Chapter 9

The Snapped Wand

The next morning Harry woke up and looked around, he thought it to be a dream. In yet, he couldn't remember anything of last night; all he remembered was blacking out on his bed. But his uniform and schedule proved his theory correct. He was on the Hogwarts Quidditch team.

He walked down the steps into the Common room to see about ten people gathered around the message board all muttering dully to their selves. Harry looked and saw a sign erected above the Quidditch team notice that made Harry's heart sink.

Professor Snape shall henceforth be the permanent Potions Master.

Ryan Lenk, the Ravenclaw announcer muttered something to himself. And so did about fifty other students. However Luna looked delighted. Harry sunk into a chair apposing Luna.

"Why are you so down? I mean you can drop that subject," Luna said happily.

"No, I can't. I want to be an Auror, so I have to have Potions," Harry explained annoyed.

"You'd be good at that," Luna said quietly. And Harry couldn't help but smile.

"Thanks," he muttered.

***

That morning at Breakfast everybody was talking about Snape returning. Some of the students came up with wild stories of Snape being eaten by a basilisk and somehow returning from the dead.

Harry knew where Snape had been, serving the Dark Lord Voldemort, as a spy for the light. He knew this because of what happened the month before when he fell from his broom. Snape looked to Harry and Harry returned his glair, Harry wanted to say something like, 'I'm still here,' but Snape wouldn't hear him. Snape looked as if he understood. Snape turned his head and started talking to Professor McGongall. Harry looked away and his scar gave a nasty throb.

"Isn't it weird? The last time my scar burnt was when Snape touched me, and it hasn't since, but now that he's back it's hurting again," Harry said quietly.

"Harry, you seriously need to think of other things besides Voldemort and his followers. You're driving yourself insane!" Hermione said, and then looked as if she said something foul.

"Going mad am, I? Let's see who's mad when Voldemort attacks! It's not like he's going to pity anyone including a mudblood like you!" Harry closed his eyes and bowed his head. "Sorry, I don't know what made me call you a, you-know-"

"Quite alright," Hermione said, and then opened her Transfiguration book and started to read.

Cho came walking over to his table looking depressed. She sat next to Neville. She didn't look at him or notice he existed.

"What's up with her?" Ron asked. And then Harry remembered he was supposed to have met her on Halloween.

"Cho," Harry said quietly.

"What?" She snapped.

"Sorry I didn't meet you in Hogsmead on Halloween, I was in the hospital wing, again. And I've had so many things going on in my life that I just, I dunno... forgot" Harry said to her. She smiled a little.

"I know you were in the hospital wing out cold on Halloween, with a fractured skull. I don't think this is working out so I think we should just be friends," Cho said sincerely.

"Fine," Harry said and got up from the Gryffindor table and walked out of the Great Hall. Ron followed him and he was muttering about some people being assholes.

***

The next day the Gryffindors marched off toward the Potions dungeon. The day was gloomy and it was raining. This made Harry irritated because they were supposed to be practicing after classes.

"Why couldn't Voldemort have killed Snape?" Ron asked and Harry shrugged. Hermione had talked Ron into taking all the same classes as Harry. Ron had changed his schedule to match Harry's without the training.

"Well, Potty's still here, Pity you won't live to graduate," Malfoy said, weaving in and out of students and smirking. Harry snorted.

"Pity, Malfoy that you cant keep your big mouth shut," Harry said coldly.

"Potter, I know the Dark Lords plans... and believe me none of them are good. You're going to die" Draco spat.

"Well your old mate Voldemort," Draco looked fearful as Harry said his name, "has been trying to kill me for the past sixteen years, I'd be more afraid if Voldemort-" Harry said, but Draco cut him off.

"Potter, you dare speak his name? You filthy half-blood scum. You dare besmirch it, you dare..." Draco was fuming. He sounded like Bellatrix when Harry had a conversation, not actually a conversation, with he about a topic close to this one.

"Didn't you know Voldemort is a half-blood? His dad was a muggle, and his mum was a witch.... I still didn't get my answer whether he's been telling you; Death Eaters he's a pure," Harry said smirking now.

But within a minute the smirk faded and Harry had Draco's wand pointed at him. The wand was pointed straight at Harry's heart.

"Potter, you dare... You'll meet the same sticky end as your parents, soon..." Draco said walking forward. Harry backed up, without a wand out. He looked to his sides and saw neither Ron nor Hermione had theirs out either. "How about a little dose of pain, Potter?" Draco was smirking.

"You know Malfoy, there are witnesses standing around us. And it'd make a nice story for the Prophet, you know, First Malfoy Sr. then Malfoy Jr. to be thrown into Azkaban for Death Eater related crimes," Harry said trying to cover up the fear in his voice.

Draco snorted. "I'd plead bewitchment, and you know I could always slip the Wizengamot some gold."

"Like father like son," Harry replied. "You'll end up in Azkaban-" he was cut off by Draco saying 'Crucio'.

The head-splitting pain of the Cruciatus curse hit Harry at full force... he didn't scream... and he didn't fall. He wasn't going to give Malfoy the satisfaction. His scar was burning and his eyes were watering with pain... then it lifted.

