~Harry Potter and Rise of the Dark Lord~
by: LogicalRaven

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Well, I must warn you that this chapter starts off slowy, but picks up by the end.
I won't be updating for about three days. My husband is taking me on a weekend getaway, and I'm not allowed to take my comptuer (pouts)

I promise I'll have a new chapter up as soon as I can.

Read and Review
Nothing is My Own

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The Night of Dark News




Poor Hermione had been given two weeks worth of detention by Professor McGongall, who undoubtedly had been angrier because the outburst had occurred in Transfiguration, a class the old Headmistress held dear to her heart. As a conciliation prize for Hermione, Ron had been given a weeks worth of detention as well.

The incident had become as legendary as Fred and George's portable swamp prank. A little piece of it still remain in memory of two of Hogwart's most memorable pranksters. The story of the outburst had grown so out of truth, many students still thought Ron Weasley was hopping around the castle as a frog. Many students were saying he was actually in the swamp his brothers had created.

Ron and Hermione wouldn't even look at each, much less talk. Despite Harry and Ginny's best efforts to get them to reconcile their differences, it seemed hopeless. Pavarti and Lavender had told Harry that Hermione had been crying herself to sleep, and using a swelling reducing spell to fix her eyes in the morning.

Ron was however fairing better. Everytime Harry tried to drudge up the subject, Ron would start to ignore him or change the subject. Normally Ron would start talking about how excited he was about the upcoming Hogmeade trip he was going on with Susan Bones, although Susan hadn't spoken to Ron since the day of the outburst.

"When are they going to post it anyways, I mean we've been here three weeks and nobody had even mentioned Hogmeade. You're Head Boy Harry, when is the trip going to happen?" Ron asked in his usual tone.

Harry shrugged, "McGonagall hasn't told us anything about a Hogmeade trip. It might still be too dangerous, they wouldn't let us go last year, remember?"

"Damn it, what good is it being best mates with the Head if he can't get anything accomplished," Ron said sully, turning back to his Transfiguration work. Since his falling out with Hermione, his grade had been suffered a bit.

The Head and Prefect meetings were almost as bad as the Quidditch Captain meetings. Harry hated them about on the same level. The bad news was that Harry was forced to seek a replacement for Dennis Creevy, who had been a Chaser on the Gryffindor house team the previous year. The good news was, he didn't have to hold tryouts.

A fourth year, Jonathan Puller, who had tried out for chaser the previous year was the logical choice to replace the fallen Creevy brother. Harry had asked him during dinner one night had he had gallantly accepted the position, swearing Harry wouldn't be disappointed.

"I think maybe I should remind Susan she's going with me to Hogmeade," Ron continued, not noticing Harry was ignoring him.

"Whatever you think Ron. I'm tired, I think I'll turn in for the night," Harry said quickly adding a fake yawn in for effect.

Ron nodded, "Sure, night Harry."

The Head's bedroom was amazing, and Harry still hadn't gotten use to all the extra room. He would never have dreamed seven years ago that he'd be staying in such a palace. He had to grin as he thought about his old cupboard under the stairs. His double king size bed sat brooding massively in the middle of his enormous room. He had two desks for studying, and his own personal bathroom.

In all honestly, Harry wasn't even the slightest bit tired. He love Ron like a brother, but he wasn't sure how much more of him he could take before losing his temper with him.

Cho,

Sorry I haven't written lately, I've been real busy with classes and everything. Snape is giving me hell in potions. It never was my best subject, and Hermione hasn't been in the most helpful of moods lately.

I don't know what I'm going to do with Ron and Hermione. They have been driving me absolutely nuts with this whole 'kiss' thing. Honestly, I think I'm going to rip my hair out.

I need to go finish my potion's essay. I just wanted to make sure all is well.

Harry


The room was too big and too quite. If there was one thing Harry Potter had enough of in life it was being alone. He rummaged through his trunk and pulled out a piece of silver cloth, his invisibility cloak.

"Thanks December," he said a thank-you this his former defense professor, before throwing it over his shoulders. His monitors would surely be waiting outside the portrait in case he tried to wander out alone.

Tonks, Shacklebolt and Blackfoot were never far from Harry these days. They were usually a few feet behind him, always trying to act discreetly. They didn't succeed because everyone knew what they were doing. Malfoy had been carefully, but had used the monitoring situation to taunt Harry with vicious teases. Typical.

December O'Riley was going to appeal the board to lighten the monitoring situation, but Harry was grim about her success. The Daily Prophet had revealed to Harry, Minister Fudges intent. In previous years the minister had called Harry a liar and a disturbed boy. Now, Fudge had retracted all those statement and was now building Harry up to be the savior of the Wizarding world. No way he'd let any harm fall his propaganda center.

Harry shuttered with anger thinking about Cornelius Fudge. He glanced back across the common room to see Ron still sitting by the fire, struggling with his Transfiguration.

"Somebody please say the damn password," Harry muttered to himself, willing the entrance to open.

It did, and in walked a group of second years giving Harry a chance to escape. Odin Blackfoot was pacing the hallways. Harry almost laughed aloud. There wasn't much point to Blackfoot's watches, he couldn't hear anything.

It was so nice to not be monitored as he walked towards the Prefect lounge. He had a feeling Hermione or Ginny might be in there, and it would nice to have a conversation with someone who wasn't ranting on about Hogmeade.

"Lotus Blossom," Harry said, still hiding under his cloak in case anyone noticed him with out his monitors and snitched on him.

