(Hey, folks! Sorry it's been so long. School has been kicking my ass. I've pretty much got the entirety if the story written, so I'll be releasing much more often. Anyways, here it goes.)
QUIDDITCH, HAGRID, AND DATES
Harry walked down the lonely corridors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He felt the lonely air against his skin. He felt confused, depressed, and most of all angry. Why hadn't Dumbledore told him this before? He had no idea that his great-grandfather was still alive, much less headmaster of Hogwarts!
Of course, it was, in a way, not surprising at all. Dumbledore had always shown unusual care towards him. He had protected him, guided him, shown him special attention he had never shown anybody else. His father's mother had been named Mabb Dumbledore...he was, in a way, a Dumbledore...
He looked down at the sword, now placed in the scabbard Dumbledore given him. The scabbard had a golden lion with ruby eyes on it. He remembered what Dumbledore told him. "As long as you hold this scabbard, nothing will ever truly harm you. Many things may hurt you, but nothing may harm you."
Finally, there was this legend. The Eye, the Hand, and the King. If he held the sword, he didn't know. Was he truly the reincarnation of the legendary Godric Gryffindor? And what about the other piece of the puzzle, the Eye? Could that be Leto? That would explain why Dumbledore was trying to force them together. If Harry truly was Gryffindor and Leto truly was Falco, then that would mean the return of the King...
"Who the hell is the King?" Harry looked up, realizing he had passed the dormitories. He turned around and walked towards the Fat Lady's portrait. He went to say the password, but he noticed the Lady wasn't there. He called out the password anyway. "Cabot Draconis...Cabot Draconis?"
"She'll be back soon."
Harry turned around to see Leto Stormrage standing behind him. "Leto...what's up?"
"Did you tell him?" Leto asked.
"What?" Harry asked.
"Please, Harry, I don't have time for this. I need to...um...go do something."
"Something? What's something?" Harry asked. "I'm not sure if I like all this secret keeping, Leto." Harry was feeling very uncomfortable. Leto had been a puzzle since he came to the school, but he was quickly becoming an impossible enigma.
"Harry...I can't tell you yet. You have no idea how much I'd like to tell somebody about this...but I can't. Not yet." Leto looked at Harry oddly...almost as if he was...pleading with him. Harry had never seen the Mage look so pathetic before. He must have really meant it.
"I didn't tell him." Harry said.
"Thank you." Leto sighed a breath relieve. He then smiled at Harry. "Harry, could I ask you another favor?"
"Sure, name it." Harry said.
"There's somebody I'd like to meet...somebody who's a good friend of yours." Leto crossed his arms. "I've seen him in class a bit, and I'd like to get to know him."
"Really? Who?"
"Reubeus Hagrid."
Harry laughed. "Hagrid? What do you want to know about Hagrid?"
"Everything." Leto said quite plainly.
At that point, Neville ran outside the portrait. "Excuse me, but have you guys seen Trevor? I can't find him again!"
Leto just chuckled again and said, "He probably hopped into one of our beds again."
"No, he was in his cage in the Common Room! It was locked!" Neville whined out.
Leto's eyebrows lowered and his smile faded. He then spoke again, but he didn't sound like himself. His normal voice was there, but there seemed to be this deep growl underneath it. "Neville, go look for Trevor under my bed."
Harry jumped a bit at the way Leto spoke, but what amazed him more was Neville's reaction. Neville got up and immediately tried to get back into the Common Room. Leto waved his hand and opened the door for him. Neville ran off, smiling. "Bye Harry!" He called off as he left.
Harry looked at Leto very sternly. He felt protective of Neville, and he didn't like the fact that somebody as somehow manipulating him.
"What was that?" Asked Harry.
"What was what?" Leto answered.
"That thing you did when you spoke." Harry said.
"The Voice? You can hear it?" Leto asked. His face showed genuine surprise.
"Yeah. I don't like you manipulating Neville."
"I wasn't manipulating. It's called The Voice. A hunter's tool. It's a heightened sense of suggestibility." Leto and Harry turned to walk away. "It only influences opinions or thoughts, it can't control anyone....Want to learn?"
"What?" Harry asked.
"The Voice. Want to learn it?" Leto asked.
"Really?" Harry looked down. "I'm not sure I can. I'm not a hunter, like you."
Leto laughed. "You can hear it, you can learn it." Leto laughed and spoke with the Voice, "It has it's uses, Harry. Finding a Dark Wizard is much easier when you can follow their trail." Harry didn't answer. Leto let the subject drop. He and Harry went to the Great Hall for dinner.
Harry sat across the table from Hermione and Leto, while Ron sat next to him. Neville, Ginny, Dean, Seamus, and Colin (always with his brother) sat near by. Harry looked at Hermione. She looked as beautiful as ever. She was, however, constantly trying to catch a glance at Leto without him noticing. He, much to Harry's disappointment, was doing the same to her.
Leto looked up and saw a blonde, angry looking young man looking at him from the Slytherin table. Leto, without breaking the blonde guy's eye-contact, asked Hermione. "Who's that guy?"
"Who?" Hermione asked.
