professor McGonagall, but I have warned you.'
~*~*~ Harry was falling. Fast and far into a pit of blackness. As he fell he could hear a conversation echoing strangely. The voices were distorted by the vastness of the abyss.
'Well dear, I finished the shopping. Would you believe that Marks and Spencer had 20% off everything sale? I bought you a new cappuccino maker.'
A speck of light was appearing at the bottom of the pit.
'Why did you do that, dear? We have a perfectly good one.'
'Oh Arnold, I have been reminding you every morning for the past three weeks that you can't have a cappuccino because the machine is all blocked up. You spend so much time in that darkroom of yours I wonder that you remember the boys and me exist.'
The light was growing larger and larger and Harry could just make out blurred shapes.
'I'm sorry dear, I didn't realise, but Colin brought back some wonderful developer from that odd school of his which makes the pictures move. I don't think sending him there was such a crack-pot scheme after all, if he can acquire useful things like this'
'Yes, I know. You tell me every time you go into that confounded darkroom and every time you come out again.'
Harry landed with a crash by the fire place, but the couple sitting of the mismatched chairs by the window didn't appear to notice.
'Oh, do I dear? You should have told me. By the way, where are the boys? They are being very quiet today.'
'Honestly, darling, what am I going to do with you? The boys went back to school last week.'
'Did they really? They might have said goodbye. I don't think that was very decent of them leaving without a single word.'
'What is a woman to do? They were talking about it for a whole week before they went back. Colin kept talking about some boy who he needed to take pictures because of his scar or something. Arnold, you went with us to the station, remember? They disappeared through the brick wall barrier.'
'Did they really? Did that happen? I though I had eaten something funny and that that was a strange dream.'
'A dream? I really believe I am going to have to burn that darkroom of yours.'
'Allow me.'
The room felt like it had been turned to ice.
'Who, who are you?' the woman quavered.
'Why, Mrs Creevy, I have many names. Most of my names revolve around not speaking my name, ironic really.'
'What do you want?'
'I want many things in life, but right now I want to torture and kill you.'
Arnold Creevy moved in front of his wife.
'How dare you come in here threatening us! Show yourself at once.'
'I don't usually take orders, but why not, just this once. Think of it as a last request.'
Harry automatically moved in front of the couple as Voldemort entered the room. His red snake eyes glittered with excitement.
'Ah, how good it feels to smell muggle fear again.'
'I know who you are! You are the one who gave that boy his scar.' Mrs Creevy stood up and held a shaking finger in his face.
'You coward, you attack eighteen month year old babies for the fun of it, my son told me. You are disgusting. You are filthy, you are.'
'.wonderful, brilliant and soon to be all powerful, thank you my dear, but you have said enough I think. Crucio.'
Harry could only look on in horror, his scar splitting his head as Mr Creevy bent over his screaming wife. Tears were streaming down his face as her body convulsed and twitched before her screaming stopped along with her heart.
Mr Creevy stood, white faced, tearstained and furious as the Freak in front of him motioned with his hand and three black cloaked figures entered the room.
'Pray what took you so long? You missed my matinee performance.'
'Forgive us, master.'
Voldemort waved his hand. 'We shall discuss it later. Take this one upstairs. I forgot muggles were so weak. She didn't even last a minute. Better luck with the one.'
'Yes master.'
'When I am done, if he lives, you have my permission to play with him.'
A high pitched cackle filled the air as Mr Creevy began screaming. Harry fell to his knees in pain as blood began spraying up the walls. The shrieks grew louder and louder before stopping completely. Harry looked up and saw the man lying on the ground, breathing faintly but conscious.
Voldemort was looking around the room. 'Wormtail!'
'Yes, my gracious, all powerful, forgiving, masterful lord.'
'Silence you grovelling worm. Is there anyone else here?'
'N, no my lord, Lucius checked himself.'
'Someone is here! I sense a presence, it's familiar, I know it.I can't quite.'
'Master?'
'Get out you snivelling Rat! Take the muggle with you. Do what you want with him. Go! Now!'
'Y- yes master. I- immediately m- master.'
Dragging the body with his gleaming, silver hand Wormtail stumbled backward from the room.
'I know you're here, you can't hide, I will find you.'
'I'm not hiding, I'm not here. But believe me, were I here, you wouldn't be, Voldemort.'
'Potter!' snarled Voldemort. 'Where are you?'
'Can't you see me? Your eyesight must be failing in your old age, Tom.'
'Don't call me that, you pathetic child.'
'Pathetic? Look who's talking Mr "I Am An All Knowing, All Powerful, Child and Defenceless Muggle Killer" you can't even fucking attack someone even slightly powerful. It's always the weak and defenceless. Doesn't say much for your so-called powers, does it old man?'
'Well well, Mr Potter has grown balls. No brains, just balls. Sorry if you don't approve of my plan Mr Potter, but I really didn't think to consult you on it. Perhaps next time, when I come and flatten your school, kill your Mudblood and muggle loving friends and make your friend Mr Malfoy my heir, I will let you know, before I kill you as well. Oh, didn't you know? Your friend Draco is really working for me. Poor little Harry. It's time you learnt that not everyone who seems to be is you friend.'
'You will never win, Tom. Try all you like, but you can't. Dumbledore won't let you and I, I won't let you.'
'Don't count on it Mr Potter. I'm much stronger than you can ever hope to be.'~*~*~
Harry turned over and snuggled further under the covers as he stirred. He heard a voice distantly.
'Harry, Harry, can you hear me? Wake up.'
'Ten more minutes.' Harry muttered into the pillow.
He heard another voice say 'Allow me.'
Why can't these people let me sleep? Harry reached for the pillow to put it over his head, but his hand was stilled in mid air as a low, smooth voice said close to Harry's ear.
'Mr Potter, if you do not get up within the next five seconds I will personally see to it that you are dropped from the quidditch team and replaced with Mr Longbottom.'
Harry leapt from the bed in fright and made to bolt for the door, before he was stopped by a cold hand.
Harry screamed with fright.
'Now that Mr Potter has chosen to grace us with his undivided attention.' Harry looked up to see that Snape had him by the collar. 'I believe we have some things to discuss.'
Harry wrenched away from Snape in disgust and moved to stand by Lupin. As he gazed around the room he could see the white and aghast faces of his professors. Harry heard a whining by his feet and felt his hand being licked. A grin lit up his face and he sat on the ground and patted the huge, shaggy black dog.
'I believe,' began Professor Flitwick cautiously, 'that as much as we want to, and even if we could, stop Mr Potter from having these visions that, well, as painful as it is, it would be a powerful weapon against He Who Must Not Be Named if we could see what he was doing and maybe see his plans before they are executed.'
'Great,' Harry muttered to himself, 'now I am just a weapon, a tool in this war. Well that's just dandy, I'll keep having the terrifying visions and you can maybe get a peek behind the scenes.'
Lupin bent down to Harry, under the pretence of patting Sirius. 'Is that how you really feel Harry? I can put a stop to this if you want. I like it less, well perhaps not less that you, but I do not like the idea all the same.'
'Rem-er Professor-'
'Remus is fine if we aren't in class.'
