Chapter 6
Let Me Rage
The Gryffindor table, especially the trio erupted in loud cheering. Obviously no one had taken so long as Mark Evans had during a sorting hat's decision this year.
"Alright Mark, mate! What other house or houses did the hat want you in?" Ron asked as Mark sat down between Ron and Harry. He mumbled a reply but Ron asked to speak louder.
"Slytherin, the hat wanted me to be in that house badly."
"Looks like we both have something in common," said Harry, smirking.
"Did the hat want you in Slytherin too?" asked Mark, brightening.
"Yeah it did, but I asked the hat not to . . ."
"Harry, we never knew!" exclaimed Hermione. While Ron was paling in the face rather rapidly.
"How'd you not end up there?" asked Ron.
"It's thanks to you Ron, and partially to Hagrid too," admitted Harry.
"Mate, I - That's - Man, that's - " he was speechless for the fact he influenced someone without, now with, his knowledge.
"Excuse me, you're interrupting the Sorting," said Sir Nicholas, curtly. Everyone fell quiet, watching the rest of the first years through their sorting hat. Finally, Professor Severus Snape called the last student to the chair.
"Zabini, Rose!" She came up to the thee-stool seat and sat down. The Sorting Hat was placed on her dark red curly hair. After forty-five seconds of contemplation, the hat shouted.
"Slytherin!" The table that housed the home mascot of snakes cheered as she sat down next to her sister Blaise Zabini. Harry spotted Hermione staring at the red-head girl with suspicion in her eyes. Then Headmistress McGonagall stood up to start her speech.
"Hello first years, welcome! Welcome back to those has returned. I know for those you were expecting our former Headmaster. As it was in the Daily Prophet, he had disappeared from this world. I will try to run these things smoothly as I can. Now, as Filch had so kindly reminded me. No magic are allowed in the corridors as you all know, there are lists of things that are disallowed in these corridors. Including," she paused, looking at each student. "All Weasley Wizarding Wheezes," Harry swore that there was a smile flickered on her face. "If you are found to be skiving off classes with one of those boxes. You will receive a week's worth of detention. Now that's out of the way, no one is to go into the Forbidden Forest. More than ever, the danger with Y-V-Voldemort, (there was a loud murmuring going around the Great Hall) we are in imminent danger. I urge you, more than ever, to be extra careful and please," she looked over to Harry's direction," be in company at all times when you're in corridor or on the grounds."
Harry felt a surge of anger going through his blood. 'How dare everyone try to protect me! Haven't I proved myself over time and again!?' He didn't listen to the rest of the conversation which had included Quidditch, classes, and more warnings about the danger. Then she dismissed everyone to start eating the feast. It had taken a full minute before he had realized that everyone was chatting and eating. Mark was trying to get his attention and when he did, he barely registered what he was saying.
"What?" asked Harry, confused.
"I was trying to get your attention for a minute there, what were you thinking?"
"Oh I was - " then someone tapped on Harry's shoulder and found a first year boy smiling at him. "Yes?"
"Hi, Harry right? My name is Durand, and I was thinking - " he spoke.
"Whatever it is, I don't want to be bothered. Ask me later," said Harry, irritated. He stood up away from the table, not eating his food. "I'll be just . . . around." He left Great Hall, and walked straight to the Room of Requirement. Totally forgetting the need to bring guards with him. He walked back and fourth in front of the door three times with a need in his mind.
'I need something to blow things up . . . something that will withstand a lot of explosion . . . . Some punching bags would be nice . . .' Then the door appeared. He quickly walked to the door and opened it ajar. What lies in the room had astounded Harry. The room was built like in a dungeon. But with more iron fasting to it. There were some punching bags, and lots of wood littered around the room. 'To blow things up,' he thought. He remembered the warning, and the look in McGonagall's eyes and new surge of rage coursed through his veins. The previous day at Grimmauld place, how everyone had been betraying his trust left and right. Especially when Hermione and Sirius had read the last poem in his journal.
The nearby chunk of wood exploded into splinters in front of him. He punched the bag on his left and pounded into it as more wood around him blasted into mince pieces. If someone was in the room right now, it looks like as if there were invisble ghosts stirring up the chaos. Once he felt exhausted, he felt like that he needed something to drink. Nearby him, he saw a table and a glass of milk came into view. Grateful, he walked over and drank the whole cup.
