The Quetzal's Fire

Harry Potter

I'm trying to start a Harry Potter fanfiction message board. Email me or go to and sign up for my totally subjective admittance process. As always: idiots need not apply. Fools, of course, are more than welcome.

A/N: Part Ten already! I've never gotten this many chapters in so fast, if I've ever even gotten to ten. I apologize for the length of time between this and chapter nine, though. Midterms and skiing near collided over the past couple of weeks (with mixed results), so I've been playing a lot of catch up scholastically and socially.
Thanks for the thoughts on the quidditch talk and fluff; both were intentional, and I thought that they might show up as sticky subjects. They will probably show up again in the future, though.
Finally, my iambic pentameter sucks. I'm sorry. But do pay attention to the couplets.

Part Ten: Your Generation

The summer died without any further event. Harry did, however, read up on some quidditch books. True to his word, Professor Dumbledore helped Harry with all of his homework. Not only that but, Snape grudgingly admitted that he would tolerate Harry in his NEWT class. Combined with a full two months of his best friends and a new girlfriend, Harry could safely call it the most enjoyable summerof his life.

Yet there was something that didn't seem kosher— the fact that the Dark Lord had not struck after his initial attack on muggles. The Order was stumped, as well, because Snape was not involved in planning future strikes. He was instead the head of Voldemort's espionage arm, a positionwhich he would have to vacate soon. Dumbledore knew that with just one or two morefalse leads, Snape would be finished. Harry had learned about it during his ever more frequent visits with Dumbledore.

Those visits were probably the most startling developments of the summer. Classes with Snape, girls, and mortal peril were nothing new to the Boy Who Lived. Having a grandfather figure wasn't. Yet that was exactly what Dumbledore had become to Harry, and it was something the old wizard was totally unapologetic about.

"Harry, I told you last year that I could not risk Voldemort knowing of a very close relationship between us. I feel that now he has discovered how close we are, or, at the very least, my very high regard for you. I hope that you would have me as a member of your family, as Sirius was."

Harry had been struck dumb at the suggestion. It had come in the middle of a discussion of the marsh plants of Finland. Even more to his surprise, Dumbledore's eyes had grown wet.

"Of course, Professor," Harry said.

Dumbledore's "golden boy" indeed.

The headmaster went on and said that no indication of such a relationship could be shown to the school. Questions of favoritism were already common enough, and he didn't need to be seen meeting with Harry every other day to perpetuate them.

Hagrid returned a day before Harry and Dumbledore had their landmark chat. He had been negotiating with giants in the Himalayas and gotten neutrality, and a tenuous treaty of noninvolvement at that.

"Still, s'better tha' havin' 'em on th' other side, eh?" Hagrid had said in his cottage. "I'd sure like to 'ave 'em on our side, tha's for sure. Still, we'll come through if yeh three kip gettin' along like yeh are." Hagrid grinned toothily, which wasn't the prettiest of sights. As Hermione embarked on her habitual nagging on dental care, Hagrid used his traditional dismissal. Harry, however, felt a lump in his stomach that usually only showed up when he had to deal with a large portion of Snape. Ever since arriving at Hogwarts, his visions and nightmares of Voldemort had been minimal. Truth be told, Harry barely even thought about his fate or his mismatched nemesis save when talking with Dumbledore about such things.

Despite such momentous events, hell on wheels did arrive within a few short weeks just as the Union Pacific cavalcade advanced upon innocent and mortified frontier townsabout one hundred years before.

The Hogwarts Express arrived promptly at seven o'clock on the 16th of September, 1996.

Needless to say, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny went down to greet it with Hagrid.

The sky was unnaturally dark and chilly September night. A half moon sent its reflection over the lake, on which the five of them traveled to the dock a few minutes away from Hogsmeade Station.

"I'm glad that school will be starting," Hermione said for the umpteenth time.

"Yeah, I bet you'll be really glad to see Ferret Boy, too," Ron countered, again for the umpteenth time.

"You've been saying that all day, Ron," Hermione said, as though in anguish.

"You've been saying that all day!" Ron blustered.

"Oh, shove it," Harry said (again). The two of them were always the worst just after the holidays.

"'arry's righ', yeh don't do nothin' but argyeh. 'S 'nuff t' drive yeh crazy," Hagrid said grumpily.

"More than a little tension there," Ginny whispered to Harry. He sniggered and held her closer.

The five envoys got to the station at 6:50. Ron was out for blood, as his right foot was sopping wet after missing the dock on his first attempt to get out of the boat. He wore an ugly expression as they walked to the platform.

"'s late," remarked Hagrid as the train pulled up. "'s ten secon's pas' seven." He cracked a grin, which was quickly lost in a billow of steam as the engine lurched to a halt. "Firs' years, firs' years! Over 'ere!" he called.