'Well Remus, I do want to win the war, and I realise that this vision thing I have could be a valuable asset, it's just, I feel like some kind of tool already, always being there to stop everything. I feel that I was very subtly pressured into some of the things that I have done against Voldemort. This is one of those off chance things. The way I see it is that I will see hundreds of gruesome murder scenes and perhaps one of them might help the Order if we are lucky. I don't know, maybe I'm just being selfish.'
'You most certainly are not being selfish, if you really don't want to do this then you just say the word and I will stop Dumbledore.'
'No, it's alright. I will have to deal with bad shit in my life anyway and this could be good training.'
'Are you sure?'
'Remus, it's fine.'
A sneering voice cut in. 'Is everything alright over there? We aren't interrupting your little tète a tète ?'
Harry looked up at Snape. 'Fine, professor, just discussing the *relative* pros and cons of this exercise. It could be distressing having to deal with people I know having their *family's* killed right in front of me, but with the *family-like* support system in this school, I feel I will receive all the *love* and help and support which I was never given, even by my *real uncle* and aunt.'
Remus put his hand over his mouth and turned his face to the wall, his shoulders shaking. Snuffles made an odd barking sound that sounded suspiciously like a laugh. McGonagall looked at Harry sternly, but with a twinkle in her eye as Snape shuffled his feet and stared hard at the floor, the faint redness in his cheeks being accentuated by the paleness of his skin. Dumbledore looked at Harry, no hint of any emotion on his face.
'That will do, Mr Potter.'
The other teachers looked at each other confused, a few catching at certain times throughout the discussion so it was frequently interrupted by chuckles. An hour later a strategy had been decided.
'So let me sum up this meeting.' Dumbledore looked up from the bed he was lying on and around the small group teachers and Harry, who were now strewn across beds, chairs and the floor, before resuming his apparent contemplation of the ceiling.
'Harry will be given a potion and have several concealing charms placed over him so that he can continue to have the visions but remain undetected. Severus, Filius, could you have those prepared by tomorrow?'
The said Professors nodded and Harry was beginning to breathe less cautiously when a thought struck him. He sat up quickly, hitting his head on the edge of the bed which he was half lying under, ignoring Remus's suppressed chuckle he stared frantically at Dumbledore.
'Sir, we are enforcing these precautions working around the principle that Tom and I are connected by my scar.'
'Yes Harry, I assume it a safe assumption to make as it is your scar that warns you of these impending visions and of his distance from you.'
'Then sir, if we are connected by this scar then how do we know that Tom isn't experiencing the same problems I am. He could be watching us right now and already planning counteractions.'
'I hadn't thought of that, Filius, Severus, Remus, I need all of you to research certain spells which make certain people impervious to being tracked or anything similar that might help us, until then, Harry, I need you to stay away from any conversations that could have a negative affect if the contents were overheard by an unfriendly party.'
Remus interrupted. 'So Harry, you are hereby to be excluded from any interesting conversations and the rest of your days will be spent watching other people die or living in fear of your own life being taken. How do you feel?'
That statement was followed by a dead silence, almost broken by Harry who found his statement incredibly funny, and was fighting laughing. Snape looked shocked at the bluntness of the statement and quickly left the room.
It was however broken by Professor McGonagall shrieking 'Mr Lupin, have you learnt no tact, no manners, nothing in the 38 years you have been on this earth. Pay no attention to him Mr Potter, he is exaggerating, he.'
She trailed of as she, along with the other teachers realised the truth of his words.
A sudden rushing sound broke up the meeting and the Sneakoscope which had somehow found its way onto a side table in the infirmary began whistling. The room grew very cold.
Harry clapped his hand to his scar and put a finger to his lips as the other occupants of the room looked around confused. 'Tom, what are you doing here?'
A high pitched, icy and thoroughly disgruntled voice replied. 'Honestly Potter, how in Salazar's name can you tell I'm here when it took me ages to realise you were there?'
Harry chuckled, 'You need to work on the vibes you project when you enter a room. The room turns slightly chilly, like the occupants are standing inside of a ghost, it must have something to do with your dead-but-not approach to life. Also you make a kind of rushing sound when you enter a room by magic. Another problem is that, as much as I don't like it and it's your fault, I have this fucking scar on my head and it always alerts me in some way to your presence. For instance, I could tell you were in that graveyard before I even saw that bastard Wormtail and in dreams and visions, I can always tell when it's about you, because it hurts. When you killed that old muggle in your fathers mansion I was there and damn did it hurt. Oh, and don't bother trying to find a way to reverse the effect, it has already had many years research committed to it and nothing can be done unless one of us dies.
A shimmering came from the corner and what appeared to be a projection of Voldemort appeared. He was laughing.
'Ah, Potter, I almost regret being evil as it doesn't allow me the privilege of bickering with you more. It would be an enjoyable way to spend time and we could each teach each other something, but my poor brainless followers would not understand why I wasn't killing you. Now, let's see, where is everyone? Oh, there they are. Hello Albus, long time no see, I'm glad you made Headmaster, I don't think I ever got to tell you that, you were a lot smarter that bloody Dippet. Minnie, how are you? You have aged well considering.at least you don't have this snake thing happening to your features, it can be quite frustrating when one is trying to ask a girl out. I don't think I have met anyone else, oh yes, I remember Lupin and is that Black on the floor? I really am sorry about the whole Azkaban thing. I would have prevented it, but it was just to damn funny. You have no idea how many of my minions reminded me of that when I was angry to save them from a good Cruciatus.'
With a growl Sirius transformed and leapt at the figure.
'Sirius, look out you bloody idiot!' Harry yelled as Sirius went straight through the projection which was howling with laughter. A sweat was breaking out over Harry's brow and he was beginning to sway.
'You stupid mutt. You have now saved my underlings even more pain if they ever find out about this.'
'They won't, Tom.' Harry interjected.
'How many times? Don't call me Tom. Now, why won't they?'
'Because I have just placed a spell around myself which, while temporary, will prevent you remembering anything about this meeting. Now, why don't you go home? I have a charms lesson to catch up on.'
'Very well, Harry, I'll leave you to your school work. Have fun, I'll talk to you soon.'
'Bye Tom.'
The figure raised his hand in farewell as he flickered once or twice and disappeared.
As soon as he was gone Harry collapsed to his knees, his face white and he was panting.
'Harry? Are you alright?'
'I'm fine, it's just the pain from my scar and the fact that I just held a civilised conversation with Lord Voldemort.' Harry lay, face down on the ground and began laughing hysterically.
*********
After dinner that evening Harry made his way toward the charms room where the tiny Professor Flitwick was waiting for him.
'Good show Mr Potter. You are right on time.' He squeaked as Harry entered the room.
'Yes sir.'
'So what were we doing, ah yes here it is.' Flitwick handed Harry an open textbook.
'The class took notes on special defence charms which I believe you will be further discussing in Defence Against the Dark Arts, and we learnt the cognatio defendo charm. I would like it if you could have it learnt by Thursday morning.'
Harry nodded. 'Yes sir.'
'I have prepared your concealing charms but they are useless with out the potion so we will have to wait for Professor Snape to finish it.'
'Professor, I was wondering.'
'Yes, Potter?'
'You were a duelling champion, weren't you?'
