A/N: Do not get used to this! I call it temporary insanity, considering
the fact that I have a play and two novels to read for class. I hope you
enjoy! ~Sylvia
Three Weeks Later:
Malfoy watched the twenty people in front of him. Of the twelve he had invited, twenty had come. He smiled and stepped forward. All of them turned and bowed. Excellent. "Now we see who the true Death Eaters are, the ones unafraid of the Muggle-loving fools that are in power." Many of them nodded at his statement. "Step forward and we will begin." All of them stepped forward as one and presented their arms. Malfoy took out his wand. "Fehler Schlange." All of the Death Eaters looked at the snake now on their forearm. "Snakes bite." The Death Eaters all nodded and regarded him. "We begin immediately." He pulled out a map and pointed out the town he wanted to attack. The Apparition point was just outside of town. "This is a completely Muggle town. We should be able to attack everyone, leave our Mark, and vanish before any fools show up." All of his Death Eaters nodded, many of them looking pleased at the sound of Muggle attacks. "Let's go." Malfoy said. They all Apparated and entered the first house. This was going to be fun.
Harry tossed in his sleep, trying to escape the screams that surrounded him. He could hear curses being thrown at innocent Muggles. He twisted again as an Avada Kedavra was thrown. One less scream. Harry sat up, gasping for breath. He looked over to his nightstand and saw the empty vial that had held Dreamless Sleep. It wasn't a dream. It had been a vision. But how? Tom was in control. Harry's hands flew to his head again as the screams came back and his scar increased in pain. What was going on? Did this mean Voldemort was back? He couldn't be. Tom was there. He rubbed his scar a bit and pulled his hand back when he felt something sticky. Blood. His scar was bleeding. He looked at the clock in the room. Very, very late. He guessed it was about two o'clock in the morning. He threw the covers off of him and started pulling on some clothes. No way was he going to lie there while there was, well, something going on.
He went over to his desk and scribbled a hasty note to Matthew. He sealed the envelope and hurried downstairs. He pulled out some of his Animagus Potion and downed it. He opened the door and listened to the Pink Lady's demands as to who it was, but all she saw was a little tabby cat with a letter in its mouth. Harry hurried to the owlery and called down Hedwig in his voice. Hedwig's expression when she heard Harry's voice coming from a cat was about as startled as owls could look. She glided down and looked at him.
"It's me, Harry." He told her. "This letter needs to get to Matthew as soon as possible. If he's asleep, peck him until he is awake. Wait for a reply. Under no circumstances are you to stop. Do not allow yourself to be intercepted." Hedwig took the letter in her beak and took off. She had her instructions, even if it was from a feline Harry.
Harry turned and hurried down the stairs. He rushed along the corridors, avoided Peeves, who promptly started meowing at Harry, and down to the dungeons. He stopped at the portrait that led into Snape's private quarters. Salazar Slytherin looked down at the cat. Harry paced in front of the door frantically, wanting in. Salazar was not moving. Harry sat down and looked up at him.
"Please let me in." He hissed in Parseltounge. "I need to speak with the Professor." Salazar actually leaned over in his portrait and stared down at the cat.
"A cat that can speak and in Parseltounge at that. How convenient for Severus." The portrait swung open. Harry dashed inside before the man could change his mind.
"Professor!" Harry shouted once he was inside. He found the door open to the bedroom. He ran inside and jumped up to the bed. "Professor!" He pounced on the professor's stomach, making use of his small claws. The man leapt out of bed and brought his wand up faster than Harry thought possible. Harry put up a hand and caught the hex. "Professor." Harry said calmly.
"Potter, what is the meaning of this? How did you get in here? Why are you here?" Snape demanded.
"I needed a professor, your portrait speaks Parseltounge, and there is something wrong." Snape glared and moved towards the living room. He pulled out a vial of potion and Harry opened his mouth. Harry stood in the cat's place a few seconds later.
"Now, what is this all about?" Harry pulled aside his hair. Severus gasped at the sight of now dried blood on the scar. "What happened?"
"I had a vision. I took Dreamless Sleep before I went to bed. It was a vision. They're attacking Muggles, whoever they are." Harry shook his head and took the glass of water that Snape forced into his hand. "I just can't decide if it's Voldemort or not. I didn't hear him or have his thoughts like I used to."
Snape sat down and looked over at Harry. The boy's appearance told him what he wanted to know. He was worried his old protector had now changed into the monster that he had been. Harry reached up and clutched the necklace that Tom and Matthew had given him. The charms and wards were still in place, he could feel them. There had to be some explanation. Both jumped when Hedwig flew out from the fireplace. She landed on the coffee table and looked at Harry. There was a letter in her mouth. He took it and thanked her. He tore into it eagerly and saw Matthew's neat handwriting.
Harry,
Are you okay? Your letter said that your scar was hurting and bleeding. I don't know what that means, but I woke Tom and he was still there, very firmly too. When I told him what had happened, he actually went white. No worries about Voldemort. I just wonder what it means. We are working on it, so don't worry about it. We're doing all we can to figure out what is going on. Stay safe, Harry.
Matthew
Harry,
Matthew told me what is happening. Are you all right? Did you tell someone? I don't even care if you told Dumbledore, just be sure that someone knows what is going on with you. Matthew and I are on the lookout for what could be the cause of it. Do not take your necklace off, (please say you're wearing it) and stay on the castle grounds. I hate to say this, but the next Hogsmeade trip is off. I do not want you in danger, Harry. I will let you know as soon as we figure out where this threat is. Please, Harry. For my sake, stay safe. I couldn't work without knowing that you are safe. Spend some time with Professor Snape. I have a feeling that he will know how to keep you safe at Hogwarts better than Dumbledore, for Snape has dealt with many evil things that should not exist on this earth. I will see you at Christmas.
