A/N: Hey, guess what? I'm not dead, and I UPDATED!! Yeah, I know it's been
a while, but I finished my first semester at college with near straight
A's, so I have an excuse. And the fact that I write other things when I get
stuck on this one, so go check out whatever else I post and review that
too. Writer's block is evil! So's the fact that I don't have my laptop, so
trying to update on my mom's computer is a pain in many unmentionable
places. I have to fight my sister, mom, and dad for time on it. *sighs
deeply* I can't wait to go back to college.
Hey, random thought. I was rereading PoA and thought of different types of
Animagi. Suddenly I had this mental image of a penguin waddling down the
slimy stone corridors of Azkaban, chased by the dementors in their black
cloaks. *waddle waddle waddle* *giggles maniacally* Yes, I am certifiably
insane. I even have a license. *winks*
Disclaimer: HP and Co. remains the property of JKR, not me, so don't sue me. The parvellah belongs to Deborah Chester in her Alien Chronicles. I just though it was a cool idea and had to use it. I like esoteric weapons. Especially sharp ones with capability for mass destruction. *grins cheekily as she eyes her claymore in the corner*
Chapter 19
Luckily enough, Ron's interesting start held no premonitions for the remainder of the morning, and for once things managed to go smoothly. This may have been partially due to the fact that there were only four of them this year, and the twins did not take it upon themselves to come along. Those two alone caused enough havoc. The Hogwarts-bound teens made it to King's Cross station with plenty of time to spare and passed smoothly through the wall to Platform 9 and ¾ without leaving anyone behind this time. In no time at all they had their trunks loaded and a compartment claimed, so they got back off the train to locate their other classmates.
Harry was pulled aside by Mrs. Weasley, who gave him an extra hug and started to lecture him. "I know that I don't need to tell you, but please, be careful." He nodded, "I will, I promise." She met his eyes, trying to communicate the depth of her request. "Please watch over my babies. I know Ginny and especially Ron would hate to hear me say that, but the way you and they tend to attract trouble . . ." she sniffed. "I have a feeling that something bad is going to happen, and they will be in the thick of it. I couldn't bear it if something happened to them." Harry leaned over and hugged her tightly. "Don't worry Mrs. Weasley. Your family is like my own, and I won't let anything happen to them." She smiled through suspiciously bright eyes, and then pushed him towards the train. "Go on then, and have fun." He smiled back and wandered off.
Ginny found some of her year mates and was soon chatting about their summer experiences. Hermione was cornered by Parvati and Lavender, who were eager to discuss their summer exploits with their boyfriends (nothing too racy!) with someone new, and simply could not wait until the privacy of their dorms. Harry and Ron were too busy laughing to talk coherently. Apparently Seamus, Dean and Neville were all listening in to the teen girl babble and two of the three of them turned such a shade of red that even a highly embarrassed Weasley would never be able to match. This amused Ron to no end, who in turned set Harry off with his snickers.
Soon enough the whistle blew and they were all loaded onto the train by the time it started to pull out of the station. They were off to the next year at Hogwarts. Ron pulled out a pack of cards, grinning, "Anybody fancy a game of Exploding Snap?" They started to play guys versus girls, but soon it disintegrated to just Harry and Ginny playing, as the couple quickly became distracted by each other. Harry met Ginny's eye and rolled his own, pretending to gag as Ron and Hermione started snogging obliviously. She giggled back with her eyes shining with mirth, trying to cover her mouth with a shaking hand to keep from bursting into outright laughter.
Unfortunately, their happy mood was quickly disrupted a bit later when Harry's arm began to sting fiercely. He winced and cursed under his breath as he pulled out his map, attracting the attention of the others in the compartment, even the distracted ones. His eyes widened and he swore out loud, startling his friends as he whipped out some of his packed weapons and staff. He explained as he tugged on the trenchrobe, "Ambush farther up the tracks, lots of demons involved. Looks like they're going to attack the train. Stay here. If something goes wrong, protect the others on the train, and be careful." With that he Apparated away, leaving his friends behind to worry yet again.
Harry reappeared as Wraith 15 miles away, quickly taking stock of the situation from under cover of nearby trees and undergrowth. Wizards were everywhere, setting spells on the tracks to make it explode once the train crossed that particular section. It would derail the cars and probably destroy at least two carriages. Lots of students would be killed or injured it that happened. Wraith gritted his teeth. He would deal with the Death Eaters first; it had to be a swift strike so they were finished before the demons jumped into the fray. And to top it off, he did not have much time with the train still coming. He calculated that he had roughly twenty minutes before it was here. The whole situation was starting to resemble a ridiculous melodrama he had once seen; all that was lacking was a woman tied to the tracks. He stifled a nervous snicker. Time for the cowboy in the white hat to make his appearance.
Wraith pulled out one of the Weasley twins' new inventions; a Spell Sphere. It was a little translucent ball that was capable of holding a spell to be released either on impact or a timer, and acted basically as a Muggle grenade. He set a Stunning curse on one and a Finite Incantatum to nullify the track trap. Taking a deep breath, he tossed the nullifying one first then the stunner. With two bright flashes of light the spheres detonated, the second immediately flattening about three-quarters of the Death Eaters and leaving the rest dazed. He sent a Disarming and Binding spell on them, finishing that threat, but by that time the demons were sprinting toward him, snarling ferally. Adrenaline pumping, he smirked back at them as he drew his sword with one hand and a parvellah with the other. An ancient weapon, half axe and half hammer, it could not be wielded by an unskilled user without serious damage to self. In the hands of a true warrior, however, it was lethal.
The first wave hit him and soon Wraith was ensnarled in a furious battle, surrounded by a mass of stinking dark creatures and spraying blood. He blocked a stabbing blade with the hammer side and slashed his sword though the creature's belly, then spun with the parvellah to fling five demons into their fellows behind them, chests smashed to a bloody pulp. He fought harder, pushing the whole conglomeration farther from the tracks and into the surrounding forest. In the distance the train whistle sounded, momentarily distracting Wraith with the knowledge of limited time. That lapse of concentration cost him dearly, as a demon managed to land a kick in his chest that sent him reeling to the ground and followed it through with a slashing sword toward his head. Gasping for breath, he rolled out of the way just in time and persisted in parrying more murderous blows as he got back to his feet. He ducked a sweeping blow and sprang back, then executed a levitating back flip to alight on an overhanging branch of a tree. He took a brief moment to sheath his weapons to avoid gutting himself on them.
Wraith scrambled up the tree and leapt over to the next one, partially hidden in the leaves yet the demons had no trouble tracking him. They couldn't climb the trees as easily as he could, but they followed him below, flinging spears at him. Wraith took a brief respite to load a Spell Sphere with an Elemental Fire curse and lobbed it down at the snarling hoards, then bolted from tree to tree to put as much distance as possible between him and the explosion. When it detonated, the inferno immediately fried over two dozen creatures into ash, set fire to more in the immediate vicinity and scorched those unlucky enough to be farther away. The shockwave of hot air blew the leaves off the trees and tossed the demons squealing into the hard trunks with a symphony of snapping bones.
Wraith was nearly thrown from his perch, just managing to anchor himself to the shaking trunk and turn away from the blast. Once the tremors died, he jumped down and started running back to the tracks, avoiding the flaming trees and underbrush and finishing off any demons he came across. He winced at the smell of charred flesh and burning wood, hearing the wails of the dying almost covering the whistle of the train coming closer. He needed to make sure the tracks were safe. The Death Eaters were all still out of it, bound and far away from the tracks. The demons were all either destroyed or had fled, and the disgusting corpses littered the ground. The tracks were for the most part undamaged and Wraith made sure that all the curses had been removed. He began removing masks to identify the Death Eaters involved, and recorded their names to send to the Ministry and the Order of the Phoenix. He smiled grimly as he found Wormtail hiding in the group. So the little rat was back in action. Rather than send him to the prison with the others, Wraith transformed him into a gift for Sirius and pocketed him with a chuckle. With a wave of his hand the crumpled bodies shimmered and disappeared, on their way to a new home. He dashed off a quick letter to Dumbledore and the Order and with a snap it was delivered to the headmaster's desk with the list of names.