'Yes.' Flitwick looked at Harry inquiringly.
'I was wondering if you could start a duelling club again. The one we had in our second year wasn't very helpful.'
Flitwick grimaced, making his deformed face look even more distorted. 'Yes, Professor Lockhart probably wasn't the best teacher to have been running that club. Mr Potter, I think that is an excellent idea. Duelling will be an excellent skill to have if He Must Not Be Named does return to full power. Yes, wonderful wonderful,.'
Flitwick was nearly bouncing up and down in excitement.
'Yes, I'll ask Professors Lupin and Snape to assist me and I will have to clear it with the headmaster. Go on Potter, off to bed now. I'll tell you in the morning if the idea has been approved.'
Harry tried not to laugh at the excited professor and left the room. He walked down the corridor, dodging Peeves who was throwing dung bombs at some third year boys and waving to Nearly Headless Nick who was floating toward Peeves with the Bloody Baron.
Harry laughed as Peeves shrieked in fright at the sight of the Slytherin ghost and immediately began apologising to the annoyed boys.
As he neared the common room he marvelled at the strange silence. Usually as he stood outside he portrait he could hear muffled yelling from within. Harry put it down to the lack of Weasley Twins attending the school this year. He smiled as he imagined the relief that Filch and Mrs Norris were feeling at having a Fred and George free school. Maybe it was Hermione trying to study and over exercising her Prefect rights, so she could keep the common room quiet. (AN: Yes, Hermione is prefect, I just forgot to put it in before.)
'Heigh-ho,' said Harry to the Fat Lady who was looking strangely subdued.
'Of course, dear,' she said the portrait swung open.
As Harry clambered in he looked around the room. People were sitting in silence around the room. Some doing things and others not. Harry made his way over to Hermione and Ron in confusion.
'I got permission off Flitwick for the duelling club, and he gave me the work I missed today.' Harry cringed as several people around shot him death stares.
'What's going on?' 'Colin and D-'
'Ah shit, I forgot. Who told them?'
Hermione looked at him strangely. 'Dumbledore, but how do you know? They only just found out themselves.'
'That was what was in my vision. I saw them die.'
Hermione and Ron gazed at him and Ron opened his mouth but shut it again as the two brothers came down stairs.
Dennis was pale and drawn but Colin looked, for the first time in his life, calm and controlled. He walked up to Harry.
'Dumbledore said it was you who saw them die. Were they happy beforehand? What were they talking about?'
Harry looked at the pale curly haired boy gravely. 'They seemed happy. Your mother had just bought a new cappuccino maker from Marks and Spencers and your father was having trouble thinking about anything but his darkroom.'
Colin laughed sadly. 'Yes, he could never think about anything except that room.'
Harry smiled at him. 'You are quite similar you know Colin. Thinking about nothing but that camera.'
Colin looked up at him, 'It's on your bed Harry. Try and remember me by it.'
Harry looked down in shock. 'But, you're coming back aren't you?'
Colin shook his head. 'We are going to live with our aunt in Canada. I think Dennis will go to a wizarding school there, but I don't really want to. I'll be happy living as a muggle, I never really fitted in here anyway.'
'That's not true, Colin. Try the school, you may like it. Not all wizarding places are alike. You may even find a camera-crazy girl to spend time with.'
Colin shrugged noncommittally. 'Maybe.' He held out his hand for Harry to shake. 'Bye Harry.'
'See you, Colin.'
And they were gone.
Wow wow wow. 23 pages. Heeheehee. Hope you like them. This is the last chapter that has already been written so updates will be slower from now on.
Next Chapter: Wizarding power assessments, will Draco become a death eater plus much more
The weekend passed by fairly quickly. Harry was allowed out of the infirmary at lunchtime on Saturday and spent the weekend sorting out his belongings and playing Exploding Snap and Chess with Ron and Hermione.
He avoided Draco the whole weekend who went to extraordinary lengths to talk to him, including following him around the corridors until Harry was forced to return to the Gryffindor Common Room and banging on the Portrait of the Fat Lady until Professor McGonagall told him in no uncertain terms that if he ventured anywhere near the Gryffindor Common Room for any reason other than a personal invitation or there was no other possible way to get to his classroom she would remove fifty points from Slytherin.
Monday morning found Harry seated at the Gryffindor Table at breakfast looking over his timetable.
'I swear someone up there is out to get me! Double Potions first. What the hell is going on?'
Hermione looked at him. 'You can't put it off forever. You are going to have to talk to him. Especially since you returned the present.'
Ron looked up from his porridge which he had completely smothered in cream and sugar, 'What present?'
'Snape sent me a birthday present and I returned it.' Harry grimaced as he thought of what Ron could be doing to his teeth.
Hermione spoke up. 'Yeah, and he apologised.'
'Snape apologised?' Ron's voice rose several octaves.
'Shut up, do you want the whole world to know? He sent me a card with the word sorry on it. I hardly call that an apology.'
Hermione started packing the book she had been reading in her bag. 'At least he was trying, which is more than can be said for you.' Harry's face twisted in indignation and opened his mouth to protest so Hermione continued hurriedly, 'if we don't leave now we will be late.'
Harry and Ron groaned simultaneously, but gathered their belongings and headed down to the dungeons.
They half jogged into the classroom and just made it to their seats before Snape strode into the room, his robes billowing out behind him in their usual intimidating manner. His face was not far from absolutely furious and Harry mentally groaned. Ron banged his head on the desk as Snape slammed the cauldron he was carrying down with a heavy thud.
'Stand up! I will not have my class showing any disrespect. You are seniors now, and any minor issues of impoliteness are no longer going to be overlooked.'
Ron turned to Harry. 'I must have been asleep when he overlooked those.'
'Silence Mr Weasley. 10 points from Gryffindor. In this class you will be brewing many dangerous potions and complete and utter care is needed every second in this room.. More than half of you don't deserve to take this class and if anyone deliberately impairs our work here he will be sorry. ' Snape's eyes passed over the trio and his eyes flickered as they looked at Harry. Harry stared defiantly back and raised an eyebrow, daring him to say something.
Snape held the stare for a moment but glanced down at his desk before moving on. He looked back again at the trio and then around the class. 'Where's Malfoy?'
A voice sounded from the very back corner of the room.
'Here, sir.'
The corner was an odd one. In the building of Hogwarts, some land had slid during the construction of the dungeons and the spells which had been holding the stones of the walls together had somehow melded together as other spells were cast at them to hold the castle up while repairs had been made. The whole lot had fizzled together and caused that particular corner to permanently repel light. A desk had been placed there as a spare in case an accident with a potion had left the room one desk short, but there were to many desks in the room as it was, thus it had sat their for years gathering dust and broken vials that students were to scared to inform their potions master about.
Snape raised his eyebrows. 'In future, Mr Malfoy, I suggest that you sit slightly closer to the front of the room, lest you miss any crucial information from sitting so far back.
He looked quizzically at the barely visible outline in the corner but continued without any further comments.
'Today we will be making a simple sleeping potion. I realise it is work so simple that even Mr Longbottom should be able to get it half right, but the properties are very similar to those in an animagus test potion which is what you will be beginning at the end of the week. We will be working in pairs and - Stop! Do not even consider forming your own groups.'