Tom
Harry looked up after reading his letters. "Tom is still Tom." He said, sighing heavily and resting his head in his hands. "Thank Merlin." Snape nodded. "They don't know what is causing my scar to hurt, but they are looking into it. They've asked me to stay in the castle grounds and not to go to Hogsmeade next trip until they say it's safe." Snape smirked at that. Since when did Potter follow the rules set up for his own safety? Harry sat back and stared at the ceiling. He rubbed at his eyes and blinked away tears. Snape looked at him, hiding his surprise.
"You must have been really frightened." Snape said quietly. Harry looked up and slowly nodded.
"I thought that," He hesitated. "I thought that Voldemort was back." He said quietly, studying the carpet at his feet. "And that stupid prophecy said that I had to kill the Dark Lord." He sucked in a breath. "I couldn't kill Tom." He whispered even lower. Snape took out his wand and lowered the lights in the room a little to give the boy some privacy as he allowed himself to release some emotion. He reached over and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, telling him it was all right to let go. Severus allowed Harry to cry himself out. The boy was exhausted by his own fear. Harry went to the bathroom to wash his face and came out again. "Thank you for your help, Professor." Harry said. "I'm sorry that I scared you when I woke you up." Snape waved the apology away. He stood and guided the boy over to the couch.
"Sit." He said, pushing Harry down. He went to his private store of potions and returned with Dreamless Sleep. "Drink." Harry obediently downed the contents. Snape brought out a pillow and blanket. "Go to sleep. I'll wake you in the morning." Snape said. Harry looked as though he would protest, but Snape's glare kept him on the couch while Snape arranged the blanket around him. Snape watched as the boy tried to fight the potion. He smiled when Harry's eyes rolled back and the boy took a deep breath. He sat there for the rest of the night, wand trained on the door, in case someone should care to come after Harry while he was here.
Two hours later, the portrait hole opened to reveal Albus, who had narrowly missed being hexed by Severus. "Severus, what is going on?" He demanded. "The Pink Lady said that a cat had left Gryffindor Tower, and Salazar told me that a cat that could speak Parseltounge asked to be let into your chambers. Now I see Harry Potter sleeping on your couch and you're trying to hex me." He came forward. "I want some answers." Snape sighed. He motioned Albus into his bedroom and shut the door.
"Harry came down to me after he had a vision. He hasn't had one in a long while. It frightened him because he did not recognize anything or anyone, including Voldemort, in it. Harry looked like a cat because of a potion that we have been working on. He used it to move throughout the castle at top speed and not be questioned by anyone or anything." Snape told him. Albus turned towards the door. "I gave Harry Dreamless Sleep. He'll be out for a while yet." Dumbledore turned back around.
"Why didn't he come to me?" Albus asked. Snape smirked.
"I don't have his entire house following him around. I'm not asking him if he remembers anything from this summer, nor have I asked the teachers and ghosts to smother him." Snape said.
"That's unfair. I'm trying to make sure that he is safe." Dumbledore defended his actions. "We're not sure of what those kidnappers are capable of." Dumbledore shook his head. "Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasly came to me about Harry being under the 'Magus Regere' spell. I would like to test him when he wakes." Dumbledore said. "There is no other explanation as to his personality change." Snape looked up and shook his head.
"How about maturity?" He drawled. "Did that ever cross your mind? Perhaps the boy grew up." Snape said, transfiguring his pajamas to clothes.
"Possible, Severus. But it is unlikely that something didn't happen to him while he was missing. I need to find out if anything did." Both men whirled when they heard Harry's choked scream. Severus beat Albus to the door and got to Harry first. Both hands were pressed against his scar. This was a vision. Severus knew that that batch of Dreamless Sleep he had given Harry shouldn't even allow a pleasant dream to develop. He took hold of Harry's shoulders and called his name evenly. Harry fought his way out of sleep and his eyes opened.
"They're attacking Muggles. I don't know where." He said, gasping for air. Severus noticed the signs of a panic attack starting.
Severus conjured a glass of water and held it to Harry's lip. "Sip." Harry opened his mouth and took a sip. "It's okay, Harry. Take a deep breath." Harry focused on Snape's voice and allowed another sip of water. Harry reached up to one of the hands that rested on his shoulders. Snape watched as the breathing slowed and Harry calmed down. "That's it. You're okay, Harry." He held the glass to the boy's lips again and smiled when Harry reached up to do it himself. He released the glass and looked up to see Dumbledore staring at the pair of them. "Now, what happened?"
"Death Eaters. They were attacking Muggles. Crucio, Imperius, and Avada Kedavra." He took a deep breath and another sip of water. "Aurors showed up just after everyone left. The Dark Mark wasn't in the sky. It was a snake, a really violent one." He shuddered and finished off his water. "It wasn't Voldemort." Snape pushed him back down.
"It's okay, Harry. They're done for the night. Go back to sleep. I'll stay here." Harry nodded and mumbled something after he closed his eyes. The boy hadn't even noticed Dumbledore standing there. Snape motioned Dumbledore back to the bedroom.
"How did you know how to do that?" Dumbledore asked.
"I've seen his panic attacks before." Snape said. The man was amazing. No asking if the boy was all right, just how the potions professor knew how to take care of one of his students better than he did. Snape stared at him. "Albus, are you not concerned for him?" Dumbledore looked up.
"Of course I am concerned for him. That's why I am trying to figure out what is going on." Albus said, sitting down on Snape's bed. "We need to know if Harry is truly having visions or if they're nightmares." Snape called upon the spirits that looked out for dense Gryffindors and sighed.
"Albus. Harry came down here terrified." Snape said, moving in front of Dumbledore. "You don't think that he just lived through a vision?" Snape sneered at the man in front of him.
"Yes, he lived through a vision." Dumbledore said. "He has just been so different from before, and I've been worried about him." Albus told Snape. He shook his head.