'If this is how I am going to be like this year, I'm afraid of the times when I get angry in other people's company.' This is all Voldemort's fault. He could so clearly feel him when he was mad. But even when he knew people meant good, he still overreacted because Voldemort was in him. He felt dirty just thinking about it and did nothing to rid of his anger. He needed something to rid of his anger soon and fast. He looked around for anything to help him relax. To his relief, he saw a Firebolt, and the room that he was in expanded threefold times more. He was surprised at how big the room could get and thought that he needed far more room to fly. He watched the room expanding increasingly, further and wider and even higher than he would have ever imagined. He didn't want to risk getting lost in this room, he stopped the room by feeling satisfied. He mounted his broom, happier than he had felt in ages. He urged the broom he was riding to go even faster and even more faster. Once the broom reached it's limit, he yelled a whoop as he did series of short loop-the-loops and doing Sloth Grip Roll.
He led the broom to fly up to the ceiling to see how high it was since he couldn't even tell from where he had been flying which had been at least a hundred feet in the air. While he was flying towards the ceiling, the broom began to vibrate but not horribly shaking him off the broom. When he finally reached the ceiling two minutes later at top speed. He figured that the ceiling was five miles high with his simple math in his head. He was surprised that the room had expanded so high and so wide, he did not even want to think how Hogwarts managed to increase this big inside.
When he looked down, and felt like he was about to fall. He never flew so high and so far above the world, if there weren't any walls. He grinned, and leaned forward in his broom and the gust blew into his ears as he went hurtling fast toward the ground. He then heard a scream and lost his concentration. He looked to the door in quite a distant ways away. He saw the new Headmistress, Hermione, Ron and Professor Snape. He turned his focus back to the ground and widened in shock. He urged the broom to pull up but he knew no more.
Harry felt every single muscle ached as he tried to make the tiniest movements. He couldn't even control his voice nor to open his eyes because something was holding it down. How on Earth was he to move at all? All he saw was black and silence, and nothing else. He knew he would be on a bed in Hospital Wing. There was no other explanation for it.
He moved his right fingers slightly and felt something was holding his hand. The fingers that wrapped his own felt somewhat familiar. Then he heard a voice.
"Harry?" asked a familiar voice. He wasn't sure who it was yet thought he should. "Can you hear me?" He slowly squeezed his hand since he couldn't speak right now.
"Is he awake?" asked another voice, that sounded stern but in a motherly way.
"I think so, he's only squeezing my hand, I don't think he can speak."
"Of course, how on Earth did he survive Hermione?"
'Ah, so that's who the voice belonged to, and the person who was holding my hand.'
"I don't know Madam Pomfrey, should I go?" Hermione asked, letting the hand go.
"Yes please dear, you go to your classes, they're about to start."
"Thank you," then he heard foot steps walking away from him and felt a presence coming near him.
"How are you feeling Mr. Potter? How on Earth did you land yourself in here on first day of school!" Harry felt embarrassed, remembering his broom ride. "Can't you speak at all Potter?" He tried to sign in a way to say no with his hand. "Oh here," she grabbed his right hand and spoke again. "Squeeze once if you're in pain, twice if you do not." He squeezed once.
"Very well, and I am sure you want to know how long you have been here. Only overnight so far Potter," she tutted. "Missing your first day of lessons! What were you thinking? Oh well, I'm not getting any answers from you right now. Now here's a potion that will help your pain, mind you, don't spit it out."
She helped Harry to drink in a substance that tasted so horrible that he thought that he would have thrown up. But soon his pain began to dissolve and disappear. He opened his mouth but all it came out was a low croak.
"I see that it is working, here, have a pumpkin juice."
Harry took the cup and drank the contents down, washing the taste away from his mouth. Then he tried speaking again.
"W-why do I have this thing over my eyes and my head?"
"You've had a nasty blow to your head, they thought you had died in the fall. Very lucky that you survived Potter, you never seem to have run out of luck. What scares me is that one day you will," she fell quiet and walked away as her foot falls fell quieter and quieter. Harry tried moving a bit and found that he wasn't in any pain anymore. Or for the time being anyways. He wished that he didn't have to miss any classes right now that it's the first day of school.