Wraith was so preoccupied, he did not feel the creeping coldness until the faint screaming started in his head. He whipped back around, staff at ready, to find a dozen dementors closing in on him quickly. He shook his head a bit to try and rid himself of the screaming and concentrated for a moment, then yelled out, "Expecto Patronum!" From the top of his staff the three golden figures of Moony, Padfoot and Prongs erupted and rushed the foul cloaked figures. The dementors split up into four groups of three, two groups managing to avoid the golden onslaught and continue straight for him even as their companions burst into dark flame. He dashed backwards to evade their grasping hands and nearly tripped over the carcass of a slain demon. The familiar clammy chill was invading his chest, freezing his heart and making it hard to even breathe. He took a moment to cast the personal Patronus charm on himself, just as he did at Azkaban, which relieved most of the effects but he still felt unnaturally chilled.
The dementors were still advancing, so he fled again to the safety of the trees and out of their reach temporarily. The charred bark was crumbling under his hands and making them black with soot. In his scramble to get away, the staff was knocked out of his hand and clattered to the ground at the foot of one soulless cloak. Wraith cursed in vexation; without the staff he could only conjure a normal Patronus, which could drive them away but not destroy them. He pulled his wand and chanted "Expecto Patronum!" The normal silver gleam of Prongs repelled the dementors, but now one of them was holding the staff. He gritted his teeth and snarled silently, knowing a Summoning charm would be useless now. He strained his mind to think of a new strategy, some new way to defeat these vile things. He could not use his sword or the Spell Spheres. They were immune to conventional weapons and spells; in fact all but the Patronus charm.
In a flash of inspiration, Wraith drew his sword again and turned his wand on it, muttering the Patronus charm again. The steel blade flashed silver with the contained spell, and he leapt down to the ground in front of the dementor with the staff. He slashed through the black cloak with the gleaming blade, feeling no physical resistance but the dementor dropped the staff, crumpled into a ball of dark flame and imploded. He grinned slightly with relief. It worked! He made quick work of the rest of them, shielding his face from the eruptions of flame. Finally he gathered up his staff again and ran back to the tracks again, sheathing his sword again as he went. The train was just pulling up to the curve, chugging away happily. Wraith stood still at the edge of the forest and kept a close eye out as carriage after carriage rolled by. He could see the students inside chatting away cheerfully, obliviously. At one point he saw a flash of red hair, grinned and waved at Ron at he caught his friend staring out the window at him wide eyed. The rest of the train passed by peacefully, and was soon traveling around the tracks in the distance.
Wraith was about to head back to the train when he looked around, suddenly suspicious. Why would Voldemort risk attacking the Hogwarts Express when his own student Death Eaters were on it? The demons only went on sanctioned attacks, and the Slytherins had to be on the train to avoid suspicion. And the dementors, only coming in after the attack was finished? So it had to be . . . He paled suddenly. What if the Slytherins were checking compartments and they found him gone? Voldemort was trying to confirm his identity. He hurriedly put out the remaining fires and Apparated back, quickly changing back to Harry and hiding his weapons and trenchrobe in his trunk again.
Just in time, for even as his friends opened their mouths to question him, the compartment door slid open to reveal Draco Malfoy with his ever-present bodyguards Crabbe and Goyle. "Well well, if it isn't the Mudblood, two Weasels and our favorite Scarhead," he smirked. "Nice ponytail Potter. Forget which lavatory to go into? Or do you swing that way?" Harry countered smoothly, "Why? You interested? Wouldn't surprise me; your boyfriends don't look like much fun." The Gryffindors snickered as Malfoy flushed pink. "Just you wait Potter," he hissed maliciously, "The Dark Lord is coming for you, and this time your parents won't be there to die for you."
Harry stood slowly, towering menacingly over the shorter boy, and glared down at him. He spoke quietly yet sinisterly, "Unlike some, I can fight my own battles. Next time you kiss your master's arse, you can tell him I'll be waiting for him whenever he has the balls to face me on his own. Now get out." Malfoy stared up at him for a moment wide-eyed with alarm, then turned and fairly fled down the corridor, his two companions following a moment after. Harry shut the door and locked it manually before putting on several Locking charms and Silencing spells, then settled back in his seat with a sigh and a grimace. "That was close," he commented with his eyes shut. Ron glanced over at the two girls, who shrugged. "Alright, what happened?" Harry gave them a short account of the ambush and his feeling that it was a trick to reveal his identity. Ginny leaned in close and asked, "But are you okay?" He nodded slightly, "I'll be fine." He opened his eyes and started to reach for his trunk again, but stopped short with a hiss of pain. "What is it?" Hermione came over to him, concerned.
"Broken ribs, I think. I've got potions in my trunk to fix it. Could you get them out?" Hermione started rifling through his trunk while Ginny helped coax his shirt off. Harry's chest and abdomen was covered with some nasty looking bruises and a bright red welt where the broken ribs were pressing against the skin. She grimaced in sympathetic pain, but as she watched some of the bruises began to fade. "How . . ." she stared in fascination, and Harry answered with his eyes closed and his face calm. "I have some skill at self-healing, but it's mainly good for cuts and bruises, small injuries, not broken bones. They'll be gone in a couple minutes." Ron was also watching, but then he grinned crookedly at Harry. "That Wraith get- up still surprises me every time. It was kind of strange to see you standing out there." Harry chuckled quietly. "It's kind of strange for me. Whenever I do that, it's like I have a whole different personality." Hermione handed him a flask of potion, and he drank it silently, sighing as the pain faded and the ribs started to mend. In a minute he was able to put his shirt back on without difficulty, then sat back and dozed while Ron conversed quietly with Hermione and Ginny about the coming school year and their new roles in the war.
Harry jolted awake as the train pulled in at Hogsmeade, rubbing his eyes wearily as they disembarked and with his friends took a carriage up to the castle. He leaned out the window and gazed up at the castle, the towers gleaming in the moonlight, smiling happily. No matter how good his house was, Hogwarts was his home. He spotted a flash of red circling the North Tower and whistled, drawing Eredfire's attention and soon the phoenix swept into the carriage to alight on Harry's shoulder. I have a message from the headmaster. What did you do now? He chuckled as Harry shook his head with amusement. *Nothing much. Just beat up on some demons, dementors and Death Eaters when I was supposed to be on the train.* Eredfire chirped with mixed amusement and disapproval even as he extended his leg with the message tied to it. You take many risks, Master Harry.
Harry untied the message from his familiar's leg and unrolled it quickly to scan the contents. "Dumbledore's called a meeting after the feast. Looks like he got my note, and he wants to check on your progress." The teens looked slightly intimidated at being inspected by the venerable old wizard but nodded bravely. Soon the carriages pulled up to Hogwarts and they entered the main hall with the rest of the school to head for the Great Hall. Eredfire took flight again to go roost in Gryffindor Tower. Once all the students had seated themselves at the proper house tables, Professor McGonagall brought in the new first years for the Sorting. Harry watched as the scared and nervous first years tried on the Sorting Hat and clapped along with the rest of them, but his mind was a million miles away and not paying the slightest bit of attention. He only snapped back to current awareness when Dumbledore stood up from his seat at the High Table.
"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. Before we settle down for the excellent feast, I am afraid that I must give a few announcements. First, Hogsmeade visits will not take place this year again, and for that I am sorry. But the danger is still too great to risk it. Perhaps after Christmas the danger might be lessened enough to allow trips, but for now they will not take place." He paused to allow the chorus of groans, then continued, "Second, I am pleased to announce that Quidditch will continue under supervision." Now cheers answered him, and the headmaster grinned slightly. "Third, in these perilous times it is imperative that we stand united as a whole force against the ravages of the Darkness. Therefore, any harassment or threats against another student will be taken very seriously indeed and punished." He glanced significantly over at the Slytherin table. "Also, the curfew is still in effect, so everybody must be in their Common Rooms by 8 pm sharp. Any after-hours wandering will be punished." Here he sent a look towards the Gryffindor table and Harry had to stifle a grin. Fine. They could punish him, but first they would have to catch him.
