A/N: This is a humorous chapter which I enjoyed writing. It is a bit on the
longer side and nothing very important happens here. But I think the flash
back part is nearly complete. It is time we went forward with the present.
This chapter sets a base for the future chapters though. I would have
finished it much faster but as I don't have a beta I had to re-read it and
rectify the errors myself again.
An Appointment
For the next few days there was a great deal of activity at Grimmauld's Place. There were people from the Ministry setting more protective spells up and around the place. They wanted to make this place safe if not fully secure.
"What do you think those Ministry people are doing here?" piped a little voice of Alice Weasley.
"No idea. Why are we staying in this stupid place anyway instead of being there at home? I miss watching TV and I miss listening to WWN. All that we do around this place is clean. I hate this place." Her brother chimed in.
"I am going to tell daddy to get us outta here. It gives me the creeps too, Harry."
"We will be leaving soon, won't we? I mean the Hogwarts letters have arrived. Term begins from September 1st. so in a week we will be rid from this place."
"Yeah, I imagine what Hogwarts would be like. Dad says that it is full of enchantments and spells. It is supposed to be superb. Oh man it's going to be good."
"Honestly, Harry don't you ever read. It is written here in Hogwarts: A History. Almost everything that you want to know about Hogwarts."
"Come on Alice don't you ever give a break. You top in your class in school and even then you go badgering on about studying."
"Unlike yourself I am not a lazy baboon. You could at least study that much to get a decent grade but all you get is a simple pass. All you talk about at school with your truly pathetic big headed brainless friends and at home is quidditch."
"That's it I'm telling dad what you called me and my friends. And anyway dad and uncle Fred and George never even bother to tell me study. And as far as quidditch is concerned you see I will make it to the house team in my very first year."
"You can't." Alice sneered.
"Why not? I believe I'm good enough to be on the house team and I think I will help win them the quidditch cup this year. Uncle Fred told me that Slytherins have been winning it for the past ten years."
"You can't because first years are not allowed to play quidditch. And how do you know you are even good enough to be on the team? There'll be loads of other players in the tryouts most of them from much higher classes."
"That's a lie. Dad told me yesterday that one of his friends was in the Gryffindor team in their first year. If you also want to know then he helped Gryffindor win the cup a lot many times. Uncle Fred thinks I'm good enough to be in the team and as a seeker too."
"I suppose dad and uncle Fred were trying to calm down little Harry. So that he won't cry."
"You see once I'm in Hogwarts. I'll see your face when I make to the team."
With that little Harry Bilius Weasley walked out of the room.
"Dad are first years not allowed to play quidditch?" it was the first thing little Harry asked his father.
"Technically yes, but why do you ask?"
"You told me I could make it to the team. You told me I was good. You told me I could play as a Gryffindor seeker."
"Ron how could tell that to Harry. You know very well that first years are not allowed to play quidditch." Hermione shrieked.
"You told me that one of your friends was in the quidditch team as a seeker in your first year."
"Well that's true. And it was my best mate...or so I thought"
"He did."
"Yes. And believe me when I tell you he was one of the best seekers of the century. He could have gone on to play for England if he could unless he..." he trailed off. It was so hard to speak about Harry even when it came to quidditch.
"Never you mind dad, Harry. That was a pure accident how he got into quidditch. Nothing of that sort is going to happen to you." Hermione scowled at Ron for bringing up the topic.
"What accident?"
"I told you not to mind."
"No tell me."
"It's kinda complicated."
"Not to worry Hermione. Nothing of that sort is going to happen to my favourite nephew here." Fred said.
"What sort will not happen to me?"
"Do not fret on it little Harry." George joined in.
"Dad what are uncle Fred and George talking about?"
Ron sighed.
"You see it was our first flying lesson. One of my classmates Neville got up in his broom before Madam Hooch has given her signal. Then he fell down and got injured. Madam Hooch took him up to the hospital wing. In the mean time a Slytherin picked up Neville's remembrall and threatened to hide it in a tree. The nasty bully. That's when my friend stepped in. Both of them went up in the air and soon that git got frightened and threw the remembrall towards the ground. My friend then went into a fifty-feet sharp nose dive and inches from the ground caught it and pulled out of the dive simultaneously. That's how he got to be a seeker."
"Wow. He must have been terrific. Pulling out of a fifty-feet the very first time and that too in one of the rotten school brooms."
