Maybe I should have been a bit clearer about the Manuel/Trevor relationship. I feel bad about them having no one, but there is no way I'm going to bring in mothers for Harry or Blaise—it would ruin everything. For Manuel and Trevor I was envisioning more of an 'I need comfort so just hold me' relationship. No sex, nothing slashy—unless someone wished for a one-shot/side-story, and that I would post elsewhere.
ShadeDancer
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and can't get money for this, but I can make him into a Mafia Prince.
Warning: Some chapters (the ones including pranks) might not be appropriate to read at work. Laughter may ensue leading your co-workers to see you as even more insane than they previously thought.
Chapter 16: Despair
Things were pretty calm around Hogwarts until early March when another attack took place. This attack shook everyone up, for it showed that no one was safe, not even the purebloods that had been loudly extolling their immunity to attack. Even Draco Malfoy had been seen to pale when news of this new attack circled around the school. Ron Weasley had been attacked and found petrified in one of the boys lavatories. When he had been found the water was still running over his frozen hands, his reflection in the mirror hinting at some horror he must have seen.
The realization that purebloods weren't immune to attack didn't really affect Harry and Blaise all that much, both of them were always aware that attacks could come at any moment and could be geared towards anyone no matter their status in life; not to mention the fact that Harry himself was only a half-blood. Instead, they merely focused more on their lessons and training, increasing the time they spent looking for who or what could be behind the attacks. They also spent as much time as they could on cheering up the twins, cajoling the two to join them in a spate of pranks from which no one was safe. Dungbombs were set off in the teachers lounge, students and teachers alike would randomly find their hair changing colors, but one of the best had been when a random popping sound would be heard and some unlucky student found themselves without their pants—the staff had been exempt from that prank for obvious reasons, no one wanted to see Snape or McGonagall in their knickers. Yet for all the pranks pulled, the school was still overshadowed by a somber attitude that nothing seemed able to break; fear was thick in the air and the twin's good-natured spirit was still non-existant.
Around this time, during their Easter holiday, the second years were also faced with the fact that they need to choose their elective classes for third year. For Harry and Blaise this wasn't much of a problem, Trevor had already decided upon what classes they would take, but for other students it was fast becoming a major problem. Harry couldn't help but think of what had happened when he and Blaise had gone to talk to Trevor and Severus about what classes they should take for third year.
Flashback
They were walking towards Severus' classroom for training and talking about their choices of elective.
"I just wish we could drop History of Magic" Blaise was saying "it's so boring, we learn more on our own time than we do in class. All Binns ever talks about is the Goblin Wars."
"Unfortunately we can't drop it" Harry pointed out "but it's always a good class in which to do other stuff in. We put the lesson time to good use by either looking up interesting spells or sleeping."
"Sleeping more often than not" Blaise agreed "What do you think about muggle studies?"
Harry shook his head "no, it would be pointless. We grew up in the muggle world and I don't really need to hear the wizarding worlds biased version of the muggle world."
"Divination?"
"Don't even think it" Trevor called from the doorway of Severus' classroom "Divination is a very wooly and imprecise branch of magic. The teacher's a crackpot fraud as well. Severus and I have already figured out what the best classes for you to take are. We'll fill out your request forms before we start training."
End Flashback
So Harry and Blaise had found themselves taking the required Potions, Defense, Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, History of Magic, Astronomy along with the electives Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and Care of Magical Creatures. It was all Harry and Blaise could do not to groan when they found out what Trevor and Severus planned to sign them up for. The only thing that would get them through such a schedule without a time-turner, Severus and Trevor had been debating on trying to obtain them permission to use them, was frantic studying over the summer on top of the muggle classes Manuel was insisting they resume. In the end it was decided that they would wait to see how the class schedule worked out before pursuing the idea of obtaining time-turners for Harry and Blaise, not that it would be all that hard for even though they were in Slytherin both Harry and Blaise had proved responsible and held tied for first in their year with Hermione Granger. Harry couldn't help but wonder what the know-it-all Gryffindor would be taking next year. Then there had been no more time for thinking as training began, Harry and Blaise were really beginning to regret ever thinking it was a good idea for Trevor to teach at Hogwarts. When they were at home Trevor had the training of the various Daggers, Wolves, and Guards to oversee along with their classes and helping Manuel with the daily running of their various enterprises; here at Hogwarts he had classes to teach, but only their training to oversee, and so it gave him a lot of time to push them to their limits.