"Malfoy, I know hexes and jinxes by the dozen, some there is no counter curse for, because no body ever saw them, how about that? Don't make me use them on such an unworthy cause," Harry said furiously.

"You just don't want to use them because you can't," Draco said and Harry thought of causing Draco pain, immense pain.... Harry concentrated and pulled up his wand and made a circle, the next thing he knew was that he was flying backwards and his wand was flying up through the air. He hit the ground with a loud thump and he felt a hand pull him by the back of his robes to his feet.

"One hundred points from both Gryffindor and Slytherin for Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Potter's little duel. Fifty points from each of you two," he pointed to Ron and Hermione, "for letting it happen. And Potter and Malfoy a weeks worth of detentions my office six o'clock. Potter follow me to the Headmasters office, for the rest of you sit in your seats until I return."

Snape turned on his heal and walked out and Harry nodded toward Ron and Hermione to bid them farewell and he set off right behind Snape. They stopped at the stone gargoyle that guarded Dumbledore's office.

"Bertie Blotts," Snape said monotonously and the gargoyle stepped aside allowing them entrance. They went up the spiral staircase, Harry's scar was burning dully on his forehead, and Snape marched through the door and into Dumbledore's office.

Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, writing something, and Fawkes was looking over his shoulder.

"Headmaster, may I speak to you in private?" Snape asked and Dumbledore nodded. And Snape looked to Harry and said "Potter, sit."

Harry sat, and stared uselessly at the ceiling. He didn't know how long he was staring but he came back to his senses when Dumbledore sat down and Snape slammed the door. Harry looked into Dumbledore's relaxed blue eyes.

"Harry, didn't you take my warning seriously? To stay away from Mr. Malfoy? Ah, of course Voldemort must of put a spell around him, your wand didn't make it I'm afraid..." Dumbledore sat a few pieces of wood up on the table. There was a golden phoenix feather laying in the middle of the ruined wand.

"Professor, how did it break?" Harry was very fond of his wand. It had saved his life once before... When Voldemort tried to kill him the day he returned. He forced the wands to do Prior Incantatem.

"You put a bit too much power through it, I'm afraid; it wasn't quite as reliable as Voldemort's, of coarse." Dumbledore smiled weakly. "I'll be taking you to Diagon Alley in a few minutes, go and get your money and then we'll go."

"I have about twenty galleons with me, professor" said Harry earnestly.

"Ready?" Dumbledore asked him as he stood up.

"Yeah, Pperate-ay Diagon Alley" said Harry and he was gone with a tiny 'pop'. There was another 'pop' and Dumbledore materialized beside him.

"Follow me, Harry," Dumbledore said and led the way to Ollivanders. They walked in and it looked the same as the last time he was here. Cramped from wall to wall with skinny wand cases, a single wand lay on a faded purple cushion.

"Ah, Harry Potter" said a soft voice from behind the counter. The voice of Mr. Ollivander.

"Good day," Dumbledore said cheerfully.

"Mr. Potter, new wand? Ah, yes, you were quite a tricky customer, holly, phoenix feather eleven inches...Quite a different combination... let me see" he pulled a wand off of the shelf and handed it to Harry. "Ten 1/4 inches, Maple, Phoenix Feather, quite swishy give it a wave."

Harry held the wand and flicked it and green sparks flew out of it. Mr. Ollivander snatched the wand out of his hand. After what seemed like the one thousandth wand, Mr. Ollivander said "I wonder..." quietly and took the wand off of the purple cushion.

"Thirteen 1/2 inches, Phoenix Feather, Yew. Inflexible, here try to cast a difficult spell," he handed him the wand.

Harry thought of the Gryffindor team winning the International Quidditch cup and said, "Expetro Patronum!" Immediately a stag flew out of Harry's wand and charged around the shop.

"Bravo!" Cried Mr. Ollivander. "I never thought a wizard would claim this wand! Long ago, my great, great grandfather made two wands; he was a great seer, now he made a prophecy that the two people that will receive these wands would be great. And have a lasting impact on the Wizarding Community.

"Both were of the same wood and everything, it was said that these two were the perfect wands. But one fell into the wrong hands.... Salazar Slytherin's. And it was said that this wand, the so-called perfect wand was handed down through Slytherin's own bloodline for years, until it came to Voldemort's mother, she despised the wand.

"Slytherin's love for sin was only handed down through the male population. Thus, Skylene Slytherin was frightened of its power so she brought it to me to snap it, and I did so. My father made me put it somewhere in the shop where no one could find it.

"But since there were two, I discovered the other one must be a good one and go to Gryffindor's heir. Godric Gryffindor did use this wand, but when he died he didn't want to pass it down through the generations, or so it's told. He was in fear that it would find a dark wizard or witch. He enchanted it so that only his true heir could use it. The heir that could bring down Slytherin's heir.

"It was also said in the prophecy that Gryffindor's heir would bare a mark, a mark of love. And there's no doubt in my mind that you are Gryffindor's heir, and this wand belongs to you."

Mr. Ollivander gave him the wand for free. Saying that he knows Harry would bring he-who-must-not-be-named down.

They walked out of the shop ready to go back to Hogwarts. As they walked down someone from behind them yelled "Oi, Harry!"