"Mind you that was the first time he was on a broomstick as well." George completed.
"What? He hadn't been on a broomstick before. Not even a toy broomstick." Harry cried out incredulously.
"Well that's because he was brought up by some horrid Muggles."
"Who was this friend of yours? You told me he was your best mate. So how come we don't know him?"
"His name was Har -. Never you mind about that." He added roughly signifying that the discussion had ended.
"Don't you worry about anything squirt. You will flying with the quidditch team even before the first week ended." Fred encouraged his nephew.
Hermione was looking murderous. Telling the story of Harry to her son was bad enough but Fred and George encouraging her son like that was making her temper flare up.
"Come off it Hermione the little chap won't be trying anything silly particularly because both of them are prefects." The twins sniggered.
"Anyway I'm positive he wouldn't be pulling of a stunt like Harry Potter."
Fred froze. He had said it. He had said it. Hermione was looking at him as if she could kill him.
"Um – George – um – it would be better if we leave now."
"Wait who's Harry Potter?"
"Never you mind" Ron said gruffly.
"But I want to know."
"Your uncle has just ensured that you know more than you need to know anyway."
"But"
"No buts you are going straight upstairs."
Harry glared at his dad. But he didn't argue about his judgment. He sulked away.
As soon as he was gone Ron and Hermione were shouting at the twins especially Fred about their serious lack of control of their tongues.
"How could you speak to him about it?"
"All our life we have been trying to hide this fact from him and you go and tell him just that."
"Now look Ron he was bound to know about it sometime or another." Fred was arguing.
"Yeah I bet he is now telling his sister about it." George added.
"Even before they reach Hogwarts Alice would have found out everything about him."
"Alice would never find out about him."
"Oh yeah in case you haven't noticed Hermione but Alice is a miniature incarnation of your self. She will be pounding every book that she can let her little hands on and very soon she will have all the information she need to know about our infamous Potter." Fred bellowed.
Hermione was looking flustered.
"It is better that they get the facts from us. We were there with him all along and we know more about him than all the books in the world taken together."
"Well why don't you go on and help them on their research then?" Fred added sarcastically. He picked up his cloak and got up ready to leave. "George you coming?"
"Just a moment, Fred."
"Look I'm sorry for Fred alright. I know he made a mistake by telling Harry about him but you will all agree that sooner or later they would have found out about it. It is all over the papers nowadays. It was a matter of time before they found it out."
Ron sighed.
"I know George. But all this time we hid this from them. We wanted to be the ones to tell them about it. Tell Fred I'm sorry. I shouldn't have shouted at him like that."
George nodded before leaving the room.
"Your brothers are so tactless." Evidently Hermione hadn't forgiven Fred so easily.
Ron looked at her.
"Come on Hermione. George was right. They would have found out about the moment the landed their foot on Platform 9 ¾. Fred just let it slip accidently. It is about time we tell them too. Just a nominal amount so the are not completely unprepared if the circumstances does arise."
"But – but" Hermione was searching for a reason to argue.
"'Mione you know this as much as I know about it. It is time we do this."
Hermione burst into tears.
"Oh Ron I don't know. The truth might shock them. We can't tell them everything."
"Who said we are going to tell them everything? We are going to tell them as little as possible." Ron hushed.
"Professor Dumbledore you called me?" Remus Lupin's head appeared in the fireplace of the Headmaster's office.
The tall man walked serenely to the fireplace. He had long silvered hair and an enormous beard. Although he had lost the twinkle in his eye, he still had a charm about him. He was wearing a long pointed hat and long red robes. With a swish of his cloak he crossed the room and bent forward in his fireplace.
"Yes Remus. I must ask a favour of you."
"Anything Headmaster."
"I must ask you to join the teaching staff at Hogwarts. It's just a request of course. I'm not imposing this on you. I know you have a lot on your plate right now working for the Order but you are the best person for the job. It is dire circumstances at present and I'd rather to have someone I know than having a new person on the staff."
"I understand your position headmaster. I would be more than willing to be at Hogwarts. But then I would have to sacrifice my job at the order. And you know that we need that more than anything else. Everybody is afraid to work now. It is dark times now Professor."
"I was afraid you would be saying that Remus."
"I'm sorry Professor. You understand me don't you?"
"Ah yes Remus I do. Go back to your work. I would have to trouble myself to post an advertisement in the Daily Prophet tomorrow for a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."
