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~Harry Potter and the Rise of the Dark Lord~
by: LogicalRaven
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Well, I'm sitting here go over my reviews and a smile comes to my face. I've done exactly what I was trying to do. Make everything seem completely and totally hopeless and redundant. I know Harry seems weak and spineless right now, but he's had a lot thrown on his plate the past couple years. He's probably about to collapse from all the pressure. Rest assure he will rise up and face his fate.
Hermione and Ron need to bicker right now….that the only reason I have. I'm not even positive I want them together anymore….They can be so catty.
Cho isn't going to run off with Eros, literally anyways…dear, I've said to much….
Just wait, you'll see….
Read and Review….Nothing is My Own
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Careful Detailed Planning
Nobody knew how Ron Weasley did it. Harry had a feeling it took an impressive amount of begging to convince McGonagall to let the students has a Quidditch Festival after the Great Halloween Feast.
It sounded more impressive then the plans actually being drawn up were, but at least it wasn't a book reading, which is what McGonagall has said would happen if nobody could come up with a better solution.
Ron has assumed soul responsibility of planning the event, and was openly refusing any outside help. He was planning on setting up an informational booth on each individual English team, to persuade those who hadn't selected a favorite team, to select one. Of course the Chudley Canon would have the most attention given to them.
He did have all the teams there for display though: the Appleby Arrows, Ballycastle Bats, Caerphilly Catapults, Falmouth Falcons, Holyhead Harpies, Kenmare Kestrels, Montrose Magpies, Pride of Portree, Puddlemere United, Tutshill Tornadoes (Cho's favorite team), Wigtown Wanderers and the Wimbourne Wasps.
If he had more time and room Harry was sure he would have included all the international teams as well.
"Who wants to work the Tornado booth?" Ron asked eagerly as the Prefects and Heads let out a moan. "Come on guys, it's better than a stupid book reading."
"Some would be inclined to disagree," Hermione said rolling her eyes.
Ron sneered, "Thanks for volunteering Hermione, you can work the Tutshill Tornadoes booth."
"I'll work it with you Hermione," Harry added, feeling it would be better than getting stuck at the Canon table with Ron.
"Great that covers all the teams, now I need a volunteer for the flying demonstration. McGonagall wanted me to remind whoever volunteers that only first and second years are allowed have a go on the school broom, and they aren't allowed more than five feet off the ground," Ron continued.
Malfoy shook his head, "Is there even a point to this stupid idea?"
"I'll do it Ron," Ginny raised her hand, "I'm sure Draco would love to help me, would you?"
"No," Malfoy said hatefully.
Ginny smirked, "Something bugging you Malfoy?"
Everyone but the Slytherins laughed.
"Fine, than it's Ginny and Draco at the flying demonstration," Ron said spitefully, acting as if a bitter taste had crossed his tongue from saying Malfoy's first name.
"Padma and Hannah are in charge of food and decoration, so if you or anyone in your house wants to request something talk to them," Ron said quickly, making a check across his list. "I still need someone to act as security at the main door to make sure nobody tires to leave," Ron said scanning the group.
"I think I'm the only one left," Colin Creevy said lowering his head.
Ron smiled, "Good man Creevy."
"Here," Ron said passing out a announcement to the prefects, "Hang these on your announcement boards so everyone knows what's going on. There is sign up sheet for people to sign-up to work their favorite teams booth, we also need people to loan us things like posters and sports stuff. I've got the Canons covered, but we still have several more teams to inform students about."
"Can we go yet?" Pansy Parkinson asked, looking extremely annoyed.
Ron shrugged, "Unless somebody else has something to add."
The group silently agreed that they didn't. Slowly houses started to pair up and head back to their common room.
"Remember, we have another meeting next week at this time to discuss patrolling policies," Padma hollered to all the departing students. "Harry, do you think it would be alright if we stay back awhile, I have an idea I want to discuss with you."
Harry looked slightly taken back, "I suppose, Tonks can walk us back to our common rooms separately."
"Good, I think you'll like my brilliant plan," Padma smiled racing off to tell her fellow Ravenclaws she would be coming back separately.
"Harry, you coming?" Ron called.
"No, tell Tonks me and Padma need to discuss some Head business and we'll be out in a few minuets," Harry yelled back.
Ron have Harry a thumbs up and walked out with the rest of the Gryffindors.
It didn't take long for the room to clear. Padma rushed over to her bag pulling out a long scroll where she had apparently been brainstorming. Always the Ravenclaw.
"Okay, I wanted to run it by you before I proposed it to McGonagall," Padma started.
Harry listened skeptically as she took a deep breath, "You know how we haven't been allowed to visit Hogmeade since the Dementor attack last year?"
"Yea," Harry nodded.
"Well, I came up with a proposal to allow us to visit Hogmeade again. I've worked through all the holes and according to my plans it should be perfectly safe."
"I don't care how safe it is, McGonagall will never go for it," Harry sighed, "They won't even let us receive mail without checking it, do you honestly think they'd let us go to Hogmeade without them."
"That is actually what I'd figured you'd say," she bit her lip and let out a slight chuckle.
"Do you want to hear my plan or not."
Harry smiled, "What is this brilliant plan?"
"I think we should go at night, as one large group. It's the most logical time to go, nobody will be expecting students to show up at Hogmeade at night, and if we go as a large group we should be perfectly safe," Padma started.
"Have you fallen off your rocker?" Harry asked astonished by the suggestion he had just heard.
"No I haven't. For the first time in my life I'm thinking clearly," she snapped, "It isn't fair they lock us up in the castle and don't tell us a bloody thing about what's going on out there. People are dying and they're more worried about protecting us then telling us the truth."