"The one over at the Slytherin table giving me a death glare."
"Oh, Draco Malfoy." Hermione muttered.
"I take it he's not a nice guy?" Leto said.
"Only the slimiest, smelliest, foulest, loathesome creature to walk the Earth since You-Know-Who." Ron said.
"Honestly, Ron. Will you just say the name? Voldemort." Hermione said.
"Don't say that!" Ron shuddered.
"Voldemort." Harry said. "Fear of a name increases the fear of the thing itself."
"You guys are loony." Ron said. "You're right in mind, aren't you Leto?"
"Voldemort." Leto said, smirking. Ron rolled his eyes and Hermione smiled. "I will admit, though, I wouldn't say the name until I met him face to face." Ron dropped his food.
"You've met Voldemort, too?" Hermione said.
"Met him? Why do you think I've never gone to school? I've been chasing him for seven years." Leto smiled at Harry. "Just recently had a duel with him, Harry. He mentioned you. Told me to tell you 'hi'".
Harry didn't like the idea of Voldemort sending his greetings. "How many times have you fought him?" Harry asked.
"Like you. Only once." Leto smirked. "I've spent more time getting at his Death Eaters."
As he said that, Dumbledore rose up and tapped his goblet. A ringing sound went over the audience. Everybody went silent as Dumbledore smiled and stood up. He looked at Harry, almost as if he was asking if he was okay. Harry smiled at him, and Dumbledore's eyed twinkled.
"I have a few announcements. I would first like to announce that the votes are in, and the Quidditch Captains have been selected." Harry sucked in his breath. He had lost Prefect simply because of Dumbledore worrying about him. Quidditch meant a lot to him. He didn't want to lose this position.
"First, for Ravenclaw. The Captain this year will be Cho Chang." Cho stood up and smiled. There was a large cheer from the Ravenclaw table. She caught Harry's eye but quickly turned her head, blushing.
"Next, for Hufflepuff. The Captain this year will be Michael McClellan." A fifth-year boy stood up with a huge grin on his face. He obviously had not been expecting it, because he was near tears. He shook everybody's hands around him as the Hufflepuff table roared.
"Now, for Slytherin. The Captain this year will be Draco Malfoy." Draco stood up, smirking. He look over at Gryffindor table and glared. Ron glared back at him, a bit of sauce on his bottom lip. Draco laughed and sat down to the roaring, stomping Slytherin table.
"Finally, for Gryffindor. The Captain this year will be...Harry Potter." Harry let loose a huge sigh of relief and joy. He stood up while everybody at the table roared in delight. Ron wiped his face, laughing, and glared over at Draco, mouthing the words "You guys are screwed".
"Yes, yes, well done Captains. Well done. You deserve it." Dumbledore looked right at Harry for the last part. "Next, I would like to announce the creation of a new Ball this Halloween. This dance will be named 'The Diggory Memorial Ball', in honor of the of late departed Cedric Diggory." Harry, unconciously, looked over at Cho, who was crying silently.
"Will she ever get over him?" Ron whispered, looking over at her. "I mean, I know it's hard, but it's been two bloody years!"
"Two years? I didn't cry that much when my Pop died, let alone some old flame." Leto said.
Harry couldn't help but look at Hermione. He really wanted to take her to the dance, but he knew she had her heart stuck on somebody else. She was looking at Leto Stormrage, as were most of the girls in the school.
"Let it also be known," Dumbledore continued, "That those who wish to continue their education at my school, shall not, in any way, show support for Lord Voldemort or his followers. Murderers and villains shall not be tolerated at this school. Those who choose to ignore this warning shall suffer the consequences. That is all."
Later that night, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Leto were heading towards Hagrid's hut. "You'll just love Hagrid, mate. He's one of our best friends here. A real good guy, you know." Ron said.
"I'm sure. So, Ron, any idea who you're taking to the dance yet?" Leto asked.
"Who, me? Nah, not yet. But I'll find someone, though." Ron said.
"Hopefully somebody with their nose on straight." Harry joked.
"Shut up, Harry." Ron muttered.
"What about you Hermione?" Leto asked.
"Oh, I haven't really thought about it that much." Hermione was blushing wildly. "You?"
"Oh...I, uh...the same." Leto said, blushing as well.
Harry felt something in his chest being squeezed, and he knew what it was.
The four eventually came up to Hagrid's Hut, where Harry knocked on the door. Hagrid opened it, looked down, and smiled.
"Harry! Ron! Hermione! I haven't seen yer that much out of classes! Come in, just made a pot of tea." The four walked in. "I was kinda hopin' it would be whoever is stealing all of the chicken eggs. Somebody keeps stealin' 'em all."
"Have a good summer Hagrid?" Harry asked.
"Oh yeah, great summer. Learnin me some importan' stuff, I have." Hagrid said full of pride.
"What's that?" Asked Ron.
"Learnin' to speak Giant. Dumbledore thinks I needs to be more proud of me heritage. He says being a half-Giant's nuttin to be afeared of, so I started learning some of me language. It's not hard to learn, took only a few months ter learn most of-" Hagrid just then spotted Leto. Leto smiled at him. "You must be Leto. I've been seeing yer in class."