"You mean you have already found replacements for the other positions."
"Yes Remus I have and they are the finest there is. The retiring teachers would be proud of the replacements that I found. They may be even better than there predecessors come to think of it. Most importantly unlike Defence Against the Dark Arts I found them quite easily indeed." He stared at Remus intently as if to send him a message. Remus looked at him curiously before his eyes turned very round.
"I'm sure you got them easily. Come to think of it, I've got a shrewd idea of who they are too."
"I'm sure you do Remus. Goodnight."
"Goodnight Professor." With a pop Remus Lupin's head disappeared from the fireplace.
Harry arrived at Little Hangleton. It was dark and quiet. There weren't much light in the streets. He walked briskly towards his destination. Within another five minutes he was standing in front of a very old dilapidated house. The entire house mansion was huge. It was covered in ivy. The garden was unkept. The pathway leading to the door was covered with long grass. Harry looked with pity at the mansion. He stepped inside the grounds. As soon he went inside there was a flutter of wings and an owl entered the mansion.
"Ah, just about time too."
He took the paper and started to scroll through the news. He turned through the pages impatiently till he stopped at the last page. His eyes fell on a very small news item. He quickly read it and his face twisted to a crooked smile. He handed the paper back to the owl and it took off again.
"Very soon, Dumbledore, very soon you will pay for your sins."
"It is time for my loyal family to return. Not all of them would be making me happy but they stood by me for all these years."
He pushed up the robes of his left arm and using the index finger of his right hand he touched the dark mark. His arm started to pain horribly. He went on walking till he came upon a clearing. He saw that there was a throne in the middle. He pushed up his cloak till it covered most of his face leaving only his thin lips exposed. He went forward and sat down on the throne and shifted his position such that his face remained hidden in the darkness.
Soon there was a swishing of cloaks and robes. People in black robes and cloaks with a mask covering their face apparated in the clearing.
"My Lord thank you for freeing us from Azkaban." They murmured.
"Stop your gibbering. I don't want to hear all this. We have much to do ahead of us. Hogwarts must be conquered and that old fool must be killed in the attempt. But for now let us concentrate on what we have in hand. Three days later the new session in Hogwarts will be beginning. That day all the students would be arriving at King's Cross. I want you to put up a show for the little fools. Mind you I don't want anybody killed. I mean nobody not even muggles. Stun a few of them strongly. Injure a few of them but not seriously. I want all of them suffer my wrath. I want them to suffer under my power. I however will not take part in this performance. I would be with one of my servants taking him to Hogwarts to spy on Dumbledore because Severus here has been removed from the job due to his association with the dark arts. Isn't that right, Severus?"
"Yes my Lord but how?"
"No need to explain the dark lord knows all. Now Lucius I gather I need you to remember to control your wand in that attack. There will be a lot of muggles around and if your hand slips around your wand at your inability to restrain yourself then my wand may find stuck to your throat. A little curse a green light and it will all be over. I want them all alive. I want to deal with every one of them myself. You will only assist me but I will alone fight it. This battle was meant to be finished ten years ago. It has gone a long way since that and I am sick of it. I will kill Dumbledore and finish it once and for all."
"But my lord what about Potter? He escaped from Azkaban. In fact many say that he aided us to escape."
"You don't have to fret about Potter, Draco. He is not much of a headache now. In fact he is right here with us as we speak."
"How did you manage all this my Lord? Please enlighten us with the details of that night."
"I certainly will, Draco. It all began and ended with my young friend my nemesis the boy-who-lived. That night he destroyed most of my death eaters. I believed that I had lost. He cast me with the power of the Eldars. It was pain beyond pain my minions. It was unbearable. Not even the Cruciatus curse can inflict so much pain. Then the boy used his power to call upon the elements of nature and then he cursed me to death. But I was cleverer than him. I cast a spell upon myself, which allowed my soul to enter his body. I am now channeling my thoughts through his body."
At this he got up and with one swift action he threw his cloak off. There was a loud gasp from the death eaters.
"So you see why there is no worry about Potter. He is currently under my control. His soul is my bitch now. I treat him as I wish. It was I who freed you from Azkaban. I will be using his body because of the power he posses. Soon when I have drained it of most of the power I will leave his body and take one of yours. Then I will finish him. I will not be meeting you before the attack. But remember what I told you. One death and all of you will pay dearly...with your body parts. Now get out of my sight."