"Yes, he has changed. He grew up." Snape told Albus gently. "He grew up without you there." Snape told him. "His trouble from his friends comes from his maturing faster than they." Snape shook his head. "He grew up, Albus. Leave him be." Albus looked lost for a minute. "He'll be fine." Dumbledore stood and opened the door. He looked out at Harry.
"It always happens so fast." He mumbled. He shook his head and returned to Severus. Snape smiled at him. "Well, I take it he is going to stay here for the rest of the night." Snape nodded. "Make sure he makes it to breakfast." Severus smiled.
"Of course, Headmaster." He paused. "Headmaster, I was wondering if you would allow a dueling class?" Dumbledore looked up.
"A dueling class?" Snape nodded.
"Let's face it. The Defense teacher leaves something to be desired." Snape told him.
"That's true. I'll allow it. You just need to find a partner." Snape thanked Dumbledore and showed him to the door. "Good night, Severus." Severus said good night and shut the portrait hole. He picked up his favorite novel and prepared to sit up. There was no way he was going to allow the child to sleep and not think he wasn't going to see anything else.
"Harry." A voice said. "Wake up." Harry waved the voice away and snuggled deeper into the blankets. "Harry. Up." Harry opened his eyes and looked around.
"Good morning, Professor." Snape was standing there.
"How did you sleep?" Harry thought for a moment.
"After the second vision, fine." Snape smiled. "How did you sleep, sir?"
"Like a rock." Snape answered. Harry nodded and stood. Snape looked at his robes and pulled out his wand. A quick spell released the wrinkles. "Fix your tie." Harry reached up and straightened it. Snape went over to the table and dished out some breakfast. "Come eat something." Harry approached the table and sat where told.
After breakfast, Harry followed Snape to the classroom. Harry took his customary seat and watched as Snape wrote the potion on the board. "Cool." He said in response. Snape just shook his head as though he would never understand teenagers. "Is this a variation of the aging potions?" Harry asked. Snape and Harry were still deep in conversation when the rest of the students came in. Hermione and Ron both froze in the doorway when they saw Harry sitting there.
"Harry! Where were you?" Hermione asked. "Ron said you were in the dorm last night." Harry sighed.
"Well, I'm here right now, so I'm obviously not kidnapped." Harry hissed to them as they sat down. To Ron and Hermione's credit, neither of them said another word of Harry's absence. As the class wound down and the students were either dumping what they had made or bottling it, Snape cleared his throat. All of the students looked up.
"For anyone who may feel that DADA is lacking something in the practical area, there will be an evening dueling class for those interested in learning practical defense. Wednesday evenings, seven pm, the Great Hall. Starting in two weeks." Snape announced. Almost everyone in the room looked excited about it. Hermione had a small frown and promptly pulled out her defense textbook to start memorizing spells and Harry just grinned. On his way out the door, Harry waved to him, mouthing the words "I'll be there." Snape could only nod. He had seen Potter duel before. People were in trouble.
The next two months passed quickly for Harry. Professor Snape had managed to convince Dumbledore that Harry needed extra practice with his potions, so Dumbledore allowed Harry to spend a lot of time with the Potions professor. The dueling class started with almost a full student body, much to the chagrin of the professor. Between Qudditch, Potions, and dueling, Harry complained of not having enough time to study. Snape knew that he was trying to appear studious at this point. He saw how well the boy got on with his studies, with him knowing most of it already and the other five percent easily mastered. Severus wondered on more than one occasion if Tom would be willing to tutor some of his other students. He had caught himself thinking, "if they could only be more like Potter." His little internal voice had laughed uncontrollably at that thought. Snape wondered if it was illegal to use the Killing Curse against internal voices. He did admit that he was enjoying teaching Potter, but never aloud.
The boy had just finished writing up his latest potion, one that changed outward appearances from male to female, and had gone to join the rest of the school at dinner. Needless to say, Harry had not tested it yet. He said that he would ask Ron. Snape couldn't argue. Weasley had been testing the boy's patience for the last two months. Harry had complained more than once of wanting to either bash his own head off the wall or Weasley's. Snape had restrained him on more than one occasion in class.
Harry's continued visions convinced the professor that something was happening, he just had no idea how. Tom and Matthew assured him that Voldemort was still safely locked away in the corner of Tom's mind. They could not figure out who was behind the attacks, nor how they were happening. From what they said, they hadn't heard anything about them besides what Harry told them. Snape did not doubt Harry. He had a feeling that the Ministry was covering it up. The Muggle newspapers mentioned something about terrorists. He had kept an eye on Harry, refilling the potions when needed. Tom had written a letter asking for the Potions master's attention towards his charge, for Snape was "the only one who knows of Harry's true condition.".
A house elf distracted his attention. He glared at it and it jumped with a squeak. The tinsel it had been trying to attach to Severus's mantle piece fell from his hands. Christmas break was starting today after dinner. Many of the students were returning home. Including a Harry Potter that Dumbledore thought had been summoned home by his family. Dumbledore had no problem with Harry going home in light of these new attacks. The magic would protect him there better than an empty castle. Snape heard the excited chatter of students talking of Christmas with their family. He shook his head and decided to make an appearance. At least his Slytherins would notice. He ascended the stairs and went to the Great Hall. The entire school was there and in the middle of the feast. He rolled his eyes discreetly and took his place. He had ignored Albus's memo about Christmas spirit and avoided anything red and green in his wardrobe.
He took his seat and glared at everything not Slytherin. Potter took it in stride, knowing that the glare really meant nothing at this point. Snape had hated losing that over the boy, but there were other looks that let the whelp know exactly what he meant. Dumbledore reached over to Severus and fixed a holly on the front of Severus's shirt. Snape glared harder at Dumbledore. Albus was unaffected. A few of the students had gasped, but nothing more than that. Dinner was not painful and ended rather quickly with the Gryffindors setting off fireworks from the Weasley's that read "Happy Christmas from Fred and George!" When Snape looked into the Great Hall a few hours later, they were still bouncing about the walls and ceiling.