Leto stuck out his hand and Hagrid took it. Leto grunted and growled something. Hagrid stared at him, and then began to laugh.
"What is it?" Harry asked.
"I've just never met nobody who's not a giant who bothered to learn their language." Hagrid grunted something back at Leto. Leto laughed and grunted. Hagrid smiled and said. "Please, don't call me Professr' Hagrid. Hagrid'll do."
"There's a Giant word for professor?" Ron blurted out. Hermione quickly turned to glare at him.
Hagrid looked a bit hurt. "Well, it's more like teacher. They're not stupid, Ron. They're just not given a chance ter be smart. You gotta help 'em out. Look at ol' Grawp."
"By the way, where is Grawp?" Hermione asked.
"Oh, he should be home any minute." Hagrid said, sitting down.
"Home?" Ron asked.
"Yeah, told Dumbledore about 'im, he said it was a good idear. But he said it would be much nicer to keep him in the house."
"House?" Ron asked.
At that moment there was a loud bang on the door. Hagrid called out. "Come on in, Grawp. But watch yer feet, we gots guests here." Hagrid smiled at Hermione and said, "I even got him combing his hair now. He's a good boy, that's fer sure. Just a bit tall, I had ter add 10 more feet onter the roof."
At that moment, Grawp the giant pushed open the door. He had on a very large green shirt and a pair of brown pants. He was carrying an enormous club.
"Did ya get us some dinner, there, Grawp?" Hagrid asked. Grawp smiled a very toothy grin and held up a dead deer.
"Great job, Grawpy, yer the best." Hagrid then whispered to Ron "I always try ter encourage him."
"I would too." Said Ron, staring at the club.
Grawp took a seat in a very large chair. Put down his club and threw the deer of the table. Hagrid smiled, took the beast, and put it on a spit. He then went outside for a bit. "I'll be right back, gonna start to heat this up." He said.
Ron, Hagrid, and Harry looked up at Grawp timidly. Grawp pointed at Hermione and said "Hermy." Hermione laughed nervously and nodded. Grawp pointed to Harry and said "Herry." Harry nodded as well. Grawp then point to Ron, but was stumped.
"Ron Weasley." Said Ron.
"Ronwease." said Grawp.
"Close enough." Ron choked out.
Grawp then looked at Leto. Leto smiled and grunted something in Giant. Grawp laughed loudly and clapped his enormous hands. He grunted and snorted back. Leto returned with more.
"What are you telling him?" Harry asked.
"I'm commenting on his club." Leto stated matter-of-factly.
"Oh, come on, don't encourage him." Ron muttered.
"It's a compliment. I'm telling him his club looks like it could smash many skulls." Leto said.
"Oh, now I feel better." Ron retorted sarcastically.
Leto chuckled and returned to his conversation with Grawp while Hermione got up to make a pot of tea. A minute or two later, Hagrid stepped in. When he did, Grawp leapt up in the air, causing the entire house to shake. Grawp was pointing and shouting something in Giantish to Hagrid. It took a while for Hagrid to calm Grawp down.
"Woah, Grawpy, calm down. Now, what ye talkin' about?" Hagrid said, trying his best to hold Grawp down. Grawp grunted something and Hagrid said, "Well, no, not really. He just happens to know yer customs, I guess." Hagrid said.
"I lived with Giants for a month." Leto said. Ron's eyes went wide, and Hermione almost dropped the tea pot. Harry's jaw dropped in amazement. Hagrid smiled with fascination.
"Really? Ye lived with Giants?" Hagrid asked.
"Made me a member of their tribe." Leto said.
"Now how in blazes did you do that?" Ron asked.
"I had to run the gauntlet." Leto said.
"Gauntlet?" Ron asked.
"A series of strength, speed, but most of all resilience. No magic allowed, though."
"And ye did it?" Hagrid asked, amazed.
"Yeah, but I broke a few bones along the way." Leto said. "The only reason they even let me try was because I rescued one of the Gurg's mates from a snake wound." Leto scratched his neck, and Harry knew that Leto was scratching his snake tatoo. "I'm pretty good at making potions...especially snake bite remedies."
"We could've used you last year," Ron said, "My dad was bitten by a snake and was in the hospital for a long time."
"Hmm...that could be some useful stuff there, Leto. Thanks." Hagrid said.
"Don't mention it." Leto said. He then looked at Harry and winked. Harry didn't understand, but realization slowly began to dawn on him. That was why Leto wanted to see Hagrid. He wanted to tell him how to be accepted by the Giants. But why?
"Tea anyone?" Hermione asked. They all took their cups and sat down. Grawp, on the other hand, was much happier with a barrel of ale.
"It helps him ter sleep." Hagrid said reassuringly. Sure enough, Grawp's eye's got droopy and he fell asleep in his chair. They all quietly said goodbye to Hagrid as they left, making sure not to wake the sleeping Giant.
As they walked back to the castle, Harry took Leto aside. "So that's why you wanted to see, Hagrid?" Asked Harry.
"What?" Leto said, but he was clearly pretending not to understand.