The Prefect's lounge was quite empty. Hannah Abbot was sleeping near the fire with an open Magical History book open in her lap. Colin Creevy was sitting in a chair across from her, also in what looked like a deep slumber. Harry shook his head and walked over the door that lead to the Head's Study.

"Unwavering Fairness," Harry muttered as the door opened revealing a long spiral stairwell.

Harry hadn't spent much time in the study. It was big and cold. He also didn't like the fact that only he and Padma Patil could access it, although it did make the perfect getaway when he didn't want to be found.

"I didn't think anyone would be up here?" Harry said as he spotted Padma sitting on a lofty sofa with a mass of papers spread out on the coffee table in front of her.

"I've got an Ancient Runes' essay due tomorrow, and I can't think of anything else to write," Padma whimpered, not lifting her head to greet her partner.

Harry shook his head, "Can't help you there, I never took that class."

"You can take the cloak off, I don't think anybody will spot you up here," Padma suddenly said.

Harry looked slightly startled at her boldness, but she was a Ravenclaw, and had probably deduced he had his cloak on to hide from his monitors.

"Creevy and Abbot are asleep downstairs, we should probably wake them or their going to break curfew," Harry said feeling awkward and out of place.

"I'm sorry Harry. You look like someone with something on your mind," Padma suddenly smiled closing her books and putting her quill down.

Harry sighed, "I'm just at a loss right now. I don't know what I'm going to do about Ron and Hermione. They won't even look at each other, and they're both driving me mad."

"Let it out," Padma joked, shaking her head.

"You asked," Harry said spitefully.

Padma looked like she was deep in thought, raising one of her eyebrows slightly, "Have you ever thought to just tell them to get over themselves?"

Harry looked shocked.

"I'm just kidding," Padma said shyly, "I honestly don't know what to tell you Harry. Just give them some time, they'll figure it out."

"I guess you're right. Then there is this whole monitoring thing, and Cho going on raids," Harry ranted, grabbing his hair and ruffling it in frustration.

Padma let out a slight laugh, "I thought you'd be more stressed about NEWTs and Quidditch."

"I wish those were my only worries still. I've barely thought about Quidditch, it would probably be better for the team if I'd just resign as captain and let Ginny take it over," Harry sighed.

"Oh Harry, I hear you're a wonderful captain. Pavarti only says good things about the way you run the team," Padma assured.

Harry groaned, "Your sister, she's not making my life any easier. She told me yesterday at lunch that she was first in line to go on a date with me when Cho runs off with Eros Raymer. I know she was just joking, but…"

"Oh Pavarti will be what she is, just ignore her. If she's really bothering you I'll talk to her," Padma offered.

"Nah, it would probably just motivate her more," Harry acknowledged.

Padma nodded and picked her quill back up, "You don't know anything about Edgor the Terrible do you? Or the runes of Camptoll?"

"Not really, never heard of it," Harry confessed.

"I was afraid you'd say that," Padma sighed, "Well, this is just going to have to be good enough, I don't think there is anything left to write."

It sounded like a cackle of hoots and wings, and it grew louder and louder with each passing second. At first it could be merely passed off as just noise, but soon it caught both Harry and Padma's attention.

"Do you hear that?" Padma asked, stepping towards the window. She threw her hands up to her face. In the distance, approaching was a flock of at least a hundred owls.

"What in the world?" Harry muttered as he narrowed his eyes trying to focus.

Padma started shaking terrible as tears raced down her cheeks, she tried to speak but she seemed to have lost the ability to move her mouth.

"It's the News," Padma finally choked out.

Harry creased his forehead in confusion, "The what?"

Padma took a minuet to stop her sobbing, "The News. Every time there is a massive attack the News is released. Thousands of owls are sent to notify those whos family members have been killed."

Harry felt the blood race from his face, he couldn't believe he was still so clueless about things in the magical world .

"We better go to the Great Hall, I'm sure we're not the only ones who have heard the owls approaching," Padma sobbed, turning to leave the study.

Students clamored in the hallways, all of them were trying to push their way to the Great Hall. It was horrible, the expression on each of their faces as they mentally trying to prepare themselves for the worst news of their life.

No sooner did Harry and Padma make their way into the large enchanted room then did the owls start their swooping. It was an eerie sight as Harry watched the birds dropping black letters into the hands of his fellow students.

Professor McGonagall appeared through the teachers' entrance in her night robes, holding her hands up calling for order. Harry felt his heart break as a young blond girl standing a few feet from her collapsed into tears as a owl dropped a letter into her hands.

"It's okay," Harry tired picking her off the floor. She remained hysterically, screaming and crying.

"I've got her," said another girl, as she took her friend from Harry.

Padma looked like she was at a loss as she stared at Harry in disbelief. Owls were still swarming the skies of the Great Hall, swooping and delivering their dreaded letters of black.

"This is horrible," Padma muttered, she looked like she was on the verge of collapsing.

"It's going to be okay, look at me Padma," Harry demanded, grabbing Padma by the shoulders.

"I'm sorry," she began to cry.

"Harry!" Ron called running over to the two Heads.

"Ron," Harry called back, but suddenly his face fell.

A large owl swooped down into the path between Ron and Harry and dropped a black letter. Ron's face went pale as he stared at it in horror. Harry's heart was beating so fast he thought it was about to explode.

"No, not the Weasleys," Harry thought to himself.

Ron was shaking so profusely that Harry couldn't see his convulsions from nearly ten feet away.

"Oh," Padma whimpered as she finally collapsed onto the floor.