The class, especially the Gryffindor's began mumbling under their breath. Snape always seemed to take great delight in placing Slytherin's and Gryffindor's together and then blaming every argument that broke out on the Gryffindor's. However, today Snape had another motive. He wanted to know what the problem was between Malfoy and the Eternal Trio.
'Granger you shall partner with Longbottom,' That was another good reason, leave Longbottom with anyone but Granger and the entire school lives in mortal peril. 'Weasley with Finnigan,' and Snape continued through the list. 'Potter, you go with Malfoy; and C.'
'No sir.' Harry cringed. *So much for keeping your head down Potter.*
'What did you say?' Snape fixed Harry with his most frightening glare and Harry could hear Neville's whimper from across the classroom.
'I said: No sir.'
'Would you care to elaborate?' Snape looked at Malfoy who had risen from his seat and was, to Snape's considerable shock, was staring at the ground and trembling.
'I will not work with Malfoy. You can take as many points, and give me as many detentions, but I absolutely, categorically refuse to work with Malfoy.'
Snape looked back at Harry who was also trembling, but with suppressed rage. 'Potter you will do what you are.'
He was cut off by the empty beaker on his desk exploding, thankfully missing the students. Potter's face was more furious than Snape had ever seen it, he had gone bright red and appeared to suffering from some internal struggle. Ron laid a hand on his shoulder.
'Calm down, mate. It's not worth it.'
Harry turned abruptly toward Ron, appearing to be about to hit him but then he visibly began calming down.
'Very well, Potter. Seeing as how I don't want my entire classroom exploding, I will relent. But you will see me after class. Pair up with Zambini. Now, I will brook no further argument.'
Harry sneered at him, gathered up his books and ingredients and walked to the front of the classroom, whispers following him as he went.
He banged his things down on the desk, still shaking. Kicking the chair viciously, he slumped into it and with the knife he was supposed to be chopping ingredients with, he began gouging chunks out of the table.
He could feel Ron and Hermione's concerned gazes boring into the back of his head and fought the urge to scream. Taking the knife in his fist he began stabbing a caterpillar he was supposed to be chopping.
*Fucking Malfoy!* Stab *How could I ever believe he had changed?* Stab, Stab *You're a blind dickhead Potter.* Stab, slash. *He's a Slytherin and a Malfoy, dying must have addled your brains* The caterpillar was now a mangled mash.
A soft voice startled him out of his angry thoughts.
'Are you ok?'
Harry looked up briefly 'I'm fine!'
Aware that he was now being observed Harry began chopping the rest of his caterpillars properly, although the new dents in his knife were making it difficult.
'Are you sure, after what happened on the train, I was worried.'
'Does everyone know my problems?' Harry snarled.
Blaise's face looked startled and a bit hurt. 'No, um, I was in the carriage when you had the fit, the school thinks you just taken ill with a stomach bug or something.'
Harry felt slightly abashed. 'Oh, sorry. I'm just a little uptight.'
'That's alright. I know what it's like to be moody, most girls do.'
Harry smiled a little and began chopping some root that he didn't recognise.
'So, what happened on the train?'
Harry flinched. 'Sorry, I didn't mean to pry. Are you sick? I'm sorry, I won't talk about it if you don't want me to.'
Harry shook his head. 'No, I had a vision of the train crashing and Death Eaters attacking the wreckage. The usual torture and gruesome deaths. I couldn't save Ginny Weasley and she fell down this ravine and I had my soul sucked out of me by a Dementor and. why am I telling you this?
Blaise shrugged, 'Because I have a pretty face and I'm a wonderful listener and you can't resist my charm, to name just a few reasons.'
Harry burst out laughing. 'You keep telling yourself that.'
'Awwww, you mean you don't find me irresistible?' Blaise pouted and her eyes filled with fake tears.
Harry shifted uncomfortably. 'Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings.'
'Relax, Dumb-ass, I'm kidding.'
A grin spread across Harry's face and he added the caterpillars to the bubbling mixture.
'I only meant that I didn't know why I was telling this stuff to a potential Death Eater, er I mean not like that of course, it's just...'
'Paranoid, aren't you? My family are strictly fence sitters. We are on no- one's side except our own.'
'Typical Slytherin.'
'Why, thank you, now be quiet and write down these properties. I'm not doing everything.'
As Blaise bent her head to write on her parchment, Harry studied her. He hadn't really noticed her before, she was just one of those faces in the crowd. Now as she dipped her quill in the bottle of black ink, he took in her features. She had clear, pale skin with a light dusting of freckles over the bridge of her nose which were hardly noticeable the viewer wasn't up close.
Her hair was a deep brown, rich like expensive dark chocolate and tumbled down her back in large, soft curls to her waist. The smaller pieces at the front fell forward, concealing her face as she bent her head to write. A slender, white hand pushed away from her face as she glanced up toward the mixture in the cauldron.
Harry took the opportunity to consider her eyes. They were an odd colour that wasn't quite grey and wasn't quite blue. They were flecked with black, which Harry found intriguing. They were framed with thick, curling eyelashes and a pair of perfectly shaped eyebrows which were furrowed with concentration.
Blaise suddenly glanced up at him and Harry quickly looked back at his parchment, a slow blush creeping up his face. He fumbled with his quill and dropped it under the table. Cursing at the idiocy of his actions he bent to pick it up, at the same time Lucifer decided to pop his head out of Harry's school bag to see what was happening. Harry yelled in fright, jumped back and hit his head on the table sending it flying into the cauldron and knocking the potion to the ground.
Harry began to grab his and Blaise's things out of the way of the river of potion that was flowing towards him. Suddenly he saw the boiling fluid heading straight for Lucifer and uttering a curse snatched him up off the ground.
He began scolding the snake as he up righted the table.
^^Lucifer! What the hell were you doing in there? Warn me next time damn it. I could have injured some one.^^
^^I am truly sorry Master. But I hadn't had a chance to speak with you, since we arrived at this place. I wasn't aware that you were busy. Why are people screaming?^^
^^Shit. I forgot they didn't like me talking to Snakes. Shush for a bit whilst I try and fix this.^^
Harry stared around the room at the students who were staring at him in horror and fascination.
'Potter!'
Harry cringed at Snape's voice and glanced at Blaise, hoping that she wasn't too terrified of him now.
#Why do you care?# A little voice at the back of his head queried him.
Harry pushed the voice away. Blaise was still sitting in her seat. Her legs were now crossed to avoid the boiling potion running under her chair. She was holding the parchment that she had been writing on and the quill. She looked at the potion on the ground, scribbled something on the parchment and looked back up at Harry and arched an eyebrow, a small smirk hovering somewhere around the corners of her lips.
'Typical Gryffindor' she mouthed at him.
Harry was frantically thinking up a retort when.
'Are you paying any attention to me at all Potter?'
'Um, no sir, I mean yes sir.'
The whole class snickered and Snape started looming toward Harry, his expression indiscernible, his high-collared robes making him look like Dracula. Thankfully the bell rang.
'Class Dismissed!'
Harry began to pack his things up.
'Not you, Mr Potter. I think you have some explaining to do. Oh yes, and some cleaning.'
