Disclaimer: I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, items, ect.
Comments: Hmm...I wasn't really planning on this chapter, but I couldn't help myself. And, featured at the end of this chapter will be –drumroll- response to reviews!
-----------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 41 – Contract?
"Are you sure you're all right, Harry?" Hermione nagged as they walked to Defense Against the Dark Arts.
"I'm. bloody. fine." Harry growled.
"Well, I'm just..."
"A broken record?" he suggested.
"I'm just looking out for you!" Hermione exclaimed, offended.
"And that includes asking the same question and getting the same answer over...and over...and over...and-"
"I get it!" Hermione interrupted.
"Took you long enough," he replied irritably.
Hermione sighed, and he echoed her. Silver had coaxed him to reveal how he felt that things had changed in the castle, and since then he had been treated like a bomb waiting to explode by Ron and Hermione. Silver was concerned as well, no doubt about that, but she at least treated him normally. Besides, her concern included hugs, kisses, and encouraging words, whilst Ron and Hermione's consisted of one simple factor: nagging. He didn't think he could take any more stress. Hermione continued to huff next to him, which successfully raised his annoyance.
"Why did I agree to walk to class with you, again?" he asked.
"Because you had nobody else to go with," Hermione supplied, "Your girlfriend is with my boyfriend."
"Why doesn't that sound good?" Harry asked sarcastically.
"Yes, perhaps I should have worded it differently," Hermione agreed.
Ron and Silver had both gone to the Owlry to send letters to Fred and George; Ron wanted to get some free supplies from their joke shop, and Silver was just 'keeping in touch', as she put it. As Harry and Hermione rounded the corner, they saw Ron and Silver talking in front of the classroom. Ron was leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets, blushing, and Silver was smiling smugly, standing in front of him. At Silver's side stood Charisma, who was now fully grown, or at least very close to it. Harry and Hermione both strained to hear his words.
"Yeah, yeah, big deal," Ron muttered, looking down.
Silver laughed. "Oh come on, Ron, you just have to-"
She trailed off as Charisma gave her a warning chirp to let her know that Harry and Hermione were approaching. Ron's blush intensified when he caught sight of Hermione.
"Uh, hi," he mumbled uncomfortably.
Silver looked on the verge of laughing once more, but refrained.
"What were you talking about?" Hermione demanded.
"Nothing," Silver replied innocently in a sing-song voice.
She swept into the classroom before Hermione could question her further, dragging Harry with her. Charisma sat down just outside the doorway, watching Silver intently. The hippogriff had accepted the fact that she no longer fit in most classrooms, but would only sit quietly when she could see Silver from the doorway. As Harry and Silver sat down, Harry lay his forehead on the desk. Silver rubbed his back comfortingly.
"Not feeling good?" she asked sweetly.
"I just wish I could figure out what's so different," he grumbled, "It's starting to get on my nerves."
And indeed, it was. It was getting increasingly hard to concentrate. It felt as if there was some presence in the castle, something that was bearing down on him every second, waiting for a chance to strike. He sighed and lifted his head up as Tonks arrived. Last class of the day, he reminded himself, Then I can go talk to Dumbledore.
Tonks greeted the class cheerfully, and everyone on the Gryffindor side of the room came to attention. Unfortunately, on Tuesdays they had the class with the Slytherins, who were always too busy amongst themselves to pay much attention to anything else.
Tonks cleared her throat pointedly, and a few of them reluctantly straightened in their seats.
"Today we are moving on to a new unit," she announced, "Dueling."
Beside Harry, Silver straightened interestedly.
"Right now, I just want to see what level you are all at, so you are going to start out in the pairs that you are currently seated with..."
Harry was very satisfied with this, but he didn't like the 'starting out' part – he saw no reason to change partners whatsoever.
"...and later on, we'll switch so that you can..."
"I'm not switching partners!" Harry declared loudly.
Tonks turned to look at him, a bit flabbergasted. He glared back. He was not going to let anybody else even have a shot at hexing Silver.
"Yes he is," Silver argued from beside him, "Please continue, Professor Tonks."
With a last worried glance at Harry, Tonks continued her speech.
"What are you talking about?" Harry whispered to Silver.