"On a more pleasant note, for the first time in a long time all of our professors have returned for yet another year, so I have nobody new to introduce to you." There was a general round of applause, and some scattered laughter from the older students. "The Dueling Club will now be open to third years as well. Now that you have all been informed, tuck in!" The traditional lavish Welcoming Feast appeared on all the tables, and Harry and Ron eagerly dug in. Ron, of course, always ate like he was starving from a week in the harshest wilderness, and Harry had worked up quite an appetite during the attack earlier. Wielding a parvellah took a lot of strength to use, and even more to control.
As the feast wound down, Harry caught Dumbledore's eye who nodded with a slight smile. The headmaster dismissed the students and they headed off to their separate Common Rooms led by the prefects. Harry, however, lingered behind with Ginny as Ron and Hermione escorted the new first years up, then they skirted the crowds and headed for the headmaster's office. Right outside the other two sixth years caught up with them, and after Harry gave the password (Chocolate Raspberry Snorts) they ascended the staircase to the office, then crossed to the Phoenix Chamber. Not the entire Order was present, as they had duties to attend to. Besides the Hogwarts professors only Sirius and Moody were also present and currently engaged in an argument with Remus, but when the teens entered the topic was abandoned.
Dumbledore gestured for everyone to take seats around the marble table, then turned to Harry. "Your letter indicated that there was a thwarted attack on the train today." The teen war mage nodded, so the headmaster continued, "You gave us the names of 16 captured Death Eaters. Care to give us more details?" Harry ran a hand over his face and sighed tiredly. "They set up an ambush on the tracks at about the halfway point, demons included, which alerted me. I stunned the Death Eaters and fried or filleted most of the demons before the remnant fled. Then the dementors showed up, and I learned a new trick to destroy them. The tracks had been cursed to explode once the engine passed a certain point, which would have taken out the front two carriages at least. Oh, and somebody can tell Fred and George that their Spell Spheres work perfectly."
Sirius grinned at that, but Moody shook his head. "This attack doesn't make a whit of sense. His own Death Eaters were on that train. While he may consider them expendable in the long run, right now the attrition rate is too high to sacrifice his youngest and most promising." Harry nodded. "Exactly. It doesn't make sense." He paused, "Unless it was never meant to succeed." Several of the professors sat up straighter in astonishment. "What?!" Dumbledore nodded slowly in realization as Harry explained, "I've talked to other students on the train. While the ambush was being set up, the new Death Eater students were searching the compartments. I barely got back before Draco Malfoy came to our compartment." He let the implications sink in a bit as he sat back in his chair and sighed wearily. "Voldemort suspects me. This attack was a ruse to flush me out. There were more demons today than I've seen at any single attack, so either they would kill me off, or else delay me long enough for his spies to find me missing. Plus the dementors only showed up after the Death Eaters and demons were taken care of. There was too many of them to be a rogue group. That tells me that they were not supposed to be part of the original attack, or else they would have fled once the mission was compromised. They were there to take care of me."
Remus sucked in a quick breath as Sirius swore quietly. Snape broke in. "What about your clone?" Harry shook his head. "I didn't have time to conjure it, nor the concentration. I had less than 15 minutes to clear a whole section of track of booby-traps, Death Eaters, demons, dementors, and debris before the train came. It was close enough as it was." Snape quirked his lips in either a smile or a smirk; it was kind of hard to tell which. "Why don't you just say you forgot?" Harry just glared back before Dumbledore broke in gently, "But you managed to pull it off admirably, I see." Moody interrupted, "What new trick? You said you learned a new trick to destroy the dementors." Harry rubbed his face with his hands again as he answered, "I set a Patronus charm on my sword. Turns out that affects them more than just a regular Patronus. Lets me cut through like a hot knife through butter." Moody looked intrigued, as did Hermione.
Harry suddenly snapped his fingers. "I almost forgot. Padfoot!" Sirius looked up, a bit startled at the old nickname. "I've got something for you. A souvenir." He dug into the pockets of his robe and pulled out a grayish item, grinning with diabolical glee. "Recognize this?" He dangled a rubber squeaky mouse by the tail, swinging it slightly so that the distinctive silver paw caught the light, and his godfather's mouth dropped open, as did most of the others' in the room. "Padfoot, go long!" He chucked it hard across the room.
Within a heartbeat, Sirius was replaced by a big black bear-like dog which bounded across the room and leapt to catch the toy in his mouth. As he landed he bit down hard and was rewarded with a satisfyingly loud "SQUEAK!!" of protest. If dogs could chuckle evilly, Padfoot would have been even as he chewed ferociously on the rubber mouse, letting out a steady stream of "squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak!!" as he did. Soon the entire Order was roaring with laughter as Wormtail got his comeuppance in an appropriately annoying Marauder-esque fashion.
Remus wiped tears from his eyes and clapped Harry on the shoulder. "Circe's beard! I haven't laughed that hard since our graduation prank. Your father would be proud." Harry looked interested. "What did you guys do?" Remus opened his mouth, seemed to think about it for a moment, then shook his head. "Not until after you graduate. As your professor, I don't want you trying to copy it on me." Harry appeared insulted and protested, "Hey! I never copy pranks." Then he added with a smirk, "Unless I can improve on them." The werewolf rolled his eyes, but their banter was cut off by Dumbledore, who had finally managed to control himself again.
"Now that that matter is settled, let us move on to our next business; the training of our newest members. Ron, could you give us a brief synopsis of what the training consisted of?" Ron paled a bit at being put on the spot, but spoke up bravely as he detailed their schedule for the past three weeks. Hermione and Ginny were also asked to give their impressions of the preparations they had gone through. The professors for the most part appeared impressed, and Dumbledore had a little satisfied smile on his face. When they were done, the headmaster said, "While I have full confidence in Harry and his trainer, I believe we would like to test your skills to properly evaluate you all for your roles in this Order." The three teens nodded in agreement, so Arabella spoke up. "Tomorrow night I will test each of you separately at the Dueling Club, and afterwards the other professors will have their shots at you." Maybe it was her choice of words, or the fact that Snape was looking particularly gleeful, but now Ginny, Hermione and Ron were all nervous. Harry kept quiet, knowing they would be fine.
Just then there was a "pop!" like a seal breaking, and abruptly the dog in the corner began gagging. He dropped his new chew toy and started to retch, looking like he had just wolfed down an entire anchovy pizza and was now ready to decorate the living room carpet with it. Snape sneered even as his face twisted with slight horror, but the rest of the Order was understandably concerned. Remus started for his longtime friend, questioning, "Padfoot? You okay?" The Grim-like canine heaved twice more, swallowed hard, panted, then transformed back into a very pale Sirius. He spoke in a rasped whisper, "I swallowed the squeaker."
*************************************************************
After the meeting broke up on that high note, Harry followed Snape down to the dungeons in order to place the new wards around the Potions classroom as well as Snape's office and chambers. He was still inclined to giggle at Sirius' misfortune even as he rubbed a sore elbow. He had cracked it on the edge of the table when he fell out of his chair laughing hysterically. Snape was fighting a grin that threatened to upset his normally sour visage, and occasionally a snort of suppressed snickers worked its way out of his hooked nose. Luckily they managed to sober up as they approached their destination, as noise tended to carry through the stone corridors of the dungeons.
Once they were safely inside the Potions classroom, Harry turned to Snape with a twinkle in his emerald eyes. "Makes you wonder, though, as to which part of Wormtail that squeaker was, so what exactly did Sirius swallow?" Snape fought to keep a straight face, but failed miserably and burst into outright laughter as numerous possibilities ran through his mind, each more ridiculous than the last. Harry turned to the classroom and the task at hand. He had questioned Snape on what types of wards would be most useful and where, and was familiar enough with the classroom to not need any assistance. He was finished fairly quickly, and Snape went to unlock his office. Just as he touched the handle, Harry caught a flicker of magic similar to tripping an alarm, and shouted "Watch out!"
