Gilthas: I just want to point out that I am a wonderful muse for making Me
post the next chapter for this story.
Me: Yeah, yeah, yeah. We're all pleased. I know it's been a while, but I haven't had a lot of time and I'm getting nervous about not having this story finished quite yet. I'm planning to type the next chapter as I'm typing this so I figured I should post.
Gilthas: Yeah, and I told her to.
Me: Shut up...
Chapter 6: And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal...
Harry lay in bed that night trying to contemplate how to bring a struggling magical civilization to its feet. He stared up at the ceiling.
He would never get used to the ceiling. Out of Hogwarts and in he had always had a 4-poster. He found it difficult to sleep without one, but the beds had been done away with as they were a constant reminder of the past. Harry closed his eyes. He played before his eyes the final battle between himself and Lord Voldemort-a battle he would never forget.
In his mind he heard his own screams, roaring in his ears and the remembered prickle of what felt like knives piercing his skin as he fought against the Cruciatus Curse. He squeezed his eyes tighter shut as the contest of strengths continued. He had fallen to the ground as the curse was lifted, only to scramble to his feet. That small amount of time was enough for Voldemort to dispose of him with a single curse. He had known it then and he knew it now. Voldemort knew it too, but he did not strike. There was no fun in taking out your opponents so early in the match...
Harry wrenched his eyes open and found beads of sweat had appeared on his forehead. He wiped them away and felt as he did so a long, lightning bolt shape. His fingers paused over it. And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal...
Harry removed his hand quickly. He had never before or after felt such terror as he had felt the night he had faced Voldemort. That night he knew that one of them must surely die if the other was to live. Harry had felt near blinding panic rising in him as he stood there, facing Voldemort and he felt now, that panic rising again. For the rest of his life, Harry had made a never ending joke about it. "At least I'm not facing Voldemort again," he would say with a slight smile. His friends would smile at him nervously, not quite knowing how to respond.
Harry felt his gut wrench at the thought of his friends. Ron...Hermione... He would never see them again. He did not know what it was like to live without them. He had been the first out of the trio to die...
It felt funny to say such a thing and Harry knew it. There were not many who still lived to claim such things. Harry sighed and sat up. He couldn't sleep. Not tonight. He had just faced down Voldemort and he had won again. But Voldemort had been unprepared and Harry knew he would not find him in such a position again.
He swung his legs over the sides of the bed. It was time to do something to stop the third rise of the Dark Lord. The time was now. It was always now. He was not one to think-I'll wait until morning. Voldemort would not wait until morning. He was mustering his troops now.
Harry grabbed his robes and pulled them over his head. He looked down at himself. It felt strange to be wearing these robes. They were different than anything he had ever worn. They were mostly black but with golden trimmings and the Hogwarts crest sewn into the right shoulder. The students wore their house crest on their robes. The symbol of the Potter house was a phoenix.
Harry walked to the door, trying to flatten his hair. He caught a glimpse of himself in a mirror on the other wall. He took his hand off his head. He had stopped trying to flatten his hair long ago. It was a fruitless and all together pointless exercise that he had completely desisted from for years. He walked over to the mirror and gazed at his strange reflection. He hadn't noticed it since he got back and he found it was an altogether forgotten picture of himself.
Harry studied it for a moment. The first thing he noticed was that though his features may be younger, his eyes retained their previous appearance. Yes, he thought. My eyes are much too old for my face. He ran his fingers through his completely black hair. It had been heavily streaked with gray when he died. He had died at a young age and though he could remember everything else, he found his death was a complete mystery to him.
Harry walked through the door and into the deserted hallway. He began to walk when he saw a small red light blinking, hardly noticeable, in front of the door he had just left. Harry bent down to examine it. Pulling out his wand, Harry touched it to the light and muttered, "Sensuivre!"
Harry closed his eyes and saw as though a movie were playing on his closed eyelids. He shot though the small red light as if it were not there. He followed the wire behind it to a control room. From there, he passed through another wire and ended up at an alarm clock that was buzzing. Harry opened his eyes and Apparated. He appeared in the room with the alarm and looked around. He wasn't quite sure where he was at. Shrugging, Harry made to leave when he heard a voice behind him.
