Xenith
Chapter Forty-one
"Hey, Harry mate, hear this," Seamus read from the front page of the Daily Prophet at breakfast later that week. "`White Knight Massacres Muggles! 12 January; a man, pale of skin and slender of stature, single-handedly terrorises the Muggle town of Little Hangleton leaving one only just alive.' Writes Dasher Weis, special correspondent. 'Authorities were unable to identify the 'White Knight' due to the fact that the only survivor fell into a Critacious induced coma shortly after being picked up by Mungo authorities. The Muggle now chants only: "I'm right here Potter, come and get me. I'm right under your nose." In his sleep. The Ministry for Magic believes this to a message from the 'White Knight' to the Boy-Who-Lived. And rightfully so.
'Harry Potter, currently a fifth year at Dumbledore's school (Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry), is believed to be the most powerful wizard since Merlin himself and is thought by many to be the only one capable of destroying You-Know-Who. That is, if he really has returned. We at The Daily Prophet, however, are firm believers to the contrary on both accounts.'"
"That's crap," Harry interrupted, throwing his fork angrily at his plate and sending it flying off the opposite side of the table at the passing Higgs' feet. Harry ignored both. "Dumbledore's going to handle it. I'm only fifteen, I haven't a chance against Voldemort."
"You really think that?" Higgs said, stooping to pick up the fallen flatware.
"I have to." Harry replied quietly, anger slipping quickly from his tone.
"Then you need a reality check, Potter." He tossed the plate back on the table. "Contrary to what you may think, this IS a school, not a fortress. And Dumbledore? He's just a man. A very OLD man. And if you believe otherwise, Potter, you'll never survive this. None of us will." And he strode out of the hall, leaving the fifth years, George, Lee, and Ginny, in shocked silence.
"Well, anyone know what that was about?" Hermione asked, laying the framework for Harry to cover.
"He's completely nutters," Ginny added.
"Has been since he got bumped to reserve," Harry capped off, their excuse finding itself acceptable among their peers.
"So, what do you think's happened to Malfoy?" Neville asked with a shudder.
"What?" Harry asked, turning to his round faced friend on his left. "What do you mean, 'Happened to Malfoy'?" Harry peered over Ginny's head at the Slytherin table, noticing, for the first time, that many of the Slytherins were missing from their usual seats.
"Well, he didn't come back after the holiday, now, did he?" Neville continued, braver. "Neither did more then half of the older students."
"You don't think . . ." Hermione murmured to Harry from his right.
"Later," Harry hissed back.
"And there are more students missing, besides Slytherins, I mean," Neville persisted.
"What have you heard, Neville?" Harry pressed.
"I don't know if I should---"
"Neville . . ." Harry growled.
"Well, there are seven Hufflepuffs gone, three of them because their parents wouldn't let them come back, but the rest . . ."
"What about Ravenclaw?" Ginny demanded.
"Fif---" Neville cleared his throat. "Fifteen from Ravenclaw."
"Shite," Seamus exhaled.
"Five weren't allowed back, one was . . . was attacked---"
"Who?" Ginny commanded.
"Terry Boot."
"And Gryffindor?"
"Only three weren't allowed back, third and second years."
"How'd you find all this out then?"
"I listen," Neville said softly. "People think that I don't really matter and that even if I did overhear them, who would I tell?" He snorted.
---
¸..· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-
¸.·´ ·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ -:¦:- tbc -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´*
Chapter Forty-one
"Hey, Harry mate, hear this," Seamus read from the front page of the Daily Prophet at breakfast later that week. "`White Knight Massacres Muggles! 12 January; a man, pale of skin and slender of stature, single-handedly terrorises the Muggle town of Little Hangleton leaving one only just alive.' Writes Dasher Weis, special correspondent. 'Authorities were unable to identify the 'White Knight' due to the fact that the only survivor fell into a Critacious induced coma shortly after being picked up by Mungo authorities. The Muggle now chants only: "I'm right here Potter, come and get me. I'm right under your nose." In his sleep. The Ministry for Magic believes this to a message from the 'White Knight' to the Boy-Who-Lived. And rightfully so.
'Harry Potter, currently a fifth year at Dumbledore's school (Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry), is believed to be the most powerful wizard since Merlin himself and is thought by many to be the only one capable of destroying You-Know-Who. That is, if he really has returned. We at The Daily Prophet, however, are firm believers to the contrary on both accounts.'"
"That's crap," Harry interrupted, throwing his fork angrily at his plate and sending it flying off the opposite side of the table at the passing Higgs' feet. Harry ignored both. "Dumbledore's going to handle it. I'm only fifteen, I haven't a chance against Voldemort."
"You really think that?" Higgs said, stooping to pick up the fallen flatware.
"I have to." Harry replied quietly, anger slipping quickly from his tone.
"Then you need a reality check, Potter." He tossed the plate back on the table. "Contrary to what you may think, this IS a school, not a fortress. And Dumbledore? He's just a man. A very OLD man. And if you believe otherwise, Potter, you'll never survive this. None of us will." And he strode out of the hall, leaving the fifth years, George, Lee, and Ginny, in shocked silence.
"Well, anyone know what that was about?" Hermione asked, laying the framework for Harry to cover.
"He's completely nutters," Ginny added.
"Has been since he got bumped to reserve," Harry capped off, their excuse finding itself acceptable among their peers.
"So, what do you think's happened to Malfoy?" Neville asked with a shudder.
"What?" Harry asked, turning to his round faced friend on his left. "What do you mean, 'Happened to Malfoy'?" Harry peered over Ginny's head at the Slytherin table, noticing, for the first time, that many of the Slytherins were missing from their usual seats.
"Well, he didn't come back after the holiday, now, did he?" Neville continued, braver. "Neither did more then half of the older students."
"You don't think . . ." Hermione murmured to Harry from his right.
"Later," Harry hissed back.
"And there are more students missing, besides Slytherins, I mean," Neville persisted.
"What have you heard, Neville?" Harry pressed.
"I don't know if I should---"
"Neville . . ." Harry growled.
"Well, there are seven Hufflepuffs gone, three of them because their parents wouldn't let them come back, but the rest . . ."
"What about Ravenclaw?" Ginny demanded.
"Fif---" Neville cleared his throat. "Fifteen from Ravenclaw."
"Shite," Seamus exhaled.
"Five weren't allowed back, one was . . . was attacked---"
"Who?" Ginny commanded.
"Terry Boot."
"And Gryffindor?"
"Only three weren't allowed back, third and second years."
"How'd you find all this out then?"
"I listen," Neville said softly. "People think that I don't really matter and that even if I did overhear them, who would I tell?" He snorted.
---
¸..· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-
¸.·´ ·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ -:¦:- tbc -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´*