"Oh come on, I know your not even trying. An auror doesn't give away that he's lying."
"Right and wrong. I am just pulling you for more questions. However, I am not an auror. I am a hunter. There is a difference." Leto said.
"Whatever, Leto. Why did you tell Hagrid about the Giants? Are you trying to get him hurt? He'll go up there and simply be broken to little pieces." Harry said. He was worried for his friend's safety. Leto had to be one of the more powerful wizards in the world. Hagrid was a third-year drop out of school who only had limited magical ability.
"You know, Harry, that Hagrid is a lot more capable than you make him out to be." Leto said. Harry dropped his head in frustration. "Harry, it may sound odd, but Hagrid will one day decide the fate of humanity." Leto turned very solemn as he said the next few words using the Voice. "It must go as I have foreseen."
Harry took a step back. "What do you mean, foreseen?" He asked in a near-whisper.
Leto's expression did not change, nor did his use of the Voice. "Tomorrow, I will explain it to you. Meet me on the school's rooftop, where you first saw me after our dream. I will explain it to you then." At that moment, Ron ran towards the two. Leto turned to Harry and smiled, just before a soft band was heard and Leto phase-shifted, leaving a wisp of black smoke behind. Harry turned as he saw Leto reappear next to Hermione. Ron kept running towards him.
"What was that all about, mate?" Ron asked.
"Nothing." Harry said, watching as Leto and Hermione walked off together. "Nothing at all."
"So," Hermione began, "did you learn Giantish before of after you decided to live with them."
"Oh, a long time before." Leto said. "I decided they would be the best protection against Voldemort's followers." Leto looked at her. "I can actually speak 236 languages, both Muggle and Magical."
"Really?" Hermione asked. "That's amazing!"
"No, not really." Leto shrugged. "Some of them aren't at all hard to learn. Giantish took me two months. Troll wasn't much harder. Neither was Dragon-speak. And, of course, I was born with Parseltounge. I guess you could say I have a thing for languages." He blushed a bit and looked away. She did the same.
"So...um...where did you learn them? I mean, the languages?" Asked Hermione.
"My library." Said Leto.
"You have a library?" Asked Hermione.
"Yeah." Leto said enthusiastically. "You want to see it?"
Hermione giggled as Leto and her snuck up the stairs into boys' dormitories. She had only been up there once, when Harry's room had been destroyed back in their second year. They came near Leto's bed, and next to it was a trunk.
"Moody had a trunk like this." She counted four locks on it.
"Yeah, each lock is a different room." He said. "This was where me and my Pop lived till I was eight." He pointed to each of the four locks. "Wardrobe, Armory, Storage, and Library." Each had a lock had a snake on it. "My dad made in accessible in two ways. You can open in with the key, which he kept, or I could always open it with Parseltounge." Leto looked at the fourth lock and hissed something Hermione could not understand. The snake on the forth lock opened it's eyes and crawled into the key whole. A click was heard and the chest flew open. "Wait just a moment." Leto jumped in.
"How deep is it?" She called down. It looked pitch black.
"Flamare Incantato!" She heard Leto yell, and fireballs shot from his hands onto torches on the wall. She saw a rather large room, every wall filled with books. Leto phase-shifted behind Hermione. She gasped as he grabed her from behind and teleported into the trunks, closing it on his way down.
Hermione reappeared in a room the size of a large bedroom. It was only about 20 feet by 20 feet. It was about 15 feet high. There was one green couch in the middle of the room. The walls were covered with book after book.
"Oh wow..." Hermione whispered.
"This is what I do when I'm bored." Leto said, still holding Hermione in his arms. The both looked at each other, and immediately blushed. He put her down and went straight to the bookshelf on his left. "You might like this one, it's the House Elf magical tongue." Leto pulled down a book and gave it Hermione. "You know...for you SPEW thing."
Hermione smiled. "Thank you." She whispered.
Leto grabbed a book from the shelf. "Got time to read?"
Hermione giggled. "I always do." She sat down on the couch, and Leto sat next to her.
Hermione read through the basics of House Elvish. Leto tried to read his book, but he was distracted. He couldn't help it, he had to ask her.
"Hermione?" He asked.
She turned to look at him. "Yes?" She asked.
He fell into her eyes. Those chocolate eyes kept his ice-blue ones captivated. "My God, you're beautiful." He said. Immediately realizing what he just said, he blushed and turned to his book again, inwardly cursing himself for letting his emotions overrun his control.
Hermione felt a huge surge of joy. "Thank you." She said. She thought for a moment, then whispered back. "You are too."
Leto turned to her. This was his chance. "Hermione, would you go to the Ball with me?"
Hermione turned to face him in the eye. They stared beyond the flesh, into the soul, the mind, the heart. "Yes." She said.
They continued to stare for what seemed an eternity. Leto let his control slide away willingly. He didn't want it right now.
He leaned over and kissed Hermione on the lips.
She kissed him back.
(Leto and Hermione are together. How will Harry feel? Will Harry finally tell Ron and Hermione about the prophecy. What will happen when Leto and Harry train together? Will the DA join back up? All this and more in the next chapter. Keep on hunting.