"Hello?"
Harry turned around and found himself face to face with the headmistress. He opened his mouth in surprise. "Er.hello."
"Harry?" she asked, squinting though the darkness at him.
"Er.yeah," Harry said. "Sorry, I wanted to find out where the blinking red light went."
"Did you?" the headmistress asked, smiling slightly.
"I wouldn't be here if I didn't," Harry said, glad he wasn't in trouble. He blinked. It had been a long time since he worried about being in trouble.
"I suppose you were the one who left your room?" the headmistress asked.
"Yeah," Harry said. "Patrolling the halls gone out of style?"
"A very long time ago," the headmistress said. "It's much more effective this way. We all get sleep and we know if a student gets out of bed."
"I'm monitored too?" Harry asked suspiciously.
"Not you personally," the headmistress assured him. "Just the room you're staying in. All the sleeping quarters are."
"Indeed," Harry said. The more he found out about the new technology the more he disliked it. "Did you know that by putting all these electrical components in the school, you're making it an easy target for Voldemort?"
The headmistress blinked at the sudden change of subject. "Well, no. I suppose I never thought of that."
"All Voldemort has to do is shut off all the power and immediately the school is left in the dark."
"Oh no," the headmistress said laughing. "That can never happen."
"Really?" Harry asked.
"No," the headmistress said confidently. "Because, contrary to what you're thinking, the electricity in this school is not the same as what the Muggles use. It's hooked up completely by and ancient and powerful magic. Nobody can remember when it was hooked up, but the spell is too powerful for anyone in modern day to tamper with."
Harry concentrated. "Ah," he said, feeling a vague tingle of magic. "There it is."
Harry put his hand on the alarm clock and concentrated. The next second, the alarm clock had gone off, along with the rest of the electricity in the school. The headmistress looked stunned. "How-How-"
"Because it's not powerful magic," Harry said shrugging. Concentrating again, he turned the power back on. The alarm clock blinked 12:00.
"Whoops," Harry said, grinning a little. "Sorry about that."
The headmistress was looking at him. "That was the most powerful magic I have seen in my entire life."
Harry looked at her, trying to find something in her eyes that said she was joking, but she was dead serious.
"But that was nothing," Harry insisted. "There are much more powerful spells in the world than that! They are all but lost! You don't have a hope of standing against the likes of Voldemort if you can't even do the basics! He can do the unforgivables!"
The headmistress stared at him for a moment before realization dawned in her eyes. "Oh.the unforgivables! I remember now. I think I read about those in a history book! They haven't been demonstrated in hundreds of years!"
"Then please explain to me," Harry said, quiet but with intensity. "How a woman dropped dead when a jet of green light shot out of the tip of Voldemort's wand just yesterday."
The headmistress said nothing for a moment, then she sighed. "I cannot explain such a thing, Mr. Potter. All I can tell you is that this is beyond everything I have learned. This exceeds everything I have been taught to know and believe."
"Then perhaps," Harry said quieter still. "This is not the third rise of Voldemort. This is the first conquer of Voldemort." With that he Apparated from the room. He didn't know where he would appear and was surprised to find himself standing in front of a stone gargoyle. He looked at it for a long moment and then said quietly. "I need some advice, Dumbledore."
The stone gargoyle did not move. It sat there, staring at him with blank eyes.
Harry didn't even notice. It felt slightly comforting to be outside Dumbledore's office, even if it now belonged to a new head.
"I'm not sure what to do," Harry continued. "I've faced a lot of things. I've always ended up doing everything on my own. But the war has only begun and already I'm feeling the stirrings of defeat."
Harry sat down cross legged and leaned back against the cool stone wall. "You would think, wouldn't you," Harry said with a small smile. "That because I am alive in a time after death and the age of technology that I could find within myself the answers I'm looking for. But I have to admit, Dumbledore, I am once again at a loss. I remember," Harry said smiling a little again. "The very first time I ever went up to your office. I thought I was in trouble. Nearly Headless Nick and Justin Finch-Fletchly had just been petrified and I was once again found at the scene of the crime. I was shunned by the entire school. But I still had my friends, I still had everything that was familiar to me, and I still had your trust, Dumbledore. Because you were the only one who never doubted me for a moment."