He stood guard while the students were loaded into the carriages to go and catch their train. Potter had waved, a gesture that Snape had acknowledged by nodding his head. The boy was going to his home. That was good. Snape now had to figure out what he used to do with his evenings before Potter. He couldn't really remember what they had been like. He started cursing Potter with every language he knew for distracting him.
Harry sat back in his compartment and stared out the window. Ron and Hermione were across from him, discussing something Hermione had found. Harry took out his potions book and started reading. Something had changed and he didn't know what. He shook his head at their whispers. He wanted to tell them it was rude that they were whispering something in front of him, but decided against it. It was Christmas, after all, and he didn't want any ill will against them or they against him. He managed to put them out of his mind and focused on what the potion he wanted to try next would require. He looked up when the train finally pulled into the station. Hermione and Ron were standing. "Harry, we're in London." He smiled up at his friends and put his book away. Ron and Hermione left the carriage first.
Harry reached into his robes and pulled out three Playful Pantomimes. He downed them once Hermione and Ron had gotten out of the train. He gave the candy a second to work and then stepped out behind Neville. He had seen Ron and Hermione looking for him, but his different scar, eye color, and hair length had thrown them off. He looked around anxiously for Tom and Matthew. They had said that they would pick him up at the station. He felt his wand hidden securely up his sleeve in his holster. He avoided tapping it to make sure it was there. He didn't want anyone else to know.
Hermione and Ron were now looking around frantically. Harry rolled his eyes. What had they done, promised Dumbledore that they wouldn't let Harry out of their sights? More than likely. He smiled to himself and turned around looked for Tom and Matthew. Hermione approached him. "Harry?" She asked. Harry raised an eyebrow and shook his head. He thanked every power there was that he had already removed his tie, had his arms crossed and had shrunk Hedwig's cage. He had allowed Hedwig to fly home. Hermione wandered away. No proof that he was the famous boy. He looked around again. In fact, there was no famous person here to be stared at. No scar that made everyone cringe away from him and then stare at it in fascination. Here, he was just Michael. Hermione and Ron had finally disappeared. He sighed in relief. He turned away from the crowd and transfigured his robes to those of Ravenclaw with a wave of his hand.
He waited for almost fifteen minutes before he decided that they had said that they would meet him in the Muggle part of the station. He pushed his cart through the barrier and looked around. No one there. He found a seat on a bench and waited. He did not have his Apparation license yet and didn't want to Apparate unless he could claim mortal danger. He watched the people go back and forth. He wondered how few of them knew about his world and how many actually did. A few people stared at his robes. He ignored them. How else were Tom and Matthew going to recognize him without his robes on. He had grown a few inches over the last few months, something that Snape had said was a growth spurt. His hair was longer. It fell down past his shoulder blades when before it had been to his shoulders. He toyed with the fastening on his robe and looked around. Where were they? He sighed. This was boring.
Harry fought against sleep. It was near midnight and Tom and Matthew were not here. He had luckily changed some of his wizarding money to Muggle money before he had left Hogwarts and had been able to get something to eat, but he was tired, cold, and just wanted to go home. The few hours he had been there convinced him that something had gone wrong, but he had no way to contact anyone. He still looked like Michael Riddle, thankfully the candy had lasted this long. He looked up when footsteps approached. A man, in a Muggle suit, but he could not stick out more. A wizard was in disguise. He glanced at Harry and then turned away. Harry guessed that the wizard was doing nothing more than passing through and didn't want to seem conspicuous. Harry wanted to laugh. All wizards were conspicuous if they didn't grow up with Muggle clothing.
Harry pushed the wizard from his mind and went back to watching the clock. He was starting to become impatient. He squirmed to try and get comfortable on the bench and sighed. If they weren't there by 12:15, he was going to Apparate, and the Ministry would just have to accept unauthorized Apparation. He didn't care anymore. He stiffened when he felt a hand slip over his mouth and a wand pointed at the back of his neck. "You are going to stand up, and we are going to walk out of the station. You will not say a word, and you will not look up." Harry did what they told him to do in defense and tried to work his way out of the situation. He was scared, but not near panicking. Perhaps the guy was mistaken. Harry said as much.
"Oh, no. I've got the right wizard, Riddle. Up." The man took hold of Harry's arm and released his wand. He took it and placed it in his back pocket. "Let's go." Harry felt the wand jabbing into his back. He moved forward a step. He felt the man right behind him. He couldn't believe this. All those years as Harry Potter, he decides to masquerade as another, and he gets kidnapped. The man took a firm hold on his arm and steered Harry towards the exit. Once outside, he pulled Harry back against him. Harry felt the familiar feeling of Apparation. "Apparate with me if you don't want splinched." Harry focused on going along with the man. He definitely did not want splinched.
They materialized on the grounds of an old estate. Harry could tell it was old by the wards that had sprung up around him the minute they touched ground. He tried to pull away and run, but the man was not allowing anything of the sort. He tightened his grip and hauled Harry up to the house. They went in through a side door and they went down. This was not good. This house had a dungeon. Harry looked around. Okay, more than one. The man opened a door and shoved Harry inside. The door slammed before Harry had enough time to turn around. He heard wards and charms being put up. This was going to be a little rough to get out of. He checked his robes. His Playful Pantomimes were still there. He hoped they would last until he got out of here. Whoever was here did not like Michael Riddle. That meant that they could have something against Harry Potter as well. He looked around at the walls and wondered how he was going to get out. He really wished that he had acted before the wards had gone up. Too late for regrets now. He sat down in the corner and waited. He was in trouble.
