Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with Harry Potter – otherwise I wouldn't be here.
Shades Of Black – A Black Dawn.
Chapter 5: Until October Ends.
From the second Harry stepped out of his dormitory the next morning, hissing whispers followed him everywhere he went, he knew there was a reason that he didn't want his mum to keep him away from the wizarding public.
Slytherins are by definition, ambitious, though that ambition varies from person to person: some people want power, some want money, and some want to be treated like a king or queen.
Harry simply wanted to be the best that he could be at whatever job he got in the future.
So he quickly got rather annoyed at the fact that he was being followed round and treated like a god, people came up to him in the corridor and asked him if he wanted them to carry his bag, did he want them to go get him some food from the kitchens.
He found it particularly annoying that the one thing he needed help with wasn't being offered to him…how on earth do you find the next class?
Having left the map in his trunk so as to avoid suspicion from the twins, Blaise, Padma (who seemed to be one of the few that didn't try to pamper Harry) and himself were struggling hopelessly to find their way around the huge castle.
The task was made harder by the fact that the map couldn't be memorised since it changes as the castle does.
So with a hundred and forty–two staircases in the castle, many of which either moved or, for some reason or other wouldn't let them pass and the maze of corridors on each floor, they were late to most of their classes.
Most of the lessons were relatively easy for Harry and Blaise since it was mainly theory to begin with, and they had done lots of theory at home, they knew most of what they were doing.
Their first potions class on Friday morning was rather eventful though, Harry and Blaise knew up to half way through the second year potions syllabus, so when Snape, their head of house started picking on Harry in their first class, Harry managed to annoy Snape by answering all of the questions correctly, then, he did something that he had never done before: he took points off his own house for cheek!
Then when Harry made his potion perfect, Snape took points off Harry for being arrogant and bigheaded, seconds before Goyle's potion exploded in a magnificent fountain that all seemed to arc towards the greasy haired potions git.
Snape managed to save himself from being hit by a hasty shielding charm before bellowing at Goyle for being a dunderhead…although he refrained from taking points or even assigning a detention.
That afternoon, the Slytherin and Gryffindor first years had a free period, so Padma, Blaise and himself decided to start learning their way around the castle, while not using the map…which turned out to be nigh on impossible.
So they weren't that surprised when they accidentally stumbled through a door that had been locked five minutes previously, only to find, to their horror, a huge three headed dog snarling at them in a way that made them yell out in fear before bolting from the room, and sealing the door with as many locking spells as they knew, which was quite a few considering that they had only just started practicing magic…legally, at least.
Half an hour later, they were sat in the library and reading up on charms while discussing the beast that they had inadvertently discovered.
"What the hell would a…a creature like that be doing in a school? What sort of creature is it anyway?"
"Blaise, you need to read more, it's a hell-hound, or a Cerberus, depends on who you talk to…it also explains what it would be doing there."
"Sorry Harry, but you've lost me, how does what it is explain what it's doing there?"
"Easy, hell-hounds got their name because they are supposed to guard the gates to hell, I doubt that they really guard hells gates, but one things definite, they are excellent guard dogs." Padma answered for him.
"The question is, what would be in a school that is important enough to require a hell-hound as a guardian."
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Harry's head jerked up suddenly, causing him to wince at the cracking sound and the pain that lanced through his neck and shoulders.
Looking to his left he saw Blaise sat snickering at his pain.
"Well, that should teach you not to leave your homework till the last minute, then fall asleep while doing it."
"Alright, alright I get your point. So…what brings you from plotting our first prank?" he grumbled at the still giggling girl stood over him.
"Padma spotted this article in the paper, it says that there was a break-in at Gringotts, the same day we were there, and well…Hagrid was been a little suspicious don't you think?"
"You think Hagrid broke into Gringotts?" Harry couldn't keep the incredulous look off his face.
"Hell no, he may look intimidating, but he couldn't get into any vault to save his life, let alone a high security one like that. But that article says that the vault broken into was emptied that same day, I think Hagrid emptied that vault and what ever was been kept inside is now being guarded by that bloody dog."
"It's a good theory, but the bank was packed, anyone of those people could have emptied that vault. Is this your theory or Padma's?"
"Both of ours."
"So why isn't she here to help you convince me?"
"Well. You see," she started before grimacing. "We were test making some potions for this coming prank, when one of them exploded, covering Padma, and now…well, she's sat on the toilet and I don't think she'll be leaving it until the potion wares off."
"What Potion and how long until it wares off?"
"Diarrhoea potion and it was a lot more powerful than normal, so about 6 hours."
"Ah, I see."
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As the weeks passed by, Harry learnt to loath his potions professor, who was unfortunately, also his head of house.
He had already come close to expulsion once, it had been his first flying lesson, and Neville Longbottom had shot into the air too early, then fallen off his broom and broken his wrist.
After madam Hooch had taken him to the hospital wing, Malfoy had picked up something that must have fallen out of Longbottoms pocket: his wand.
After he had threatened to hide it in a tree, he had taken the argument into the air, so Harry followed him, after a brief verbal sparing match, Malfoy threw the wand as hard as he could up into the air, so Harry followed it down, catching it at two feet above the ground.
Only to discover that Snape had been watching.
After yelling at him for being an idiot and threatening him with expulsion, he explained that he would give credit where credit is due and offered to talk to Marcus Flint about training him up for seeker next year.
So Harry was now going to one Quidditch practice per week to learn the skills that he didn't already have (he had already done some flying at both LeStrange and Zabini Manors).
He also spent a lot of time watching people, he had soon discovered that the resident know-it-all, wasn't a little known pureblood or a half-blood, but was a muggleborn, making her reason for being put in Ravenclaw obvious.
He had just decided that befriending her would be useful when Halloween rolled around, and after their first class (charms), she vanished.
Harry had just spotted her on the map (2nd floor girls bathroom) when his stomach decided to remind him that he hadn't eaten anything after breakfast due to the upcoming feast.
Within moments, his stomach had won the silent battle of will and he was sat in the great hall filling his empty stomach.
About halfway through the feast, the doors flew open and professor Quirrel stumbled in, collapsing to his knees almost instantly, while shouting as loud as he could…well as loud as one could while gasping for breath.
Though the whole hall had fallen silent upon his entry, so everyone heard what he said before he passed out; four words that sent the room into complete chaos. "Troll…in. the dungeons!"