Harry closed his eyes and leaned his head against the stone wall, breathing deeply and remembering everything about the school-how it smelled, how it looked, how it sounded. He sat there for was seemed like hours, lost in thought until something in the real world brought him back to the present.
"Hello," Harry said suddenly.
"You heard me, did you?" asked an amused voice.
Harry opened his eyes and looked up into the face of Grander. "I heard you since you began to climb the stairs a floor below."
"I suppose I'm not quite as graceful as I thought I was," Grander said grinning. "Out for a night time stroll?"
"I suppose," Harry said shrugging. "I couldn't sleep without my 4-poster."
"Those things are ancient," Grander said, surprised. "I didn't know you used to sleep in one!"
"I used to sleep in a coffin," Harry said pointedly. "And now I'm not. What can I say?"
Grander shrugged. "On the bright side, I bet you're the only one who can say that."
"Don't bet too much," Harry said, his smile fading.
"Very true," Grander said nodding. "Any ideas?"
Harry didn't need to ask what he was talking about. He shook his head. "I was hoping to get some advice from my old headmaster." He jerked his thumb at the gargoyle behind him. "But I suppose the new headmistress has changed around that room quite a bit too."
Grander looked confused. "What are you talking about?"
"The headmaster's office," Harry said, looking confused himself. "Behind the gargoyle."
"Oh no," Grander said. "The headmistress's office is down on the 2nd floor."
Harry blinked. "Then who lives in there?"
Grander looked more confused still. "No one. I wasn't aware there was a room behind it."
"Oh," Harry said. He stood up. "I guess I just assumed it was in the same place."
Grander looked thoughtful. "You know, I've always taken it for granted. I always supposed it was just a spirit."
"What?" Harry asked.
"A great bird," Grander said shrugging. "It is very rarely seen, but perhaps once, if you're exceptionally lucky, you can see a huge scarlet and gold bird. I myself have seen it only once and I very rarely leave this place."
Harry's mind was reeling. "A bird you say? Where did you see it?"
"It was perched on a window ledge," Grander said shrugging. "I tried to find the ledge later and I could never find the right one. It was like it existed only for the bird to sit there. I never thought that perhaps there was a room there."
Harry nodded. He didn't show anything on his face, but his mind was a confused jumble. Surely he wasn't talking about Fawkes! He knew the bird would burst into flame, but would it be like that forever? It had been hit by the killing curse in his 5th year and it had simply reappeared at a baby chick.
"The funny thing about the bird," Grander continued, seeming to be in his own world rather than in this one. "Is that every report of it claims it appears to be waiting. These reports have gone back centuries. It never hunts and it never seems to be searching. It's always. waiting." Grander shook his head. "But I must sound like a rambling fool. You say there used to be a room behind this gargoyle?"
"Never mind," Harry said, shaking his head. "Tell me-I've been wondering this for a while and I honestly don't remember-how is it exactly, that I died?"
Grander looked taken aback by the question. "Well, no one really knows, do they? I mean, they must have known at one time, but that knowledge is lost to us."
"Oh," Harry said. He looked at the gargoyle again. "Perhaps there are some things no one will ever know."
There was silence for a moment and the next, Harry yelled. His scar was suddenly burning as if on fire. Harry clutched it in agony, willing it to go away but the harder he tried to make it stop; the more painful it began to burn.
Harry fell to his knees. He was feeling Voldemort's wrath and there was nothing he could do. Voldemort's anger welled up inside him. Everything started to turn red.
"No!" Harry gasped. His scar seared once again. Voldemort was torturing someone. He could feel the anger give way to amusement. He could practically hear the screams. Harry felt he would be sick. He closed his eyes to the world and concentrated on reaching Voldemort's mind.
As if seeing through Voldemort's eyes, Harry saw a witch screaming and writhing on the floor in front of him. He removed his wand with a snap.
"So," Voldemort said softly. "You have returned."