Reviews:
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Three Weeks Later:
Malfoy watched the twenty people in front of him. Of the twelve he had invited, twenty had come. He smiled and stepped forward. All of them turned and bowed. Excellent. "Now we see who the true Death Eaters are, the ones unafraid of the Muggle-loving fools that are in power." Many of them nodded at his statement. "Step forward and we will begin." All of them stepped forward as one and presented their arms. Malfoy took out his wand. "Fehler Schlange." All of the Death Eaters looked at the snake now on their forearm. "Snakes bite." The Death Eaters all nodded and regarded him. "We begin immediately." He pulled out a map and pointed out the town he wanted to attack. The Apparition point was just outside of town. "This is a completely Muggle town. We should be able to attack everyone, leave our Mark, and vanish before any fools show up." All of his Death Eaters nodded, many of them looking pleased at the sound of Muggle attacks. "Let's go." Malfoy said. They all Apparated and entered the first house. This was going to be fun.
Harry tossed in his sleep, trying to escape the screams that surrounded him. He could hear curses being thrown at innocent Muggles. He twisted again as an Avada Kedavra was thrown. One less scream. Harry sat up, gasping for breath. He looked over to his nightstand and saw the empty vial that had held Dreamless Sleep. It wasn't a dream. It had been a vision. But how? Tom was in control. Harry's hands flew to his head again as the screams came back and his scar increased in pain. What was going on? Did this mean Voldemort was back? He couldn't be. Tom was there. He rubbed his scar a bit and pulled his hand back when he felt something sticky. Blood. His scar was bleeding. He looked at the clock in the room. Very, very late. He guessed it was about two o'clock in the morning. He threw the covers off of him and started pulling on some clothes. No way was he going to lie there while there was, well, something going on.
He went over to his desk and scribbled a hasty note to Matthew. He sealed the envelope and hurried downstairs. He pulled out some of his Animagus Potion and downed it. He opened the door and listened to the Pink Lady's demands as to who it was, but all she saw was a little tabby cat with a letter in its mouth. Harry hurried to the owlery and called down Hedwig in his voice. Hedwig's expression when she heard Harry's voice coming from a cat was about as startled as owls could look. She glided down and looked at him.
"It's me, Harry." He told her. "This letter needs to get to Matthew as soon as possible. If he's asleep, peck him until he is awake. Wait for a reply. Under no circumstances are you to stop. Do not allow yourself to be intercepted." Hedwig took the letter in her beak and took off. She had her instructions, even if it was from a feline Harry.
Harry turned and hurried down the stairs. He rushed along the corridors, avoided Peeves, who promptly started meowing at Harry, and down to the dungeons. He stopped at the portrait that led into Snape's private quarters. Salazar Slytherin looked down at the cat. Harry paced in front of the door frantically, wanting in. Salazar was not moving. Harry sat down and looked up at him.
"Please let me in." He hissed in Parseltounge. "I need to speak with the Professor." Salazar actually leaned over in his portrait and stared down at the cat.
"A cat that can speak and in Parseltounge at that. How convenient for Severus." The portrait swung open. Harry dashed inside before the man could change his mind.
"Professor!" Harry shouted once he was inside. He found the door open to the bedroom. He ran inside and jumped up to the bed. "Professor!" He pounced on the professor's stomach, making use of his small claws. The man leapt out of bed and brought his wand up faster than Harry thought possible. Harry put up a hand and caught the hex. "Professor." Harry said calmly.
"Potter, what is the meaning of this? How did you get in here? Why are you here?" Snape demanded.
"I needed a professor, your portrait speaks Parseltounge, and there is something wrong." Snape glared and moved towards the living room. He pulled out a vial of potion and Harry opened his mouth. Harry stood in the cat's place a few seconds later.
"Now, what is this all about?" Harry pulled aside his hair. Severus gasped at the sight of now dried blood on the scar. "What happened?"
"I had a vision. I took Dreamless Sleep before I went to bed. It was a vision. They're attacking Muggles, whoever they are." Harry shook his head and took the glass of water that Snape forced into his hand. "I just can't decide if it's Voldemort or not. I didn't hear him or have his thoughts like I used to."
Snape sat down and looked over at Harry. The boy's appearance told him what he wanted to know. He was worried his old protector had now changed into the monster that he had been. Harry reached up and clutched the necklace that Tom and Matthew had given him. The charms and wards were still in place, he could feel them. There had to be some explanation. Both jumped when Hedwig flew out from the fireplace. She landed on the coffee table and looked at Harry. There was a letter in her mouth. He took it and thanked her. He tore into it eagerly and saw Matthew's neat handwriting.
Harry,
Are you okay? Your letter said that your scar was hurting and bleeding. I don't know what that means, but I woke Tom and he was still there, very firmly too. When I told him what had happened, he actually went white. No worries about Voldemort. I just wonder what it means. We are working on it, so don't worry about it. We're doing all we can to figure out what is going on. Stay safe, Harry.
Matthew
Harry,
Matthew told me what is happening. Are you all right? Did you tell someone? I don't even care if you told Dumbledore, just be sure that someone knows what is going on with you. Matthew and I are on the lookout for what could be the cause of it. Do not take your necklace off, (please say you're wearing it) and stay on the castle grounds. I hate to say this, but the next Hogsmeade trip is off. I do not want you in danger, Harry. I will let you know as soon as we figure out where this threat is. Please, Harry. For my sake, stay safe. I couldn't work without knowing that you are safe. Spend some time with Professor Snape. I have a feeling that he will know how to keep you safe at Hogwarts better than Dumbledore, for Snape has dealt with many evil things that should not exist on this earth. I will see you at Christmas.
Tom
Harry looked up after reading his letters. "Tom is still Tom." He said, sighing heavily and resting his head in his hands. "Thank Merlin." Snape nodded. "They don't know what is causing my scar to hurt, but they are looking into it. They've asked me to stay in the castle grounds and not to go to Hogsmeade next trip until they say it's safe." Snape smirked at that. Since when did Potter follow the rules set up for his own safety? Harry sat back and stared at the ceiling. He rubbed at his eyes and blinked away tears. Snape looked at him, hiding his surprise.
