In Every Darkness
Chapter Seventy Four: Holidays Approaching
1.12.1996
Harry sat quietly in the Gryffindor common room, staring silently into the fire. There was no one else near by at the moment – most of them where catching up with last minute homework or playing on the grounds.
Lifting his head, he saw the snow falling in gentle flakes outside of the window. He wondered why he didn't go and join the activities outside. Goodness knew he'd been asked by enough people.
But he didn't feel like playing in the snow. He sighed softly.
The main reason for his wish to remain alone was that he and Lily had finished the Love-Me-Not potion the day before, and Harry had taken it, knowing that he would then loose, for life, the one girl he thought he might have been capable of loving. There was no counter for the Love-Me-Not potion.
He shook his head slightly, trying to dislodge this one thought. He didn't want to remember that, he wanted it to go away. He didn't love Lily any more, but he still wanted to love her.
Forbidden fruit.
He turned angrilly to his homework, spread out around him in various piles. He smiled faintly, realising that, in his frustration and want to do something, he'd actually been doing his homework. More startling still – he was almost finished it.
They were getting more every day, it seemed, but oh well. At least he would be caught up with the weekends load. Tomorrow would be Monday, and several of these assignments would be due in.
Harry put the finishing touches on a Potions essay, then read through it, using his wand to correct any small mistakes he'd made. When he was satisfied with it, he murmured "emindator."
Immediately every word that he'd spelt wrong was underlined in red, and the correct word hovering over them. Quickly, he corrected these as well, and set the essay aside, with a muttered "arefacio," he dried the ink, and turned to a Transfiguration essay.
Half an hour later he'd completed everything that he'd been given over the week in various classes, packed it all up into his room and walked out of the Gryffindor common room, heading for the Room of Requirement.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Potter the Prefect," a sneering voice came from behind him.
Harry didn't even have to turn around to know that it was Draco Malfoy who spoke.
"Well, well, well, if it's the boy who lost his prefect badge," Harry replied coolly, still without looking behind him.
Malfoy had been forbidden from playing Quidditch for his 'unsportsmanlike attack on a captain of an opposing team', had lost fifty points from Slytherin and had had his prefect badge confiscated.
He'd also been told that he was lucky to have gotten off so lightly, which compounded his annoyance – this was light?
So he was naturally furious when Harry spoke out like this, and prepared to attack. "You are aware, Malfoy, that if you attack me, you will be expelled? I believe the headmaster made this quite clear when he told you your punishment."
Furious though he was, Malfoy knew that Harry spoke the exact truth. He could not attack the 'Boy Who Lived' again, now that he was back in favour with the Wizarding world.
Malfoy turned and stalked away. Harry smiled slightly, and continued on his way.
He was learning, more and more, to control the unpredictable Modifier talent that was his. It was so weak that he was often frustrated, because he could not do what he wanted to, as it required too much power.
But he had learned, quickly, that it was more important to stabilise this gift, and the way to stabilise it was to practice with it. This was also the best way to get his gift to perform at its maximum capacity. As he got older, and could control it better, the Modifier talent would get stronger, until stabilising about midlife – for a wizard, this being somewhere between seventy five and one hundred.
So now Harry got to completely wear his body his out, practicing martial arts and duelling with Tatsu, and then he wore out his mind working on the Modifier talent. For some reason, Tatsu was insistent that Harry have as much of his Modifier talent under wraps by Christmas as possible.
Although he did not know the reason behind his haste and work, Harry did all that he could to keep up with the demanding pace that Tatsu set for him, as he wanted his guardian to be proud of him.
And though he rarely said it – Tatsu was.
The moment Harry opened the door into the Room of Requirement, he was moving. He knew that Tatsu would have been crouching patiently just near the door waiting for his arrival, just to make sure Harry got a surprise the moment he walked into the room. Tatsu was very firm about this – enemies would attack like this, without warning, and Harry to be ready for it.
And, thanks to Tatsu, Harry thought wryly, he would be very ready for it, should the situation ever occur.
As he got better and better at being ready when he opened the door to a room, Harry found he actually liked this challenge. He never knew exactly what Tatsu would do, and it was almost fun – at least, it was when he managed to stop the attack.
Today was no different. Tatsu wasn't in sight when Harry first walked warily into the room. Harry quickly sank into his centre, trying to discern everything that might lead to Tatsu's location.
He heard the scuff of a footfall behind him, and whipped around immediately. Sure enough, there was Tatsu, already attacking.
Harry swiftly arranged his body so that he would be able to counter the coming attack, and lunged forward to meet his teacher.
Half an hour of swift dodging and attacking, and the pair of them fell back, Harry worn out and Tatsu panting slightly. Neither had been the victor in this instance, though Tatsu would have been, if they'd continued.
The door to the Room of Requirement opened and Michael McGonagall walked through the door. "Tatsu – you are ready, aren't you?" he asked, smiling.
"We are," Tatsu confirmed. "Now, Harry, Michael is going to help us with your training. You have managed to alter charms and transfiguration spells. Now comes the time for something different, and perhaps more useful – curses."
Harry sat up straight, green eyes glinting with delight. He had been looking forward to this for a long time. "Really?" he asked, sounding very happy.
