**hello again! Yes, even though I am meant to be revising I have updated!!
TWO VERY IMPORTANT NOTES
1) I am moving to Australia soon. This could slow down the fic, so sorry, but I'll do my best!!
2) I have written a David Eddings fic which desperately needs reviews. It's called 'Polserra'. Er, basic plot, twenty or so years AFTER the Mallorean Garion gets decidedly sick. Polgara, Durnik, Polgara's parents and her twins come to Riva, not expecting the severity of his illness. No one, even Polgara has the slightest clue what's going on, and Geran's only theory is squashed by his mother's insistance that eight-year-old Polserra had absolutely NOTHING to do with it… Kheldar's son provides humour as well as tension, and we are introduced to the rest of Ce'Nedra's charming daughters.
Praise for 'Polserra': BEAUTIFULLY DONE! Very David Edding-ish. (Beledra the Sorceress)
Lots of interesting stuff going on in this story... What happened to Silk? Where is he?? Is he hurt? He can't be hurt! Why didn't he get the note to them??!?! I'm just a bit hyper, don't mind me all that much, lol... Ah well, I hope you post again soon, and so I can find out what's up w/ Silk, and what happened to Dhelbir that was so awful that everyone except us poor readers seem to know about! Lol.. Oh well.. Keep up the good work! (Sailor Sol)
Anyway I am done whittling. On with chapter 21!!!!**
Hermione and Ron sat through lunch in almost silence, listening to everyone around them discuss their best friend.
The news of what had happened in Potions class that day had spread around the school like wildfire, and now everyone wanted to know the details.
"It was spooky, you know? He sounded like he wanted to kill us all…"
"Professor Snape didn't even take points, I think he was even afraid of it…"
"Never came back…"
"Where is he?" Hermione hissed at Ron, looking at her watch for the fifth time in as many minutes.
"How am I supposed to know?" Ron asked, but at the same time, he asked, ~Harry? Where are you? Hermione's getting worried. ~
There was no answer. When he checked, Ron discovered that the barrier between their connected minds was firmly closed. When he tried to open it, it stayed that way.
~Damn you, Harry. Why won't you talk to me?~
"Where is he?" Hermione asked again, looking absentmindedly upwards at the stormy ceiling. What had started as such a glorious day was now downcast and gloomy. It reflected her mood.
This time Ron answered sincerely. "I don't know, Hermione. I really don't know."
…
Harry had closed the barrier between him and Ron as soon as he took off after the snakes.
He closed them all, except the one to Voldemort, which was always open and allowed him to speak Parseltongue. He couldn't risk anyone else getting hurt in whatever was going to ensue.
It was only five minutes before Sleeve, Zedik, and Pitch were waiting in a dark corner of the entrance hall.
Inside Pitch's snake body, Harry's heart was beating furiously. His friends had informed him that the assailant outside, of whom they did not know the name, was going to enter the Entrance Hall on the stroke of four.
How they knew this, Harry didn't care to ask.
He guessed that he'd missed… maybe two thirds of Transfiguration. That meant the Death Eater, for he was sure it was one, could arrive any second.
He'd watched Ron and Hermione leave the Great Hall after lunch, Ron looking around hopefully for a sign of him.
He'd also felt his friend's hammering against the barrier in their minds while they'd been travelling down to the Hall. Honestly, did Ron really think he was going to fall for that?
It had been hard to stop him breaking it, however. It was only Harry's experience and practise with the five links in his brain that stopped him. Really, Harry thought, Ron ought to respect his privacy.
But perhaps he was right to be trying to help him now. Only, Harry didn't need help. If it were Voldemort himself, he would still have to do it – on his own. That was how it worked.
Besides, Harry was a silver wizard… but then who was to say that Voldemort wasn't?
Confused by all this, Harry tried to ignore the pounding doubts in his mind. Instead, he set himself to watching, waiting…
"Here," hissed Sleeve.
The door inched open, and the sound of the pouring rain outside intensified. Harry held back for a second. This was wrong. You didn't just open the door to Hogwarts! There were powerful charms… spells…
But his doubt was answered for him when he saw a silver hand slither around the door to touch the wall.