"It'll be boring dueling you the whole time," Silver answered, "We'll have to switch."
"Yeah, but if you end up in the hospital wing, then..." he began.
"Harry, nobody in this class is going to be able to lay a wand on me," she replied confidently.
Harry was taken aback. "Fine then, Miss Confidence," he muttered.
"...anyway, I would love to start off with a volunteer pair," Tonks was saying, "So, are there any..."
Before the words were even out of her mouth, Malfoy's hand shot up.
"...volunteers. Mr. Malfoy," Tonks said, "Wonderful. Who would like to challenge him?"
Nobody moved. Nobody, that is, except for Silver. Her hand shot straight up into the air immediately, a smile playing upon her lips.
"Miss Riddle," Tonks said, taking a special pride in saying her name, "Excellent! Please come to the front of the classroom."
Harry inwardly groaned. The last thing he needed was to watch Malfoy try and hex his girlfriend. Silver, however, nearly jumped out of her chair and headed for the front. Tonks magicked her desk out of the way, and stepped aside to explain the rules.
"Alright, well, just show me what you know," she said finally.
Malfoy and Silver were both staring at each other; Silver with hatred, Malfoy with a combination of loathing and lust. Malfoy swept into a formal bow just to annoy Silver, who nodded her head curtly. Then they faced each other, wands drawn. Malfoy struck first.
"Stupefy," he tried.
"Protego," she responded, almost boredly.
He frowned, and then smiled.
"I have a little pet for you, half-blood," he informed her, "Serpensortia."
A huge black snake shot out of his wand, causing several girls to scream. It slithered towards Silver, and for a moment, they just stared at each other.
"Attack!" Malfoy ordered.
Instead, the serpent coiled harmlessly at her feet. Silver smiled at Malfoy charmingly.
"Why, thank you, Malfoy," she said with mock gratefulness, "Just what I've always wanted."
Malfoy gaped only a second before dodging a stunner sent at him from Silver. "How'd you do that?" he demanded.
"I have my ways," she replied, "Expelliarmus!"
Malfoy dodged just in time. He shot another stunner at Silver, who stepped out of the way casually, mocking him with her calmness. Harry watched her closely. He could see that she had a passion and natural flair for battle.
"Engorgio," Silver said suddenly, pointing at Malfoy's arm, which he didn't move out of the way quickly enough.
It immediately began to swell to the width of a fire hydrant, making it impossible for him to hold his wand in it. He switched hands, and Harry could see that he was beginning to lose patience.
"Filthy little..." he muttered, "Furnunculus!"
Silver rolled easily to the side, her eyes glittering.
"Tut, tut, Malfoy, you don't really want to do that, do you?" she teased.
"Incendio!" he cried in rage, pointing his wand at her feet.
Silver jumped forward as a fire began to blaze near her feet. After landing, she wasted no time in casting a spell.
"Locomotor Mortus," she cried.
Malfoy's legs locked, and he fell to the floor, but not before he completely lost his temper.
"No half-blood beats me!" he roared, "My father-"
"Your father has nothing do with this," Silver retorted.
"You shouldn't be talking about fathers," Malfoy retorted, "Especially not when yours is a filthy mudblood!"
Silver's eyes flashed with anger. "Don't you talk about my father!" she yelled, raising her wand, "You...have...no...right!"
Malfoy's eyes glittered with a mixture of fear and amusement as Silver advanced on him with her wand. She opened her mouth, most likely to hex him into the next century, but he struck first.
"Imperio!" he yelled, his wand pointed at Silver, "Drop the wand!"
The class gasped, Charisma charged through the door, and Harry vaulted out of his seat, but everyone stopped when Silver laughed.
"No thanks, Malfoy," she replied, "I'm rather attached to my wand. Stupefy."
With a flick of her wand, Malfoy was stunned. Beaming, she turned to Tonks, who was ashen-faced.
"He used an Unforgivable," she said, her voice a pitch higher than usual, "He actually used an Unforgivable."
"Yes, well, this is Malfoy we're talking about," Silver replied, "The little slimeball can't even win a duel using Unforgivables."
Tonks suddenly seemed to realize that Silver was standing there.
"You..." she said, "You just...like it was nothing...it didn't affect you...not for a second..."