Harry didn't know who he was talking to. There wasn't anyone else in the room.
"Idiot," Voldemort said softly. "You're as ignorant as when I met you last. Do you honestly believe I cannot feel you when you invade my mind?"
Back in the castle, Harry's gut wrenched. Voldemort knew he was there.
"Of course I know you're there," Voldemort said dismissively. "And what's wrong, Mr. Potter? Is your scar irking you a bit?"
"Why do you ask stupid questions if you already know the answer," Harry thought quietly.
"Ah, it appears our young Potter has thought of a few comebacks. Tell me, did you think of that by yourself or did one of your dead friends think it up for you?"
Harry's anger flared. "I have nothing to say to you, Voldemort."
"Ah, but you do," Voldemort said. "You have much to say to me. Everyone wants to take a crack at old Voldemort. What is it you wish to say? Do you want to yell at me about your dead parents? Do you wish to stun me with your amazing vocabulary on the subject of the now burned London?"
"I believe my murdering you said all that needed to be said," Harry thought with a smirk.
Voldemort's eyes narrowed. "Perhaps, Potter. But fate has given me another chance, and this time you will not win."
"We shall see," Harry thought. "We shall see."
A/N: Boy, I got no where in that chapter.
Gilthas: I second that.
Me: Gee, thanks. I'm replying to my reviews now.
Gilthas: Good. You deserve a pat on the head. *pats on head*
Me: *is pleased* Okay, reply time!!
kento: Yeah...lack of action in this chapter. I'm really hoping to get somewhere at some point. I think something does in the next chapter. Think...finding old faces...
Authoress: Tadda!!!
Patricia Black: Hope you're not disappointed!!! No...really. I'm not sure how much I like this chapter...
grand admiral chelli: More Harry and Voldemort conversation! Yay! *is pleased she did something right* I'm glad you like my future wizarding world!!!
Allizarin Sylvain Phyre: I'm glad it's worth reading and yes, very special!!!
linky2: I've written more!!!
Star Magel: Thanks!!!
Padfoot Lover73: Thanks! See, my original idea was that Harry came back because he was an Animagus that could transform into a phoenix and therefore came back when the fire burned him, but I can assure you that I've thought of something better than that...
Solaris Isis: *is pleased* Updated!!!
Prd2bAmerican18: Bum Bum Ba!! Oh, that's the drums...
keebler_elmo: Just wait... all will be revealed...
The Vampire Story Hunter: Yeah, I was wondering about the disadvantage things myself, though in a different light. Surely there has to be something good about technology!!! Still...Bwahahahaha!!! I can't wait until you get to the chapter I'm writing now....
sara*magic: reading my mind...
spacecatdet: Definitely. It's even a little burdensome when writing!! Sometimes I want to hit someone over the head with a large, blunt object! My own characters!!! Still, makes a story worth reading, doesn't it?
Dumbledore: Good review!!! I like that you thought about that. Voldemort, however, has a few tricks up his sleeve he hasn't revealed yet...
HongMing: *whimpers* But I'm so secure in my already having some chapters done that aren't posted! I feel like I'm getting behind already!!!
sab: Thanks!!!
Slimpun: I like to think so, though (knowing Voldemort) less confident should probably be the more appropriate term.
Sea-Turtles: It's out and I'm only half dead! Making progress!!!
The Mystical Elf: Yes... I admit I enjoyed writing the Quidditch scene a little. It was kind of fun.
Liz: Bum. Bum. Buuuuum!!!! All will be revealed!!!
Jensen: This was my last review before I posted! Okay, here it is! My chapter!!! I'm not going to say anything about the Grindelwald and Dumbledore because that might give something away that I really want to be a surprise.
Me: Again, I don't like this chapter very much because nothing happens and I can't believe I didn't just scrape it!!! If you like it please tell me! I'm not sure about it in the least!!!
Gilthas: You have to have more pride in your work.
Me: Yes, but I'm afraid I'm going to let my readers down with this chapter. I can't believe the lack of things that happened...
Gilthas: *bites lip*
Me: I thought you were supposed to have confidence in me!!
Gilthas: I do! But you've planted a seed of doubt...
