Hey everyone,
Here's the other one that got deleted while being worked on. This one was almost finished when my account crashed, so you can imagine how pissed I was when I realized that I had suddenly lost two perfectly good challenges to something that hasn't happened to me in the almost five years that I've been employed at this company.
Anyway, I just want to let you all know that, starting today, I will no longer consider this series a part of the End Of The Month Posting schedule as I actually have another 27 challenges ready to be written, edited and posted on Venquine's Mind, all of them brought to you by DZ2's forum and this one included.
Enjoy,
Venquine1990
Challenge #22
Darkness Is My Ally
Harry's POV
I cannot believe that this is happening. A whole month and a week without even a single letter from anyone I cared about – and quite a few letters from those I have willingly broken ties with, who think they can tell me what to do – and now suddenly, three days after I had to risk my neck again does the Wizarding world prove it exists.
This is just the epitome of ridiculous and to make matters even worse, am I now standing on the threshold of what will apparently be my bedroom for the next few weeks, yet it's not the gloomy atmosphere, the way that the paint leaves from the walls or the dark tones of the beds that are stationed in the room.
It's the fact that one of the beds has a small layer of dust on it, proving that it hasn't been used in a while and that whoever slept on the other bed didn't bother keeping it clean for his still-to-be-decided roommate, yet looking at the back of the redhead who is actually making his bed only hours before dinner, do I not even feel surprised.
Ron Weasley had been writing me almost all summer now, telling me things he probably knew would annoy the living daylights out of me, but after he declared to his family that he will never believe that Voldemort could be back and that I was the Dark Wizard behind Cedric's death, did I stop caring about the redhead altogether.
Luckily enough did the twins not believe a word their little brother said and did they even manage to threaten him into keeping his opinions to himself when around other members of his family, something I know annoys the redhead like no other, but even he's not thick enough to go against the two inventing geniuses.
I had, naturally, rewarded the two greatly by giving them my prize money and while they had tried to refuse the money, had I convinced them to take it and to use at least portion of it to make Ron's life a living hell as long as he dared to try and defy me, a notion that made the protesting twins quickly change their minds with glee.
Then my musings get interrupted by a shrill voice, one who belongs to the other person I have severe4d all ties with and who I have decided to care for no longer as Hermione Granger asks: "And what are you doing here?" Her tone sounding highly superior and the way she says you proving that my dislike for her is mutual.
Taking a deep breath as I had hoped to avoid the chance of being spotted by the traitor that is Ron Weasley, if only to sneak in a little spell or something, do I let it go and turn around, my face impassive and careless as I say: "Just wondering why Mrs. Weasley wants to try and make me share a room with that, is all."
And I lie the same emphasis on the word that as she did on the word you making the girl glower, something I don't even care about before I ask: "The twins here too?" The girl nods and says: "All of the Weasleys are staying here. Well, all expect Charlie and Percy, but I doubt you care about either of them, don't you?"
This makes me turn away from her with a roll of my eyes, only for a spark of happiness to fleet through my heart as the twins apparate from wherever they have been hiding and the two hug me from both sides as the left one says: "Harry, good to see you, chap." And the one on the right then reads my thoughts as he says:
"About bloody darned time they brought you in here." And then the two make me want to laugh in agreement as they chorus: "These two here certainly are a bore and waste of time." And while their younger brother turns red in the face, does the girl behind me squeak in indignation and I decide to show her how little I care as I say:
"I take it you mean her when you say a bore and that when you say a waste of space?" And I motion for both of my ex-friends as I talk, the girl squeaking even louder than before, reminding me of the Hogwarts train whistle, before Weasley shouts: "STOP CALLING ME THAT, YOU BLOODY DARK WIZARD!"
But while part of me rolls my eyes and wonders why he thinks I believe the term Dark Wizard an insult, do the others cringe and do I see Fred look down the stairs, where seconds later a loud tearing scream comes from, making me look over the banister and see that the curtains of a few floors lower were hiding a portrait.
