Title: Walk Along a Spiral
Author: Princess-Meru
Chapter Title: Chapter 2 – Welcome Home
Beta: Nimeneth
Disclaimer: The original story is by J.K. Rowling. All character, location, and spell rights belong to her and all publishers involved in getting Harry Potter around the world.
Author's Note: I'm sorry I didn't put this up on the scheduled date (Monday) but it was Labor Day and my task masters decided to control my weekend from head to toe. Alrighty, who's excited for the next chapter? I know I am. Now, here's the deal, oh loverly readers, if you want this to show up on a regular basis, it will, but I need reviews. I'm not going to post for readers who aren't there (actually I will). Anyway, I need a beta who will take all the chapters I have posted and will post and Britainize them. I don't know what sounds English and what doesn't, so I'll leave that to someone who does.
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"Malfoy," Harry said as he stood up from his seat.
The blond nodded. "Potter."
Jonathan leaned over and looked up at his roommate "You know this guy?"
The raven-haired boy began to gather his things, sighing as he looked at his textbooks. "Unfortunately, he and I were classmates in the same school." He wanted to make Malfoy go away; to throw his desk at the brat and hex him. The Potter luck never failed to disappoint him.
He stomped down the stairs of the lecture hall and marched out of the room. Malfoy followed silently and shut the door behind him. The silver-eyed boy could hardly be called a boy any more. He had grown to be six foot two, towering over Harry who was only five foot five. The Boy Who Lived did his best to restrain himself from pulling at his rival's collar and cut him down a few inches.
"What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry crossed his arms and look up at him.
Malfoy emitted a dry laugh. "The old bat sent me, what else?" The raven-haired boy sat down on the ground, "Don't get comfortable Potter, we're leaving in a few minutes." Harry mumbled something "What was that?"
"Why did they have to send you? I already have enough to deal with; I don't need you around to add to my troubles." Harry stood up and walked back in to the lecture hall, tailed closely by Malfoy.
"You think I like this?" Malfoy shouted, making heads turn toward the pair. He grabbed Harry's wrist and forced him to twirl around and face the blond, "You made a deal, now pay up."
Harry yanked his wrist back "If I throw a stick, will you go away?"
"Maybe, if it's your wand."
"Hey mate, are you shagging him?" Joni said, leaning forward.
Harry tensed up and glared at his friend. "Not funny, Joni," he turned towards Malfoy "Where will we be going?"
Malfoy shrugged "School, did you expect any other place?"
"No," he sighed and walked over past the blond and towards his teacher. "I'm sorry Professor for disrupting your class."
"Of course," the teacher tried to remain calm, but everyone could see he was a bit shaken "Goodbye."
"Riiiiight," Malfoy spat "Loni, Macaroni, Baloney…. whatever your name is!" Joni glared at Malfoy "Please drop off Potter's notes!"
"Yes, sir," Joni saluted.
"What the hell are you doing, you damn mug…OW!" Harry grabbed Malfoy's ear and dragged him out of the door before Malfoy could say anything incriminating.
"Come on, McGonagall is waiting."
Professor McGonagall smiled warmly at Harry, relaxing towards her former student. The years hadn't been kind to those who had been in the war, and McGonagall had given up trying to hide the creases of worry that were growing on her face. She had also become empathetic towards her students, especially the ones who had stood by her during the dark ages of Voldemort. The will to fight the troublesome students had drained out of her, and although she still believed in the enforcement of rules, the wisdom that Dumbledore once carried had placed a bit of itself within the new headmaster.
The paintings of the headmasters now had a new addition, and a bearded man with half-moon glasses waved at the guests from within a frame. Malfoy shifted uncomfortably under the old man's gaze. He would never escape the ghosts of the war, especially the headmaster's.
"Welcome back Mr. Potter. Thank you Mr. Malfoy. Would you both take a seat? I believe there's something we need to discuss," she pulled out a little jar and opened it "Lemon drop? Albus truly loved them."
"Yes, yes," the picture nodded slowly, the painted eyes twinkling.
Harry waved his hands. "No thank you, Professor."
"Minerva. I'm hardly your professor anymore. Would you like one, Mr. Malfoy?"
Malfoy scrunched his nose and shook his head.
"I believe you have two questions to answer," Harry said and sat down on a pillowed chair "What I'm doing here and why you sent this git to get me."
Minerva smiled, beaming the nostalgia of their rivalry "I thought it would be best that Mr. Malfoy be the first person from our world that you see."
Harry crossed his arms and sank into his chair "And why would that be? He hardly makes a good first impression."