Soon all of the death eaters were gone. Harry couldn't believe his luck. He had baffled all of the death eaters, the most dangerous persons alive. They had been thick enough to believe him. In fact it was just the other way around. He had Voldemort under his control and he was his spiritual bitch. He had already thought of a plan to rid him off him. He only needed a little more time to execute that plan.
Dumbledore entered The Three Broomsticks the next day ten minutes earlier the stipulated time. He took a seat at a corner of the pub. It was almost empty. After the Azkaban escapade most of the people had left Hogsmead. Soon at eleven o'clock three people entered the pub. One was a man of about sixty. He had a neat-cropped hair. He had a yellowish skin. He wore lavish poison green robes.
The next was a person of about forty. He was dark skinned and he wore yellow robes, which stuck out, from his skin complexion. He had blue hazel eyes. The third and the last person was a young man of about thirty. He had dark hair and sallow skin. He had hazel brown eyes that matched with his pale red robes. He wore gold-rimmed spectacles. He had a sharp manner about him that appeared striking to Dumbledore. He questioned the first two persons for about ten minutes and then he called the last person.
"Hello sir, my name is Henry Patterson. I am from Durmstrang graduated ten years back. I moved over to England a couple of months back. I caught up with your advertisement yesterday and I would like you to know that it would be an honor to work under you."
"Mr. Patterson you said you were from Durmstrang. Well, then how come you have such a good English accent?"
"Sir my parents' lived here in England. I visited them during the vacations till my sixth year. After then my parents' died and I had live at Durmstrang then. My English did get a little rusty while I was at that place, but I picked up during my two months here at England."
"I see. I'm sorry to hear about your parents."
"Don't be sir. They didn't die just like that. Lord Voldemort murdered them. That is especially what urged me to come here. I know how it feels to lose someone dear, so I came here to help the students. They need to be prepared about what's out there in the actual world."
Dumbledore looked at him with an astonished look. He was one of the few persons that spoke of the dark lord's name openly. He carefully studied him. Here was a person from Durmstrang, a place that housed the dark arts but he looked so much like one from Hogwarts. He was actually impressed with the young man. The other two had been good but nothing extraordinary. But this man was a world apart from the rest. He had sounded determined as if he had something to prove.
"Tell me Mr. Patterson how much do you know about the dark arts?"
"Well Durmstrang taught us enough dark arts to be eligible for death eater recruitment. So I know about the defense bit too. And for the last ten years I've been poring over old forgotten ancient texts and that had enriched my knowledge more than anything."
"No, no I'm talking about something out of the ordinary."
"What are you exactly looking for professor?"
"I just wanted to know if you know your dark arts in any other form than traditional magic."
"Well I do know a fair bit of wandless magic."
"Please would you be kind enough to demonstrate."
He surveyed the old professor over his spectacles.
"What would you like?"
"Pardon me."
"I asked you what would you like? Butterbeer, Firewhiskey, apple juice..."
"A butterbeer thank you."
"Done. Enjoy the drink."
He waved his hand over the table and a tankard of butterbeer appeared in front of Dumbledore.
"Impressive. Very impressive indeed. Mr. Patterson would like to be the Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher in Hogwarts?"
"I would be honored. It would be pleasure to return to Hogwarts."
"You have been to Hogwarts before?"
"Yes for a year only. I went as for the Triwizard tournament."
"Oh. Mr. Patterson I would like you to be at work from September first. Now as we are done with this business you must excuse me for I have much work left appertaining. Good day."
Henry watched Dumbledore move over to the other two persons and speak with them. They nodded and looked over at him then followed him out of the pub. After they had left he went over to the bar and ordered a firewhiskey. As he gulped down his drink he couldn't help but chuckle to himself. It had all been too easy. The old crone never had the faintest idea of what went on. As he finished off his drink he paid for it and left the pub. As warm sunlight greeted him he couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
"The old fool would not even know what hit him in the back before he's too late." He said to himself.
As he walked along the deserted streets of Hogsmead he looked up and saw the looming structure of the Hogwarts castle. It was the same as he remembered. Even after all those years it looked just the same as ever. Warm and welcoming him, beckoning him as if it was his home. He shook his head and walked away. He left his own thoughts in his head. As he approached the train station he took one last look back at the castle before disapparating away.
