(A/N: Another Chapter but still a couple to come. I will get them done as soon as I can as I want to finish this story (it was suppose to be only a short one) and get back to my other story "Potter, Harry Potter." I can't believe its been six months since I updated that story! Anyway for now, enjoy this chapter and log a review to tell me what you think!)
"May I tell the students to return to their seats now?" Dumbledore asked with a pleading look in his eyes.
Harry sighed and replied, "Perhaps you should hold off on that for a few more minutes Headmaster."
"Harry!" Dumbledore said in a warning tone.
"I'll be back soon." Harry replied and with that he vanished from sight.
~*~
Two men stood at the back of the hall in the shadows of the doors. They had followed Lucius Malfoy into the hall at a distance, as they had been instructed in letters each had received that day. Several Aurors noticed them but seeing the wizard council badges on their robes, the foremost Auror merely nodded and said, "Senators!" and left them be.
"So your Excellency, a bad night for the pure bloods then!" The taller of the two wizards commented after they had seen the deatheaters fall and be dragged from the hall by the Aurors. He was Senator Robinson leader of the muggle born faction on the council.
"I don't see…" The short, fatter wizard dressed in old-fashioned imperial wizard robes replied. Count Stassy was all a pureblood could be. Though he led a party on the council of purebloods whose stated policies were for the return of traditional wizarding culture, they were considered moderates, as they did not support exclusion of all muggle borns from the wizarding world. They were the junior members of the ruling pureblood coalition on the council. Their partners in the coalition held more extreme views and were lead by Lucius Malfoy himself."
"Didn't you see who the deatheaters were as the Aurors dragged them out. Together with Malfoy himself, I figure the majority of your coalition partners will be spending some considerable time in Azkaban prison." Senator Robinson said earnestly.
The Count fumed. He knew that Robinson was right. "You and your group on the council are not in any position to gain advantage from this." The fat wizard said.
"Yet! Our numbers grow and your's diminish. Its all a matter of time and we muggle borns have learned to be patient." Senator Robinson replied joyfully. "And your man Fudge is certainly looking out of his depth. Whatever will he do now there is not Lucius to whisper instructions into his ear!"
"What on earth!" The Count gasped suddenly ending the conversation.
~*~
People had begun appearing into the Great Hall and if it was a shock for those in the Hall, it was even more of a shock for the people themselves.
"Hermione?" A woman who had just appeared wearing a white coat and still holding a dental probe asked. "What on earth is going on?" Behind her a man in a similar white coat blinked as he tried to orientate himself.
"Mum, Dad! What are you doing here?" Hermione shrieked as she recognised her parents.
Around the Hall the other students were surprised by the sudden appearance of their familles as well. Ron, Fred, George and Percy Weasley were excitedly trying to talk to their brothers Bill and Charlie and their parents.
"But I was in an Egyptian tomb" Bill Weasley said stunned by his sudden appearance at Hogwarts.
"I was riding a dragon in Romania" Charlie Weasley said equally stunned.
"How is this possible, Arthur?" Mrs Weasley said as she grabbed young Ginny.
"It must have been Harry, Mum!" Ron yelled.
"Don't be silly dear." Mrs Weasley replied.
"Well he took care of Lucius Malfoy…" Fred told his mother,
"…and all those deatheaters, mum!" George continued.
"DEATHEATERS! Where?" Arthur Weasley jumping up yelled.
"Just here a few minutes ago Dad." George replied
"The Aurors dragged them out just before you all appeared." Fred continued.
"MUM! Scabbers was a wizard!" Ron yelled above his brothers.
"I don't understand. One at a time Boys!" Arthur Weasley said.
"Harry freed Sirius Black." Percy cut in pointing to the two men talking not far away.
"Oh my!" Mrs Weasley said as she recognised one of the men.
Similar confused conversations amongst students and their families were happening all over the Great Hall as the students tried to explain all the events of the evening. Draco Malfoy was trying to explain to his mother what had happened to Lucius. Many of the staff were also engaged in conversations with arrivals like Mad Eye Moody and Tonks.
~*~
Dumbledore frowned as he witnessed all this happening. Many turned their attention to him for some explanation of the evening. The trouble with being the leading expert on magic in the wizarding world, the headmaster realised, was that everyone expected you to know exactly what was going on all the time and at the moment the headmaster did not have a clue.
"Now see here Dumbledore. This has gone quite far enough!" Fudge complained.
"The Minister is correct Headmaster. The boy is a menace to the school and should be restrained." followed Snape's oily tones.
"And what do you propose I do about it." Dumbledore replied, "I don't even know what is really going on here." Many people gasped in shock at this.
"You could… You could just…" Fudge continued failing to complete his sentence.
"No Cornelius, I could not! That is my point. For better or worse Harry Potter is far beyond any of our powers. Harry Potter should not have been able to apparate from within Hogwarts but I perceived him brushing aside the wards with ease. The death eaters should not have been able to apparate into here either. A fact I again attribute to Mr Potter's overriding of this castle's strongest wards. And as far as the sudden apparition of all these people… Well you can see my point, can't you! If he can do all this with such ease, what else is he capable of? Luckily, he has not threatened or harmed a single one of the students, staff or Ministry personnel, only the death eaters and apart from the loss of their powers they are also uninjured. I insist no confrontation take place here where it might endanger the students, and that includes Harry. We must wait and see for now."