Reflexes honed from years of living on the edge as a Death Eater, spy, and Potions professor saved Snape's life as he jerked back form the door just in time. A curse exploded above his head, creating a fireball that should have enveloped the professor and caused serious burns. As it was, it scorched his face quite a bit and his hair was on fire very briefly before it snuffed out. Harry leapt forward with an Extinguishing charm to take care of the smoldering doorway, then turned to Snape. A brief examine with a critical eye revealed no serious damage, and he silently handed him a bottle of Burn Cream. "At least now we know if that grease in your head acts as an accelerant or a retardant," the teen finally commented, unable to resist. Snape scowled but shot back, "Damn useful when working over open flame, unlike that potential torch on your head." Harry turned back to the door to hide a mischievous smirk.
"The curse itself is simple enough, but it was cast with a charm to hold it until the door was tampered with. That is certainly more complex and takes a special skill with charms. I'm guessing a 7th year. Any ideas?" Snape raked the room with a sharp gaze, looking for more traps as he answered, "Either Pyrnan or Foloth; both initiated, only fair at Potions but excellent with Charms and Transfiguration. See how they transfigured the wood to hold the curse in place, out of sight, then disguised it? Probably both of them working together." He glanced over at Harry with an arched eyebrow. "Find any more little surprises, before I set them off?" The teen shook his head. "Nope, just the normal magical signatures. They probably figured that one was enough of a warning for here tonight." He trailed off, thinking, "Unless . . ." he eyed the Potions Master. "Do you usually come here after the feast, or to your rooms?"
"From the Welcoming Feast, directly to my chambers. I have no need to come here until morning." "So this one was not supposed to be tripped until tomorrow. I'll have to double-check your chambers tonight." Snape nodded in agreement with his logic and finished opening the door to his office. While the professor examined the shelves to ensure that nothing had been stolen, Harry employed his staff to first check for more curse traps and then set up more wards to add to the one Snape had put up himself. Being paranoid had saved their lives often enough to justify expending enough magic that Harry strongly doubted anyone other than Snape of himself could take them down. And Snape only because it was his office.
The Potions Master seemed reluctant to allow Harry into his personal chambers, hesitating before taking off the personal Locking charm from the entrance and stepping through with the teen at his heels. He wisely said nothing, and Harry concentrated on focusing his energy, letting the red light from the ruby topping the staff sweep over the rooms. The front room was a comfortable study, with a large fireplace surrounded by bookcases filled with an amazing collection of literature. An armchair and small sofa were by the fire, while a study desk neatly arranged was set back against the right wall. It was a scholar's hideaway, disrupting the popular image of Severus Snape as a slimy vampire who slept in a coffin in his office, unwilling to be parted from his precious potions and poisons. He suppressed a smirk. No wonder he did not let anyone see it.
Nothing amiss was found, so Harry began setting more barriers around the room that only allowed Snape and those he wished to admit in. "Is the fireplace on the Floo Network?" "Not technically. Officially only the inter- Hogwarts one now. However, I can still Floo out, but not in." The teen set a screen of magic wards and alarms on it, then headed for the bedchambers. Snape looked distinctly uncomfortable with that. "Is that really necessary?" "Yes, unless you like meeting Death Eaters in your bedroom, and in that case I really don't want to know."
Snape scowled in deep disgust and shook his head in denial, so Harry explained, "For maximum protection, each ward only covers one room. That way I can put strength into each one, instead of stretching it to cover a larger area." The professor simply waved his hand impatiently, telling him to get on with it, so the teen cautiously entered the room. He quickly noted the placement of the bed, wardrobe, desk and most importantly the fireplace. Wards identical to the ones on the main hearth were set up, then Harry spun more magic to encase the room. Snape had come up silently behind him, watching as Harry handled his staff expertly. "I never would have thought I would someday have a student, least of all you, alone in my bedchambers."
Harry threw him an incredulous look over his shoulder. "Don't take that any farther," he warned before turning back to his work. "I have enough mental scarring for a lifetime." Snape grinned a bit. "And how much of that did Eva give you? I must admit, you two seemed pretty cozy together." Harry shot back, "Haven't we already been through this? And besides, if you want to talk about cozy, what about you and Flich, hmm?" He had the pleasure of watching Snape turn a sickly shade of yellow-green, then continued, "No? Then what about the rumors I've been hearing about you, Trelawney, and the Astronomy Tower?"
Now the green was a lovely shade that matched the light of the Avada Kedavra, complementing perfectly the flare Snape was sending in his direction. "You're worse than Black," he gritted out, but Harry turned with a wide-eyed look of innocence. "What? You're the one who started it." He grinned sardonically and stuck out a hand. "Truce? No jokes about our sex lives, or lack thereof?" Snape shook on it. "Truce. Done here yet?" "Yep. I'll place a couple on the bathroom really fast, then I'm done." As he walked out, he answered the unspoken objection, "Don't want any basilisks or peeping ghosts in the plumbing, now do you?"
******************************************************
Harry did not return to Gryffindor Tower until after midnight, thanks to a little run-in with Peeves on the fourth floor as he was heading for the staircase. The poltergeist had found a new toy; namely, Harry's long braid. He seemed to enjoy flipping it around to hit Harry's face, the portraits, suits of armor, etc. After many frustrating attempts, the war mage finally managed to put a Spirit Binding spell on him to hold him in place, then performed a particularly tricky bit of Transfiguration. He supposed he was lucky it was a poltergeist and not a real ghost, with a modicum of physical form to alter, but with the spirit resistance to magical change it was fairly difficult. Still, Harry managed it, went back to his dormitory and fell asleep with a smile on his face, knowing that now the Bloody Baron was not the only one Peeves was scared of.
Later that night, Mrs. Norris was pleased to discover a brand new litter box on the fourth floor, complete with fresh kitty litter and an orange bow tie.
******************************************************
He dreamed he was flying on the back of an eagle owl, the wind blowing his hair back. It was uncannily like the dream back in fourth year, even to the destination. The familiar shade of the Riddle House rose out of the nighttime gloom, and the owl swooped in lower, aiming for one dimly lit window on the second story. It fluttered in, and Harry left its back and moved closer to the fireplace, following a black cloaked man carrying the letter. A sudden sharp pain lanced through his forehead, and Harry hissed as Voldemort came into view, as ugly and foul as ever, sitting in an old armchair as if it was a throne.
"Master, a letter's just arrived for you." The Dark Lord snatched the parchment from the man and perused it quickly. "So, Severus is indeed alive and back teaching his precious Potions." Briefly the red eyes flittered over the man before him. "Makes one wonder how he escaped. Truly miraculous." A minute of silence, then "What about the ambush? I have yet to hear word, except for that Wraith obviously fell for it and the train is still intact." The man before him trembled, wanting to be anywhere but facing his master with bad news of this magnitude, but spoke anyway rather than scream while under the Cruciatus.
"I sent our scouts earlier, and they have just returned with news." He swallowed hard and continued, "All sixteen of our comrades appear to have been captured alive, or at least no trace of them was found at the site. Scores of demons were destroyed, some burnt to ashes. Part of the surrounding forest had been incinerated in an explosion." He took a deep breath, but Voldemort interrupted. "What of the dementors? They had orders, and if Wraith is who I believe he is, he would not have been able to withstand an attack by a dozen dementors."
The Death Eater shifted uncomfortably. "They . . . uh, the dementors . . . were annihilated too, my lord." Voldemort froze, his red eyes gleaming in disbelief and rage. "Annihilated?" he breathed, "And the younger Malfoy reports no one missing from the train the entire journey?" He rose slowly from his stately chair, shaking with suppressed fury and radiating an almost palpable aura of hate. "Am I just supposed to tolerate the actions of this damnable Wraith? When he alone in these past months has cost me more in time and servants than all other forces combined in the last thirty years? NO!!!" he roared out, and he turned his wand on the cowering Death Eater. "Crucio!"