"That isn't your real idea is it? You were never going to present that to Professor McGonagall?" Harry gathered.
Padma blushed, "No, my idea is to convince Professor McGonagall to let us have some Hogwart's freedoms again, such as being able to go to dinner anytime we choose to, without an escort. Maybe even restarting Quidditch."
"How are we going to do that?" Harry questioned.
Padma grinned, "By causing a mutiny, we get all the students to start rebelling. You know messing up assignments and skipping class, that type of thing. It will be an entire school conspiracy, and everybody would do. I'm not the only fed up with being treated like a prisoner."
"Then?" Harry pushed.
"We convince McGonagall that the students need some freedom. We are the ambassadors for the student body so to speak. We present the faculty with our demand, oh what's the muggle term my father used. We go on strike," Padma finished.
Harry smiled at her determined face, "What about Hogmeade."
Padma shifted uncomfortably, "Last year you brought Cho back to Hogwarts through the Whomping Willow, she told me."
"You want to sneak out and go into Hogmeade without telling the professors?" Harry questioned.
"I want to know what's going on. We're never going to find anything out in this stupid castle with everyone watching us like hawks." Padma sighed.
"Do you realize how dangerous that is? We could get…" Harry trailed off.
"Killed," Padma finished, "They killed my brother and his entire family, do you honestly think we're any safer here at Hogwarts? I saw Dennis Creevy when he died, I still shutter when I pass that place in the halls. I'm not going to walk blindly into the dark next year, completely unprepared for what's to come, I'd rather just be told the cold truth now and get it over with."
"Then we do it, just like you've planned. But we don't let the Slytherins in on it, it's too risky," Harry warned, "Half of them were in Purebloods United last year."
"Several Ravenclaws were to if I remember correctly," Padma reminded. "We let them in on it, but we don't let them know it was our idea."
"I think we should select a very specific group to go to Hogmeade with, I think we both know who we can trust," Padma said lowering her head.
Harry frowned, "I thought we could trust Luna, and look what happened."
"I know, Terry Boot and Michael Corner, I trust both of them from Ravenclaw," Padma almost whispered.
"Hermione, Ron and Ginny," Harry added.
"And Pavarti, she's my sister after all," Padma said quickly.
"Neville, I know we can trust Neville," Harry said, remembering his conversation with him in the common room.
Padma nodded, "We agree then, we tell Terry, Michael, Pavarti, Neville, Ginny, Ron and Hermione, and nobody else."
"How exactly do you propose we get this mutiny thing going?" Harry asked quickly.
Padma smile, "That's where Pavarti comes in, Miss Gossip Queen herself."
"That's brilliant, want me to talk to her tonight?" Harry asked.
Padma shook her head, "Already covered, great minds do think alike you know."
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As the night of the Halloween Feast approached the plan slowly started to take shape. It was subtle, which is exactly what the two were hoping for. Students were doing poorly on assignments, or forgetting about them all together. Padma was right about spreading the rumor and getting the entire school involved. Pavarti had made good on her reputation and even the Syltherins were starting to show signs of mutiny.
The best news came the night before the Halloween Feast, December O'Riley had sent a special owl to Harry declaring she had finally got in front of the board and convinced them to lighten their guard on him. Fudge had to concede since they were running dangerous short on trained Aurors that Shacklebolt and Blackfoot would be replaced by Auror trainees after the first of the year.
Until that time all monitoring done on Harry Potter would be relieved, and instead the Aurors would focus on the protection of Hogwarts instead of just the protection of Harry.
Harry tucked the letter into his pocket as he heard a few second years whispering something about skipping class. Harry had to smile, "Brilliant," he muttered to himself.
With a yawn he found himself wandering up the stairs to the familiar safety of his room.
He examined the room and noticed that there was still no Fawks, meaning Dumbledore was still holding on. For some strange reason the thought of Dumbledore still being alive brought Harry some peace, but he knew in his heart he would never see his mentor again.
Before he realized it, he was drifting away to the land of dreams. He hadn't even bothered to change out of his robes as he embraced his pillow and let his head sink into it.
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"I don't know a Harry!"
Harry glanced around the foggy street, he had seen the street many times. It was Privet Drive. The loud shrill had come from the small house that he had never really called home. As a shiver rattle down his spine, he started to approach.
"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE, I'LL CALL THE POLICE!" roared Vernon Dursley.
Harry flung his head backwards as a flash of green light illuminated from the windows. His feet finally finding balance, raced towards the door, tearing it open.
"UNCLE VERON, AUNT PETUNIA!" Harry cried, racing through the house in a desperate search.
As Harry swung the kitchen door open he saw his rattle aunt looking terrified with her hands over her mouth.
"What do you want?" Petunia cried.
"I want to know everything about Harry Potter," demanded a voice that still haunted Harry's dreams.
"BELLATRIX!" Harry identified.
Petunia coward, "Please don't kill me. I don't know a Harry Potter."
"You're a worthless excuse for witch. A muggle born who couldn't hack it. You don't deserve mercy, you don't deserve to live."
Harry felt his legs freeze, "NO!"
The frightening green blazed through the house as Petunia slumped to the floor in a dead drop. Her dull eyes looking lifelessly up towards the ceiling. Harry's attention immediately turned to Dudley, who was probably upstairs hiding under his bed.
Bellatrix Black let out a sick laugh, "Poor ickle Harry, what will he do when he finds out I've killed his family." She kicked Petunia's lifeless body and pointed her wand up towards the air reciting the Dark Mark Summon, then with a loud pop she was gone. Harry found himself running up the stairs, hoping with every ounce of his soul, he still had a cousin.