Pitch shivered. Harry had seen what that hand could do. And if it could erase even Dumbledore's wards…
Dark Magic spread through all the walls of the Entrance Hall and beyond, visible to all three snakes.
When the man outside was positive that there was no one in the immediate vicinity, he stepped inside, and closed the door.
"There," said Zedik. "Do you know of him, Black One?"
"More than of him, I think," said Harry.
"Will you stop him?"
"I certainly will. Once I find out what he's up to. What the hell is he doing in Hogwarts? Besides me there's Wendy, Remus and Professor Dumbledore, not to mention all the other teachers. What's Voldemort thinking? He doesn't stand a chance!"
The man was now standing almost in the centre of the hall. Raising his silver hand, he whispered something and a small blue ball of fire rose out of it. This was nothing new to Harry either, as he'd seen it used by the same man several times.
It was a communication spell, which Wendy had also insisted he learn, in case of emergencies. The spell could not be used through a proper channel, so only people who had skill with wandless spells could use it.
"What is it?" asked the ball irritably in a voice Harry recognised, but could not place.
"Hush. Not so loud, Lucius," said the man.
Ah. That's who it was.
"Pettigrew? Where the hell are you?"
"Hogwarts."
"What? What on earth are you doing in that building in your human form?"
The man in the Hall scoffed, an act quite contrary to his former personality.
"Really, Lucius, how did you expect me to open the door with paws? Besides, there's no one around, I've checked."
"So what do you want?"
"I just thought you'd like to inform the master that I'm in and the mission looks to be successful. He could use some good news right now. Plus, you'll look good."
"Oh? And what's in it for you?"
Harry was wondering this too. Even in his new, manic form, it was unlike Pettigrew to try and obtain credit for anyone other than himself.
"To be honest, Lucius? I want to get out of here as fast as I can. The place gives me the creeps."
Of course it does, you slimy git, Harry thought.
"Yes, well. Fortunately you are the only one among us who is an animagus." Malfoy's tone was lucid and smug.
"Yes, a rodent animagus. Snakes eat rats, Lucius."
"Oh, I see. You wanted to make sure you told me how much you would miss me when you die. How sentimental."
"Lucius, I'm serious. There are about two hundred of those slithery spies in here – most of them to watch Snape. And now I'm going to watch them. How sure does the master want to be about this? He's got a spy watching the spies watching the original spy."
"I care less for your opinions about this than I do about your sentimental values, Pettigrew. Just don't get caught!"
"You'll tell Him then?"
"I can try. Personally I'd rather stew myself in my own juices than do you a personal favour, but then, as you said, I will look good. You'd better transform soon or you'll have the Muggle-Lover onto you. Don't mess it up."
The blue ball of fire disappeared.
"Fool," Pettigrew muttered as he lowered his hand.
Harry decided that now was the time to act.
He transformed out of Wormtail's sight, and then moved into the lighted area of the hall. The short man jumped and took a step back, before regaining his self-composure and sneering at Harry.
"Ah, Harry. I was wondering whether I'd see you soon. This is a little sooner than I'd hoped…"
"Congratulations, Peter," Harry cut in. "You don't look nearly as pathetic as you used to."
"I'll take that as a compliment, Harry," said the Death Eater with a smile.
"The first and last," Harry retorted, raising his wand.
Pettigrew chuckled evilly. "Harry, do you really think you can kill me, now?"
"I'm not going to," Harry told him. "Much as I'd like to. I need you to help get Sirius free."
He knew what Pettigrew was doing. Peter didn't know that Harry knew about the silver hand, and how much it could really do. While Harry kept him talking, he was building up his internal shield as forcefully as he could without using up all his magic.
"I have to tell you, Harry, that the chances of Black being set free are pretty thin on the ground."
"Black?" Harry spat, his wand still trained on Pettigrew chest. "Can't you even say his name? You may have new power and new friends and a whole new personality, but you're still as pathetic as before even if you don't look it."