Harry woke with a start, gasping for air as the man's agonized screams echoed away in his ears and the pain in his head gradually faded. He gulped in lungfuls of precious oxygen until his heart rate slowed, and gradually he smiled grimly. So, his nemesis was growing more frustrated. Good. An enemy who is enraged thinks less about his actions before doing, and is prone to many more advantageous mistakes. He made a mental note to inform Dumbledore that Malfoy had sent a letter to the Riddle House as he settled back in bed, and was soon fast asleep.
Disclaimer: HP and Co. remains the property of JKR, not me, so don't sue me. The parvellah belongs to Deborah Chester in her Alien Chronicles. I just though it was a cool idea and had to use it. I like esoteric weapons. Especially sharp ones with capability for mass destruction. *grins cheekily as she eyes her claymore in the corner*
Chapter 19
Luckily enough, Ron's interesting start held no premonitions for the remainder of the morning, and for once things managed to go smoothly. This may have been partially due to the fact that there were only four of them this year, and the twins did not take it upon themselves to come along. Those two alone caused enough havoc. The Hogwarts-bound teens made it to King's Cross station with plenty of time to spare and passed smoothly through the wall to Platform 9 and ¾ without leaving anyone behind this time. In no time at all they had their trunks loaded and a compartment claimed, so they got back off the train to locate their other classmates.
Harry was pulled aside by Mrs. Weasley, who gave him an extra hug and started to lecture him. "I know that I don't need to tell you, but please, be careful." He nodded, "I will, I promise." She met his eyes, trying to communicate the depth of her request. "Please watch over my babies. I know Ginny and especially Ron would hate to hear me say that, but the way you and they tend to attract trouble . . ." she sniffed. "I have a feeling that something bad is going to happen, and they will be in the thick of it. I couldn't bear it if something happened to them." Harry leaned over and hugged her tightly. "Don't worry Mrs. Weasley. Your family is like my own, and I won't let anything happen to them." She smiled through suspiciously bright eyes, and then pushed him towards the train. "Go on then, and have fun." He smiled back and wandered off.
Ginny found some of her year mates and was soon chatting about their summer experiences. Hermione was cornered by Parvati and Lavender, who were eager to discuss their summer exploits with their boyfriends (nothing too racy!) with someone new, and simply could not wait until the privacy of their dorms. Harry and Ron were too busy laughing to talk coherently. Apparently Seamus, Dean and Neville were all listening in to the teen girl babble and two of the three of them turned such a shade of red that even a highly embarrassed Weasley would never be able to match. This amused Ron to no end, who in turned set Harry off with his snickers.
Soon enough the whistle blew and they were all loaded onto the train by the time it started to pull out of the station. They were off to the next year at Hogwarts. Ron pulled out a pack of cards, grinning, "Anybody fancy a game of Exploding Snap?" They started to play guys versus girls, but soon it disintegrated to just Harry and Ginny playing, as the couple quickly became distracted by each other. Harry met Ginny's eye and rolled his own, pretending to gag as Ron and Hermione started snogging obliviously. She giggled back with her eyes shining with mirth, trying to cover her mouth with a shaking hand to keep from bursting into outright laughter.
Unfortunately, their happy mood was quickly disrupted a bit later when Harry's arm began to sting fiercely. He winced and cursed under his breath as he pulled out his map, attracting the attention of the others in the compartment, even the distracted ones. His eyes widened and he swore out loud, startling his friends as he whipped out some of his packed weapons and staff. He explained as he tugged on the trenchrobe, "Ambush farther up the tracks, lots of demons involved. Looks like they're going to attack the train. Stay here. If something goes wrong, protect the others on the train, and be careful." With that he Apparated away, leaving his friends behind to worry yet again.
Harry reappeared as Wraith 15 miles away, quickly taking stock of the situation from under cover of nearby trees and undergrowth. Wizards were everywhere, setting spells on the tracks to make it explode once the train crossed that particular section. It would derail the cars and probably destroy at least two carriages. Lots of students would be killed or injured it that happened. Wraith gritted his teeth. He would deal with the Death Eaters first; it had to be a swift strike so they were finished before the demons jumped into the fray. And to top it off, he did not have much time with the train still coming. He calculated that he had roughly twenty minutes before it was here. The whole situation was starting to resemble a ridiculous melodrama he had once seen; all that was lacking was a woman tied to the tracks. He stifled a nervous snicker. Time for the cowboy in the white hat to make his appearance.
Wraith pulled out one of the Weasley twins' new inventions; a Spell Sphere. It was a little translucent ball that was capable of holding a spell to be released either on impact or a timer, and acted basically as a Muggle grenade. He set a Stunning curse on one and a Finite Incantatum to nullify the track trap. Taking a deep breath, he tossed the nullifying one first then the stunner. With two bright flashes of light the spheres detonated, the second immediately flattening about three-quarters of the Death Eaters and leaving the rest dazed. He sent a Disarming and Binding spell on them, finishing that threat, but by that time the demons were sprinting toward him, snarling ferally. Adrenaline pumping, he smirked back at them as he drew his sword with one hand and a parvellah with the other. An ancient weapon, half axe and half hammer, it could not be wielded by an unskilled user without serious damage to self. In the hands of a true warrior, however, it was lethal.
The first wave hit him and soon Wraith was ensnarled in a furious battle, surrounded by a mass of stinking dark creatures and spraying blood. He blocked a stabbing blade with the hammer side and slashed his sword though the creature's belly, then spun with the parvellah to fling five demons into their fellows behind them, chests smashed to a bloody pulp. He fought harder, pushing the whole conglomeration farther from the tracks and into the surrounding forest. In the distance the train whistle sounded, momentarily distracting Wraith with the knowledge of limited time. That lapse of concentration cost him dearly, as a demon managed to land a kick in his chest that sent him reeling to the ground and followed it through with a slashing sword toward his head. Gasping for breath, he rolled out of the way just in time and persisted in parrying more murderous blows as he got back to his feet. He ducked a sweeping blow and sprang back, then executed a levitating back flip to alight on an overhanging branch of a tree. He took a brief moment to sheath his weapons to avoid gutting himself on them.
Wraith scrambled up the tree and leapt over to the next one, partially hidden in the leaves yet the demons had no trouble tracking him. They couldn't climb the trees as easily as he could, but they followed him below, flinging spears at him. Wraith took a brief respite to load a Spell Sphere with an Elemental Fire curse and lobbed it down at the snarling hoards, then bolted from tree to tree to put as much distance as possible between him and the explosion. When it detonated, the inferno immediately fried over two dozen creatures into ash, set fire to more in the immediate vicinity and scorched those unlucky enough to be farther away. The shockwave of hot air blew the leaves off the trees and tossed the demons squealing into the hard trunks with a symphony of snapping bones.
Wraith was nearly thrown from his perch, just managing to anchor himself to the shaking trunk and turn away from the blast. Once the tremors died, he jumped down and started running back to the tracks, avoiding the flaming trees and underbrush and finishing off any demons he came across. He winced at the smell of charred flesh and burning wood, hearing the wails of the dying almost covering the whistle of the train coming closer. He needed to make sure the tracks were safe. The Death Eaters were all still out of it, bound and far away from the tracks. The demons were all either destroyed or had fled, and the disgusting corpses littered the ground. The tracks were for the most part undamaged and Wraith made sure that all the curses had been removed. He began removing masks to identify the Death Eaters involved, and recorded their names to send to the Ministry and the Order of the Phoenix. He smiled grimly as he found Wormtail hiding in the group. So the little rat was back in action. Rather than send him to the prison with the others, Wraith transformed him into a gift for Sirius and pocketed him with a chuckle. With a wave of his hand the crumpled bodies shimmered and disappeared, on their way to a new home. He dashed off a quick letter to Dumbledore and the Order and with a snap it was delivered to the headmaster's desk with the list of names.