"Thank you Headmaster!" Harry said from behind the huddle of staff and ministry officials. They spun around to find the boy standing there holding high a large glowing orb with his left hand. "You have my word that no student shall come to harm if it is within my power to prevent. But if we are to save their lives now and in the future, then they must accept some of the world's realities, as ugly and unsettling as they are." Harry nodded towards the headmaster and Dumbledore nodded his consent curtly back.
Harry pushed the glowing orb up into the air and it hung there by itself as he withdrew his hand. Harry strode down the hall until he stood before the largest groups of Slytherin students and their families, including Draco Malfoy and his mother. Draco and most of the other Slytherins sneered at him.
"You now blame me for what I did to many of your parents. WELL TOO BAD! They made their choice. The choice to answer again the summons of what they thought was the dark lord. They transfigured their clothes into the black robes and white masks of the death eaters and they came to do their Lord's bidding. And by that action they were condemned." The fury in Harry's voice stung their ears. "Does anyone of you doubt that if the dark lord was really here, the death eaters would have done his bidding? Attack staff and students, kill, torture and destroy any that the dark lord wanted them too. Even you, their own children!"
Harry watched most of the Slytherins lower their gaze as the truth of his statements struck home. "Those few who resisted the summons have had their marks removed. They are free and I have no issue with them anymore, even those who still hold to the idea that pure bloods are better than muggle borns. I don't agree with the idea but others are free to believe whatever they will, so long as they do not try to enforce their views on all by terror and murder." Harry paused to give them time to consider what he had said.
There were mutterings amongst the students now as they tried to figure it all out.
"And what about my father, Potter. What you did to him…" Draco's anger had overwhelmed his fear.
"YOUR PARENTS ARE ALIVE, DRACO!" Harry yelled in a voice so loud it was physical painful to those in front of him. The hall was silent as everyone listened to the exchange. Harry continued in a more controlled voice. "They are alive and uninjured. They have not been disfigured, tortured or driven insane. You can still talk to them and they can still look after you and raise you in their own home. And you are free to accept their beliefs or choose your own. You still have your parents. That is much more than many others in this hall can say of their own parents, including myself." Draco flinched as that struck home. "I said to you a little while ago that I would do what I can to help you. And I will but I will not stand by and see death eaters spread their terror once more."
Draco was about to object at this but Harry cut him off. "Do you know what your father planned Draco? Do you know of the object he recently acquired? The diary, Draco! Did he tell you what he hoped he could achieve with it? Did he tell you whom he thought he could resurrect? Did he tell you of the victims it would take? And who they were to be? WELL DRACO DID HE TELL YOU?"
Draco paled at the questions. His father had not told him the details but only general hopes for brining back the Dark Lord. And Draco knew it would involve the deaths of a number of mudbloods at Hogwarts. His anger was overwhelmed by his embarrassment and his guilt.
"Do you know Draco?" Harry asked again.
"Yes!" Draco said quietly.
"I can't hear you!" Harry stated firmly.
"YES! YES! I know enough!" Draco yelled.
"Do you agree?" Harry asked calmly.
"What?" Draco replied puzzled.
"Do you agree with what your father wanted to do?" Harry asked.
"No!" Draco said with as much dignity as he could.
"Good!" Harry said smiling at the boy. Then Harry turned and made to walk away but Draco called out to him.
"Wait! What do you mean, good?" Draco demanded.
Harry stopped and turned as replied "I told you before, our fate is in our own hands, not our fathers. You are not your father, you will make different choices in life than him, for good or bad." Harry nodded politely at confused Draco. "Your parents are still alive, Draco. Be thankful for that!"
And addressing the still silent Slytherin students and their families around Draco, Harry said, "As are all your parents and families. That is no small thing considering their past, present and future deeds. Trust me when I say that I am well capable of killing all the death eaters in the world, your parents included. But they are alive and unharmed. I took their magic to prevent them ever again from inflicting pain and suffering on the world in service of Voldemort."
Draco flinched at the Dark Lords name. "Don't say his name, Potter!" Draco hissed.
"Actually his name is not Voldemort." Harry said as Draco and many others flinched again, "It's Riddle."
Harry turned and to everyone in the great hall, in a loud commanding voice he said. "For decades the wizarding world has been held hostage by one man, if you can call him a man. Lord Voldemort!" Harry sneered at those in front of him that flinched at the mention of the name. "Would you prefer if I said Tom Riddle?" blank looks adorned the faces in the crowd. Harry signed and using his wand he spelt out the words in fiery letters in the air above him for all to see.
Tom
Marvolo
Riddle
They burned there for a few seconds for all to see and then with a flick of his wand Harry sent the letters in movement. They rearranged themselves into new words.