Elevating a sigh, Harry sat up in his bed, wondering what he could do. He can't stand the silence in Hospital Wing, especially that he knew that there were classes going on. On top of that, being in the dark and being wide awake and knew that it was day time outside. Then he heard someone entering the Wing sometime later. He thought the foot steps were familiar, since they gave off foreboding feeling. Then the voice spoke to him.
"Mr. Potter, do you have any idea what you have done!?" the voice that Harry knew belonged no other than Professor Snape.
"Other than you guys losing my concentration and crashing my broom in the Room of Requirement, then no."
"Oh so it was our fault for making you to lose your concentration. Why did you leave the Great Hall in the first place?"
"I decided that I wasn't hungry, that's all," replied Harry.
"I see, so you thought that getting yourself hurt will get you out of lessons for awhile have you?"
"No Professor, those weren't my intentions at all."
"Very well," he checked the Wing to see if anyone was listening. "I'm also here to discuss about Legillmency lessons with you. That is, if you're still interested."
"Yes, I still am," confirmed Harry.
"The lessons will start on next Tuesday, at eight P.M. If anyone asks, you have remedial potions. As usual," he said with a slight sneer.
"Okay Professor," replied Harry nonplussed.
"I do hope you don't fall behind your classes, because I won't be easy on you as everyone else is, of course," with that, he turned with his bottom of the cape swishing as he left the room. Harry leaned back into his bed, thinking about the upcoming lessons with Professor Severus Snape.
'Boy, what fun it is to stay in the hospital,' thought Harry sarcastic.
"Hey Harry, feeling better?" Ron asked, entering the room. Harry had finally got his bandages off of his eyes, but they were still wrapped around his head.
"Yeah Ron, loads, got some homework for me?" he asked, sitting up in his bed.
"Yeah mate, they're loading us so many work, I don't even know how I am going to pass this year," replied Ron as he handed Harry some notes on homework that was to be done and recieved notes during the classes.
"Thanks Ron, Madam Pomfrey said that I should be out of here tomorrow morning."
"That's good mate, I bet you are bored in here," said Ron, grinning and Harry grinned back at him, shaking his head.
"I should make this place my second bedroom, I keep ending up here at least twice a year," said Harry. True he's been staying for only two days, but the way the nurse acted more motherly to Harry than other students that end up here. You wouldn't be able to know if that's simply because he was The-Boy-Who-Lived or because he keeps getting himself into danger and hurting himself.
"Harry! Oh, finally you're up, any other time I tried to talk to you. You were either sleeping or doing your homework. Oh, how are you?" exclaimed Hermione, and Mark was close behind. Harry noticed the black eye on Mark's face behind her.
"Fine, just what happened to you Mark?" asked Harry.
"He got into a fight with a Slytherin that's all. Do you know how foolish you were when you were flying on that broomstick!?"
"Which Slytherin? It can't be Malfoy is it?" asked Harry, ignoring Hermione's question.
"No, it was a girl in my year," replied Mark.
"Stop ignoring me," warned Hermione, frustrated.
"A girl? She beat you up? What was her name?" asked Harry, surprised.
"I'm not sure, she's - "
"It was Rose Zabini," replied Hermione nonchalantly. "Now, will you answer my question?"
"Fine, I was looking for a way to cool down my anger. I'm just afraid that sometime this year - that I would hurt someone badly if someone makes me mad."
She, and the other two gazed at him and then at each other nervously. Hermione shifted her feet, unsure what else to say. Harry had a feeling that she was trying to say something but at loss for words.
"Mate, we - " began Ron.
"Oh Harry, I am sorry that we pestered you so much. We'll try not to interfere with you. But why fly, of all things? You were going so fast!"
"I would have not gotten hurt if someone had screamed Hermione. I lost my concentration."
"Oh no, that was me, I'm so sorry Harry," said Hermione, nearly on the verge of crying.
"Forget it Hermione, I'm alive aren't I? At least I'm not falling behind my classes because you two are helping me. So, think of that as a way to repay for my injuries," this seemed to cheer her up slightly. "Anyways, Mark, how did you get in fight with that Zabini?"
"Oh, that," he reddened in the face a bit. "She was insulting me."
"I thought it was the other way around, you were insulting her because of her attitude," said Ron.
"Oh, yeah well, that, she er - " said Mark sheepishly. "I just hate her attitude."