Harry flopped back down in his seat with a groan as Snape also smirked, a surprising likeness to Blaises. Harry wondered if smirking was the 'in' thing for Slytherins at the moment. Ron and Hermione stopped as they went passed.
'We'll try and save you some lunch.'
Harry nodded glumly and jumped as a whispering voice came from behind him. He turned around to see Blaise holding Lucifer.
'I think you dropped something.' Her voice Harry could have likened the wind had it not been for the light jeering tone it held. It was soft but had an element of strength.
Harry blushed for what seemed like the hundredth time that day.
'Um, thanks.'
'See you around.' Blaise didn't give him a second glance as she left the room and Harry rested his head in his hands.
'Fuck.'
'Potter.'
Harry jumped. Snape had returned from carrying a stack of books into his office which was located at the rear of the room.
'Yes sir I know, clean the floor with no magic. Am I using the toothbrush this time?'
Snape looked at him for a moment and waved his wand. The mess automatically disappeared and a chair appeared behind Snape.
'We need to talk, Harry.'
Harry looked at him in horror. 'I'd rather clean the whole castle with a toothbrush.'
'I am sure you would, and while it would delight me to arrange it for you and I may even do so since you requested it so nicely, the fact remains that we are going to talk.'
Harry sighed.
'I understand that I am not your favourite person at the moment.'
'Damn right you aren't.'
'But we do have to talk.'
'No Snape, we don't.'
'Yes we do, whether you and I like it or not, I am still your uncle.'
'No you aren't. I have tried the whole uncle/nephew relationship before and I'm not suited to it. In my experience uncles starve you, beat you, neglect you and lie to you. And oh yes, they cause their wife's deaths.'
Snape jerked back, as if Harry had physically hit him. Harry ignored the stricken, haunted look on his face and continued.
'For most of my life you either haven't existed or you have been my evil, greasy potions master. And that is the way it's going to stay. You will be my potions master until I leave, and then after that you will be nothing. Sound good to you? Sounds wonderful to me.'
A flicker of hurt crossed Snape's miserable face before he smoothed it out. 'Very well, Potter. But I am always here if you need to talk.'
Harry made a remarkable imitation of Snape's sneer and rose to leave.
'Wait, Potter. You have made it quite clear why you don't like me, but why this sudden aversion to Draco?'
'You don't want to know, sir. But let me say this. Right now, if I had to chose between whether I wanted Malfoy as a friend or you as an uncle. lets just say I would be happier to have you as a father than I would be to have Malfoy as a friend.'
Snape was noticeably startled by this comment, but before he was able to reply Harry was gone.
*****
Harry distractedly rubbed his head as he walked toward the Great Hall. What a wonderful start to the year and now on top of all his other troubles he was getting a headache. Increasing his pace he wondered what Snape was thinking after he had left. Had Harry been too harsh? No, he hadn't. People just didn't understand the situation from his perspective.
As Harry headed into the almost empty Great Hall he spotted Ron sitting down the far end. He grinned as he saw Harry.
'Did Snape give you hell?'
'Nah, he just wanted to talk.' Harry sat down in front of he plate of food Ron had saved him and stabbed a carrot, a remarkable imitation of his desecration of the caterpillars earlier.
'Lucky, I thought he'd have you scrubbing the dungeons 'till Christmas.'
'What?'
Ron glanced at him as he helped himself to the remainder of the huge jug of pumpkin juice. 'Scrubbing the dungeons. Oh sorry, did you want some of this? You know, you knocked the table into the cauldron and spilt the potion. What was that about anyway?'
Harry closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind as he took a sip from the juice Ron had poured into his goblet. 'Oh, I dropped my quill and Lucifer was in my bag and popped his head out and scared me.'
Shaking his head Ron chuckled. 'Well whose the duffer who let him sleep in your bag? No, never mind, what were you and Zambini talking about? It's odd to see you laughing with a Slytherin who isn't Dra'. um I mean any Slytherin at all, although she is pretty hot.'
'Ron, can we discuss this later? I've got a headache.'
'Ohhhhh, it's like that is it?'
Harry blushed, 'No, well, not really. She's nice and it's better than working in silence. Besides, we need to stop stereotyping Slytherins. If we get to know some of them we could get them on our side.'
Harry put his fork down and took another sip of pumpkin juice. He began rubbing his head before resting it in his hands with his elbows leaning on the table. Ron nudged him in the ribs, a silly grin on his face. 'So, what's this sudden interest in getting to know Slytherins? Really got to you did she? Did you find out any "information"?'
Harry would have been fighting himself to not hit Ron, but his head started throbbing even more. 'Yes,' he replied through clenched teeth, 'I found out the Zambini's aren't on Voldemort's side and that they are strictly neutral in the war, which will give us a chance to get her on our side.'
Ron recovered from his quiver at the forbidden name and looked at Harry in concern. 'Are you alright, mate? You don't look too good.'
'Gee, thanks for noticing. Don't worry that I already told you or anything.'
Ron sat up straighter. Harry was never sarcastic unless something was really wrong.
'Harry, mate? Can you stand up? I'll get you to the infirmary.'
Harry looked at him, forcing a smile. 'No, it's just a headache. It should pass soon.'
Ron looked about to say more, but Hermione came skidding up to the table.
'What are you to doing? Professor Flitwick has been waiting ten minutes or more for you.'
Harry winced as Ron helped him to his feet. 'Sorry, Mione, Harry's just got back from Snape and he's got a headache.'
Hermione immediately switched into concerned mode. 'Harry, are you ok? Do you need to see Madam Pomfrey?'
'Hermione, you're not my mum, you're my sister. Stop clucking, that's Mrs Weasleys job.'
Hermione was about to say something else but Harry suddenly buckled as all the pain from what was beginning to feel like a migraine surged into his scar and he fell to the ground.
'Harry?'
'Shit, shit, shit, shit, bugger.' Harry groaned into the rug on the stone floor.
'What is it, Harry?'
Sweat broke out on Harry's brow as he forced himself to stay conscious. 'Scar.' He croaked. 'Fuck, fuck it hurts.'
'Ron, go get Pomfrey and Dumbledore. Run!'
As Ron took off across the huge chamber, toward the door Hermione crouched down next to Harry. His eyes were rolling up into his head and he was convulsing on the floor.
'Shit, it's a vision.' Hermione muttered to herself as Harry began to wail and gabble incoherently. She transfigured a goblet into a bucket of water and a serviette into a cloth and dabbed his forehead which now had sweat running in rivulets down to his neck.
'Hang on, Harry,' she whispered in is ear. 'Help's coming.'
Harry's back was now arching and tears pouring down both faces of the children.
'Herm- Granger? What are you doing? Flitwick's getting the shits, really bad.'
Hermione barely glanced up. 'Fuck off, Malfoy.' She snarled across the room.
'What the hell? Hermione, you never swear.' Malfoy ventured further across the room. Shit, what's wrong with him?'
'He's having a vision, Malfoy. You know, like the one that you could have prevented on the train.'
Harry suddenly sat up, his eyes open and unseeing, but a forceful look upon his face.
'You will never win, Tom. Try all you like, but you can't. Dumbledore won't let you and I, I won't let you.'