I
Am
Lord
Voldemort
"Tom Riddle is Voldemort's real name!" Harry told all present in the crowd. Realisation dawned for those before Harry Potter. "And fifty years ago he was a student here at Hogwarts. He was sorted into Slytherin and it must have been very hard for him there at first as he was not a pureblood. His father was a muggle.
A number of the Slytherins gasped at this revelation.
"Its true! Tom Riddle struggled and began to gain the respect of his peers and the staff for his brilliance and sheer determination to succeed at any cost." Harry continued holding all present spellbound. "In fact, he was made head boy by Headmaster Dippet and all the staff thought the world of him, all the staff except one that is." Harry tipped his head at Dumbledore and received the same in reply.
"Isn't that right, TOM?" Harry said to the glowing sphere and as the glow diminished a ghastly figure was revealed.
"You'll pay for this Potter as your parents paid for their foolishness!" the grotesque form yelled for the entire hall to hear.
There were screams around the hall as these words were heard and the realisation of who the figure in the orb was came to the students, their families and some of the Minister's party.
"Have no fear. His magic cannot penetrate the orb. He is sealed in until I choose to release him." Harry yelled above the noise. Harry eyes literally glowed a disturbing shade of vivid green and his complex aura of magic light and dark, swirled around him.
"Let all here today bear witness to the world." Harry spoke the words with such strength of tone that all fell silent to listen. He went on, "What power brought me forth into this world I know not. But I know what I am. I was forged in the furnace of battle, harden in misery, shaped by pain, strengthened by long war and edged by deaths uncounted. I am the sword of vengeance. Wielded by the one who forged me," Harry said looking at a surprised Dumbledore, " to sweep the darkness that threatens to engulf us all from the world. I was made to bring the light to all!"
The swirl of magical energies swept the hall and the enchanted ceiling at first dimmed and then began to glow. Everything in the great hall was washed by the brilliant light from the ceiling. All those present squinted in the light and were blinded by the unbearable bright glare.
"But I discovered that the light can be as oppressive as the dark." And with those words the ceiling dimmed into a swirl of many colours light and dark. "That is the truth that I bring you this night, and the chance to be free from all oppression, light and dark. The rich tapestry of life should be woven from many threats in many shades, hues and colours."
With that the colours of the ceiling changed into a rich pattern whose sheer beauty stunned all who saw it. Many themes of light and dark colours appeared in it and just as quickly disappeared before the eye could fully discern their purpose but the pattern became richer still. Patterns flowed from one to another and slowly greater things than mere pleasing patterns could be seen. The ceiling became a landscape of astounding clarity with high mountains and wide waters, the rain parted and the sun shone upon a forest of untold majesty, Beasts walked in the dappled light of the new day in great numbers and many peoples walked among them. And still the ceiling grew in beauty. All who watched were held in a speechless wonder.
Principal among the people in the landscape were four figures as different from each other as night is to day. Two men and two women! Good friends with a common purpose. Valiant, wise, loyal and crafty they were. These four gathered the others around them and began to build a great work of stone and timber. Stone by stone, beam by beam, the work grew until a familiar outline took shape. Hogwarts! They were watching the building of this very castle by the four founders themselves. All could hear the laughter of children as the castle was completed. And then the children were seen running, still laughing, towards the castle. Some rich, some poor, some dressed in rags but all welcomed into the castle.
The images flashed past faster. Autumn turned to winter, winter to spring and on into summer, years pasted and thousands of children came and grew and left as young proud adults. Then the first of the troubles came. Division and conflicts, fights and battles, flashed past to peace and more laughter again. On through years uncounted was this pattern repeated. Centuries pasted ever faster until the ceiling came closer to the present day, then it slowed but did not stop.
Those in the hall that night watched as the future was displayed. They saw the conflicts and many battles as Harry Potter battled the Dark lord. More horrible than all the other battles and wars they had seen combined and they seemed no end to it. Many saw their own faces fall in battle on the side of the desperate darkness or the rabid army of light. Finally, they saw the final battle at Hogwarts were both armies destroyed themselves in the frenzy of battle and were Harry Potter ripped through the very fabric of this universe to be rid of the Dark Lord. They saw the aftermath and the victims. The long years of misery and the struggle to rebuild what was lost and finally they saw a much older Harry Potter stand by the castle trying to mend the damage to the universe. Then they saw the betrayal of Harry Potter by those around him and the end of all things."
"You have seen the future from which I come. No don't ask how I came to be here, I don't know. I have changed my past to avoid that terrible future but you could bring it about again or many others just as bad, if you do not change your ways. I am not talking about giving up those things you believe in but in how you bring them about. You have seen how violence on both sides ends. There are other ways and I have tried to follow them here tonight. The choice is now yours!" Harry said and with that, the ceiling faded back to the night sky.
"Headmaster, the students may now return to their seats." Harry told Dumbledore as he bowed low. Dumbledore awoke from his enchantment and nodded to his staff and they began to direct the students and their families be seated at the house tables. They all had seen much this night and where still processing the memories as they stumbled in silence back to their house tables.