"I've had my experiences with the Unforgivables," Silver replied casually, petting an overexcited Charisma soothingly, "They don't faze me much."
Seamus chuckled, along with some of the rest of the class. "Um, you realize that Avada Kedavra is included in those Unforgivables?" he inquired amusedly.
"Where do you think I learned to dodge?" she replied evenly.
At this, the class was silent. The smile faded from Seamus' face. "Oh," he said quietly.
"Um, class...will be dismissed early today," Tonks stammered.
The class filed out, whispering quietly, but Silver gave Harry, Ron, and Hermione a look that clearly said that she was staying.
"Are you alright?" she asked Tonks.
"Me?" Tonks asked, "You're the one that just had an Unforgivable used against you! I'll probably end up being fired!"
"No, you won't," Silver soothed, "It was Malfoy that cast the spell, not you."
"But...I told you to show me what you know," Tonks said, looking downcast.
Silver laughed. "I'm sure nobody took you seriously," she said, "Now why don't you go visit with Dumbledore while we get Killer over here to the hospital wing."
"Are you sure?" Tonks asked, "I mean...he's...he's...I can't believe you're joking about it!"
"Don't worry about it," Silver said, "After we drop him off at the hospital wing, we'll come and give witness to what just happened in your defense, okay?"
"Alright," Tonks consented weakly.
Silver smiled her out of the room, and then turned to Malfoy.
"Little cockroach," she sighed, "Mobilicorpus."
Malfoy lifted off the floor, and Silver directed him out of the room...Harry had a feeling she purposely hit his head on the doorway.
He, Ron, and Hermione exchanged a glance before darting after her and Charisma.
"Silver!" Ron exclaimed, "You were bloody brilliant!"
"That was some excellent dueling," Hermione chipped in.
Harry walked up beside her and put his arm around her, causing her to accidentally hit Malfoy's body on the wall.
"That was stupid," he informed her.
She looked at him in surprise.
"You could've been hurt," he continued.
She smiled. "You're starting to sound like me," she teased.
He grinned. "Well, you took my job," he answered, "Doing stupid things that can get you in trouble..."
Silver looked slightly offended. "I knew I was going to win," she replied, "Are you saying you didn't think I was going to?"
"Erm, no," Harry lied, "I just thought you could've gotten hurt."
She huffed in a way similar to Hermione – only much cuter, in Harry's opinion. He kissed the top of her head and decided to leave the matter alone. When he straightened, he suddenly became dizzy. He stopped, wavering unsteadily.
"Harry?" Silver asked concernedly.
He heard a thump which meant that Malfoy had come into hard contact with a wall.
"Just a little dizzy," he said, squinting as everything began to come back into focus.
Silver was standing in front of him, oblivious to the fact that Malfoy was alternating between hitting the left wall and the ceiling behind her. She reached up a hand and stroked his face gently.
"Harry, I think you should go see Dumbledore now," she said worriedly.
"I can make it to Madam Pomfrey's and back," he replied.
Surprisingly, Hermione didn't interfere at all – although Harry suspected it had something to do with the fact that Ron stepped on her foot when she opened her mouth to speak.
"Well...alright," she consented reluctantly, "But...well, walk next to Ron and Charisma – just in case."
Harry rolled his eyes as Ron and Charisma solemnly stepped forward on either side of him.
"Come on, I just got dizzy for a second," he complained.
"And you're also convinced that something in the castle has changed when everything is exactly the same," Hermione piped up, "Something's obviously wrong, Harry."
Silver shot Hermione an icy look and Charisma made a low growling sound. Ron shook his head.
"Hermione," Silver said, her voice laced with impatience, "Just be quiet."
Hermione looked as if she were about to argue, but Ron shot her a look and she dropped silent, looking as if she had been cheated out of something. Harry's mind was spinning. Great, he thought, I'm turning into a mental case. Next thing I know, I'm going to be at St. Mungo's. He groaned out loud, clutching his fists frustratedly.
"Nothing's wrong with you, Harry," Silver told him.
"Then why am I the only one who knows something's different?" he exclaimed, "Why can't you guys feel it?"
"Well, Harry...I mean, we haven't...it's probably..." Silver trailed off uncertainly.