"Now, now, Harry," said Pettigrew, sounding so much like his master now that Harry had to suppress a shudder. "There really is no need to be so insulting." He sighed. "I suppose I can't do it now. The master really wants you for himself, you see. But seeing as you're here all alone, I may as well stun you and bring you back. It's not the job I was brought here to do, and it's rather unpleasant… but…"
"What makes you think I'm going to let you do anything?" said Harry, his teeth gritted from the effort of keeping so much magic in check. He stopped piling power into his shield. Any more and it would explode uncontrollably.
"Harry, I don't think that 'letting' is an option…"
…
Justin Finch-Fletchley was not having a particularly good day. His Dreamless Sleep Potion had succeeded in sending Ernie McMillan into noisy hyperactiveness, and loosing twenty whole points for Hufflepuff.
In Transfiguration he'd managed to turn Hannah Abbot into a skunk. This had given the rest of the class a good laugh, but Justin had lost more points, and neither Ernie nor Hannah was talking to him.
This had become a problem during History of Magic, when Ernie had suggested something about Justin when Professor Binns asked him what happened to Goblins if they were shot more than twice in the brain.
Justin had said something decidedly rude in reply, and he'd been sent out of the classroom.
I must be the only person in the world, he reflected, leaning against the corridor wall. Ever to be sent out of History of Magic. Ever.
Professor Binns had said he would be out to talk to Justin in two minutes. After fifteen minutes, it became pretty much certain that the old ghost had forgotten about him, and had continued teaching the class.
Justin could just imagine Ernie and Hannah sniggering about this to each other at the back of the classroom. It made his blood boil. Well, he'd show them. When they came out at the end of the class they'd not find him until they met him in the Hufflepuff Common Room, eating cake.
At the thought of cake, Justin's stomach rumbled. He hadn't had all that much lunch, anyway.
He set off in the direction of the kitchens. He prided himself on the fact that he knew where they were and how to get in. He'd seen the Weasley twins at it a few times. They thought they were good, but they weren't that good.
As he made his way down to the ground floor, he heard voices. He slowed down. His experience in second year had made him extra cautious about running into things without investigating them thoroughly first.
Even though he could not catch the words, he was sure by now that the voices were coming from the Entrance Hall, and one of them was definitely Harry Potter.
Just like a Gryffindor, he thought, grinning in spite of himself. What was he doing outside of lessons? Who was the other voice?
He edged closer, and as he did the words became clearer. He stopped just at the bottom of the staircase to listen, making sure to hide his body from view.
"I suppose I can't do it now. The master really wants you for himself, you see. But seeing as you're here all alone, I may as well stun you and bring you back. It's not the job I was brought here to do, and it's rather unpleasant… but…"
"What makes you think I'm going to let you do anything?"
"Harry, I don't think that 'letting' is an option…"
Justin got the feeling that Harry and this man were definitely not lifetime chums. And who was 'The Master'? Surely not…
"Wormtail, I have to warn you that you don't know what you're letting yourself in for."
"Oh, I do, Harry. I know I do. Stupify!"
At the sound of the spell, Justin jumped out from behind the pillar at the bottom of the staircase, just in time to be blinded by a flash of silver light.
When it died away, he could see Harry holding out both hands, facing a short man in black robes. Neither had noticed him. Around Harry's hands was a silvery nimbus that crackled and sparkled in the direction of his opponent.
"Very impressive, Harry," said the man Harry had called Wormtail, without a hint of emotion. "A silver wizard. Very, very rare, as I'm sure you know… however…"
He held up one hand, which Justin realised suddenly was pure silver. A light began to pulse from it, enveloping the man totally. It too, was silver, but there were distinctive sky-blue patches covering it.
Harry laughed. "Nice try Wormtail. But I'm still stronger than you!"
Justin stumbled, just a little. Was this just a test of power between the two? Was Harry really just as he had first thought him, a spoilt, power-hungry potential Death Eater?
At the sound, the light surrounding Wormtail disappeared, and both he and Harry whipped around.