… … …
The far side of the lake was quiet at dawn, the giant squid's tentacles waving lazily beneath the surface of the water as Harry fiercely danced his way through the grass, following the way of the Path as Sensei had taught him. He shouldn't have been out alone, but he had slipped away before anyone could notice. Hogwarts was in turmoil and both Harry had felt the overwhelming pressure to escape the encasing stone walls even though he was supposed to be in the common room until it was time for breakfast when either a teacher or their head of house would perform a headcount before letting them go about their day. A little over a week ago had been the Quidditch match, Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff, but with the current morale of the twins Gryffindor had petitioned to switch matches with Slytherin and it had been granted.
Flashback
It was nearly time for the match to begin and Flint was pacing around like a caged tiger even though he had agreed along with the rest of the team to accept the changed date for the match.
"Where is Zabini" Flint had suddenly barked at him.
Harry looked up slowly from where he had been checking over his broom "her father wished to talk to her and she had to run back to the dorms to grab her guards. She'll be here in a minute."
"Professor Zabini is already in the stands" Flint informed Harry "and has been there since I talked to Professor Snape at least ten minutes ago. So where is Zabini!"
A deep chilled had settled in his gut and Harry had risen with dangerous grace to his feet as foreboding washed over him. His broom had clattered unheeded to the floor at his feet and he had been prepared to dash off in search of Blaise.
"Someone go inform Professor Zabini" he had started, feet already moving him towards the locker room exit when Professor McGonagall had dashed onto the field with a purple megaphone in her hand.
Harry felt as if he had been frozen in stone.
"This match has been cancelled" Professor McGonagall called through the megaphone "all students are to make their way back to the House common rooms, where their Heads of Houses will give them further information. As quickly as you can please!"
Harry hadn't even realized when Trevor had come to stand at his side as McGonagall had made her way to them.
"You two had best come with me" she said softly "there's been another attack…another double attack."
Harry's heart had frozen.
Blaise.
End Flashback
Harry gave a particularly vicious twist with his body as he attacked an opponent only he could see, the calming dance of the path turning into something violent. They had no idea what had happened to either Blaise or the Ravenclaw Penelope Clearwater, the only thing odd about the scene besides the two petrified bodies had been the burnt and half-melted remains of a suit or armor crashed to the ground beside the two girls. Harry fell to his knees upon the ground, ignoring the tears streaming freely down his face, and began wildly stabbing at the earth beneath him with a knife as if he could avenge the hurt done to Blaise. He was all alone in this now. Dumbledore had been evicted from the school by the Board of Governors, rumor also had it that Hagrid the Gamekeeper had been sent to Azkaban in relation to the attacks, Severus was too busy helping McGonagall keep the school together and patrolling the hallways between classes, and Trevor—Trevor had seemed to draw into himself and wouldn't leave his daughter's bedside.
Harry was truly all alone except for the pitying and fearful looks he saw in the eyes of his fellow Slytherins, none dared approach him for he had gone from their seemingly easygoing but dangerous classmate to something cold that frightened them. How he wished his father was here, Manuel would know what to do, he always knew. With one last hard thrust Harry buried the blade of his dagger into the ground up to the hilt. Unbidden a sob escaped his throat. Blaise.
Thanks to everyone who sent a review as well as a response to the poll. Next time I'll work on the wording of the poll so there isn't any confusion as to what I am trying to say. I hate writing up polls because I know what I want them to mean, but I don't know how they sound to others. (grins).
Posted On: June19, 2005