Wraith was so preoccupied, he did not feel the creeping coldness until the faint screaming started in his head. He whipped back around, staff at ready, to find a dozen dementors closing in on him quickly. He shook his head a bit to try and rid himself of the screaming and concentrated for a moment, then yelled out, "Expecto Patronum!" From the top of his staff the three golden figures of Moony, Padfoot and Prongs erupted and rushed the foul cloaked figures. The dementors split up into four groups of three, two groups managing to avoid the golden onslaught and continue straight for him even as their companions burst into dark flame. He dashed backwards to evade their grasping hands and nearly tripped over the carcass of a slain demon. The familiar clammy chill was invading his chest, freezing his heart and making it hard to even breathe. He took a moment to cast the personal Patronus charm on himself, just as he did at Azkaban, which relieved most of the effects but he still felt unnaturally chilled.
The dementors were still advancing, so he fled again to the safety of the trees and out of their reach temporarily. The charred bark was crumbling under his hands and making them black with soot. In his scramble to get away, the staff was knocked out of his hand and clattered to the ground at the foot of one soulless cloak. Wraith cursed in vexation; without the staff he could only conjure a normal Patronus, which could drive them away but not destroy them. He pulled his wand and chanted "Expecto Patronum!" The normal silver gleam of Prongs repelled the dementors, but now one of them was holding the staff. He gritted his teeth and snarled silently, knowing a Summoning charm would be useless now. He strained his mind to think of a new strategy, some new way to defeat these vile things. He could not use his sword or the Spell Spheres. They were immune to conventional weapons and spells; in fact all but the Patronus charm.
In a flash of inspiration, Wraith drew his sword again and turned his wand on it, muttering the Patronus charm again. The steel blade flashed silver with the contained spell, and he leapt down to the ground in front of the dementor with the staff. He slashed through the black cloak with the gleaming blade, feeling no physical resistance but the dementor dropped the staff, crumpled into a ball of dark flame and imploded. He grinned slightly with relief. It worked! He made quick work of the rest of them, shielding his face from the eruptions of flame. Finally he gathered up his staff again and ran back to the tracks again, sheathing his sword again as he went. The train was just pulling up to the curve, chugging away happily. Wraith stood still at the edge of the forest and kept a close eye out as carriage after carriage rolled by. He could see the students inside chatting away cheerfully, obliviously. At one point he saw a flash of red hair, grinned and waved at Ron at he caught his friend staring out the window at him wide eyed. The rest of the train passed by peacefully, and was soon traveling around the tracks in the distance.
Wraith was about to head back to the train when he looked around, suddenly suspicious. Why would Voldemort risk attacking the Hogwarts Express when his own student Death Eaters were on it? The demons only went on sanctioned attacks, and the Slytherins had to be on the train to avoid suspicion. And the dementors, only coming in after the attack was finished? So it had to be . . . He paled suddenly. What if the Slytherins were checking compartments and they found him gone? Voldemort was trying to confirm his identity. He hurriedly put out the remaining fires and Apparated back, quickly changing back to Harry and hiding his weapons and trenchrobe in his trunk again.
Just in time, for even as his friends opened their mouths to question him, the compartment door slid open to reveal Draco Malfoy with his ever-present bodyguards Crabbe and Goyle. "Well well, if it isn't the Mudblood, two Weasels and our favorite Scarhead," he smirked. "Nice ponytail Potter. Forget which lavatory to go into? Or do you swing that way?" Harry countered smoothly, "Why? You interested? Wouldn't surprise me; your boyfriends don't look like much fun." The Gryffindors snickered as Malfoy flushed pink. "Just you wait Potter," he hissed maliciously, "The Dark Lord is coming for you, and this time your parents won't be there to die for you."
Harry stood slowly, towering menacingly over the shorter boy, and glared down at him. He spoke quietly yet sinisterly, "Unlike some, I can fight my own battles. Next time you kiss your master's arse, you can tell him I'll be waiting for him whenever he has the balls to face me on his own. Now get out." Malfoy stared up at him for a moment wide-eyed with alarm, then turned and fairly fled down the corridor, his two companions following a moment after. Harry shut the door and locked it manually before putting on several Locking charms and Silencing spells, then settled back in his seat with a sigh and a grimace. "That was close," he commented with his eyes shut. Ron glanced over at the two girls, who shrugged. "Alright, what happened?" Harry gave them a short account of the ambush and his feeling that it was a trick to reveal his identity. Ginny leaned in close and asked, "But are you okay?" He nodded slightly, "I'll be fine." He opened his eyes and started to reach for his trunk again, but stopped short with a hiss of pain. "What is it?" Hermione came over to him, concerned.
"Broken ribs, I think. I've got potions in my trunk to fix it. Could you get them out?" Hermione started rifling through his trunk while Ginny helped coax his shirt off. Harry's chest and abdomen was covered with some nasty looking bruises and a bright red welt where the broken ribs were pressing against the skin. She grimaced in sympathetic pain, but as she watched some of the bruises began to fade. "How . . ." she stared in fascination, and Harry answered with his eyes closed and his face calm. "I have some skill at self-healing, but it's mainly good for cuts and bruises, small injuries, not broken bones. They'll be gone in a couple minutes." Ron was also watching, but then he grinned crookedly at Harry. "That Wraith get- up still surprises me every time. It was kind of strange to see you standing out there." Harry chuckled quietly. "It's kind of strange for me. Whenever I do that, it's like I have a whole different personality." Hermione handed him a flask of potion, and he drank it silently, sighing as the pain faded and the ribs started to mend. In a minute he was able to put his shirt back on without difficulty, then sat back and dozed while Ron conversed quietly with Hermione and Ginny about the coming school year and their new roles in the war.
Harry jolted awake as the train pulled in at Hogsmeade, rubbing his eyes wearily as they disembarked and with his friends took a carriage up to the castle. He leaned out the window and gazed up at the castle, the towers gleaming in the moonlight, smiling happily. No matter how good his house was, Hogwarts was his home. He spotted a flash of red circling the North Tower and whistled, drawing Eredfire's attention and soon the phoenix swept into the carriage to alight on Harry's shoulder. I have a message from the headmaster. What did you do now? He chuckled as Harry shook his head with amusement. *Nothing much. Just beat up on some demons, dementors and Death Eaters when I was supposed to be on the train.* Eredfire chirped with mixed amusement and disapproval even as he extended his leg with the message tied to it. You take many risks, Master Harry.
Harry untied the message from his familiar's leg and unrolled it quickly to scan the contents. "Dumbledore's called a meeting after the feast. Looks like he got my note, and he wants to check on your progress." The teens looked slightly intimidated at being inspected by the venerable old wizard but nodded bravely. Soon the carriages pulled up to Hogwarts and they entered the main hall with the rest of the school to head for the Great Hall. Eredfire took flight again to go roost in Gryffindor Tower. Once all the students had seated themselves at the proper house tables, Professor McGonagall brought in the new first years for the Sorting. Harry watched as the scared and nervous first years tried on the Sorting Hat and clapped along with the rest of them, but his mind was a million miles away and not paying the slightest bit of attention. He only snapped back to current awareness when Dumbledore stood up from his seat at the High Table.
"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. Before we settle down for the excellent feast, I am afraid that I must give a few announcements. First, Hogsmeade visits will not take place this year again, and for that I am sorry. But the danger is still too great to risk it. Perhaps after Christmas the danger might be lessened enough to allow trips, but for now they will not take place." He paused to allow the chorus of groans, then continued, "Second, I am pleased to announce that Quidditch will continue under supervision." Now cheers answered him, and the headmaster grinned slightly. "Third, in these perilous times it is imperative that we stand united as a whole force against the ravages of the Darkness. Therefore, any harassment or threats against another student will be taken very seriously indeed and punished." He glanced significantly over at the Slytherin table. "Also, the curfew is still in effect, so everybody must be in their Common Rooms by 8 pm sharp. Any after-hours wandering will be punished." Here he sent a look towards the Gryffindor table and Harry had to stifle a grin. Fine. They could punish him, but first they would have to catch him.