The look on Harry's face was one of horror, but Wormtail looked… pleased. His face was flabby and his hair thin and matted, but he still managed to look decidedly evil.
"Really, Harry," he said. "You really must stop bringing other people into our little reunions. They only get hurt."
"Don't you dare touch him!" Harry yelled at Wormtail. "Justin, run! Run!"
But Justin couldn't have moved if he had wanted to. He was frozen to the spot.
"It seems he'd rather stay here and help you, Harry," said Wormtail. He raised the silver hand.
"Crucio!"
A red beam of light emitted from Wormtail's hand. Justin immediately felt white-hot knives pierce his skin, and he screamed. Louder than he'd ever screamed before. The pain was unbearable. Just as he found himself wishing to die, he heard –
"No!" and the pain was gone. Something large fell on top of his aching body. It was Harry, and he was screaming. Wormtail laughed and lifted his hand.
Harry rolled off Justin and whipped around. The man was gone. In his place, something small and brown shot out of the door.
Harry hesitated, as if undecided, and then looked at Justin. "Stay inside," he growled, and ran after it, into the storm. He seemed to disappear as he moved, too.
Justin lay still on the floor, the pain ebbing slowly away. "Harry," he moaned.
…
The black cat ran. And ran. There was nothing, not even a scent. The rain beat down on his sable fur.
The shock of seeing Justin in the entrance Hall had slowed his reflexive system. His barriers had even gone down for a few seconds, though he wasn't sure if Ron had heard him.
He'd jumped in front of the Cruciatus curse on a mere impulse, knowing the pain it would inflict and not caring, as long as the boy at the foot of the stairs would stop screaming.
And now Pettigrew was gone. He'd never find him now. The rain was washing away any traces there might have been of him.
He stopped at the tip of the forbidden Forest, his paws soaked and sinking into the mud. As little chance as he'd had of finding the rat in the grounds, the odds of finding him in the Forest were a little over infinity to one. But he knew what he had to do.
Ron?
~Harry! Are you ok? What -? ~
Get Justin. He's in the Entrance Hall.
Then he cut the connection as if with a knife.
He transformed, and made his way back to the castle slowly as Harry, his failure making him forget how worried everyone would be by now. It was his one chance, his one chance to catch the man who had betrayed his parents, and he had failed. What would Sirius say?
Thoroughly miserable, he stopped walking at the edge of the lake and watched the rain sweep across the surface of the water, letting it run into his eyes. It hid the tears.
…
Would you rather freeze to death…?
…
Ron wasn't concentrating, and for once, neither was Hermione. Professor McGonagall hadn't said a word about Harry's absence.
Near the end of lunch, Snape had entered the Great Hall and whispered something to Dumbledore. His eyes had flickered towards the Gryffindor table, and then he'd leant forward to talk to McGonagall.
Ron guessed that Snape had told him what happened, though why he'd want to was beyond him. As it was, people giggled nervously as Snape left the Hall, his black cloak billowing behind him.
Ron had started to watch the clock on the wall, which was now quite free of flying birds. The curtains were also back to their normal black, but everything else had been kept the same.
Including the clock. It had used to tell the correct, Muggle time, but it seemed that Harry had had a go at Wizard timekeeping, as well as everything else. The hands pointed to things like – 'sorry, a long way to go yet', 'you're about half way through, hold on tight!', 'nearly time for lunch', and where it was currently pointing to – 'start packing, the bell will go any second now.'
~Harry, where are you? ~
"Weasley!"
Ron jumped. "Yes, Professor?"
"I trust you'd like to share with the class what you find so interesting about the timepiece on the wall?"
"What? Oh, er... no, Professor. I mean - nothing."
Parvati Patil sniggered.
Suddenly, Ron felt the barrier drop.
Justin!
~What? Harry? Where –? ~
But it was too late. The barrier was closed. The next minute, a sound that Ron knew wasn't just in his head started reverberating around the room. It was a scream. A boy's scream.
Perhaps it was what he had just heard, but Ron thought he recognised the voice.