"Well Mark, did you get in trouble for it?" asked Harry, and Mark nodded. "You see, since the founder's time, Gryffindor and Slytherins have always fought with each other, well, after awhile anyways. So don't go looking for trouble again. Now if the trouble goes looking for you, well, all I can say is try to get out of the way."
"You don't seem to get out of the way Harry," muttered Ron, but Harry ignored.
"Fine," said Mark. "Well, we better leave you alone to get on your homework, Saturday's tomorrow!" Then the three left the Wing, leaving Harry to do his homework.
Finally, the long await moment to get out of the hospital had arrived. Harry happily got out of his bed, took his school things and literally ran out of the Wing into the corridor. He ran suddenly into someone and fell down backwards with a grunt. He looked up, and found someone unfamiliar, who also got the wind knocked out of her.
"Sorry, excuse me, I was - " apologized Harry, but she waved him off as it were nothing.
"Don't be, I haven't properly introduced myself, I'm Professor Srycry. (Pronounced Sry-cry [sry as cry]) A professor for the Defense Against the Dark Arts. I heard that you were incapacitated for past few days in the Hospital Wing Mr. Potter. I hope you are well?"
"Uh yeah, seeing that I was running. So I must say that I am fine. Er - please to meet you professor," he finally had a clear look at her. She was in her early forties, with ethic background from somewhere in Africa. Her hair was braided to her scalp with loose beads at the neck of her hair. He felt a stern yet friendly presence about her, similar to that of Professor McGonagall.
However more friendly than so, he would have to remember to talk to Ron and Hermione about their new teacher for the Defense Against the Dark Arts. She waved him good bye and continued down the corridor. Harry watched her go around a corner, and Harry continued to run back to the common room but more slowly as not to run into anyone else. Luckily, he hadn't found anyone. He came to the portrait and stood there dumbly.
'Great, no one told me the password for this term,' thought Harry as the Fat Lady stared at him, as if to wait for him to speak the password.
"Well?"
"Sorry, but I was in the Hospital Wing on the first day back so no one told me the password," replied Harry moronically.
"Well, as you know, no password, no entrance."
"You didn't have to say that, you know Ron and Hermione?" she nodded in answer. "Well, tell them I have gone to the library. Thanks, oh and tell them that I don't even know the password," he added with satire evident in his voice.
"I will, see you later," with that Harry slowly walked to the library to work some more on his homework. They were seriously loading everyone with homework. Also dwelling his thoughts on the new teacher he had just met earlier. After all, every new teacher for the DADA had a profound effect on him, directly or indirectly, such as Lockhart.
When he finally came to the library, and found the place empty except for Madam Pince, who looked up to see who had just entered the library. He waved hello to her and continued walking towards the back of the room, behind a lot of book shelves and book cases. He was glad to actually sit in a chair to do his homework and class assignments. The only work he had to do was the DADA's essay and the Potions one. Which he dreaded the most, but with Hermione's careful notes, he should be able to write a good essay on how to identify charcoal and soft onyx, and their differences.
But as for the DADA's assignment, he had to name three common and three uncommon hexes, as well as telling the differences between curses, jinxes, hexes, and charms. Sounds like the teacher so far tries to make the assignment interesting because he had to name hexes and their usage.
Then he heard footsteps entering the library and voices speaking to Madam Pince. Since he had hidden deeply in the library, behind shelves upon shelves of books. Harry couldn't make out anything that was being said. He had a feeling that whoever it was, he would not be happy to see.
Sure enough, they stopped talking and started walking towards the end of the library. Straight to where Harry was, but he went back to work. Or pretending to be working, and felt someone's presence next to him. He slowly looked to who it was. First thing he saw was the Slytherin badge. Then his eyes traveled up to Malfoy's face that was sneering at him.
"Well, well, well, looks like Potter finally got out of the Hospital Wing. Did you enjoy your stay there?"
"No I didn't," answered Harry, matter-of-factly. Draco Malfoy scowled at him.
"So the Pothead decided that he would skip some lessons by missing first few days of school. Do you remember the duel challenge I asked for in our first year?"
"Yes," replied Harry cautiously.
"And making a fool out of me last year?" Harry smirked at this.
"Of course," replied Harry with a chuckle. But Malfoy glared at him for chuckling.
"I demand a rematch!"