"Really," Tatsu smiled. "The first spell we work with will be Stupefy. I want you to change it to a sleeping spell. It will be cast on you still, but I want you asleep, not stunned, got it?"
"Got it," Harry confirmed.
"Good," Tatsu nodded. "Michael?"
Harry watched the curse coming towards him. From within his Centre, it was a set of white ropes, twisting around each other in a vicious ball … and each of the ropes was composed of threads.
Somehow, he knew which threads he wanted to manoeuvre – he had never received a satisfactory explanation from Tatsu as to why he didn't need to be told these things. As always, he had resist the temptation to use large amounts of power in a specific way. He wouldn't succeed.
He knew that in this, his main enemy was himself … Or rather, his own power levels. Carefully, he manipulated a few of the threads, weaving them together differently. The curse was bearing down on him faster and faster, and Harry slipped out of Centre to see what was now a flash of red burning towards him.
But the red was slightly off-colour. He could just see the tiny threads of deep purple that were hidden within it. And then it hit him, and all he saw was black.
"Harry, wake up," a cool voice commander.
Harry's eyelids fluttered, then opened. He found himself staring into the face of Tatsu Kendo, his teacher, friend and guardian. "Hello Tatsu. Did I do it?"
"Yeah kid, you did it. You did well, rest now."
Harry smiled faintly, and that smile remained as he dropped back into the deep, healing sleep. Apparently the sleep curse had been more powerful than he'd have liked it to be, but oh well. Sleep was good – he was tired.
In Voldemorts fortress, Severus Snape knelt before the Dark Lord. "My Lord, the Caducas potion is almost ready."
"Really, Severus?" the Dark Lord hissed. "Well, that was unexpected. You told me it would not be finished for another … two, almost three months, wasn't it?"
"Yes, my lord. I got many of the ingredients long before I had expected them. Your other servants work well. I will require another three weeks to completely finish it and key it to it's victims," Severus replied.
"I am pleased, Severus. You are working well. It will be finished three days before Christmas … The ideal time for a Minister and a much loved fool to die, don't you agree? I never did like Christmas," the Dark Lord hissed softly.
"A perfect time, Master," Severus breathed. "My lord, may I serve you in any other way?"
"No, Severus … Your part of this is to make the Potion, and make sure that none suspect your purpose here. Another of my Inner Circle will be given the honour of taking the Potion to my enemies," Voldemort told him. "But your eagerness is pleasing to me."
"I live to serve, my lord," Severus replied.
"Quite right, and you would be ill advised to forget that, Severus. When you have completed the potion, you will return to Hogwarts. I must know whether or not the potion is successful."
"I will do as ordered, my Lord, of course," Severus replied.
"Oh, and Severus? With Dumbledore dead, you will strive to take on the position of Deputy Headmaster, under the other woman … McGonagall. When the time comes, I want one of my faithful servants in command at Hogwarts."
"Of course, my Lord. I look forward to serving you in whatever way I can," Severus said quietly, while thinking, bastard. You'll never get what you want – not while I have breath in my body!
Good for you Sev, Remus agreed with him absently.
"Dismissed, Severus," Severus rose thankfully and bowed before heading away.
Well, I'll be back at Hogwarts soon … I wonder what sort of trouble Potter's managed to get into while I've been away … Probably has all the teachers wrapped around his fingers now, he thought to himself.
Probably. But it's not necessarily a bad thing, Remus protested. At least he's learning well! Or at least, from what I gather he is. He seems to have made friends with all of the students from the lower years of Slytherin, though the older one's resist his offers of friendship. He's managed to unite more than half the school, and a lot of the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang too!
Severus was a little surprised by this – he'd never really thought of Potter as a hero … Sure, everyone was always going on about him, but Severus had always assumed it was just luck and stupidity. He'd never really considered Potter going out of his way to help others …
And as he thought, he realised how stupid this was. He had been letter his memories of James Potter interfere with his judgement on his old enemies son. He'd never wanted to get to know Potter, or have anything to do with him.
Maybe this had been a mistake.
Severus shook his head – he didn't want to think about this. It was way too close to admitting that he might approve of the boy … Or like him … Or something like that.
You're confused, Remus pointed out wickedly.
Shut up Lupin.
He heard the dead mans laughter echoing in his mind, and then fade away as he made his way back to his quarters. Soon he would be away from this Dark Fortress. Soon he would be surrounded by the people who were really on his side, not the side he pretended to be on.
He was surprised at how much this mattered to him now.
***
Next chapter, jumping on to Christmas, I hope. I am DETERMINED to get this going ahead a bit faster! I'm up to chapter 74, and I haven't even covered ONE TERM yet! Oh well … I'll get there, really I will!
Thanks:
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Evil Anti-Patriotic Elf Named Cin and All Titles Which Do Apply,
We art sorry to hear that thee will depart from the respectable age of fifteen so soon after We have reached it, but We do rejoice that thou shalt move on to greater things, in thy sixteenth year! We thank thee for thy tip in regard to age, We will do Our best to remember to use it.
Have to fear, Our friend, We know, as well as thee, that thee would never miss out reviewing one of our chapters, and We are happy that thou hast enjoyed them!
Sincerely,
WolfMoon
Lady Death,
Queen of Tenebralia,
Goddess of Darkness and Evilness.