"Justin?" the class turned to look at him, then around at the walls as if they could provide the answer to the sound. Professor McGonagall stood up, her face pale.
Suddenly the scream was replaced by another.
Hermione and Ron both looked at each other.
"Harry?" said Hermione.
They both stood up. "That's Harry, Professor!" said Ron.
McGongall didn't say a word. She merely grabbed her wand and ran from the classroom. Ron and Hermione exchanged one last glance, then sped after her. The rest of the class followed suit.
As they ran, they saw other doors opening, other teachers running, followed by their classes.
At the head was Professor Little, followed by Professor Sinistra and Professor Flitwick, who seemed to be floating along, his legs not being long enough to convey him fast enough.
The screams grew louder until they stopped with a terrifying halt. The silence seemed to be worse. There was utter chaos and confusion as the students and teachers tried to figure out which way they had been coming from.
A loud bang silenced them all. Everyone looked around to see Professor Dumbledore striding down the corridor, followed closely by Professor Snape.
"Back to your classrooms, all of you," the headmaster commanded. Reluctantly, most of the students returned. The teachers, Ron, Hermione, and several others from Gryffindor House. Also, surprisingly, Hannah Abbot and Ernie McMillan.
"Now," said Dumbledore, "What has happened?"
"Well," began Professor McGonagall, a little sheepishly. It was very strange to see such a usually uptight woman being sheepish. "I suppose you must have been too far up to hear it, Headmaster, but there was screaming…"
"It was Harry, Professor!" said Professor Little and Hermione at the same time.
"It was Justin!" said Ernie and Hannah.
"It started as Justin," said a voice that stopped the arguing immediately. "Then it switched to Harry." Everyone looked around at Ron, who looked imploringly up to the headmaster. "I think – I think Harry might have done something stupid."
"It wouldn't surprise me," said Snape with a sneer.
Ron glared at him. "This is all your fault, anyway!" he snarled. "If you'd sent someone –"
Ron?
Ron stopped talking immediately.
~Harry! Are you ok? What -? ~
Get Justin. He's in the Entrance Hall.
Then the link was severed so savagely that Ron stumbled. Hermione caught him. "Ron? What is it?"
"This way," said Ron, and ran in the direction of the Entrance hall.
…
He could hear footsteps. He tried to sit up, but failed. He tried to speak, but all that came out was a hacking cough.
"Down here!" called a voice.
"Justin!" called another, very familiar one. The next thing he knew he was in Hannah's arms. "Oh Justin! I'm so, so, sorry!"
"S'all right," he croaked.
"Mr. Finch-Fletchley?" Justin looked past Hannah to see a white beard and a pair of gold, half moon spectacles.
"Professor?"
"Justin, what happened?"
"I can't… I can't… Harry!"
"What?" said a voice from somewhere in the midst of the blur behind Dumbledore.
"Harry! He went after him, he… he saved my life…"
"Justin, listen to me. This is very important," said the Headmaster. "Where is Harry?"
"Outside," Justin said. "He went after that Wormtail bloke…"
"Peter!" squeaked the same voice. Yep. It was definitely Granger.
…
Ron stared down at Finch-Fletchley in shock. Wormtail? In the castle?
"Peter!" exclaimed Hermione.
"I say, what's going on?" said someone from behind him. It was Mundungus Fletcher.
"Mundungus!" said Dumbledore in relief. "I'm afraid it's Harry. He's somewhere in the grounds, chasing after an old friend. I don't suppose you'd try to find him?"
"Right," said Fletcher, suddenly becoming a different person. He pulled his want out of his pocket and set off into the storm.
"He's not a friend!" Justin said, trying to get up but Hannah was holding him too tightly. "He tried to kill me!"
"I know," said Dumbledore, extremely gravely.
Someone else was coming down the stairs. As people saw who it was, they edged back from the staircase in shock.
"What's going on?" said Remus, ignoring the student body. "Are you all right, Justin?"
"Yes, Professor," said Justin. "What are you doing here?"
"Never mind," said Remus, looking at Dumbledore. "Headmaster?"