"Oh poor rich boy's pride is destroyed huh? Yeah, I suppose because I heard that you didn't live it down to my friends," he stood up from his chair. "While I was in Azkaban. Do you know why I ended up there?" He asked, growling a little.
"Of course, it was all over the news Potter, you cast the Cruciatus Curse on one of our beloved friends."
"You call the Death Eaters your friend? Why I heard that they were just slaves to Voldemort," Malfoy tackled him suddenly and began pounding him. But luckily Harry fought back with a kick to the gut and hook punched Malfoy at the right jaw. All of this scrambling and grunts made Madam Pince to come to where they were and began shrieking.
"Boys! Stop! Get out! STOP THIS MADNESS!" The two boys on the floor were still fighting, and Pince took her wand out and made a lout bang. This caused a pause in their fight, but then continued with Malfoy initiating the punch to Harry's torso. Which knocked the wind out of Harry for a moment. Then Harry counterattacked with a knee to Malfoy's stomach again and stood up. Panting, wiping the blood from his bruised nose.
"I said you boys to sto - " Malfoy tackled Harry to the floor again and another Professor entered the library.
"What's this - Potter, Malfoy?" Harry looked up who was talking and found Professor Snape. Of all people to enter the library.
"I'm so glad you came Severus, they wouldn't listen to me!" exclaimed Madam Pince.
"I'll handle it from here, they both will receive a week's worth of detention," said Professor Snape silkily.
"Thank you Severus," with that, she left but not before glaring at the boys who finally stopped fighting. After she was back at her desk, Snape turned to the two boys who stood up from the floor.
"I don't want to hear any explantions, you two will, as I have said, receive a week's worth of detention. Professor Conan will see to your punishment Potter. As he is the newest Head of Gryffindor, Mr. Malfoy will do with me, come on Malfoy, come with me, you too Potter. So get your stuff and come on."
Harry got his stuff together, mad at Malfoy for landing him in detention. What's worse, he didn't even know who was Professor Conan was or if s/he was stricter or kinder than Professor McGonagall. When he finally got his stuff into his bag, the three filed out of the library and into the corridor. He found Ron and Hermione running towards them and stopped in front of Professor Snape.
"Move out of the way Weasley and Granger. Potter needs to see Professor Conan for detention," sneered Snape and went around the two. Hermione and Ron looked at Malfoy and Harry with confusion but with a dawning look on their faces. Then after the two had pieced two things together. Of course, trust Harry and Malfoy to stay out of trouble for more than ten seconds.
When the three finally reached the office where Professor McGonagall used to occupy until this year. Professor Snape knocked on the door and heard a 'come in'. The three men, with two of them being students, filed into the office and found a man sitting at the desk, seemingly working on lesson plans. Which Harry assumed Transfiguration classes.
"Yes Severus?" he looked up, and found that he wasn't alone in his company.
"I've come to speak to you about Potter's arrangement for his detention. Seeing that I already have my hands filled with Mr. Malfoy's detention."
"Ah, I see, so, what have they done to have earned their detention?"
"One, they were fighting in the library, and two, ignoring Madam Pince when they were fighting. I have given each a week's worth of detention. I'm sure you can arrange that, can you not?"
"Of course, of course," replied Professor Conan, looking at Harry and to his scar. Harry felt annoyed, and combed with his fingers to cover his scar. Conan looked back to Severus Snape and nodded. "And not to mention my first time doing detention for a student. Thank you, I'll take it from here. Good day to you Severus," said Professor Conan, dismissing Severus Snape and Malfoy from the office. Then the two didn't speak for a moment, just staring at each other..
He wasn't sure if the new Professor would be strict, kind, or a fun guy. He sorely could not handle another Umbridge or another Trelawney or of some other teacher like Snape. Then Professor Conan finally spoke.
"So you don't like people staring at your scar?" Harry was taken aback from the first question that was asked. Then he nodded in answer. "I see, much different than I had thought, all those news that was conjured about you for past two years . . . were a fiction?"
"Most of them," said Harry, unsure where this was going.
"Ah, what wasn't?"
"That my scar do hurt from time to time, my interview last year, me going to Azkaban. I'm not sure about other things. Oh, and I'm not a attention-seeking little boy who makes up lies," now Harry wasn't in the best of moods. "Are you going to give me detention or not?"