"On a more pleasant note, for the first time in a long time all of our professors have returned for yet another year, so I have nobody new to introduce to you." There was a general round of applause, and some scattered laughter from the older students. "The Dueling Club will now be open to third years as well. Now that you have all been informed, tuck in!" The traditional lavish Welcoming Feast appeared on all the tables, and Harry and Ron eagerly dug in. Ron, of course, always ate like he was starving from a week in the harshest wilderness, and Harry had worked up quite an appetite during the attack earlier. Wielding a parvellah took a lot of strength to use, and even more to control.
As the feast wound down, Harry caught Dumbledore's eye who nodded with a slight smile. The headmaster dismissed the students and they headed off to their separate Common Rooms led by the prefects. Harry, however, lingered behind with Ginny as Ron and Hermione escorted the new first years up, then they skirted the crowds and headed for the headmaster's office. Right outside the other two sixth years caught up with them, and after Harry gave the password (Chocolate Raspberry Snorts) they ascended the staircase to the office, then crossed to the Phoenix Chamber. Not the entire Order was present, as they had duties to attend to. Besides the Hogwarts professors only Sirius and Moody were also present and currently engaged in an argument with Remus, but when the teens entered the topic was abandoned.
Dumbledore gestured for everyone to take seats around the marble table, then turned to Harry. "Your letter indicated that there was a thwarted attack on the train today." The teen war mage nodded, so the headmaster continued, "You gave us the names of 16 captured Death Eaters. Care to give us more details?" Harry ran a hand over his face and sighed tiredly. "They set up an ambush on the tracks at about the halfway point, demons included, which alerted me. I stunned the Death Eaters and fried or filleted most of the demons before the remnant fled. Then the dementors showed up, and I learned a new trick to destroy them. The tracks had been cursed to explode once the engine passed a certain point, which would have taken out the front two carriages at least. Oh, and somebody can tell Fred and George that their Spell Spheres work perfectly."
Sirius grinned at that, but Moody shook his head. "This attack doesn't make a whit of sense. His own Death Eaters were on that train. While he may consider them expendable in the long run, right now the attrition rate is too high to sacrifice his youngest and most promising." Harry nodded. "Exactly. It doesn't make sense." He paused, "Unless it was never meant to succeed." Several of the professors sat up straighter in astonishment. "What?!" Dumbledore nodded slowly in realization as Harry explained, "I've talked to other students on the train. While the ambush was being set up, the new Death Eater students were searching the compartments. I barely got back before Draco Malfoy came to our compartment." He let the implications sink in a bit as he sat back in his chair and sighed wearily. "Voldemort suspects me. This attack was a ruse to flush me out. There were more demons today than I've seen at any single attack, so either they would kill me off, or else delay me long enough for his spies to find me missing. Plus the dementors only showed up after the Death Eaters and demons were taken care of. There was too many of them to be a rogue group. That tells me that they were not supposed to be part of the original attack, or else they would have fled once the mission was compromised. They were there to take care of me."
Remus sucked in a quick breath as Sirius swore quietly. Snape broke in. "What about your clone?" Harry shook his head. "I didn't have time to conjure it, nor the concentration. I had less than 15 minutes to clear a whole section of track of booby-traps, Death Eaters, demons, dementors, and debris before the train came. It was close enough as it was." Snape quirked his lips in either a smile or a smirk; it was kind of hard to tell which. "Why don't you just say you forgot?" Harry just glared back before Dumbledore broke in gently, "But you managed to pull it off admirably, I see." Moody interrupted, "What new trick? You said you learned a new trick to destroy the dementors." Harry rubbed his face with his hands again as he answered, "I set a Patronus charm on my sword. Turns out that affects them more than just a regular Patronus. Lets me cut through like a hot knife through butter." Moody looked intrigued, as did Hermione.
Harry suddenly snapped his fingers. "I almost forgot. Padfoot!" Sirius looked up, a bit startled at the old nickname. "I've got something for you. A souvenir." He dug into the pockets of his robe and pulled out a grayish item, grinning with diabolical glee. "Recognize this?" He dangled a rubber squeaky mouse by the tail, swinging it slightly so that the distinctive silver paw caught the light, and his godfather's mouth dropped open, as did most of the others' in the room. "Padfoot, go long!" He chucked it hard across the room.
Within a heartbeat, Sirius was replaced by a big black bear-like dog which bounded across the room and leapt to catch the toy in his mouth. As he landed he bit down hard and was rewarded with a satisfyingly loud "SQUEAK!!" of protest. If dogs could chuckle evilly, Padfoot would have been even as he chewed ferociously on the rubber mouse, letting out a steady stream of "squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak!!" as he did. Soon the entire Order was roaring with laughter as Wormtail got his comeuppance in an appropriately annoying Marauder-esque fashion.
Remus wiped tears from his eyes and clapped Harry on the shoulder. "Circe's beard! I haven't laughed that hard since our graduation prank. Your father would be proud." Harry looked interested. "What did you guys do?" Remus opened his mouth, seemed to think about it for a moment, then shook his head. "Not until after you graduate. As your professor, I don't want you trying to copy it on me." Harry appeared insulted and protested, "Hey! I never copy pranks." Then he added with a smirk, "Unless I can improve on them." The werewolf rolled his eyes, but their banter was cut off by Dumbledore, who had finally managed to control himself again.
"Now that that matter is settled, let us move on to our next business; the training of our newest members. Ron, could you give us a brief synopsis of what the training consisted of?" Ron paled a bit at being put on the spot, but spoke up bravely as he detailed their schedule for the past three weeks. Hermione and Ginny were also asked to give their impressions of the preparations they had gone through. The professors for the most part appeared impressed, and Dumbledore had a little satisfied smile on his face. When they were done, the headmaster said, "While I have full confidence in Harry and his trainer, I believe we would like to test your skills to properly evaluate you all for your roles in this Order." The three teens nodded in agreement, so Arabella spoke up. "Tomorrow night I will test each of you separately at the Dueling Club, and afterwards the other professors will have their shots at you." Maybe it was her choice of words, or the fact that Snape was looking particularly gleeful, but now Ginny, Hermione and Ron were all nervous. Harry kept quiet, knowing they would be fine.
Just then there was a "pop!" like a seal breaking, and abruptly the dog in the corner began gagging. He dropped his new chew toy and started to retch, looking like he had just wolfed down an entire anchovy pizza and was now ready to decorate the living room carpet with it. Snape sneered even as his face twisted with slight horror, but the rest of the Order was understandably concerned. Remus started for his longtime friend, questioning, "Padfoot? You okay?" The Grim-like canine heaved twice more, swallowed hard, panted, then transformed back into a very pale Sirius. He spoke in a rasped whisper, "I swallowed the squeaker."
*************************************************************
After the meeting broke up on that high note, Harry followed Snape down to the dungeons in order to place the new wards around the Potions classroom as well as Snape's office and chambers. He was still inclined to giggle at Sirius' misfortune even as he rubbed a sore elbow. He had cracked it on the edge of the table when he fell out of his chair laughing hysterically. Snape was fighting a grin that threatened to upset his normally sour visage, and occasionally a snort of suppressed snickers worked its way out of his hooked nose. Luckily they managed to sober up as they approached their destination, as noise tended to carry through the stone corridors of the dungeons.
Once they were safely inside the Potions classroom, Harry turned to Snape with a twinkle in his emerald eyes. "Makes you wonder, though, as to which part of Wormtail that squeaker was, so what exactly did Sirius swallow?" Snape fought to keep a straight face, but failed miserably and burst into outright laughter as numerous possibilities ran through his mind, each more ridiculous than the last. Harry turned to the classroom and the task at hand. He had questioned Snape on what types of wards would be most useful and where, and was familiar enough with the classroom to not need any assistance. He was finished fairly quickly, and Snape went to unlock his office. Just as he touched the handle, Harry caught a flicker of magic similar to tripping an alarm, and shouted "Watch out!"