DemonHunter)
QUIDDITCH, HAGRID, AND DATES
Harry walked down the lonely corridors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He felt the lonely air against his skin. He felt confused, depressed, and most of all angry. Why hadn't Dumbledore told him this before? He had no idea that his great-grandfather was still alive, much less headmaster of Hogwarts!
Of course, it was, in a way, not surprising at all. Dumbledore had always shown unusual care towards him. He had protected him, guided him, shown him special attention he had never shown anybody else. His father's mother had been named Mabb Dumbledore...he was, in a way, a Dumbledore...
He looked down at the sword, now placed in the scabbard Dumbledore given him. The scabbard had a golden lion with ruby eyes on it. He remembered what Dumbledore told him. "As long as you hold this scabbard, nothing will ever truly harm you. Many things may hurt you, but nothing may harm you."
Finally, there was this legend. The Eye, the Hand, and the King. If he held the sword, he didn't know. Was he truly the reincarnation of the legendary Godric Gryffindor? And what about the other piece of the puzzle, the Eye? Could that be Leto? That would explain why Dumbledore was trying to force them together. If Harry truly was Gryffindor and Leto truly was Falco, then that would mean the return of the King...
"Who the hell is the King?" Harry looked up, realizing he had passed the dormitories. He turned around and walked towards the Fat Lady's portrait. He went to say the password, but he noticed the Lady wasn't there. He called out the password anyway. "Cabot Draconis...Cabot Draconis?"
"She'll be back soon."
Harry turned around to see Leto Stormrage standing behind him. "Leto...what's up?"
"Did you tell him?" Leto asked.
"What?" Harry asked.
"Please, Harry, I don't have time for this. I need to...um...go do something."
"Something? What's something?" Harry asked. "I'm not sure if I like all this secret keeping, Leto." Harry was feeling very uncomfortable. Leto had been a puzzle since he came to the school, but he was quickly becoming an impossible enigma.
"Harry...I can't tell you yet. You have no idea how much I'd like to tell somebody about this...but I can't. Not yet." Leto looked at Harry oddly...almost as if he was...pleading with him. Harry had never seen the Mage look so pathetic before. He must have really meant it.
"I didn't tell him." Harry said.
"Thank you." Leto sighed a breath relieve. He then smiled at Harry. "Harry, could I ask you another favor?"
"Sure, name it." Harry said.
"There's somebody I'd like to meet...somebody who's a good friend of yours." Leto crossed his arms. "I've seen him in class a bit, and I'd like to get to know him."
"Really? Who?"
"Reubeus Hagrid."
Harry laughed. "Hagrid? What do you want to know about Hagrid?"
"Everything." Leto said quite plainly.
At that point, Neville ran outside the portrait. "Excuse me, but have you guys seen Trevor? I can't find him again!"
Leto just chuckled again and said, "He probably hopped into one of our beds again."
"No, he was in his cage in the Common Room! It was locked!" Neville whined out.
Leto's eyebrows lowered and his smile faded. He then spoke again, but he didn't sound like himself. His normal voice was there, but there seemed to be this deep growl underneath it. "Neville, go look for Trevor under my bed."
Harry jumped a bit at the way Leto spoke, but what amazed him more was Neville's reaction. Neville got up and immediately tried to get back into the Common Room. Leto waved his hand and opened the door for him. Neville ran off, smiling. "Bye Harry!" He called off as he left.
Harry looked at Leto very sternly. He felt protective of Neville, and he didn't like the fact that somebody as somehow manipulating him.
"What was that?" Asked Harry.
"What was what?" Leto answered.
"That thing you did when you spoke." Harry said.
"The Voice? You can hear it?" Leto asked. His face showed genuine surprise.
"Yeah. I don't like you manipulating Neville."
"I wasn't manipulating. It's called The Voice. A hunter's tool. It's a heightened sense of suggestibility." Leto and Harry turned to walk away. "It only influences opinions or thoughts, it can't control anyone....Want to learn?"
"What?" Harry asked.
"The Voice. Want to learn it?" Leto asked.
"Really?" Harry looked down. "I'm not sure I can. I'm not a hunter, like you."
Leto laughed. "You can hear it, you can learn it." Leto laughed and spoke with the Voice, "It has it's uses, Harry. Finding a Dark Wizard is much easier when you can follow their trail." Harry didn't answer. Leto let the subject drop. He and Harry went to the Great Hall for dinner.
Harry sat across the table from Hermione and Leto, while Ron sat next to him. Neville, Ginny, Dean, Seamus, and Colin (always with his brother) sat near by. Harry looked at Hermione. She looked as beautiful as ever. She was, however, constantly trying to catch a glance at Leto without him noticing. He, much to Harry's disappointment, was doing the same to her.
Leto looked up and saw a blonde, angry looking young man looking at him from the Slytherin table. Leto, without breaking the blonde guy's eye-contact, asked Hermione. "Who's that guy?"
"Who?" Hermione asked.
"The one over at the Slytherin table giving me a death glare."
"Oh, Draco Malfoy." Hermione muttered.