"Oh, yes, sorry," replied the new Professor sheepishly. "Yes, well, you will come here on Monday at six. I'll have something to do for you. Nice to meet you Mr. Potter. Good bye, and see you on Monday night," Harry gratefully returned the good-byes and left the office. Now where was he to go? He didn't want to go back to the library and suffer Madam Pince's wrath. But would Ron and Hermione be there, waiting? Heaving a sigh, he slowly walked back to the library, resisting the urge to shudder at the thought of seeing Pince again.
When he finally reached the corridor where the library was, he found Ron and Hermione waiting there just outside of the door, carrying his book bag. Relieved that he didn't have to go in to get his stuff, after all. Hermione saw him first and ran to him.
"Harry! What's going on? I'm so sorry we didn't give you the password or at least met you in the Wing but we - I'm sorry Harry," said Hermione, all in one breath.
"Hermione, slow down, Malfoy and I just had a - a muggle fight, you can say that I have detention with Professor Conan . . . what is he like anyways?" Harry asked, as the three walked back to the common room.
"He's a wonderful Professor," said Hermione at once.
"Yeah mate, the detentions can't be all that bad can it? Not with him, or at least, I think so," said Ron, smiling.
"But if that is true, then why did Professor Snape hand him over to Professor Conan..?" asked Hermione, frowning.
"Nevermind that," said Harry. "What about Professor Srycry? I ran into her earlier. Literally," said Harry.
"Dang Harry, did you meet two of the newest professors in one day?" asked Hermione.
"Looks that way, so what is she like?"
"She's a nice Professor as well as Professor Conan. I think you will like both of them," replied Hermione, as the three reached the Fat Lady's portrait. "And Harry, the password is," she snickered. "Malfoy's a git."
"What?!" exclaimed Harry, laughing. Ron was laughing at Harry's expression as the pathway to the common room opened up and climbed through. "Oh this is priceless," commented Harry and found other fellow Gryffindors. "Hello, I'm back." The room roared in response, happy that Harry was back. Harry laughed a little, shaking his head.
"Funny password that we have!" said Harry, and everyone laughed. "Who came up with it?"
"I did," replied Ron. "We didn't have a password back on the train and well," explained Ron, reddening in the face. Harry and everyone in the common room laughed.
"Well, I need to get on my work, so can you just go back to whatever you were doing?" asked Harry abashed. Then the common room slowly returned to normal. Or as normal as it can get, now that Fred and George were officially graduated. Harry got his things out of his bag and sat in his favorite chair next to the fire. At least everyone knows that it's Harry's seat, even the first years were briefed on that. Shaking his head, sometimes his fame has its uses. He knew he couldn't let that to his head, seeing how much he despised being famous. For something so trivial and with a big price. 'Okay, maybe not so trivial, seeing that I lived through a Killing curse, survived Voldemort more times than anyone. Including the former Headmaster, Dumbledore.'
He got to work on his two papers, and eventually finished the DADA's paper at five, which was when everyone slowly left the common room to dinner. Harry also decided that it was time to eat and wrapped things up and put his bag in his dormitory with other things. Then he went back down to the Great Hall with Ron and Hermione.
When he entered Great Hall, he had forgotten that he was absent from the rest of Hogwarts for three days. The place fell silent when he entered, and felt a surge of annoyance when they keep falling quiet whenever he comes into Great Hall after some feat or another. Gratefully, everyone started talking again as nothing had happened. He let his eyes drift to the Slytherin table and found Malfoy with a withering look. Harry smiled maliciously at him. Which made Malfoy's scowl deepen even more, and Harry went over to Gryffindor's table and sat down with his housemates. He had purposely sat down facing away from Slytherin table.
That night, Harry worked on his Potion's essay, which he found really easy to write. Of course, Hermione helped proof read his paper, fixing a few things in one area or another. At ten, Harry lied back in his super-comfy chair, as the orange fire glowered. Then the fire changed to emerald color, which made everyone in the common room shift their heads to the fire, wondering who was coming.
Then Harry saw who it was, and blinked his eyes several times to make sure what he was seeing. Several people in the common room yelped at the arrival. Many of the people drew their wands, after all, it was unlike Gryffindor to hide in fear. Harry thought that the man before him was very foolish to come to this certain common room.