"Now you've blown it," said Wendy.
"I don't care. What happened?"
"I got attacked again," said Justin, pushing Hannah gently away and getting to his feet.
"By whom?" asked Remus calmly.
"I dunno. Harry called him Wormtail…"
"WHAT?" Remus suddenly became more furious than anyone had ever seen him. Someone screamed.
The werewolf turned to face them. "Oh, stop being so childish, all of you. What have I taught you lot, anyway?"
He turned back to Dumbledore. "Where's Harry?"
"He went after him," Justin interrupted. "Into the grounds."
"I'm going after him," said Remus.
"Me too," said Wendy Little.
"I cannot stop you," said Dumbledore, moving out of the way.
Ron held Hermione back from running after them.
"Ron! Harry could be hurt!"
"And if he is? There's nothing we can do."
"Justin?" It was Ernie McMillan. "I'm sorry, too."
Justin shrugged. Despite his shock, he was obviously quite enjoying the attention. Hermione scowled at him.
"Now, Mr. Finch-Fletchley," said Dumbledore. "Why don't you tell us exactly what happened?"
**That chapter simply flew by, it was so exciting! Phew, but now I am exhausted. All Justin-haters, sorry. It was a last minute decision to put him in, and also tied up a lot of loose ends that I had been worried about.
Here be thanks:
Athelas
Ranger
Litine
Kateydidnt
Storyweaver: Brr… Mary Sue! I hate them!!
EriEka127
SlytherinAtHeart
Lady-of-the-Dragons
Phoenixrising
Grrrinning Golden Retriever: I'm really pleased you like Xera – some people
think I cheated, there. I'm a HUGE Eddings fan, are you? If so, PLEASE read my story 'Polserra'. No one is reading it!!
Elysia
Evil Willow
Chanzo654
Rathien
Winged Wolf: Wow! Thanks for all those names! Some of them look great…
Jordan
Crazyfriendsfan
Ascafeniel: Points to your house! Well guessed, my friend. Though it was
kinda obvious… so you like Peter, huh? Straaaange…
Charma1219
John: I'm sorry you still don't like the bond, but I hope you still stick with it cos
you've been there since practically the very beginning. I hope I manage to convince you by the end!!
Pegoheart144
Hrei-siesn: spies upon spies! I might need names as I go along, but now that
I'm not doing them one by one, not so many. Fun fun fun.
Riser155
Katani Petitedra
Liberty Belleview
Haley
Naomi SilverWolf
Daisi
Skahducky: Good idea. I'll have to brood on that one.
Princess55
Gamen Girl: I quite like them actually. I may even use a few.
Marie
Centra-gal86
Nerwen
Richan
Ccs rox
Athenakitty: whoa, whoa there! Enough questions and guesses already!
Some of them were good, then I got to 'Harry's father is coming back!' and I started to giggle. He he he. I'm saving 'ebony' for a different form. And of course Sirius is coming back! What would we do without him?
Anya Wood: Right. Sure you read my story, just not close enough to catch the
small reference to Oliver's girlfriend. I bet you skip right to the bottom to see what I've said to you, don't you mate? Anyway, now that I am going to Aussie Land you will have to read my story or you'll never read about... yourself! Well I guess you could just ask Sarah, but knowing her she won't know either. I can see it happening! You're all going to forget my lovely little fic!!
Shinystars007: Oh no don't remind me of my inane plot twist involving
Hedwig's brood. I promise I'll get around to it… eventually…
Tiger Lily
Angelwings76
ShadowHunter: that particular phrase has been baffling my readers since the
dawn of time. Well, since I started the fic.
Butler
Von
Danny's girl
Hogwartsfreak
Possible Cho Chang: yeah, sure. Sounds fun.
RC
In Silent Lucidity
Darienetta Stoke
Ella
August wynd: apostrophes and quotes screwed up? How? Give me an example, or I can't change anything. Thanks anyway.
Princessflowerchild
Mell
Ambookworm247
Finally! Gawd that took long enough!!!! Please review, I need the help…
Love
~*Laterose*~
**