Me: *mutters* stupid seed...
Me: Yeah, yeah, yeah. We're all pleased. I know it's been a while, but I haven't had a lot of time and I'm getting nervous about not having this story finished quite yet. I'm planning to type the next chapter as I'm typing this so I figured I should post.
Gilthas: Yeah, and I told her to.
Me: Shut up...
Chapter 6: And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal...
Harry lay in bed that night trying to contemplate how to bring a struggling magical civilization to its feet. He stared up at the ceiling.
He would never get used to the ceiling. Out of Hogwarts and in he had always had a 4-poster. He found it difficult to sleep without one, but the beds had been done away with as they were a constant reminder of the past. Harry closed his eyes. He played before his eyes the final battle between himself and Lord Voldemort-a battle he would never forget.
In his mind he heard his own screams, roaring in his ears and the remembered prickle of what felt like knives piercing his skin as he fought against the Cruciatus Curse. He squeezed his eyes tighter shut as the contest of strengths continued. He had fallen to the ground as the curse was lifted, only to scramble to his feet. That small amount of time was enough for Voldemort to dispose of him with a single curse. He had known it then and he knew it now. Voldemort knew it too, but he did not strike. There was no fun in taking out your opponents so early in the match...
Harry wrenched his eyes open and found beads of sweat had appeared on his forehead. He wiped them away and felt as he did so a long, lightning bolt shape. His fingers paused over it. And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal...
Harry removed his hand quickly. He had never before or after felt such terror as he had felt the night he had faced Voldemort. That night he knew that one of them must surely die if the other was to live. Harry had felt near blinding panic rising in him as he stood there, facing Voldemort and he felt now, that panic rising again. For the rest of his life, Harry had made a never ending joke about it. "At least I'm not facing Voldemort again," he would say with a slight smile. His friends would smile at him nervously, not quite knowing how to respond.
Harry felt his gut wrench at the thought of his friends. Ron...Hermione... He would never see them again. He did not know what it was like to live without them. He had been the first out of the trio to die...
It felt funny to say such a thing and Harry knew it. There were not many who still lived to claim such things. Harry sighed and sat up. He couldn't sleep. Not tonight. He had just faced down Voldemort and he had won again. But Voldemort had been unprepared and Harry knew he would not find him in such a position again.
He swung his legs over the sides of the bed. It was time to do something to stop the third rise of the Dark Lord. The time was now. It was always now. He was not one to think-I'll wait until morning. Voldemort would not wait until morning. He was mustering his troops now.
Harry grabbed his robes and pulled them over his head. He looked down at himself. It felt strange to be wearing these robes. They were different than anything he had ever worn. They were mostly black but with golden trimmings and the Hogwarts crest sewn into the right shoulder. The students wore their house crest on their robes. The symbol of the Potter house was a phoenix.
Harry walked to the door, trying to flatten his hair. He caught a glimpse of himself in a mirror on the other wall. He took his hand off his head. He had stopped trying to flatten his hair long ago. It was a fruitless and all together pointless exercise that he had completely desisted from for years. He walked over to the mirror and gazed at his strange reflection. He hadn't noticed it since he got back and he found it was an altogether forgotten picture of himself.
Harry studied it for a moment. The first thing he noticed was that though his features may be younger, his eyes retained their previous appearance. Yes, he thought. My eyes are much too old for my face. He ran his fingers through his completely black hair. It had been heavily streaked with gray when he died. He had died at a young age and though he could remember everything else, he found his death was a complete mystery to him.
Harry walked through the door and into the deserted hallway. He began to walk when he saw a small red light blinking, hardly noticeable, in front of the door he had just left. Harry bent down to examine it. Pulling out his wand, Harry touched it to the light and muttered, "Sensuivre!"
Harry closed his eyes and saw as though a movie were playing on his closed eyelids. He shot though the small red light as if it were not there. He followed the wire behind it to a control room. From there, he passed through another wire and ended up at an alarm clock that was buzzing. Harry opened his eyes and Apparated. He appeared in the room with the alarm and looked around. He wasn't quite sure where he was at. Shrugging, Harry made to leave when he heard a voice behind him.