"Oy! Prefects!" shouted Ron, still seething. "Over here!"

The prefects, Harry, and Ginny began herding returning students towards the carriages.

"See yeh at th' cas'le, 'arry," Hagrid bellowed. "This way, firs' years!"

"'arry!" exclaimed an all too familiar voice. "Goodness! If it isn't 'arry 'otter 'im'elf!"

"Damn, if only my ferret knew how to talk," Harry remarked to the wind. "Malfoy, your jabs are as inspired as ever," Harry noted sarcastically.

"Ah, Potter, if only for your benefit. My suspicions are such that we'll see each other againsoon… hopefully you won't have any desire to prolong it," Draco Malfoy staged a very theatrical and patronizing bow and stepped back. He showed no response, only a narrowing of the eyes.

Harry watched him as he went away. Ginny nudged him and they made their way to where Ron and Hermione were waiting with a carriage.

The four of them trooped back into the Great Hall with mixed anticipation and wistfulness. It would be their last real freedom until the Christmas holidays. The house tables (which the four helped move and set) were in their usual locations; students were beginning to sit on the pertaining benches. Floating candles filled the whole length and breadth of the Hall,seeming as numerous as the infinity of space plastered across the ceiling. All the students took a visual sweep of the room and upon satisfying themselves that nothing had been changed, sat down. Housemates chatted (mostly) politely about their holidays. The ghosts swept in. The Ravenclaw prefects, as victors of the previous year's House Cup, were unfurling banners commemorating their house. Hagrid placed the Sorting Hat and its stool just in front of the head table. Finally, Professor McGonagall entered with the first years and the Hall fell silent.

"Three thousand years ago was I made and sewn,

to bestow upon thee what wisdom I could;

For though the Founders Four did pass,

I their legacy was to keep.

Yet this knowledge is gone astray,

for still all houses their fellows betray.

My chant is short but still take heed:

shall not the school outlast a hateful deed.

Sort thee, do I, against mine will

for it by Dark will be used to kill.

Take heed, good friend,

For lest ye shun quarrel trivial

The fate of Hogwarts shall be ill."

Nobody was sure how to respond until Professor Dumbledore rose and began clapping emphatically. The faculty did the same with equal gusto and the Sorting Ceremony began.

"Andrews, Nathan!" called Professor McGonagall.

Dumbledore saved his annual start-of-term remarks for after the feast, which Harry and Ron passed by debating quidditch passionately with Seamus. Some stains wound up on Neville's shirt as Ron slammed his fist on the table so hard as to knock over his goblet. Hermione was in the process of scoldingRon angrily when the Headmaster stood up.

"Good evening, and welcome back to Hogwarts!"

Dumbledore beamed as he surveyed the Hall.

"First,please welcome to the Defense Against the Dark Arts professorship my good friend Sheik Abd al Rahman." al Rahman stood briefly to less than tumultuous applause, despite Harry's best efforts.

"Mr. Filch would like me to remind you all that public displays of affection are now banned in the corridors." Dumbledore glanced at Harry, who smirked and exchanged a glance with Ginny. "He would like to add that everyone should refresh themselves on the list of banned objects, which has been expanded and posted on each common room bulletin board.

"The Heads of Houses wish me to announce the new quidditch captains! Congratulations to Harry Potter of Gryffindor—" the Gryffindors leapt to their feet and started shouting uproariously— "Draco Malfoy of Slytherin, and Cho Chang of Ravenclaw." Dumbledore let the cheering go on for a few minutes before launching firecrackers. "Tryouts for house teams will be posted on bulletin boards.
"Finally, I must turn to graver matters. As we all know, the Dark Lord returned to the fray just a few months ago. It was only due to a few Hogwarts students that his menace was reported to the outside world. Doubtless everyone present knows their names, so I shall spare them from any additional scrutiny.
"The Sorting Hat was quite right to mention the discord between the houses of Hogwarts: the Chamber of Secrets and its victims are a direct result of enmity within these very walls. I do not feel anyone will perish from disunity here, but I beseech all of you to try and set aside your differences and join to make us secure to the dark forces massing around us. Lord Voldemort—" the whole Hall gasped, and Dumbledore raised his hand. "—Lord Voldemort will not take mercy upon this school because of your innocence; indeed, that is why our institution is such a prominent target.
"The fact he aims to commit genocide and eliminate all those people who are or who are related to those who do not wield magic should awaken you to the very real danger you face.Do notignore your peril.Do not joke about it more than you must. My generation, your parents' generation-we made those mistakes. It may be that I have forgotten youth and what it entails, but I know very much that the whole of you have the courage to face the danger head on.
"And, of course, to those of you new to Hogwarts, welcome."