"I take it he's not a nice guy?" Leto said.
"Only the slimiest, smelliest, foulest, loathesome creature to walk the Earth since You-Know-Who." Ron said.
"Honestly, Ron. Will you just say the name? Voldemort." Hermione said.
"Don't say that!" Ron shuddered.
"Voldemort." Harry said. "Fear of a name increases the fear of the thing itself."
"You guys are loony." Ron said. "You're right in mind, aren't you Leto?"
"Voldemort." Leto said, smirking. Ron rolled his eyes and Hermione smiled. "I will admit, though, I wouldn't say the name until I met him face to face." Ron dropped his food.
"You've met Voldemort, too?" Hermione said.
"Met him? Why do you think I've never gone to school? I've been chasing him for seven years." Leto smiled at Harry. "Just recently had a duel with him, Harry. He mentioned you. Told me to tell you 'hi'".
Harry didn't like the idea of Voldemort sending his greetings. "How many times have you fought him?" Harry asked.
"Like you. Only once." Leto smirked. "I've spent more time getting at his Death Eaters."
As he said that, Dumbledore rose up and tapped his goblet. A ringing sound went over the audience. Everybody went silent as Dumbledore smiled and stood up. He looked at Harry, almost as if he was asking if he was okay. Harry smiled at him, and Dumbledore's eyed twinkled.
"I have a few announcements. I would first like to announce that the votes are in, and the Quidditch Captains have been selected." Harry sucked in his breath. He had lost Prefect simply because of Dumbledore worrying about him. Quidditch meant a lot to him. He didn't want to lose this position.
"First, for Ravenclaw. The Captain this year will be Cho Chang." Cho stood up and smiled. There was a large cheer from the Ravenclaw table. She caught Harry's eye but quickly turned her head, blushing.
"Next, for Hufflepuff. The Captain this year will be Michael McClellan." A fifth-year boy stood up with a huge grin on his face. He obviously had not been expecting it, because he was near tears. He shook everybody's hands around him as the Hufflepuff table roared.
"Now, for Slytherin. The Captain this year will be Draco Malfoy." Draco stood up, smirking. He look over at Gryffindor table and glared. Ron glared back at him, a bit of sauce on his bottom lip. Draco laughed and sat down to the roaring, stomping Slytherin table.
"Finally, for Gryffindor. The Captain this year will be...Harry Potter." Harry let loose a huge sigh of relief and joy. He stood up while everybody at the table roared in delight. Ron wiped his face, laughing, and glared over at Draco, mouthing the words "You guys are screwed".
"Yes, yes, well done Captains. Well done. You deserve it." Dumbledore looked right at Harry for the last part. "Next, I would like to announce the creation of a new Ball this Halloween. This dance will be named 'The Diggory Memorial Ball', in honor of the of late departed Cedric Diggory." Harry, unconciously, looked over at Cho, who was crying silently.
"Will she ever get over him?" Ron whispered, looking over at her. "I mean, I know it's hard, but it's been two bloody years!"
"Two years? I didn't cry that much when my Pop died, let alone some old flame." Leto said.
Harry couldn't help but look at Hermione. He really wanted to take her to the dance, but he knew she had her heart stuck on somebody else. She was looking at Leto Stormrage, as were most of the girls in the school.
"Let it also be known," Dumbledore continued, "That those who wish to continue their education at my school, shall not, in any way, show support for Lord Voldemort or his followers. Murderers and villains shall not be tolerated at this school. Those who choose to ignore this warning shall suffer the consequences. That is all."
Later that night, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Leto were heading towards Hagrid's hut. "You'll just love Hagrid, mate. He's one of our best friends here. A real good guy, you know." Ron said.
"I'm sure. So, Ron, any idea who you're taking to the dance yet?" Leto asked.
"Who, me? Nah, not yet. But I'll find someone, though." Ron said.
"Hopefully somebody with their nose on straight." Harry joked.
"Shut up, Harry." Ron muttered.
"What about you Hermione?" Leto asked.
"Oh, I haven't really thought about it that much." Hermione was blushing wildly. "You?"
"Oh...I, uh...the same." Leto said, blushing as well.
Harry felt something in his chest being squeezed, and he knew what it was.
The four eventually came up to Hagrid's Hut, where Harry knocked on the door. Hagrid opened it, looked down, and smiled.
"Harry! Ron! Hermione! I haven't seen yer that much out of classes! Come in, just made a pot of tea." The four walked in. "I was kinda hopin' it would be whoever is stealing all of the chicken eggs. Somebody keeps stealin' 'em all."
"Have a good summer Hagrid?" Harry asked.
"Oh yeah, great summer. Learnin me some importan' stuff, I have." Hagrid said full of pride.
"What's that?" Asked Ron.
"Learnin' to speak Giant. Dumbledore thinks I needs to be more proud of me heritage. He says being a half-Giant's nuttin to be afeared of, so I started learning some of me language. It's not hard to learn, took only a few months ter learn most of-" Hagrid just then spotted Leto. Leto smiled at him. "You must be Leto. I've been seeing yer in class."