He appeared back in his apartment in London. He headed to his bedroom and looked at the mirror. His face twisted into a smile. The smiling face of Harry James Potter looked back at him.
An Appointment
For the next few days there was a great deal of activity at Grimmauld's Place. There were people from the Ministry setting more protective spells up and around the place. They wanted to make this place safe if not fully secure.
"What do you think those Ministry people are doing here?" piped a little voice of Alice Weasley.
"No idea. Why are we staying in this stupid place anyway instead of being there at home? I miss watching TV and I miss listening to WWN. All that we do around this place is clean. I hate this place." Her brother chimed in.
"I am going to tell daddy to get us outta here. It gives me the creeps too, Harry."
"We will be leaving soon, won't we? I mean the Hogwarts letters have arrived. Term begins from September 1st. so in a week we will be rid from this place."
"Yeah, I imagine what Hogwarts would be like. Dad says that it is full of enchantments and spells. It is supposed to be superb. Oh man it's going to be good."
"Honestly, Harry don't you ever read. It is written here in Hogwarts: A History. Almost everything that you want to know about Hogwarts."
"Come on Alice don't you ever give a break. You top in your class in school and even then you go badgering on about studying."
"Unlike yourself I am not a lazy baboon. You could at least study that much to get a decent grade but all you get is a simple pass. All you talk about at school with your truly pathetic big headed brainless friends and at home is quidditch."
"That's it I'm telling dad what you called me and my friends. And anyway dad and uncle Fred and George never even bother to tell me study. And as far as quidditch is concerned you see I will make it to the house team in my very first year."
"You can't." Alice sneered.
"Why not? I believe I'm good enough to be on the house team and I think I will help win them the quidditch cup this year. Uncle Fred told me that Slytherins have been winning it for the past ten years."
"You can't because first years are not allowed to play quidditch. And how do you know you are even good enough to be on the team? There'll be loads of other players in the tryouts most of them from much higher classes."
"That's a lie. Dad told me yesterday that one of his friends was in the Gryffindor team in their first year. If you also want to know then he helped Gryffindor win the cup a lot many times. Uncle Fred thinks I'm good enough to be in the team and as a seeker too."
"I suppose dad and uncle Fred were trying to calm down little Harry. So that he won't cry."
"You see once I'm in Hogwarts. I'll see your face when I make to the team."
With that little Harry Bilius Weasley walked out of the room.
"Dad are first years not allowed to play quidditch?" it was the first thing little Harry asked his father.
"Technically yes, but why do you ask?"
"You told me I could make it to the team. You told me I was good. You told me I could play as a Gryffindor seeker."
"Ron how could tell that to Harry. You know very well that first years are not allowed to play quidditch." Hermione shrieked.
"You told me that one of your friends was in the quidditch team as a seeker in your first year."
"Well that's true. And it was my best mate...or so I thought"
"He did."
"Yes. And believe me when I tell you he was one of the best seekers of the century. He could have gone on to play for England if he could unless he..." he trailed off. It was so hard to speak about Harry even when it came to quidditch.
"Never you mind dad, Harry. That was a pure accident how he got into quidditch. Nothing of that sort is going to happen to you." Hermione scowled at Ron for bringing up the topic.
"What accident?"
"I told you not to mind."
"No tell me."
"It's kinda complicated."
"Not to worry Hermione. Nothing of that sort is going to happen to my favourite nephew here." Fred said.
"What sort will not happen to me?"
"Do not fret on it little Harry." George joined in.
"Dad what are uncle Fred and George talking about?"
Ron sighed.
"You see it was our first flying lesson. One of my classmates Neville got up in his broom before Madam Hooch has given her signal. Then he fell down and got injured. Madam Hooch took him up to the hospital wing. In the mean time a Slytherin picked up Neville's remembrall and threatened to hide it in a tree. The nasty bully. That's when my friend stepped in. Both of them went up in the air and soon that git got frightened and threw the remembrall towards the ground. My friend then went into a fifty-feet sharp nose dive and inches from the ground caught it and pulled out of the dive simultaneously. That's how he got to be a seeker."
"Wow. He must have been terrific. Pulling out of a fifty-feet the very first time and that too in one of the rotten school brooms."
"Mind you that was the first time he was on a broomstick as well." George completed.
"What? He hadn't been on a broomstick before. Not even a toy broomstick." Harry cried out incredulously.