"I resent that," Malfoy said as he stuck up his nose "the Malfoy line holds the best social skills."
"Tell that to my Shakespearian lit class, I'm sure they would disagree. You have made them think that I'm not only bloody mad, but that I'm shagging someone who is just as mad!" Harry yelled.
"Stop acting like a girl, Potty. I don't care what your little friends think, but if you'd rather bend under peer pressure, that's your decision. You're acting like Fawkes over here, grooming your feathers as though it's all that matters." Malfoy pretended to brush his hair and he batted his eyelashes.
"At least I hold to my promises. I'm not a weasel like you."
"Phoenixes may look pretty, but weasels don't get hit by planes."
"No, they get hit by cars and put in cages."
"And phoenixes don't?"
"Gentlemen…"
"You know what, Malfoy? You're just like those Barbies with fake smiles and no personality."
"What in bloody hell is a Barbie?
"GENTLEMEN!" Harry and Malfoy stared at McGonagall, wide eyed in shock.
Harry straightened his shirt and returned his thoughts to the professor. The woman was now beet read and breathing heavily, looking like she did on the night when Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Malfoy had been caught sneaking around the school during their first year.
"Good, now, Mr. Potter, I expect you're curious as to why I called you here." Harry nodded. "Well, here is the problem." McGonagall snapped her fingers and the office door flashed. "Follow me." The professor walked out the door the boys allowed. Harry looked at Malfoy, trying to see if the blond was even slightly nervous. "Mr. Malfoy was already briefed, Potter."
"Where are we going?" the raven haired boy asked.
"Isn't it obvious, Potter?" Malfoy's voice cut through the hallway, which was exceedingly different from the main hallways of Hogwarts, "I thought this place was yours and your friend's secret club-house."
"We're not…"
"The Chamber of Secrets, yes Mr. Potter," McGonagall said, continuing her stride down the hall "It was renovated after the war to house the homeless and orphans." She pushed open a large set of doors with snakes engraved on them, and they entered a large room.
If it was renovated, the changes weren't noticeable. The walls were dryer and the plumbing had improved, but the rooms were still cold and rats could be heard squeaking in the distance. Mattresses, pillows, and sheets were strewn across the floor. Children were crowded together, poking at a stone that they swore was wiggling. Families were sitting in a circle, mothers spelling away bruises from their children.
"Why are they being held in this dump?" Harry said.
Malfoy sniffed. "What did you expect? These people's lives were taken from them. Who's going to take in a small village? Three months isn't enough time to create a manor for the masses."
"But you're wizards!" Harry yelled.
"Magic can only do so much, especially with the wards on this school. Only a headmaster or a descendant of the founders can change the layout of the entire building and the chambers can only be changed magically by Slytherin's heir," Malfoy spat back "Since the Dark Lord is dead, no one can make room down here."
"But McGonagall can alter the some other wing of the school," Harry protested.
"Oh, I wish I could Mr. Potter," McGonagall said. "But in case you forgot during your sabbatical, magical energy is like physical energy, you can only use so much in one day. It can be dangerous to a person's health. If I were to use my magic to get through the locks on this school's structure and add on a rather large wing with enough personal room for every being, then, at my age, I would surely kill myself and destroy the school in the process." McGonagall's voice lowered "Although, with the problem at hand, I highly doubt my destruction of the school would be a problem."
Harry and Malfoy were led into a side room that was under lock and spell. Inside was a room that looked like a muggle apartment. There was a man sitting on a couch, staring at a television with a smug look on his face. He had a bushy mustache, thick neck, and had muscle masked under layers of fat.
Malfoy nearly gasped when he saw Harry emerald eyes widen in fear. The raven-haired boy began to hyperventilate and shake. The blond ran over to help Harry remain standing "What the bloody hell is going on here?"
McGonagall sighed and looked sadly towards the two of them. "I'm afraid that this is bad luck in more ways than one. I assumed that Harry's reaction would be a bit more pleasant. This is Harry's uncle, Vernon Dursley…. Perhaps we should have this conversation back in my office."
Minerva had led them back to her office, leaving Vernon as they found him "Please help Mr. Potter calm down."
Harry was on the verge of collapsing, which was scaring Malfoy just a little. He had never seen Harry like this before. He was about to put his hand on the shorter boy's back, but had it waved away. "I'm fine." His emerald eyes fixed on Minerva's. "Just tell me what the hell he's doing here?"
Minerva nodded. "Let me just get my pensive." She pulled the pensive out of a closet and placed it on the desk. A familiar sensation fell over Harry as he and the two others in the room were sucked into the memory.