"Hello?"
Harry turned around and found himself face to face with the headmistress. He opened his mouth in surprise. "Er.hello."
"Harry?" she asked, squinting though the darkness at him.
"Er.yeah," Harry said. "Sorry, I wanted to find out where the blinking red light went."
"Did you?" the headmistress asked, smiling slightly.
"I wouldn't be here if I didn't," Harry said, glad he wasn't in trouble. He blinked. It had been a long time since he worried about being in trouble.
"I suppose you were the one who left your room?" the headmistress asked.
"Yeah," Harry said. "Patrolling the halls gone out of style?"
"A very long time ago," the headmistress said. "It's much more effective this way. We all get sleep and we know if a student gets out of bed."
"I'm monitored too?" Harry asked suspiciously.
"Not you personally," the headmistress assured him. "Just the room you're staying in. All the sleeping quarters are."
"Indeed," Harry said. The more he found out about the new technology the more he disliked it. "Did you know that by putting all these electrical components in the school, you're making it an easy target for Voldemort?"
The headmistress blinked at the sudden change of subject. "Well, no. I suppose I never thought of that."
"All Voldemort has to do is shut off all the power and immediately the school is left in the dark."
"Oh no," the headmistress said laughing. "That can never happen."
"Really?" Harry asked.
"No," the headmistress said confidently. "Because, contrary to what you're thinking, the electricity in this school is not the same as what the Muggles use. It's hooked up completely by and ancient and powerful magic. Nobody can remember when it was hooked up, but the spell is too powerful for anyone in modern day to tamper with."
Harry concentrated. "Ah," he said, feeling a vague tingle of magic. "There it is."
Harry put his hand on the alarm clock and concentrated. The next second, the alarm clock had gone off, along with the rest of the electricity in the school. The headmistress looked stunned. "How-How-"
"Because it's not powerful magic," Harry said shrugging. Concentrating again, he turned the power back on. The alarm clock blinked 12:00.
"Whoops," Harry said, grinning a little. "Sorry about that."
The headmistress was looking at him. "That was the most powerful magic I have seen in my entire life."
Harry looked at her, trying to find something in her eyes that said she was joking, but she was dead serious.
"But that was nothing," Harry insisted. "There are much more powerful spells in the world than that! They are all but lost! You don't have a hope of standing against the likes of Voldemort if you can't even do the basics! He can do the unforgivables!"
The headmistress stared at him for a moment before realization dawned in her eyes. "Oh.the unforgivables! I remember now. I think I read about those in a history book! They haven't been demonstrated in hundreds of years!"
"Then please explain to me," Harry said, quiet but with intensity. "How a woman dropped dead when a jet of green light shot out of the tip of Voldemort's wand just yesterday."
The headmistress said nothing for a moment, then she sighed. "I cannot explain such a thing, Mr. Potter. All I can tell you is that this is beyond everything I have learned. This exceeds everything I have been taught to know and believe."
"Then perhaps," Harry said quieter still. "This is not the third rise of Voldemort. This is the first conquer of Voldemort." With that he Apparated from the room. He didn't know where he would appear and was surprised to find himself standing in front of a stone gargoyle. He looked at it for a long moment and then said quietly. "I need some advice, Dumbledore."
The stone gargoyle did not move. It sat there, staring at him with blank eyes.
Harry didn't even notice. It felt slightly comforting to be outside Dumbledore's office, even if it now belonged to a new head.
"I'm not sure what to do," Harry continued. "I've faced a lot of things. I've always ended up doing everything on my own. But the war has only begun and already I'm feeling the stirrings of defeat."
Harry sat down cross legged and leaned back against the cool stone wall. "You would think, wouldn't you," Harry said with a small smile. "That because I am alive in a time after death and the age of technology that I could find within myself the answers I'm looking for. But I have to admit, Dumbledore, I am once again at a loss. I remember," Harry said smiling a little again. "The very first time I ever went up to your office. I thought I was in trouble. Nearly Headless Nick and Justin Finch-Fletchly had just been petrified and I was once again found at the scene of the crime. I was shunned by the entire school. But I still had my friends, I still had everything that was familiar to me, and I still had your trust, Dumbledore. Because you were the only one who never doubted me for a moment."