"Well that's because he was brought up by some horrid Muggles."
"Who was this friend of yours? You told me he was your best mate. So how come we don't know him?"
"His name was Har -. Never you mind about that." He added roughly signifying that the discussion had ended.
"Don't you worry about anything squirt. You will flying with the quidditch team even before the first week ended." Fred encouraged his nephew.
Hermione was looking murderous. Telling the story of Harry to her son was bad enough but Fred and George encouraging her son like that was making her temper flare up.
"Come off it Hermione the little chap won't be trying anything silly particularly because both of them are prefects." The twins sniggered.
"Anyway I'm positive he wouldn't be pulling of a stunt like Harry Potter."
Fred froze. He had said it. He had said it. Hermione was looking at him as if she could kill him.
"Um – George – um – it would be better if we leave now."
"Wait who's Harry Potter?"
"Never you mind" Ron said gruffly.
"But I want to know."
"Your uncle has just ensured that you know more than you need to know anyway."
"But"
"No buts you are going straight upstairs."
Harry glared at his dad. But he didn't argue about his judgment. He sulked away.
As soon as he was gone Ron and Hermione were shouting at the twins especially Fred about their serious lack of control of their tongues.
"How could you speak to him about it?"
"All our life we have been trying to hide this fact from him and you go and tell him just that."
"Now look Ron he was bound to know about it sometime or another." Fred was arguing.
"Yeah I bet he is now telling his sister about it." George added.
"Even before they reach Hogwarts Alice would have found out everything about him."
"Alice would never find out about him."
"Oh yeah in case you haven't noticed Hermione but Alice is a miniature incarnation of your self. She will be pounding every book that she can let her little hands on and very soon she will have all the information she need to know about our infamous Potter." Fred bellowed.
Hermione was looking flustered.
"It is better that they get the facts from us. We were there with him all along and we know more about him than all the books in the world taken together."
"Well why don't you go on and help them on their research then?" Fred added sarcastically. He picked up his cloak and got up ready to leave. "George you coming?"
"Just a moment, Fred."
"Look I'm sorry for Fred alright. I know he made a mistake by telling Harry about him but you will all agree that sooner or later they would have found out about it. It is all over the papers nowadays. It was a matter of time before they found it out."
Ron sighed.
"I know George. But all this time we hid this from them. We wanted to be the ones to tell them about it. Tell Fred I'm sorry. I shouldn't have shouted at him like that."
George nodded before leaving the room.
"Your brothers are so tactless." Evidently Hermione hadn't forgiven Fred so easily.
Ron looked at her.
"Come on Hermione. George was right. They would have found out about the moment the landed their foot on Platform 9 ¾. Fred just let it slip accidently. It is about time we tell them too. Just a nominal amount so the are not completely unprepared if the circumstances does arise."
"But – but" Hermione was searching for a reason to argue.
"'Mione you know this as much as I know about it. It is time we do this."
Hermione burst into tears.
"Oh Ron I don't know. The truth might shock them. We can't tell them everything."
"Who said we are going to tell them everything? We are going to tell them as little as possible." Ron hushed.
"Professor Dumbledore you called me?" Remus Lupin's head appeared in the fireplace of the Headmaster's office.
The tall man walked serenely to the fireplace. He had long silvered hair and an enormous beard. Although he had lost the twinkle in his eye, he still had a charm about him. He was wearing a long pointed hat and long red robes. With a swish of his cloak he crossed the room and bent forward in his fireplace.
"Yes Remus. I must ask a favour of you."
"Anything Headmaster."
"I must ask you to join the teaching staff at Hogwarts. It's just a request of course. I'm not imposing this on you. I know you have a lot on your plate right now working for the Order but you are the best person for the job. It is dire circumstances at present and I'd rather to have someone I know than having a new person on the staff."
"I understand your position headmaster. I would be more than willing to be at Hogwarts. But then I would have to sacrifice my job at the order. And you know that we need that more than anything else. Everybody is afraid to work now. It is dark times now Professor."
"I was afraid you would be saying that Remus."
"I'm sorry Professor. You understand me don't you?"
"Ah yes Remus I do. Go back to your work. I would have to trouble myself to post an advertisement in the Daily Prophet tomorrow for a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."
"You mean you have already found replacements for the other positions."