He fell back to the ground with a shudder and Hermione just caught his head before it hit the stone.
'Get out, Malfoy.' She hissed between her teeth as she cradled her brothers head in her lap. 'If he wakes up, I don't want you here.'
Malfoy looked from the scared and angry face of Hermione to the white, quivering one of Harry and nodded his head. He looked at Harry again, an imperceptible emotion flickering in his eyes and turned, walking unsteadily across the room, the doors opening for him as he lifted his wand.
The doors had just closed behind him when they opened again and Hermione could hear Ron shouting. 'You'd better not have been in there, Malfoy, You stay the hell away from Harry.'
'Mr Weasley, now is not the time.'
'Sorry Professor.'
Hermione sighed with relief to see Dumbledore, McGonagall, looking sternly at Ron, and Madam Pomfrey walking quickly over to her.
'Miss Granger?'
'Hello, Professor Dumbledore, I think the vision is over.'
'Vision? Are you sure it was a vision?'
'Yes, sir, pretty sure. It was the same as the train, but this time he spoke.'
'What did he say?'
'He sort of opened his eyes and sat up, but he couldn't see me or Malfoy,' Dumbledore looked at her quizzically at the use of Malfoys last name, 'and said something like "you won't win, Voldemort, Dumbledore and I wont let you".'
Dumbledore and Hermione ignored the slight shudder from the other three at the name. Suddenly Harry opened his eyes with a groan.
'Fuck me, but head hurts.'
'Whilst I am pleased you feel that you are still able to perform certain energetic activities in spite of your recent ordeal, I would recommend that you wait a few days before partaking in any strenuous activity.'
Harry looked up with a start, but closed his eyes with pain.
'Sorry sir, I didn't see you there.'
'Stop that sniggering, Mr Weasley.' Harry mentally groaned as a sharp Scottish voice drilled through his head.
'Harry?' A soft Welsh accent sounded slightly panicked.
'I'm fine, Re- er Professor Lupin.'
A wet nose nudged Harry's neck. 'Sirius, go away.'
The voices above Harry's head faded as he drifted into unconsciousness.
When he came around, he was lying once again in the infirmary with teachers clustered around the bed.
'Why, don't I just move in up here? It would save the frequent trips.'
Dumbledore looked down at him. 'We were just considering a similar possibility.'
'What?'
'We'll discuss it later, Harry, but now I have informed the staff of your, ahem, shall we say problem. They will be most supportive if it happens again. But right now, these teachers all belong to the Order and we were wondering if you can tell us what you saw.'
Harry ignored him. 'Where are Ron and Hermione?'
'They went to their next class, but that is beside the point. What happened, Harry?'
Harry closed his eyes. 'Colin and Dennis.'
'I'm sorry, Mr Potter?' The smooth voice of Snape was like oil, soothing Harry's aching head. 'Mr Creevy Junior is sitting in my class right now, trembling lest I return and his potion is less than perfect standard.'
Harry managed a weak smile at the unexpected dry humour. 'No sir, it's their parents.'
'Harry?'
'Do, I have to spell it out, sir?'
'Harry, we have to know what happened.'
'Well, that's super, Remus, but I don't particularly want to relive the experience right now.'
Dumbledore looked at Harry carefully, 'Would it be easier if I were to put a spell on you, so that we could see into your memory, but you would be put to sleep?'
'Revealous Previoso Memorous?'
'Not quite, but similar. Just lie back and we'll do the rest.'
'Wait, sir. I don't think that you should all see it. It's a little gruesome.'
'Nonsense, Mr Potter. We have all seen many unhappy things before.'
'Very well, Professor McGonagall, but I have warned you.'
~*~*~ Harry was falling. Fast and far into a pit of blackness. As he fell he could hear a conversation echoing strangely. The voices were distorted by the vastness of the abyss.
'Well dear, I finished the shopping. Would you believe that Marks and Spencer had 20% off everything sale? I bought you a new cappuccino maker.'
A speck of light was appearing at the bottom of the pit.
'Why did you do that, dear? We have a perfectly good one.'
'Oh Arnold, I have been reminding you every morning for the past three weeks that you can't have a cappuccino because the machine is all blocked up. You spend so much time in that darkroom of yours I wonder that you remember the boys and me exist.'
The light was growing larger and larger and Harry could just make out blurred shapes.
'I'm sorry dear, I didn't realise, but Colin brought back some wonderful developer from that odd school of his which makes the pictures move. I don't think sending him there was such a crack-pot scheme after all, if he can acquire useful things like this'
'Yes, I know. You tell me every time you go into that confounded darkroom and every time you come out again.'
Harry landed with a crash by the fire place, but the couple sitting of the mismatched chairs by the window didn't appear to notice.
'Oh, do I dear? You should have told me. By the way, where are the boys? They are being very quiet today.'
'Honestly, darling, what am I going to do with you? The boys went back to school last week.'
'Did they really? They might have said goodbye. I don't think that was very decent of them leaving without a single word.'
'What is a woman to do? They were talking about it for a whole week before they went back. Colin kept talking about some boy who he needed to take pictures because of his scar or something. Arnold, you went with us to the station, remember? They disappeared through the brick wall barrier.'
'Did they really? Did that happen? I though I had eaten something funny and that that was a strange dream.'
'A dream? I really believe I am going to have to burn that darkroom of yours.'
'Allow me.'
The room felt like it had been turned to ice.
'Who, who are you?' the woman quavered.
'Why, Mrs Creevy, I have many names. Most of my names revolve around not speaking my name, ironic really.'
'What do you want?'
'I want many things in life, but right now I want to torture and kill you.'
Arnold Creevy moved in front of his wife.
'How dare you come in here threatening us! Show yourself at once.'
'I don't usually take orders, but why not, just this once. Think of it as a last request.'
Harry automatically moved in front of the couple as Voldemort entered the room. His red snake eyes glittered with excitement.
'Ah, how good it feels to smell muggle fear again.'
'I know who you are! You are the one who gave that boy his scar.' Mrs Creevy stood up and held a shaking finger in his face.
'You coward, you attack eighteen month year old babies for the fun of it, my son told me. You are disgusting. You are filthy, you are.'
'.wonderful, brilliant and soon to be all powerful, thank you my dear, but you have said enough I think. Crucio.'
Harry could only look on in horror, his scar splitting his head as Mr Creevy bent over his screaming wife. Tears were streaming down his face as her body convulsed and twitched before her screaming stopped along with her heart.
Mr Creevy stood, white faced, tearstained and furious as the Freak in front of him motioned with his hand and three black cloaked figures entered the room.
'Pray what took you so long? You missed my matinee performance.'
'Forgive us, master.'
Voldemort waved his hand. 'We shall discuss it later. Take this one upstairs. I forgot muggles were so weak. She didn't even last a minute. Better luck with the one.'
'Yes master.'
'When I am done, if he lives, you have my permission to play with him.'
A high pitched cackle filled the air as Mr Creevy began screaming. Harry fell to his knees in pain as blood began spraying up the walls. The shrieks grew louder and louder before stopping completely. Harry looked up and saw the man lying on the ground, breathing faintly but conscious.
Voldemort was looking around the room. 'Wormtail!'