Harry closed his eyes and leaned his head against the stone wall, breathing deeply and remembering everything about the school-how it smelled, how it looked, how it sounded. He sat there for was seemed like hours, lost in thought until something in the real world brought him back to the present.
"Hello," Harry said suddenly.
"You heard me, did you?" asked an amused voice.
Harry opened his eyes and looked up into the face of Grander. "I heard you since you began to climb the stairs a floor below."
"I suppose I'm not quite as graceful as I thought I was," Grander said grinning. "Out for a night time stroll?"
"I suppose," Harry said shrugging. "I couldn't sleep without my 4-poster."
"Those things are ancient," Grander said, surprised. "I didn't know you used to sleep in one!"
"I used to sleep in a coffin," Harry said pointedly. "And now I'm not. What can I say?"
Grander shrugged. "On the bright side, I bet you're the only one who can say that."
"Don't bet too much," Harry said, his smile fading.
"Very true," Grander said nodding. "Any ideas?"
Harry didn't need to ask what he was talking about. He shook his head. "I was hoping to get some advice from my old headmaster." He jerked his thumb at the gargoyle behind him. "But I suppose the new headmistress has changed around that room quite a bit too."
Grander looked confused. "What are you talking about?"
"The headmaster's office," Harry said, looking confused himself. "Behind the gargoyle."
"Oh no," Grander said. "The headmistress's office is down on the 2nd floor."
Harry blinked. "Then who lives in there?"
Grander looked more confused still. "No one. I wasn't aware there was a room behind it."
"Oh," Harry said. He stood up. "I guess I just assumed it was in the same place."
Grander looked thoughtful. "You know, I've always taken it for granted. I always supposed it was just a spirit."
"What?" Harry asked.
"A great bird," Grander said shrugging. "It is very rarely seen, but perhaps once, if you're exceptionally lucky, you can see a huge scarlet and gold bird. I myself have seen it only once and I very rarely leave this place."
Harry's mind was reeling. "A bird you say? Where did you see it?"
"It was perched on a window ledge," Grander said shrugging. "I tried to find the ledge later and I could never find the right one. It was like it existed only for the bird to sit there. I never thought that perhaps there was a room there."
Harry nodded. He didn't show anything on his face, but his mind was a confused jumble. Surely he wasn't talking about Fawkes! He knew the bird would burst into flame, but would it be like that forever? It had been hit by the killing curse in his 5th year and it had simply reappeared at a baby chick.
"The funny thing about the bird," Grander continued, seeming to be in his own world rather than in this one. "Is that every report of it claims it appears to be waiting. These reports have gone back centuries. It never hunts and it never seems to be searching. It's always. waiting." Grander shook his head. "But I must sound like a rambling fool. You say there used to be a room behind this gargoyle?"
"Never mind," Harry said, shaking his head. "Tell me-I've been wondering this for a while and I honestly don't remember-how is it exactly, that I died?"
Grander looked taken aback by the question. "Well, no one really knows, do they? I mean, they must have known at one time, but that knowledge is lost to us."
"Oh," Harry said. He looked at the gargoyle again. "Perhaps there are some things no one will ever know."
There was silence for a moment and the next, Harry yelled. His scar was suddenly burning as if on fire. Harry clutched it in agony, willing it to go away but the harder he tried to make it stop; the more painful it began to burn.
Harry fell to his knees. He was feeling Voldemort's wrath and there was nothing he could do. Voldemort's anger welled up inside him. Everything started to turn red.
"No!" Harry gasped. His scar seared once again. Voldemort was torturing someone. He could feel the anger give way to amusement. He could practically hear the screams. Harry felt he would be sick. He closed his eyes to the world and concentrated on reaching Voldemort's mind.
As if seeing through Voldemort's eyes, Harry saw a witch screaming and writhing on the floor in front of him. He removed his wand with a snap.
"So," Voldemort said softly. "You have returned."
Harry didn't know who he was talking to. There wasn't anyone else in the room.