Leto stuck out his hand and Hagrid took it. Leto grunted and growled something. Hagrid stared at him, and then began to laugh.
"What is it?" Harry asked.
"I've just never met nobody who's not a giant who bothered to learn their language." Hagrid grunted something back at Leto. Leto laughed and grunted. Hagrid smiled and said. "Please, don't call me Professr' Hagrid. Hagrid'll do."
"There's a Giant word for professor?" Ron blurted out. Hermione quickly turned to glare at him.
Hagrid looked a bit hurt. "Well, it's more like teacher. They're not stupid, Ron. They're just not given a chance ter be smart. You gotta help 'em out. Look at ol' Grawp."
"By the way, where is Grawp?" Hermione asked.
"Oh, he should be home any minute." Hagrid said, sitting down.
"Home?" Ron asked.
"Yeah, told Dumbledore about 'im, he said it was a good idear. But he said it would be much nicer to keep him in the house."
"House?" Ron asked.
At that moment there was a loud bang on the door. Hagrid called out. "Come on in, Grawp. But watch yer feet, we gots guests here." Hagrid smiled at Hermione and said, "I even got him combing his hair now. He's a good boy, that's fer sure. Just a bit tall, I had ter add 10 more feet onter the roof."
At that moment, Grawp the giant pushed open the door. He had on a very large green shirt and a pair of brown pants. He was carrying an enormous club.
"Did ya get us some dinner, there, Grawp?" Hagrid asked. Grawp smiled a very toothy grin and held up a dead deer.
"Great job, Grawpy, yer the best." Hagrid then whispered to Ron "I always try ter encourage him."
"I would too." Said Ron, staring at the club.
Grawp took a seat in a very large chair. Put down his club and threw the deer of the table. Hagrid smiled, took the beast, and put it on a spit. He then went outside for a bit. "I'll be right back, gonna start to heat this up." He said.
Ron, Hagrid, and Harry looked up at Grawp timidly. Grawp pointed at Hermione and said "Hermy." Hermione laughed nervously and nodded. Grawp pointed to Harry and said "Herry." Harry nodded as well. Grawp then point to Ron, but was stumped.
"Ron Weasley." Said Ron.
"Ronwease." said Grawp.
"Close enough." Ron choked out.
Grawp then looked at Leto. Leto smiled and grunted something in Giant. Grawp laughed loudly and clapped his enormous hands. He grunted and snorted back. Leto returned with more.
"What are you telling him?" Harry asked.
"I'm commenting on his club." Leto stated matter-of-factly.
"Oh, come on, don't encourage him." Ron muttered.
"It's a compliment. I'm telling him his club looks like it could smash many skulls." Leto said.
"Oh, now I feel better." Ron retorted sarcastically.
Leto chuckled and returned to his conversation with Grawp while Hermione got up to make a pot of tea. A minute or two later, Hagrid stepped in. When he did, Grawp leapt up in the air, causing the entire house to shake. Grawp was pointing and shouting something in Giantish to Hagrid. It took a while for Hagrid to calm Grawp down.
"Woah, Grawpy, calm down. Now, what ye talkin' about?" Hagrid said, trying his best to hold Grawp down. Grawp grunted something and Hagrid said, "Well, no, not really. He just happens to know yer customs, I guess." Hagrid said.
"I lived with Giants for a month." Leto said. Ron's eyes went wide, and Hermione almost dropped the tea pot. Harry's jaw dropped in amazement. Hagrid smiled with fascination.
"Really? Ye lived with Giants?" Hagrid asked.
"Made me a member of their tribe." Leto said.
"Now how in blazes did you do that?" Ron asked.
"I had to run the gauntlet." Leto said.
"Gauntlet?" Ron asked.
"A series of strength, speed, but most of all resilience. No magic allowed, though."
"And ye did it?" Hagrid asked, amazed.
"Yeah, but I broke a few bones along the way." Leto said. "The only reason they even let me try was because I rescued one of the Gurg's mates from a snake wound." Leto scratched his neck, and Harry knew that Leto was scratching his snake tatoo. "I'm pretty good at making potions...especially snake bite remedies."
"We could've used you last year," Ron said, "My dad was bitten by a snake and was in the hospital for a long time."
"Hmm...that could be some useful stuff there, Leto. Thanks." Hagrid said.
"Don't mention it." Leto said. He then looked at Harry and winked. Harry didn't understand, but realization slowly began to dawn on him. That was why Leto wanted to see Hagrid. He wanted to tell him how to be accepted by the Giants. But why?
"Tea anyone?" Hermione asked. They all took their cups and sat down. Grawp, on the other hand, was much happier with a barrel of ale.
"It helps him ter sleep." Hagrid said reassuringly. Sure enough, Grawp's eye's got droopy and he fell asleep in his chair. They all quietly said goodbye to Hagrid as they left, making sure not to wake the sleeping Giant.
As they walked back to the castle, Harry took Leto aside. "So that's why you wanted to see, Hagrid?" Asked Harry.
"What?" Leto said, but he was clearly pretending not to understand.
"Oh come on, I know your not even trying. An auror doesn't give away that he's lying."