"Yes Remus I have and they are the finest there is. The retiring teachers would be proud of the replacements that I found. They may be even better than there predecessors come to think of it. Most importantly unlike Defence Against the Dark Arts I found them quite easily indeed." He stared at Remus intently as if to send him a message. Remus looked at him curiously before his eyes turned very round.
"I'm sure you got them easily. Come to think of it, I've got a shrewd idea of who they are too."
"I'm sure you do Remus. Goodnight."
"Goodnight Professor." With a pop Remus Lupin's head disappeared from the fireplace.
Harry arrived at Little Hangleton. It was dark and quiet. There weren't much light in the streets. He walked briskly towards his destination. Within another five minutes he was standing in front of a very old dilapidated house. The entire house mansion was huge. It was covered in ivy. The garden was unkept. The pathway leading to the door was covered with long grass. Harry looked with pity at the mansion. He stepped inside the grounds. As soon he went inside there was a flutter of wings and an owl entered the mansion.
"Ah, just about time too."
He took the paper and started to scroll through the news. He turned through the pages impatiently till he stopped at the last page. His eyes fell on a very small news item. He quickly read it and his face twisted to a crooked smile. He handed the paper back to the owl and it took off again.
"Very soon, Dumbledore, very soon you will pay for your sins."
"It is time for my loyal family to return. Not all of them would be making me happy but they stood by me for all these years."
He pushed up the robes of his left arm and using the index finger of his right hand he touched the dark mark. His arm started to pain horribly. He went on walking till he came upon a clearing. He saw that there was a throne in the middle. He pushed up his cloak till it covered most of his face leaving only his thin lips exposed. He went forward and sat down on the throne and shifted his position such that his face remained hidden in the darkness.
Soon there was a swishing of cloaks and robes. People in black robes and cloaks with a mask covering their face apparated in the clearing.
"My Lord thank you for freeing us from Azkaban." They murmured.
"Stop your gibbering. I don't want to hear all this. We have much to do ahead of us. Hogwarts must be conquered and that old fool must be killed in the attempt. But for now let us concentrate on what we have in hand. Three days later the new session in Hogwarts will be beginning. That day all the students would be arriving at King's Cross. I want you to put up a show for the little fools. Mind you I don't want anybody killed. I mean nobody not even muggles. Stun a few of them strongly. Injure a few of them but not seriously. I want all of them suffer my wrath. I want them to suffer under my power. I however will not take part in this performance. I would be with one of my servants taking him to Hogwarts to spy on Dumbledore because Severus here has been removed from the job due to his association with the dark arts. Isn't that right, Severus?"
"Yes my Lord but how?"
"No need to explain the dark lord knows all. Now Lucius I gather I need you to remember to control your wand in that attack. There will be a lot of muggles around and if your hand slips around your wand at your inability to restrain yourself then my wand may find stuck to your throat. A little curse a green light and it will all be over. I want them all alive. I want to deal with every one of them myself. You will only assist me but I will alone fight it. This battle was meant to be finished ten years ago. It has gone a long way since that and I am sick of it. I will kill Dumbledore and finish it once and for all."
"But my lord what about Potter? He escaped from Azkaban. In fact many say that he aided us to escape."
"You don't have to fret about Potter, Draco. He is not much of a headache now. In fact he is right here with us as we speak."
"How did you manage all this my Lord? Please enlighten us with the details of that night."
"I certainly will, Draco. It all began and ended with my young friend my nemesis the boy-who-lived. That night he destroyed most of my death eaters. I believed that I had lost. He cast me with the power of the Eldars. It was pain beyond pain my minions. It was unbearable. Not even the Cruciatus curse can inflict so much pain. Then the boy used his power to call upon the elements of nature and then he cursed me to death. But I was cleverer than him. I cast a spell upon myself, which allowed my soul to enter his body. I am now channeling my thoughts through his body."
At this he got up and with one swift action he threw his cloak off. There was a loud gasp from the death eaters.
"So you see why there is no worry about Potter. He is currently under my control. His soul is my bitch now. I treat him as I wish. It was I who freed you from Azkaban. I will be using his body because of the power he posses. Soon when I have drained it of most of the power I will leave his body and take one of yours. Then I will finish him. I will not be meeting you before the attack. But remember what I told you. One death and all of you will pay dearly...with your body parts. Now get out of my sight."