"Idiot," Voldemort said softly. "You're as ignorant as when I met you last. Do you honestly believe I cannot feel you when you invade my mind?"
Back in the castle, Harry's gut wrenched. Voldemort knew he was there.
"Of course I know you're there," Voldemort said dismissively. "And what's wrong, Mr. Potter? Is your scar irking you a bit?"
"Why do you ask stupid questions if you already know the answer," Harry thought quietly.
"Ah, it appears our young Potter has thought of a few comebacks. Tell me, did you think of that by yourself or did one of your dead friends think it up for you?"
Harry's anger flared. "I have nothing to say to you, Voldemort."
"Ah, but you do," Voldemort said. "You have much to say to me. Everyone wants to take a crack at old Voldemort. What is it you wish to say? Do you want to yell at me about your dead parents? Do you wish to stun me with your amazing vocabulary on the subject of the now burned London?"
"I believe my murdering you said all that needed to be said," Harry thought with a smirk.
Voldemort's eyes narrowed. "Perhaps, Potter. But fate has given me another chance, and this time you will not win."
"We shall see," Harry thought. "We shall see."
A/N: Boy, I got no where in that chapter.
Gilthas: I second that.
Me: Gee, thanks. I'm replying to my reviews now.
Gilthas: Good. You deserve a pat on the head. *pats on head*
Me: *is pleased* Okay, reply time!!
kento: Yeah...lack of action in this chapter. I'm really hoping to get somewhere at some point. I think something does in the next chapter. Think...finding old faces...
Authoress: Tadda!!!
Patricia Black: Hope you're not disappointed!!! No...really. I'm not sure how much I like this chapter...
grand admiral chelli: More Harry and Voldemort conversation! Yay! *is pleased she did something right* I'm glad you like my future wizarding world!!!
Allizarin Sylvain Phyre: I'm glad it's worth reading and yes, very special!!!
linky2: I've written more!!!
Star Magel: Thanks!!!
Padfoot Lover73: Thanks! See, my original idea was that Harry came back because he was an Animagus that could transform into a phoenix and therefore came back when the fire burned him, but I can assure you that I've thought of something better than that...
Solaris Isis: *is pleased* Updated!!!
Prd2bAmerican18: Bum Bum Ba!! Oh, that's the drums...
keebler_elmo: Just wait... all will be revealed...
The Vampire Story Hunter: Yeah, I was wondering about the disadvantage things myself, though in a different light. Surely there has to be something good about technology!!! Still...Bwahahahaha!!! I can't wait until you get to the chapter I'm writing now....
sara*magic: reading my mind...
spacecatdet: Definitely. It's even a little burdensome when writing!! Sometimes I want to hit someone over the head with a large, blunt object! My own characters!!! Still, makes a story worth reading, doesn't it?
Dumbledore: Good review!!! I like that you thought about that. Voldemort, however, has a few tricks up his sleeve he hasn't revealed yet...
HongMing: *whimpers* But I'm so secure in my already having some chapters done that aren't posted! I feel like I'm getting behind already!!!
sab: Thanks!!!
Slimpun: I like to think so, though (knowing Voldemort) less confident should probably be the more appropriate term.
Sea-Turtles: It's out and I'm only half dead! Making progress!!!
The Mystical Elf: Yes... I admit I enjoyed writing the Quidditch scene a little. It was kind of fun.
Liz: Bum. Bum. Buuuuum!!!! All will be revealed!!!
Jensen: This was my last review before I posted! Okay, here it is! My chapter!!! I'm not going to say anything about the Grindelwald and Dumbledore because that might give something away that I really want to be a surprise.
Me: Again, I don't like this chapter very much because nothing happens and I can't believe I didn't just scrape it!!! If you like it please tell me! I'm not sure about it in the least!!!
Gilthas: You have to have more pride in your work.
Me: Yes, but I'm afraid I'm going to let my readers down with this chapter. I can't believe the lack of things that happened...
Gilthas: *bites lip*
Me: I thought you were supposed to have confidence in me!!
Gilthas: I do! But you've planted a seed of doubt...
Me: *mutters* stupid seed...