"What?" Harry demanded.
"Well, Harry, Voldemort!" Silver exclaimed, causing Ron and Hermione to jump, "I mean, you go inside his body and have a little chat with him, and then you're in bed for two days talking in your sleep, you have a frustrating and overwhelming talk with Dumbledore, and now you feel like something's different. Of course something's different, Harry, it's you!"
Harry was silent for a few seconds. "So...you're saying that I've changed?" he gathered.
"Yes, Harry," she said.
"How?" he inquired.
Silver took a deep breath as they rounded the corner to Madam Pomfrey's, and stopped outside of her office to face him.
"Harry, I can just guess at a lot of things," she said quietly, "But I've spent a lot of time listening to Voldemort's plots and such, and I think that you've changed because he's...well, he's more a part of you now."
"More a part of me?" Harry repeated, "More a part of me?"
His voice rose as he spoke. "You think Voldemort is a part of me?"
Silver looked over at a stunned Ron and Hermione. "Take Malfoy," she said, "We'll meet you in Dumbledore's office."
The two complied, both eyeing Harry warily as they passed. He was still staring at Silver in disbelief. She looked at him for a moment and then set off in the direction of Dumbledore's office with Charisma in tow.
"So you think I'm some kind of half-me, half-Voldemort...thing?" he asked as he trotted to catch up with her.
"I never said he was you!" she exclaimed.
"Well what does him being a part of me mean, then?" he exploded.
"I don't know how to explain it, Harry, it's just-"
Harry wasn't listening to her. What the bloody hell does she mean that he is a part of me? he thought angrily.
"I can't believe you think I'm like him!" Harry yelled, "What kind of a girlfriend are you?"
She whirled to face him, placed both hands on his chest, and shoved, hard. He staggered back into the wall.
"I never said that!" she yelled back, tears forming in her eyes, "I would never say that!"
For a moment he was so surprised that he didn't say anything, but then he realized that she was running towards Dumbledore's office. Charisma gave him a withering look and followed her.
"Well what did you mean then?" he yelled as he ran after her.
He watched as she reached the gargoyle, told Charisma to stay outside, and ran up the stairs. Harry stopped as he reached Charisma, who snapped at him when he tried to get past the gargoyle.
"Listen, I really need to go in," he said, "I never meant to make her cry."
Charisma growled at him disbelievingly, but let him pass. Harry ran up the stairs and into Dumbledore's office, only to wish that he hadn't come at all. Dumbledore, Tonks, and Professor McGonagall were watching in confusion as Silver stood crying into Snape's robes, murmuring something incomprehensible. Snape looked up at Harry, and his eyes hardened.
"What've you done to her?" he snarled.
"Now, now, Severus," Dumbledore said, "I'm sure Harry hasn't done anything."
"I haven't," Harry confirmed, "I just got mad because she told me that Voldemort is a part of me."
Everyone quieted.
"Well, now, Harry, why did that make you mad?" Dumbledore finally asked.
Harry gaped in disbelief.
"Well wouldn't you be upset if somebody told you that you were the darkest wizard ever known?" he asked.
"I...n...never...said...t...that," Silver wailed.
"Indeed, Harry," Dumbledore said.
Harry opened his mouth to argue, but Dumbledore held up his hand.
"I think, Harry, you should consider it from a different point of view," he said calmly, "Do you love Miss Riddle?"
"What does that have to do with it?" Harry asked.
Dumbledore gave him a piercing look, and Harry grudgingly answered his question.
"Yes, I do," he said. Silver's sobs quieted some.
"Well, then I think it would be safe to say that she is very important to you, so important that she is...a part of yourself?" Dumbledore asked.
Harry considered the question for a moment.
"Well, I guess," he admitted, "But I'm not in love with Voldemort."
Dumbledore chuckled. "True," he said, "But your bond with Voldemort is a magical bond, Harry. He has marked you as his equal – his only equal – and that makes him a part of you, and you of him. It is almost like a binding magical contract."
Harry was silent. Super, he thought, Voldemort and I are under a binding magical contract to try and kill each other? Just great.
"Okay," he said finally.
"Why were you talking about it, anyway?" Snape snapped, obviously not having forgiven Harry for making Silver cry.