Soon all of the death eaters were gone. Harry couldn't believe his luck. He had baffled all of the death eaters, the most dangerous persons alive. They had been thick enough to believe him. In fact it was just the other way around. He had Voldemort under his control and he was his spiritual bitch. He had already thought of a plan to rid him off him. He only needed a little more time to execute that plan.
Dumbledore entered The Three Broomsticks the next day ten minutes earlier the stipulated time. He took a seat at a corner of the pub. It was almost empty. After the Azkaban escapade most of the people had left Hogsmead. Soon at eleven o'clock three people entered the pub. One was a man of about sixty. He had a neat-cropped hair. He had a yellowish skin. He wore lavish poison green robes.
The next was a person of about forty. He was dark skinned and he wore yellow robes, which stuck out, from his skin complexion. He had blue hazel eyes. The third and the last person was a young man of about thirty. He had dark hair and sallow skin. He had hazel brown eyes that matched with his pale red robes. He wore gold-rimmed spectacles. He had a sharp manner about him that appeared striking to Dumbledore. He questioned the first two persons for about ten minutes and then he called the last person.
"Hello sir, my name is Henry Patterson. I am from Durmstrang graduated ten years back. I moved over to England a couple of months back. I caught up with your advertisement yesterday and I would like you to know that it would be an honor to work under you."
"Mr. Patterson you said you were from Durmstrang. Well, then how come you have such a good English accent?"
"Sir my parents' lived here in England. I visited them during the vacations till my sixth year. After then my parents' died and I had live at Durmstrang then. My English did get a little rusty while I was at that place, but I picked up during my two months here at England."
"I see. I'm sorry to hear about your parents."
"Don't be sir. They didn't die just like that. Lord Voldemort murdered them. That is especially what urged me to come here. I know how it feels to lose someone dear, so I came here to help the students. They need to be prepared about what's out there in the actual world."
Dumbledore looked at him with an astonished look. He was one of the few persons that spoke of the dark lord's name openly. He carefully studied him. Here was a person from Durmstrang, a place that housed the dark arts but he looked so much like one from Hogwarts. He was actually impressed with the young man. The other two had been good but nothing extraordinary. But this man was a world apart from the rest. He had sounded determined as if he had something to prove.
"Tell me Mr. Patterson how much do you know about the dark arts?"
"Well Durmstrang taught us enough dark arts to be eligible for death eater recruitment. So I know about the defense bit too. And for the last ten years I've been poring over old forgotten ancient texts and that had enriched my knowledge more than anything."
"No, no I'm talking about something out of the ordinary."
"What are you exactly looking for professor?"
"I just wanted to know if you know your dark arts in any other form than traditional magic."
"Well I do know a fair bit of wandless magic."
"Please would you be kind enough to demonstrate."
He surveyed the old professor over his spectacles.
"What would you like?"
"Pardon me."
"I asked you what would you like? Butterbeer, Firewhiskey, apple juice..."
"A butterbeer thank you."
"Done. Enjoy the drink."
He waved his hand over the table and a tankard of butterbeer appeared in front of Dumbledore.
"Impressive. Very impressive indeed. Mr. Patterson would like to be the Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher in Hogwarts?"
"I would be honored. It would be pleasure to return to Hogwarts."
"You have been to Hogwarts before?"
"Yes for a year only. I went as for the Triwizard tournament."
"Oh. Mr. Patterson I would like you to be at work from September first. Now as we are done with this business you must excuse me for I have much work left appertaining. Good day."
Henry watched Dumbledore move over to the other two persons and speak with them. They nodded and looked over at him then followed him out of the pub. After they had left he went over to the bar and ordered a firewhiskey. As he gulped down his drink he couldn't help but chuckle to himself. It had all been too easy. The old crone never had the faintest idea of what went on. As he finished off his drink he paid for it and left the pub. As warm sunlight greeted him he couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
"The old fool would not even know what hit him in the back before he's too late." He said to himself.
As he walked along the deserted streets of Hogsmead he looked up and saw the looming structure of the Hogwarts castle. It was the same as he remembered. Even after all those years it looked just the same as ever. Warm and welcoming him, beckoning him as if it was his home. He shook his head and walked away. He left his own thoughts in his head. As he approached the train station he took one last look back at the castle before disapparating away.
He appeared back in his apartment in London. He headed to his bedroom and looked at the mirror. His face twisted into a smile. The smiling face of Harry James Potter looked back at him.