Spinning Backwards
Chapter 1: Acceleration
By July 1st and anonymous sins
"Ah!" Something had jumped on him; something rather large and heavy. It hissed at him nastily.
"Crookshanks! Off of me, you mangy animal!" Harry, hardly awake, hissed back and swatted the air around him.
"What are you doing out of the girl's dorm anyway?" he muttered as he turned back over to attempt sleep once more. Crookshanks hissed at him again, and jumped off of the bed. Harry heard him run out of the room.
"Oi, 'arry? Wha's tha? Woke me up! I was havin' a good dream, too..." Ron grumbled as he turned over on his bed.
"Just Crookshanks," Harry replied. "Bloody animal. We're going to have to feed it to one of Hagrid's pets someday."
"Yeah," Ron said, back asleep already.
Harry wasn't asleep for long before Crookshanks came back, and with him followed Professor McGonagall. "Mr. Potter," she said, her stern voice unusually cold. "Please come with me. And bring your wand."
Harry, fearing the worst, rolled out of bed immediately and grabbed his wand from under his pillow, after shooing Crookshanks away from it.
"Professor, what's going on..." Harry started, but was cut off before he could finish.
"The Ministry would like a word with you, Mr. Potter," she said icily.
Thoroughly confused, Harry followed silently. Even after the flying car incident her tone hadn't sounded like this; it would be best not to try her patience.
It wasn't long before they came to the staff room. All the teachers were there, as well as the Minister and a number of aurors. Snape was standing in the center of the room holding a very familiar cloak, the sight of which confused Harry even more. When had it left his trunk? Harry hadn't used it at all this year, at least not yet. Had Ron gone down for a snack and forgotten it?
"Well, Mister Potter," Snape began in a murderous voice, "It seems that you find this cloak familiar."
Harry only nodded. He didn't trust himself to speak.
"Give the Minister your wand, Potter." Snape's voice had just dropped a few degrees. iWhat/i the bloody hell had he done this time? He didn't remember doing anything, especially nothing that would warrant this treatment.
Still fearing that his voice might betray him, Harry followed directions without saying a word.
"Priori incantatum," the Minister whispered. A blinding gray light emitted from Harry's wand, and the occupants of the room gasped in shock.
"What's that mean?" Harry asked before he could stop himself.
The Minister turned to glare at him. "I always knew you were unbalanced! Nothing but an attention seeking brat, you are! But you've gone too far this time Harry Potter, too far! Knew you weren't all there, but I never thought you'd stoop this low. Believed you from the start he did, and you turn around and off him!"
Bewildered, Harry stared at the Minister. What was he raving about?
"Don't pretend you don't know what you did Potter, the proof is right here!" He continued.
"Proof of what?" Harry yelled.
A small grin spread across Snape's face. "Albus Dumbledore is dead, Mr. Potter, and you are the one who did it."