"You must have been really frightened." Snape said quietly. Harry looked up and slowly nodded.
"I thought that," He hesitated. "I thought that Voldemort was back." He said quietly, studying the carpet at his feet. "And that stupid prophecy said that I had to kill the Dark Lord." He sucked in a breath. "I couldn't kill Tom." He whispered even lower. Snape took out his wand and lowered the lights in the room a little to give the boy some privacy as he allowed himself to release some emotion. He reached over and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, telling him it was all right to let go. Severus allowed Harry to cry himself out. The boy was exhausted by his own fear. Harry went to the bathroom to wash his face and came out again. "Thank you for your help, Professor." Harry said. "I'm sorry that I scared you when I woke you up." Snape waved the apology away. He stood and guided the boy over to the couch.
"Sit." He said, pushing Harry down. He went to his private store of potions and returned with Dreamless Sleep. "Drink." Harry obediently downed the contents. Snape brought out a pillow and blanket. "Go to sleep. I'll wake you in the morning." Snape said. Harry looked as though he would protest, but Snape's glare kept him on the couch while Snape arranged the blanket around him. Snape watched as the boy tried to fight the potion. He smiled when Harry's eyes rolled back and the boy took a deep breath. He sat there for the rest of the night, wand trained on the door, in case someone should care to come after Harry while he was here.
Two hours later, the portrait hole opened to reveal Albus, who had narrowly missed being hexed by Severus. "Severus, what is going on?" He demanded. "The Pink Lady said that a cat had left Gryffindor Tower, and Salazar told me that a cat that could speak Parseltounge asked to be let into your chambers. Now I see Harry Potter sleeping on your couch and you're trying to hex me." He came forward. "I want some answers." Snape sighed. He motioned Albus into his bedroom and shut the door.
"Harry came down to me after he had a vision. He hasn't had one in a long while. It frightened him because he did not recognize anything or anyone, including Voldemort, in it. Harry looked like a cat because of a potion that we have been working on. He used it to move throughout the castle at top speed and not be questioned by anyone or anything." Snape told him. Albus turned towards the door. "I gave Harry Dreamless Sleep. He'll be out for a while yet." Dumbledore turned back around.
"Why didn't he come to me?" Albus asked. Snape smirked.
"I don't have his entire house following him around. I'm not asking him if he remembers anything from this summer, nor have I asked the teachers and ghosts to smother him." Snape said.
"That's unfair. I'm trying to make sure that he is safe." Dumbledore defended his actions. "We're not sure of what those kidnappers are capable of." Dumbledore shook his head. "Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasly came to me about Harry being under the 'Magus Regere' spell. I would like to test him when he wakes." Dumbledore said. "There is no other explanation as to his personality change." Snape looked up and shook his head.
"How about maturity?" He drawled. "Did that ever cross your mind? Perhaps the boy grew up." Snape said, transfiguring his pajamas to clothes.
"Possible, Severus. But it is unlikely that something didn't happen to him while he was missing. I need to find out if anything did." Both men whirled when they heard Harry's choked scream. Severus beat Albus to the door and got to Harry first. Both hands were pressed against his scar. This was a vision. Severus knew that that batch of Dreamless Sleep he had given Harry shouldn't even allow a pleasant dream to develop. He took hold of Harry's shoulders and called his name evenly. Harry fought his way out of sleep and his eyes opened.
"They're attacking Muggles. I don't know where." He said, gasping for air. Severus noticed the signs of a panic attack starting.
Severus conjured a glass of water and held it to Harry's lip. "Sip." Harry opened his mouth and took a sip. "It's okay, Harry. Take a deep breath." Harry focused on Snape's voice and allowed another sip of water. Harry reached up to one of the hands that rested on his shoulders. Snape watched as the breathing slowed and Harry calmed down. "That's it. You're okay, Harry." He held the glass to the boy's lips again and smiled when Harry reached up to do it himself. He released the glass and looked up to see Dumbledore staring at the pair of them. "Now, what happened?"
"Death Eaters. They were attacking Muggles. Crucio, Imperius, and Avada Kedavra." He took a deep breath and another sip of water. "Aurors showed up just after everyone left. The Dark Mark wasn't in the sky. It was a snake, a really violent one." He shuddered and finished off his water. "It wasn't Voldemort." Snape pushed him back down.
"It's okay, Harry. They're done for the night. Go back to sleep. I'll stay here." Harry nodded and mumbled something after he closed his eyes. The boy hadn't even noticed Dumbledore standing there. Snape motioned Dumbledore back to the bedroom.
"How did you know how to do that?" Dumbledore asked.
"I've seen his panic attacks before." Snape said. The man was amazing. No asking if the boy was all right, just how the potions professor knew how to take care of one of his students better than he did. Snape stared at him. "Albus, are you not concerned for him?" Dumbledore looked up.
"Of course I am concerned for him. That's why I am trying to figure out what is going on." Albus said, sitting down on Snape's bed. "We need to know if Harry is truly having visions or if they're nightmares." Snape called upon the spirits that looked out for dense Gryffindors and sighed.
"Albus. Harry came down here terrified." Snape said, moving in front of Dumbledore. "You don't think that he just lived through a vision?" Snape sneered at the man in front of him.
"Yes, he lived through a vision." Dumbledore said. "He has just been so different from before, and I've been worried about him." Albus told Snape. He shook his head.
"Yes, he has changed. He grew up." Snape told Albus gently. "He grew up without you there." Snape told him. "His trouble from his friends comes from his maturing faster than they." Snape shook his head. "He grew up, Albus. Leave him be." Albus looked lost for a minute. "He'll be fine." Dumbledore stood and opened the door. He looked out at Harry.
"It always happens so fast." He mumbled. He shook his head and returned to Severus. Snape smiled at him. "Well, I take it he is going to stay here for the rest of the night." Snape nodded. "Make sure he makes it to breakfast." Severus smiled.