'Yes, my gracious, all powerful, forgiving, masterful lord.'
'Silence you grovelling worm. Is there anyone else here?'
'N, no my lord, Lucius checked himself.'
'Someone is here! I sense a presence, it's familiar, I know it.I can't quite.'
'Master?'
'Get out you snivelling Rat! Take the muggle with you. Do what you want with him. Go! Now!'
'Y- yes master. I- immediately m- master.'
Dragging the body with his gleaming, silver hand Wormtail stumbled backward from the room.
'I know you're here, you can't hide, I will find you.'
'I'm not hiding, I'm not here. But believe me, were I here, you wouldn't be, Voldemort.'
'Potter!' snarled Voldemort. 'Where are you?'
'Can't you see me? Your eyesight must be failing in your old age, Tom.'
'Don't call me that, you pathetic child.'
'Pathetic? Look who's talking Mr "I Am An All Knowing, All Powerful, Child and Defenceless Muggle Killer" you can't even fucking attack someone even slightly powerful. It's always the weak and defenceless. Doesn't say much for your so-called powers, does it old man?'
'Well well, Mr Potter has grown balls. No brains, just balls. Sorry if you don't approve of my plan Mr Potter, but I really didn't think to consult you on it. Perhaps next time, when I come and flatten your school, kill your Mudblood and muggle loving friends and make your friend Mr Malfoy my heir, I will let you know, before I kill you as well. Oh, didn't you know? Your friend Draco is really working for me. Poor little Harry. It's time you learnt that not everyone who seems to be is you friend.'
'You will never win, Tom. Try all you like, but you can't. Dumbledore won't let you and I, I won't let you.'
'Don't count on it Mr Potter. I'm much stronger than you can ever hope to be.'~*~*~
Harry turned over and snuggled further under the covers as he stirred. He heard a voice distantly.
'Harry, Harry, can you hear me? Wake up.'
'Ten more minutes.' Harry muttered into the pillow.
He heard another voice say 'Allow me.'
Why can't these people let me sleep? Harry reached for the pillow to put it over his head, but his hand was stilled in mid air as a low, smooth voice said close to Harry's ear.
'Mr Potter, if you do not get up within the next five seconds I will personally see to it that you are dropped from the quidditch team and replaced with Mr Longbottom.'
Harry leapt from the bed in fright and made to bolt for the door, before he was stopped by a cold hand.
Harry screamed with fright.
'Now that Mr Potter has chosen to grace us with his undivided attention.' Harry looked up to see that Snape had him by the collar. 'I believe we have some things to discuss.'
Harry wrenched away from Snape in disgust and moved to stand by Lupin. As he gazed around the room he could see the white and aghast faces of his professors. Harry heard a whining by his feet and felt his hand being licked. A grin lit up his face and he sat on the ground and patted the huge, shaggy black dog.
'I believe,' began Professor Flitwick cautiously, 'that as much as we want to, and even if we could, stop Mr Potter from having these visions that, well, as painful as it is, it would be a powerful weapon against He Who Must Not Be Named if we could see what he was doing and maybe see his plans before they are executed.'
'Great,' Harry muttered to himself, 'now I am just a weapon, a tool in this war. Well that's just dandy, I'll keep having the terrifying visions and you can maybe get a peek behind the scenes.'
Lupin bent down to Harry, under the pretence of patting Sirius. 'Is that how you really feel Harry? I can put a stop to this if you want. I like it less, well perhaps not less that you, but I do not like the idea all the same.'
'Rem-er Professor-'
'Remus is fine if we aren't in class.'
'Well Remus, I do want to win the war, and I realise that this vision thing I have could be a valuable asset, it's just, I feel like some kind of tool already, always being there to stop everything. I feel that I was very subtly pressured into some of the things that I have done against Voldemort. This is one of those off chance things. The way I see it is that I will see hundreds of gruesome murder scenes and perhaps one of them might help the Order if we are lucky. I don't know, maybe I'm just being selfish.'
'You most certainly are not being selfish, if you really don't want to do this then you just say the word and I will stop Dumbledore.'
'No, it's alright. I will have to deal with bad shit in my life anyway and this could be good training.'
'Are you sure?'
'Remus, it's fine.'
A sneering voice cut in. 'Is everything alright over there? We aren't interrupting your little tète a tète ?'
Harry looked up at Snape. 'Fine, professor, just discussing the *relative* pros and cons of this exercise. It could be distressing having to deal with people I know having their *family's* killed right in front of me, but with the *family-like* support system in this school, I feel I will receive all the *love* and help and support which I was never given, even by my *real uncle* and aunt.'
Remus put his hand over his mouth and turned his face to the wall, his shoulders shaking. Snuffles made an odd barking sound that sounded suspiciously like a laugh. McGonagall looked at Harry sternly, but with a twinkle in her eye as Snape shuffled his feet and stared hard at the floor, the faint redness in his cheeks being accentuated by the paleness of his skin. Dumbledore looked at Harry, no hint of any emotion on his face.
'That will do, Mr Potter.'
The other teachers looked at each other confused, a few catching at certain times throughout the discussion so it was frequently interrupted by chuckles. An hour later a strategy had been decided.
'So let me sum up this meeting.' Dumbledore looked up from the bed he was lying on and around the small group teachers and Harry, who were now strewn across beds, chairs and the floor, before resuming his apparent contemplation of the ceiling.
'Harry will be given a potion and have several concealing charms placed over him so that he can continue to have the visions but remain undetected. Severus, Filius, could you have those prepared by tomorrow?'
The said Professors nodded and Harry was beginning to breathe less cautiously when a thought struck him. He sat up quickly, hitting his head on the edge of the bed which he was half lying under, ignoring Remus's suppressed chuckle he stared frantically at Dumbledore.
'Sir, we are enforcing these precautions working around the principle that Tom and I are connected by my scar.'
'Yes Harry, I assume it a safe assumption to make as it is your scar that warns you of these impending visions and of his distance from you.'
'Then sir, if we are connected by this scar then how do we know that Tom isn't experiencing the same problems I am. He could be watching us right now and already planning counteractions.'
'I hadn't thought of that, Filius, Severus, Remus, I need all of you to research certain spells which make certain people impervious to being tracked or anything similar that might help us, until then, Harry, I need you to stay away from any conversations that could have a negative affect if the contents were overheard by an unfriendly party.'
Remus interrupted. 'So Harry, you are hereby to be excluded from any interesting conversations and the rest of your days will be spent watching other people die or living in fear of your own life being taken. How do you feel?'
That statement was followed by a dead silence, almost broken by Harry who found his statement incredibly funny, and was fighting laughing. Snape looked shocked at the bluntness of the statement and quickly left the room.
It was however broken by Professor McGonagall shrieking 'Mr Lupin, have you learnt no tact, no manners, nothing in the 38 years you have been on this earth. Pay no attention to him Mr Potter, he is exaggerating, he.'
She trailed of as she, along with the other teachers realised the truth of his words.
A sudden rushing sound broke up the meeting and the Sneakoscope which had somehow found its way onto a side table in the infirmary began whistling. The room grew very cold.
Harry clapped his hand to his scar and put a finger to his lips as the other occupants of the room looked around confused. 'Tom, what are you doing here?'