"Right and wrong. I am just pulling you for more questions. However, I am not an auror. I am a hunter. There is a difference." Leto said.
"Whatever, Leto. Why did you tell Hagrid about the Giants? Are you trying to get him hurt? He'll go up there and simply be broken to little pieces." Harry said. He was worried for his friend's safety. Leto had to be one of the more powerful wizards in the world. Hagrid was a third-year drop out of school who only had limited magical ability.
"You know, Harry, that Hagrid is a lot more capable than you make him out to be." Leto said. Harry dropped his head in frustration. "Harry, it may sound odd, but Hagrid will one day decide the fate of humanity." Leto turned very solemn as he said the next few words using the Voice. "It must go as I have foreseen."
Harry took a step back. "What do you mean, foreseen?" He asked in a near-whisper.
Leto's expression did not change, nor did his use of the Voice. "Tomorrow, I will explain it to you. Meet me on the school's rooftop, where you first saw me after our dream. I will explain it to you then." At that moment, Ron ran towards the two. Leto turned to Harry and smiled, just before a soft band was heard and Leto phase-shifted, leaving a wisp of black smoke behind. Harry turned as he saw Leto reappear next to Hermione. Ron kept running towards him.
"What was that all about, mate?" Ron asked.
"Nothing." Harry said, watching as Leto and Hermione walked off together. "Nothing at all."
"So," Hermione began, "did you learn Giantish before of after you decided to live with them."
"Oh, a long time before." Leto said. "I decided they would be the best protection against Voldemort's followers." Leto looked at her. "I can actually speak 236 languages, both Muggle and Magical."
"Really?" Hermione asked. "That's amazing!"
"No, not really." Leto shrugged. "Some of them aren't at all hard to learn. Giantish took me two months. Troll wasn't much harder. Neither was Dragon-speak. And, of course, I was born with Parseltounge. I guess you could say I have a thing for languages." He blushed a bit and looked away. She did the same.
"So...um...where did you learn them? I mean, the languages?" Asked Hermione.
"My library." Said Leto.
"You have a library?" Asked Hermione.
"Yeah." Leto said enthusiastically. "You want to see it?"
Hermione giggled as Leto and her snuck up the stairs into boys' dormitories. She had only been up there once, when Harry's room had been destroyed back in their second year. They came near Leto's bed, and next to it was a trunk.
"Moody had a trunk like this." She counted four locks on it.
"Yeah, each lock is a different room." He said. "This was where me and my Pop lived till I was eight." He pointed to each of the four locks. "Wardrobe, Armory, Storage, and Library." Each had a lock had a snake on it. "My dad made in accessible in two ways. You can open in with the key, which he kept, or I could always open it with Parseltounge." Leto looked at the fourth lock and hissed something Hermione could not understand. The snake on the forth lock opened it's eyes and crawled into the key whole. A click was heard and the chest flew open. "Wait just a moment." Leto jumped in.
"How deep is it?" She called down. It looked pitch black.
"Flamare Incantato!" She heard Leto yell, and fireballs shot from his hands onto torches on the wall. She saw a rather large room, every wall filled with books. Leto phase-shifted behind Hermione. She gasped as he grabed her from behind and teleported into the trunks, closing it on his way down.
Hermione reappeared in a room the size of a large bedroom. It was only about 20 feet by 20 feet. It was about 15 feet high. There was one green couch in the middle of the room. The walls were covered with book after book.
"Oh wow..." Hermione whispered.
"This is what I do when I'm bored." Leto said, still holding Hermione in his arms. The both looked at each other, and immediately blushed. He put her down and went straight to the bookshelf on his left. "You might like this one, it's the House Elf magical tongue." Leto pulled down a book and gave it Hermione. "You know...for you SPEW thing."
Hermione smiled. "Thank you." She whispered.
Leto grabbed a book from the shelf. "Got time to read?"
Hermione giggled. "I always do." She sat down on the couch, and Leto sat next to her.
Hermione read through the basics of House Elvish. Leto tried to read his book, but he was distracted. He couldn't help it, he had to ask her.
"Hermione?" He asked.
She turned to look at him. "Yes?" She asked.
He fell into her eyes. Those chocolate eyes kept his ice-blue ones captivated. "My God, you're beautiful." He said. Immediately realizing what he just said, he blushed and turned to his book again, inwardly cursing himself for letting his emotions overrun his control.
Hermione felt a huge surge of joy. "Thank you." She said. She thought for a moment, then whispered back. "You are too."
Leto turned to her. This was his chance. "Hermione, would you go to the Ball with me?"
Hermione turned to face him in the eye. They stared beyond the flesh, into the soul, the mind, the heart. "Yes." She said.
They continued to stare for what seemed an eternity. Leto let his control slide away willingly. He didn't want it right now.
He leaned over and kissed Hermione on the lips.
She kissed him back.
(Leto and Hermione are together. How will Harry feel? Will Harry finally tell Ron and Hermione about the prophecy. What will happen when Leto and Harry train together? Will the DA join back up? All this and more in the next chapter. Keep on hunting.
DemonHunter)