"Of course, Headmaster." He paused. "Headmaster, I was wondering if you would allow a dueling class?" Dumbledore looked up.
"A dueling class?" Snape nodded.
"Let's face it. The Defense teacher leaves something to be desired." Snape told him.
"That's true. I'll allow it. You just need to find a partner." Snape thanked Dumbledore and showed him to the door. "Good night, Severus." Severus said good night and shut the portrait hole. He picked up his favorite novel and prepared to sit up. There was no way he was going to allow the child to sleep and not think he wasn't going to see anything else.
"Harry." A voice said. "Wake up." Harry waved the voice away and snuggled deeper into the blankets. "Harry. Up." Harry opened his eyes and looked around.
"Good morning, Professor." Snape was standing there.
"How did you sleep?" Harry thought for a moment.
"After the second vision, fine." Snape smiled. "How did you sleep, sir?"
"Like a rock." Snape answered. Harry nodded and stood. Snape looked at his robes and pulled out his wand. A quick spell released the wrinkles. "Fix your tie." Harry reached up and straightened it. Snape went over to the table and dished out some breakfast. "Come eat something." Harry approached the table and sat where told.
After breakfast, Harry followed Snape to the classroom. Harry took his customary seat and watched as Snape wrote the potion on the board. "Cool." He said in response. Snape just shook his head as though he would never understand teenagers. "Is this a variation of the aging potions?" Harry asked. Snape and Harry were still deep in conversation when the rest of the students came in. Hermione and Ron both froze in the doorway when they saw Harry sitting there.
"Harry! Where were you?" Hermione asked. "Ron said you were in the dorm last night." Harry sighed.
"Well, I'm here right now, so I'm obviously not kidnapped." Harry hissed to them as they sat down. To Ron and Hermione's credit, neither of them said another word of Harry's absence. As the class wound down and the students were either dumping what they had made or bottling it, Snape cleared his throat. All of the students looked up.
"For anyone who may feel that DADA is lacking something in the practical area, there will be an evening dueling class for those interested in learning practical defense. Wednesday evenings, seven pm, the Great Hall. Starting in two weeks." Snape announced. Almost everyone in the room looked excited about it. Hermione had a small frown and promptly pulled out her defense textbook to start memorizing spells and Harry just grinned. On his way out the door, Harry waved to him, mouthing the words "I'll be there." Snape could only nod. He had seen Potter duel before. People were in trouble.
The next two months passed quickly for Harry. Professor Snape had managed to convince Dumbledore that Harry needed extra practice with his potions, so Dumbledore allowed Harry to spend a lot of time with the Potions professor. The dueling class started with almost a full student body, much to the chagrin of the professor. Between Qudditch, Potions, and dueling, Harry complained of not having enough time to study. Snape knew that he was trying to appear studious at this point. He saw how well the boy got on with his studies, with him knowing most of it already and the other five percent easily mastered. Severus wondered on more than one occasion if Tom would be willing to tutor some of his other students. He had caught himself thinking, "if they could only be more like Potter." His little internal voice had laughed uncontrollably at that thought. Snape wondered if it was illegal to use the Killing Curse against internal voices. He did admit that he was enjoying teaching Potter, but never aloud.
The boy had just finished writing up his latest potion, one that changed outward appearances from male to female, and had gone to join the rest of the school at dinner. Needless to say, Harry had not tested it yet. He said that he would ask Ron. Snape couldn't argue. Weasley had been testing the boy's patience for the last two months. Harry had complained more than once of wanting to either bash his own head off the wall or Weasley's. Snape had restrained him on more than one occasion in class.
Harry's continued visions convinced the professor that something was happening, he just had no idea how. Tom and Matthew assured him that Voldemort was still safely locked away in the corner of Tom's mind. They could not figure out who was behind the attacks, nor how they were happening. From what they said, they hadn't heard anything about them besides what Harry told them. Snape did not doubt Harry. He had a feeling that the Ministry was covering it up. The Muggle newspapers mentioned something about terrorists. He had kept an eye on Harry, refilling the potions when needed. Tom had written a letter asking for the Potions master's attention towards his charge, for Snape was "the only one who knows of Harry's true condition.".
A house elf distracted his attention. He glared at it and it jumped with a squeak. The tinsel it had been trying to attach to Severus's mantle piece fell from his hands. Christmas break was starting today after dinner. Many of the students were returning home. Including a Harry Potter that Dumbledore thought had been summoned home by his family. Dumbledore had no problem with Harry going home in light of these new attacks. The magic would protect him there better than an empty castle. Snape heard the excited chatter of students talking of Christmas with their family. He shook his head and decided to make an appearance. At least his Slytherins would notice. He ascended the stairs and went to the Great Hall. The entire school was there and in the middle of the feast. He rolled his eyes discreetly and took his place. He had ignored Albus's memo about Christmas spirit and avoided anything red and green in his wardrobe.
He took his seat and glared at everything not Slytherin. Potter took it in stride, knowing that the glare really meant nothing at this point. Snape had hated losing that over the boy, but there were other looks that let the whelp know exactly what he meant. Dumbledore reached over to Severus and fixed a holly on the front of Severus's shirt. Snape glared harder at Dumbledore. Albus was unaffected. A few of the students had gasped, but nothing more than that. Dinner was not painful and ended rather quickly with the Gryffindors setting off fireworks from the Weasley's that read "Happy Christmas from Fred and George!" When Snape looked into the Great Hall a few hours later, they were still bouncing about the walls and ceiling.
He stood guard while the students were loaded into the carriages to go and catch their train. Potter had waved, a gesture that Snape had acknowledged by nodding his head. The boy was going to his home. That was good. Snape now had to figure out what he used to do with his evenings before Potter. He couldn't really remember what they had been like. He started cursing Potter with every language he knew for distracting him.