Reflexes honed from years of living on the edge as a Death Eater, spy, and Potions professor saved Snape's life as he jerked back form the door just in time. A curse exploded above his head, creating a fireball that should have enveloped the professor and caused serious burns. As it was, it scorched his face quite a bit and his hair was on fire very briefly before it snuffed out. Harry leapt forward with an Extinguishing charm to take care of the smoldering doorway, then turned to Snape. A brief examine with a critical eye revealed no serious damage, and he silently handed him a bottle of Burn Cream. "At least now we know if that grease in your head acts as an accelerant or a retardant," the teen finally commented, unable to resist. Snape scowled but shot back, "Damn useful when working over open flame, unlike that potential torch on your head." Harry turned back to the door to hide a mischievous smirk.
"The curse itself is simple enough, but it was cast with a charm to hold it until the door was tampered with. That is certainly more complex and takes a special skill with charms. I'm guessing a 7th year. Any ideas?" Snape raked the room with a sharp gaze, looking for more traps as he answered, "Either Pyrnan or Foloth; both initiated, only fair at Potions but excellent with Charms and Transfiguration. See how they transfigured the wood to hold the curse in place, out of sight, then disguised it? Probably both of them working together." He glanced over at Harry with an arched eyebrow. "Find any more little surprises, before I set them off?" The teen shook his head. "Nope, just the normal magical signatures. They probably figured that one was enough of a warning for here tonight." He trailed off, thinking, "Unless . . ." he eyed the Potions Master. "Do you usually come here after the feast, or to your rooms?"
"From the Welcoming Feast, directly to my chambers. I have no need to come here until morning." "So this one was not supposed to be tripped until tomorrow. I'll have to double-check your chambers tonight." Snape nodded in agreement with his logic and finished opening the door to his office. While the professor examined the shelves to ensure that nothing had been stolen, Harry employed his staff to first check for more curse traps and then set up more wards to add to the one Snape had put up himself. Being paranoid had saved their lives often enough to justify expending enough magic that Harry strongly doubted anyone other than Snape of himself could take them down. And Snape only because it was his office.
The Potions Master seemed reluctant to allow Harry into his personal chambers, hesitating before taking off the personal Locking charm from the entrance and stepping through with the teen at his heels. He wisely said nothing, and Harry concentrated on focusing his energy, letting the red light from the ruby topping the staff sweep over the rooms. The front room was a comfortable study, with a large fireplace surrounded by bookcases filled with an amazing collection of literature. An armchair and small sofa were by the fire, while a study desk neatly arranged was set back against the right wall. It was a scholar's hideaway, disrupting the popular image of Severus Snape as a slimy vampire who slept in a coffin in his office, unwilling to be parted from his precious potions and poisons. He suppressed a smirk. No wonder he did not let anyone see it.
Nothing amiss was found, so Harry began setting more barriers around the room that only allowed Snape and those he wished to admit in. "Is the fireplace on the Floo Network?" "Not technically. Officially only the inter- Hogwarts one now. However, I can still Floo out, but not in." The teen set a screen of magic wards and alarms on it, then headed for the bedchambers. Snape looked distinctly uncomfortable with that. "Is that really necessary?" "Yes, unless you like meeting Death Eaters in your bedroom, and in that case I really don't want to know."
Snape scowled in deep disgust and shook his head in denial, so Harry explained, "For maximum protection, each ward only covers one room. That way I can put strength into each one, instead of stretching it to cover a larger area." The professor simply waved his hand impatiently, telling him to get on with it, so the teen cautiously entered the room. He quickly noted the placement of the bed, wardrobe, desk and most importantly the fireplace. Wards identical to the ones on the main hearth were set up, then Harry spun more magic to encase the room. Snape had come up silently behind him, watching as Harry handled his staff expertly. "I never would have thought I would someday have a student, least of all you, alone in my bedchambers."
Harry threw him an incredulous look over his shoulder. "Don't take that any farther," he warned before turning back to his work. "I have enough mental scarring for a lifetime." Snape grinned a bit. "And how much of that did Eva give you? I must admit, you two seemed pretty cozy together." Harry shot back, "Haven't we already been through this? And besides, if you want to talk about cozy, what about you and Flich, hmm?" He had the pleasure of watching Snape turn a sickly shade of yellow-green, then continued, "No? Then what about the rumors I've been hearing about you, Trelawney, and the Astronomy Tower?"
Now the green was a lovely shade that matched the light of the Avada Kedavra, complementing perfectly the flare Snape was sending in his direction. "You're worse than Black," he gritted out, but Harry turned with a wide-eyed look of innocence. "What? You're the one who started it." He grinned sardonically and stuck out a hand. "Truce? No jokes about our sex lives, or lack thereof?" Snape shook on it. "Truce. Done here yet?" "Yep. I'll place a couple on the bathroom really fast, then I'm done." As he walked out, he answered the unspoken objection, "Don't want any basilisks or peeping ghosts in the plumbing, now do you?"
******************************************************
Harry did not return to Gryffindor Tower until after midnight, thanks to a little run-in with Peeves on the fourth floor as he was heading for the staircase. The poltergeist had found a new toy; namely, Harry's long braid. He seemed to enjoy flipping it around to hit Harry's face, the portraits, suits of armor, etc. After many frustrating attempts, the war mage finally managed to put a Spirit Binding spell on him to hold him in place, then performed a particularly tricky bit of Transfiguration. He supposed he was lucky it was a poltergeist and not a real ghost, with a modicum of physical form to alter, but with the spirit resistance to magical change it was fairly difficult. Still, Harry managed it, went back to his dormitory and fell asleep with a smile on his face, knowing that now the Bloody Baron was not the only one Peeves was scared of.
Later that night, Mrs. Norris was pleased to discover a brand new litter box on the fourth floor, complete with fresh kitty litter and an orange bow tie.
******************************************************
He dreamed he was flying on the back of an eagle owl, the wind blowing his hair back. It was uncannily like the dream back in fourth year, even to the destination. The familiar shade of the Riddle House rose out of the nighttime gloom, and the owl swooped in lower, aiming for one dimly lit window on the second story. It fluttered in, and Harry left its back and moved closer to the fireplace, following a black cloaked man carrying the letter. A sudden sharp pain lanced through his forehead, and Harry hissed as Voldemort came into view, as ugly and foul as ever, sitting in an old armchair as if it was a throne.
"Master, a letter's just arrived for you." The Dark Lord snatched the parchment from the man and perused it quickly. "So, Severus is indeed alive and back teaching his precious Potions." Briefly the red eyes flittered over the man before him. "Makes one wonder how he escaped. Truly miraculous." A minute of silence, then "What about the ambush? I have yet to hear word, except for that Wraith obviously fell for it and the train is still intact." The man before him trembled, wanting to be anywhere but facing his master with bad news of this magnitude, but spoke anyway rather than scream while under the Cruciatus.
"I sent our scouts earlier, and they have just returned with news." He swallowed hard and continued, "All sixteen of our comrades appear to have been captured alive, or at least no trace of them was found at the site. Scores of demons were destroyed, some burnt to ashes. Part of the surrounding forest had been incinerated in an explosion." He took a deep breath, but Voldemort interrupted. "What of the dementors? They had orders, and if Wraith is who I believe he is, he would not have been able to withstand an attack by a dozen dementors."
The Death Eater shifted uncomfortably. "They . . . uh, the dementors . . . were annihilated too, my lord." Voldemort froze, his red eyes gleaming in disbelief and rage. "Annihilated?" he breathed, "And the younger Malfoy reports no one missing from the train the entire journey?" He rose slowly from his stately chair, shaking with suppressed fury and radiating an almost palpable aura of hate. "Am I just supposed to tolerate the actions of this damnable Wraith? When he alone in these past months has cost me more in time and servants than all other forces combined in the last thirty years? NO!!!" he roared out, and he turned his wand on the cowering Death Eater. "Crucio!"
Harry woke with a start, gasping for air as the man's agonized screams echoed away in his ears and the pain in his head gradually faded. He gulped in lungfuls of precious oxygen until his heart rate slowed, and gradually he smiled grimly. So, his nemesis was growing more frustrated. Good. An enemy who is enraged thinks less about his actions before doing, and is prone to many more advantageous mistakes. He made a mental note to inform Dumbledore that Malfoy had sent a letter to the Riddle House as he settled back in bed, and was soon fast asleep.