Harry Potter and the New Marauders

The First Strike

It had been a month after Harry and the others returned to Hogwarts for their sixth year, and new things were happening. There were rumors of killings going around, and many people were getting worried. Harry and the others were researching it while trying to do schoolwork, which at that time was somewhat difficult. Teachers tried as hard as they could to stop the rumors, but this was something even they couldn't stop completely. As the days passed, the rumors began increasing. However, it didn't daunt Harry and the gang's hopes. Even so, besides the rumors, there were no signs of anyone killing anyone.

"Do you think the rumors are true?" Kelly asked Heather and the others.

"Rumors always start from some sort of truth," Hermione said coolly.

"Then let's find that truth!" Ron exclaimed.

"How about after we have Double Potions?" Heather said.

Ron fell back into a slump.

"Aww man."

"Too bad he isn't always this enthusiastic," Heather joked.

Everyone but Ron laughed, and he glared at them. It was then Professor Snape came in, he was in an even fouler mood than usual.

"Wonder what has him pissed," Ron whispered to Harry, who nodded, and then they focused their attention on their Potions professor. Then they began the lesson on potions for different kinds of poisons. Harry and the others were bored out of their minds, and all Snape did was continue on. He must have been enjoying it, because he seemed in his normal moody self by the second half of class. They broke into partners and were each assigned to make a potion to cure seasickness, and Snape left the room to go into his office to get some of the supplies. When he came out, he divided the ingredients equally, or as equally as he normally did. First his students were given the better of the ingredients while the rest of the class was stuck with the scraps.

"Great, he seems to be back to normal. Wonder what had him so peeved."

"Well, whatever it was it seems to have worn off by now," Harry sighed.

After Double Potions, the gang decided to split into pairs to do some researching. Hermione and Harry went to the library, of course, while Kelly and Ron went to the castle grounds to get word of anymore information. Heather, meanwhile, was heading to her common room to talk to Sirius about anything that was happening in the outside world, and then later to see Lupin.

": Sigh: I wonder if anything has been going on lately. Padfoot ought to know."

As she headed for her common room, she saw something move quickly in the shadows.

"Who's there?"

Whatever it was, it didn't answer. It began to run down the corridor and Heather chased it. Sensing danger, she drew out her wand, a holly wand with a combination unicorn hair and phoenix feather, 12 inches.

"Who are you?" she repeated.

And yet again, it didn't answer her. Growing angry, she exclaimed,

"Petrificus Totalus!"

She missed her target, and she saw it turn a corner. Following it, she gasped and saw a horrible sight. It was a student, a first year named Dylan Figaro. The boy had been stunned, and he was unconscious. She remembered him because she had helped him with some homework in the common room earlier that week.

"Dylan!"

She ran over to him, and lifted his head. She saw that he had been stunned in the back of his neck, he had been very vulnerable.

"Who are you?"

She could still sense the attacker's presence around them. She heard a menacing laugh from all around her. The voice was altered, but she could tell it was male.

"Err.show yourself, you coward!"

The laughing only continued, and Heather was worried about Dylan's condition. If he remained in this condition, he could be seriously hurt. She took out her wand and yelled,

"IMOBULIS!"

There was a beam of white light come from her wand, and it only hit the wall. Nothing had happened, and the laughing grew louder.

"YOU FOOL!"

"Who are you? Why are you doing this?"

"That it is me to know and you to never find out!"

Well this guy is really annoying.Heather thought to herself.

"What you are doing is bad! Don't you realize this? Someone could have been seriously hurt! Are you just stupid?"

"I am evil, you idiotic fool!"

"Oh, that explains a lot."

"ANYWAY!"

"Why are you hurting him? He is just a first year! What has he done to you?"

"He is just a test! A measly child, a victim for my master's plan!"

"Who is your master, and what kind of plan does he have?"

"Heh, just listen to my message from my master. This is just the first of the attacks, next time there will be more, both victims and blood! Darkness will rule!"

"First..."

"Now I will make my departure."

The presence disappeared for a second, and Heather spun her head around, shouting,

"Where did you go?"

Suddenly she felt two cold, rough hands touch her neck. She winced and stood still. Then she heard him say,

"I'd be careful if I were you, young girl. If you interfere in my master's plan, then I will surely have to kill you."

"Err.yah!"

She spun around and saw a shadow apparate. She was wide-eyed for a minute or so, until she felt Dylan stir. She looked down and saw that he was breathing normally again, and she rushed to the hospital wing, to deliver the bad news.

"Madam Pomfrey!"

"Yes what is it child..? Oh my good lord, what happened to this boy?"

"He was stunned."

"By who? Who would do this to him?"

"I believe it was a Death Eater."

"WHAT?!"

*~*~*~*

"WHAT?!"

Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Kelly exclaimed. Dumbledore and the other teachers were called down to the hospital wing to find out what had happened to Dylan.

"So he was attacked?"

"Uh huh, he had his back turned to him so he was helpless at the time."

"How do we know his attacker was a man if you said his voice had been altered?"

"I don't know, you could just tell it was a guy talking, and his hands.his hands were definitely that of a man or an incredibly ugly woman."

Unfortunately to her dismay no one laughed at her joke, and she sighed.

"I wonder how the Death Eater got in."

"Yeah, that is a very difficult question," said a kind voice from behind them. It was their headmaster, Albus Dumbledore.

"All of the students have been notified of the attack, and they are to keep a watch out for someone in the shadows or in a corner. Oh, and Dylan is fine, by the way."

"That's a relief."

Dumbledore smiled, and the others left the hospital wing to go see Sirius. They told him all about what had happened to Dylan and Heather that afternoon.

"This sounds serious. Let's hope that they weren't serious about more attacks, or we may be in big trouble here."

Everyone nodded in agreements, and they stared out into the night sky, hoping this would be the last bad thing to happen to Hogwarts. Unfortunately for them, it wasn't.