Harry sat back in his compartment and stared out the window. Ron and Hermione were across from him, discussing something Hermione had found. Harry took out his potions book and started reading. Something had changed and he didn't know what. He shook his head at their whispers. He wanted to tell them it was rude that they were whispering something in front of him, but decided against it. It was Christmas, after all, and he didn't want any ill will against them or they against him. He managed to put them out of his mind and focused on what the potion he wanted to try next would require. He looked up when the train finally pulled into the station. Hermione and Ron were standing. "Harry, we're in London." He smiled up at his friends and put his book away. Ron and Hermione left the carriage first.
Harry reached into his robes and pulled out three Playful Pantomimes. He downed them once Hermione and Ron had gotten out of the train. He gave the candy a second to work and then stepped out behind Neville. He had seen Ron and Hermione looking for him, but his different scar, eye color, and hair length had thrown them off. He looked around anxiously for Tom and Matthew. They had said that they would pick him up at the station. He felt his wand hidden securely up his sleeve in his holster. He avoided tapping it to make sure it was there. He didn't want anyone else to know.
Hermione and Ron were now looking around frantically. Harry rolled his eyes. What had they done, promised Dumbledore that they wouldn't let Harry out of their sights? More than likely. He smiled to himself and turned around looked for Tom and Matthew. Hermione approached him. "Harry?" She asked. Harry raised an eyebrow and shook his head. He thanked every power there was that he had already removed his tie, had his arms crossed and had shrunk Hedwig's cage. He had allowed Hedwig to fly home. Hermione wandered away. No proof that he was the famous boy. He looked around again. In fact, there was no famous person here to be stared at. No scar that made everyone cringe away from him and then stare at it in fascination. Here, he was just Michael. Hermione and Ron had finally disappeared. He sighed in relief. He turned away from the crowd and transfigured his robes to those of Ravenclaw with a wave of his hand.
He waited for almost fifteen minutes before he decided that they had said that they would meet him in the Muggle part of the station. He pushed his cart through the barrier and looked around. No one there. He found a seat on a bench and waited. He did not have his Apparation license yet and didn't want to Apparate unless he could claim mortal danger. He watched the people go back and forth. He wondered how few of them knew about his world and how many actually did. A few people stared at his robes. He ignored them. How else were Tom and Matthew going to recognize him without his robes on. He had grown a few inches over the last few months, something that Snape had said was a growth spurt. His hair was longer. It fell down past his shoulder blades when before it had been to his shoulders. He toyed with the fastening on his robe and looked around. Where were they? He sighed. This was boring.
Harry fought against sleep. It was near midnight and Tom and Matthew were not here. He had luckily changed some of his wizarding money to Muggle money before he had left Hogwarts and had been able to get something to eat, but he was tired, cold, and just wanted to go home. The few hours he had been there convinced him that something had gone wrong, but he had no way to contact anyone. He still looked like Michael Riddle, thankfully the candy had lasted this long. He looked up when footsteps approached. A man, in a Muggle suit, but he could not stick out more. A wizard was in disguise. He glanced at Harry and then turned away. Harry guessed that the wizard was doing nothing more than passing through and didn't want to seem conspicuous. Harry wanted to laugh. All wizards were conspicuous if they didn't grow up with Muggle clothing.
Harry pushed the wizard from his mind and went back to watching the clock. He was starting to become impatient. He squirmed to try and get comfortable on the bench and sighed. If they weren't there by 12:15, he was going to Apparate, and the Ministry would just have to accept unauthorized Apparation. He didn't care anymore. He stiffened when he felt a hand slip over his mouth and a wand pointed at the back of his neck. "You are going to stand up, and we are going to walk out of the station. You will not say a word, and you will not look up." Harry did what they told him to do in defense and tried to work his way out of the situation. He was scared, but not near panicking. Perhaps the guy was mistaken. Harry said as much.
"Oh, no. I've got the right wizard, Riddle. Up." The man took hold of Harry's arm and released his wand. He took it and placed it in his back pocket. "Let's go." Harry felt the wand jabbing into his back. He moved forward a step. He felt the man right behind him. He couldn't believe this. All those years as Harry Potter, he decides to masquerade as another, and he gets kidnapped. The man took a firm hold on his arm and steered Harry towards the exit. Once outside, he pulled Harry back against him. Harry felt the familiar feeling of Apparation. "Apparate with me if you don't want splinched." Harry focused on going along with the man. He definitely did not want splinched.
They materialized on the grounds of an old estate. Harry could tell it was old by the wards that had sprung up around him the minute they touched ground. He tried to pull away and run, but the man was not allowing anything of the sort. He tightened his grip and hauled Harry up to the house. They went in through a side door and they went down. This was not good. This house had a dungeon. Harry looked around. Okay, more than one. The man opened a door and shoved Harry inside. The door slammed before Harry had enough time to turn around. He heard wards and charms being put up. This was going to be a little rough to get out of. He checked his robes. His Playful Pantomimes were still there. He hoped they would last until he got out of here. Whoever was here did not like Michael Riddle. That meant that they could have something against Harry Potter as well. He looked around at the walls and wondered how he was going to get out. He really wished that he had acted before the wards had gone up. Too late for regrets now. He sat down in the corner and waited. He was in trouble.
Reviews:
Siripitus: Thank you! Sorry about your headache. I hope that you're feeling better. Thanks for reviewing!
Trallgorda: Glad you liked it, sis! It makes me so happy to see that you've read my fic. Just think, you could find out what is going to happen if you just asked. Hahaha. Not that I would tell you, because my other readers would be jealous of my sister! About the potion, well, he does use it an awful lot. Thanks for reviewing!
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Sami: Thank you. I find many of the professors and Dumbledore annoying with their attitudes towards Harry. Except Snape. About your reaction, I find that it is normal for my story. See the other comments if you don't believe me. Thanks for reviewing!
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Death-TheOnlyTrueFreedom: I hope I answered your question. Snape is nice, but still a bit snarky. Don't worry. I won't toy with him too much.
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