A high pitched, icy and thoroughly disgruntled voice replied. 'Honestly Potter, how in Salazar's name can you tell I'm here when it took me ages to realise you were there?'
Harry chuckled, 'You need to work on the vibes you project when you enter a room. The room turns slightly chilly, like the occupants are standing inside of a ghost, it must have something to do with your dead-but-not approach to life. Also you make a kind of rushing sound when you enter a room by magic. Another problem is that, as much as I don't like it and it's your fault, I have this fucking scar on my head and it always alerts me in some way to your presence. For instance, I could tell you were in that graveyard before I even saw that bastard Wormtail and in dreams and visions, I can always tell when it's about you, because it hurts. When you killed that old muggle in your fathers mansion I was there and damn did it hurt. Oh, and don't bother trying to find a way to reverse the effect, it has already had many years research committed to it and nothing can be done unless one of us dies.
A shimmering came from the corner and what appeared to be a projection of Voldemort appeared. He was laughing.
'Ah, Potter, I almost regret being evil as it doesn't allow me the privilege of bickering with you more. It would be an enjoyable way to spend time and we could each teach each other something, but my poor brainless followers would not understand why I wasn't killing you. Now, let's see, where is everyone? Oh, there they are. Hello Albus, long time no see, I'm glad you made Headmaster, I don't think I ever got to tell you that, you were a lot smarter that bloody Dippet. Minnie, how are you? You have aged well considering.at least you don't have this snake thing happening to your features, it can be quite frustrating when one is trying to ask a girl out. I don't think I have met anyone else, oh yes, I remember Lupin and is that Black on the floor? I really am sorry about the whole Azkaban thing. I would have prevented it, but it was just to damn funny. You have no idea how many of my minions reminded me of that when I was angry to save them from a good Cruciatus.'
With a growl Sirius transformed and leapt at the figure.
'Sirius, look out you bloody idiot!' Harry yelled as Sirius went straight through the projection which was howling with laughter. A sweat was breaking out over Harry's brow and he was beginning to sway.
'You stupid mutt. You have now saved my underlings even more pain if they ever find out about this.'
'They won't, Tom.' Harry interjected.
'How many times? Don't call me Tom. Now, why won't they?'
'Because I have just placed a spell around myself which, while temporary, will prevent you remembering anything about this meeting. Now, why don't you go home? I have a charms lesson to catch up on.'
'Very well, Harry, I'll leave you to your school work. Have fun, I'll talk to you soon.'
'Bye Tom.'
The figure raised his hand in farewell as he flickered once or twice and disappeared.
As soon as he was gone Harry collapsed to his knees, his face white and he was panting.
'Harry? Are you alright?'
'I'm fine, it's just the pain from my scar and the fact that I just held a civilised conversation with Lord Voldemort.' Harry lay, face down on the ground and began laughing hysterically.
*********
After dinner that evening Harry made his way toward the charms room where the tiny Professor Flitwick was waiting for him.
'Good show Mr Potter. You are right on time.' He squeaked as Harry entered the room.
'Yes sir.'
'So what were we doing, ah yes here it is.' Flitwick handed Harry an open textbook.
'The class took notes on special defence charms which I believe you will be further discussing in Defence Against the Dark Arts, and we learnt the cognatio defendo charm. I would like it if you could have it learnt by Thursday morning.'
Harry nodded. 'Yes sir.'
'I have prepared your concealing charms but they are useless with out the potion so we will have to wait for Professor Snape to finish it.'
'Professor, I was wondering.'
'Yes, Potter?'
'You were a duelling champion, weren't you?'
'Yes.' Flitwick looked at Harry inquiringly.
'I was wondering if you could start a duelling club again. The one we had in our second year wasn't very helpful.'
Flitwick grimaced, making his deformed face look even more distorted. 'Yes, Professor Lockhart probably wasn't the best teacher to have been running that club. Mr Potter, I think that is an excellent idea. Duelling will be an excellent skill to have if He Must Not Be Named does return to full power. Yes, wonderful wonderful,.'
Flitwick was nearly bouncing up and down in excitement.
'Yes, I'll ask Professors Lupin and Snape to assist me and I will have to clear it with the headmaster. Go on Potter, off to bed now. I'll tell you in the morning if the idea has been approved.'
Harry tried not to laugh at the excited professor and left the room. He walked down the corridor, dodging Peeves who was throwing dung bombs at some third year boys and waving to Nearly Headless Nick who was floating toward Peeves with the Bloody Baron.
Harry laughed as Peeves shrieked in fright at the sight of the Slytherin ghost and immediately began apologising to the annoyed boys.
As he neared the common room he marvelled at the strange silence. Usually as he stood outside he portrait he could hear muffled yelling from within. Harry put it down to the lack of Weasley Twins attending the school this year. He smiled as he imagined the relief that Filch and Mrs Norris were feeling at having a Fred and George free school. Maybe it was Hermione trying to study and over exercising her Prefect rights, so she could keep the common room quiet. (AN: Yes, Hermione is prefect, I just forgot to put it in before.)
'Heigh-ho,' said Harry to the Fat Lady who was looking strangely subdued.
'Of course, dear,' she said the portrait swung open.
As Harry clambered in he looked around the room. People were sitting in silence around the room. Some doing things and others not. Harry made his way over to Hermione and Ron in confusion.
'I got permission off Flitwick for the duelling club, and he gave me the work I missed today.' Harry cringed as several people around shot him death stares.
'What's going on?' 'Colin and D-'
'Ah shit, I forgot. Who told them?'
Hermione looked at him strangely. 'Dumbledore, but how do you know? They only just found out themselves.'
'That was what was in my vision. I saw them die.'
Hermione and Ron gazed at him and Ron opened his mouth but shut it again as the two brothers came down stairs.
Dennis was pale and drawn but Colin looked, for the first time in his life, calm and controlled. He walked up to Harry.
'Dumbledore said it was you who saw them die. Were they happy beforehand? What were they talking about?'
Harry looked at the pale curly haired boy gravely. 'They seemed happy. Your mother had just bought a new cappuccino maker from Marks and Spencers and your father was having trouble thinking about anything but his darkroom.'
Colin laughed sadly. 'Yes, he could never think about anything except that room.'
Harry smiled at him. 'You are quite similar you know Colin. Thinking about nothing but that camera.'
Colin looked up at him, 'It's on your bed Harry. Try and remember me by it.'
Harry looked down in shock. 'But, you're coming back aren't you?'
Colin shook his head. 'We are going to live with our aunt in Canada. I think Dennis will go to a wizarding school there, but I don't really want to. I'll be happy living as a muggle, I never really fitted in here anyway.'
'That's not true, Colin. Try the school, you may like it. Not all wizarding places are alike. You may even find a camera-crazy girl to spend time with.'
Colin shrugged noncommittally. 'Maybe.' He held out his hand for Harry to shake. 'Bye Harry.'
'See you, Colin.'
And they were gone.
Wow wow wow. 23 pages. Heeheehee. Hope you like them. This is the last chapter that has already been written so updates will be slower from now on.
Next Chapter: Wizarding power assessments, will Draco become a death eater plus much more