"Oh yeah," Harry said, "I feel like things are different here. I mean, everything is in the same place and stuff, but...it's all different. It's like something is inside of the castle...waiting for something."
He finished feeling extremely stupid. What kind of an explanation was that – something was waiting for something? He looked up at Dumbledore hesitantly.
"Ah," was all that Dumbledore said.
"So...I'm just feeling like this because Voldemort is...a part...of me?" Harry said, forcing the words out.
"I believe so," Dumbledore replied.
Harry chanced a glance in Silver's direction, and saw that she was looking up at Snape, talking discreetly as he listened and looked down at her. He struggled to hear a snatch of their conversation.
"...so be nice," she was saying quietly.
Snape looked up and caught Harry's eye. Harry looked away quickly. The look in Snape's eye had not been 'nice' at all. The door opened, and Ron and Hermione arrived.
"Ah, Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger," Dumbledore greeted, "I suspect Mr. Malfoy is being...treated?"
"Yeah, but Madam Pomfrey is having a hard time getting his arm to deflate," Ron sniggered.
Harry couldn't help but smile. Dumbledore's beard quivered dangerously.
"Well, I'm sure he will be all right in the end," he finally said decidedly, and then, turning to Snape, Tonks, and Professor McGonagall, "We need a staff meeting to decide his punishment, however. Minerva, would you be so kind as to summon the other staff?"
Professor McGonagall nodded and walked briskly out of the room.
"Professor Dumbledore," Hermione said suddenly, "We came so that we could be witnesses to what happened."
"Thank you, Miss Granger, but I'm afraid that won't be necessary," Dumbledore replied.
Hermione looked very downcast.
"I will be sure to contact you if we should need your assistance though," Dumbledore added, a twinkle in his eye.
Hermione brightened a bit. "Oh, well, alright then," she said.
"I think you children should be on your way," Dumbledore commented, "Unless you have anything else to bring to my attention?"
"No," Ron and Hermione chorused.
Silver dislodged herself from Snape and shook her head to the negative effect. Dumbledore turned to Harry, who shrugged.
"Not right now," he said. But by tomorrow I'll probably have a whole new set of problems, he added silently.
The foursome left Dumbledore's office, Harry feeling very tired and irritable. Silver didn't say a word to him when they reached the landing, she merely went up and patted Charisma before following Ron and Hermione in the direction of the common room. Harry watched her intently, and finally reached out and pulled her back gently by the wrist. It was all she needed to fly into his arms. Surprised, he held her tightly.
"I'm sorry," he murmured into her hair.
"Me, too," she replied.
He closed his eyes and rested his face in her hair. Instead of being confused and irritated, he now felt simply worn-out. He lifted his head, and she looked up at him.
"You need to take a nap," she observed.
"Homework," he answered.
"Nap," she replied firmly.
"Alright," he consented, not feeling like arguing.
He later found out that by 'nap' she expected him to go into the boys' dorms, lay in bed, and sleep until the next morning – something he had no problem doing. He wasn't plagued by an uneasy sleep this time; he suspected it had something to do with the kiss Silver had given him before he had fallen asleep.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Response to Reviews
regini – Thank you very much, and be my guest...I know how heated laptops can get. ;)
harrytpaxd204 – Yes, yes, of course a sequel is on its way! You guys didn't think I could possibly not make one, did you?
Peanutbutta3636 – Yeah, I thought it was pretty funny myself...lol. And the ball is coming soon – next chapter soon!
lashajayne – Thank you very much! I can't help but writing...and writing...and writing some more!
Dobby's #1 Fan – Don't worry, a sequel is definitely on the way once this story ends!
sun-star-n-moon22 – Way to compliment the author! lol! And thanks for your input as far as responding to reviews goes!
Tekvah Ariel – Thanks for your compliments – you've always left awesome reviews. And lol about Snape. I didn't want anyone to get too used to him being almost decent to Harry – think of the chaos that would cause! ;)
wiccanpriestess3451 – Ooh, I'm your favorite? -beams- Well I'll just have to write a sequel then, won't I?
Tumblechick – Thanks bunches! :)
Note: If I missed your review, sorry! These are responses to the reviews on Chapter 40 that I have received up until now.