That portrait itself is now uncovered and the woman painted on it is uglier than the Mountain Troll I met in my first, while still looking human, yet it is mostly because she scrunches up her nose, has her eyes pinched closed tightly and because her mouth is open wider than that of a hippo when yawning as she yells and screams:
"TRAITORS! BLOOD SCUM! FILTH! SCUM BAGS! NAILS TO MY MOTHER'S COFFIN! DISEASES TO MY FATHER'S HOME! FILTHY HALF-BREEDS! DIRTY STINKING MUDBLOODS! GET OUT OF MY ANCESTRAL HOME! GET OUT OF HERE! GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!"
And while I will admit my surprise at how the woman continues to tear and shriek at this, do I then turn and ask: "Is she always that pleasant?" Granger looking shocked at my sarcasm, while the twins nod and say: "Her curtains always remain closed unless some idiot decides to make more racket than necessary while in the hall."
And while Weasley sends them an affronted glare, do I then turn back to lean over the banister as a door at the bottom floor opens and two men and a woman come out from it, rushing for the portrait and trying to close her curtains, while the woman of the portrait herself continues a new spiel of raging shouts and insults.
This makes me raise an eyebrow at the whole scene and when it takes the two men more than three minutes to get the curtains closed, do I feel myself growing bored over how the woman is now actually repeating older insults and forms of name-calling and I ask: "Does it always take this long to shut her up?"
But the twins shake their heads and I sigh, standing up and moving down the staircase, ending up on the landing half a floor above the one where the depicted woman is now holding a shouting match with the woman I recognize as Mrs. Weasley and where the other two are still trying to get her curtains to close up.
Wanting to roll my eyes at how futile that is seeing the actions of Mrs. Weasley, do I ask: "Will you both shut up already? You're boring me to death here." The two women get shocked as they turn to look at me and I roll my eyes as I move further down, completely ignoring how Mrs. Weasley is telling me to leave this to them.
Instead I just stand in front of the portrait and ask: "A question, are you short minded, too stubborn to learn new insults or did they just forget to add half your brain when they painted you." And while the black haired man besides me snorts at my little question, does the woman on the portrait sputter as I continue and say:
"I heard a good seven terms of name calling be repeated by you a good dozen times in the last five minutes. Surely someone who claims to be of a Noble Line has learned more insults than that. Give me a break and explain me why you're here exactly? Cause as I see it, the only goal you seem to have is boring others to death.
Which you almost did with me and I've only been here for under half an hour, so congratulations. You served your purpose now please keep that barn you call a mouth closed, will you? It doesn't make your visage or the image your House is supposed to have any prettier." And the more I speak the more the woman sputters.
Then the man who laughed at my first comment and who now has one of his arms clutching his stomach takes the other curtain from his shocked companions and uses the shock of the depicted woman to close her curtains, before he wipes sweat off his brow and his hair back and turns to me as he says:
"Harry, that is the best kind of way I have ever seen someone behave to my mother. Thanks kiddo, I needed a good laugh." And only then do I recognize the only man I have even a sliver of respect for because of how he has been by my side since the very first time we met. My loving and proud godfather, Sirius Black.
There, the end!
Now Harry's little speech to Mrs. Black went a little different from how it was when my account crashed and the way that the twins came in has also been slightly altered, but most of it is the same, the only thing I didn't add was Harry asking about people he made friends with after Ron and Hermione abandoned him.
That might still come were this challenge to become a story – and I am kind of itching to do so – but for now am I just going to focus on getting all the other 26 challenges written, edited and posted and after that will it be up to you, my ever loyal readers, to decide which challenge should be made into a story first.
Enjoy,
Venquine1990
Plot: When Cedric was killed and Harry announced Voldemort's return, the disbelief of those around him was the last straw for the Golden Prince. Cast into the dark by the world, Harry doesn't feel weak and alone: in fact, he's never felt stronger!
Rules: Dark Harry but NOT Evil
When Harry makes the announcement at the end of the Third Task, he must receive a similar reaction to when his name came out of the Goblet (people calling him a liar, insulting him etc.)
At some point before the start of fifth year, Harry must meet/reunite and befriend Neville and Luna (NOTE: Luna can be met earlier in the year with a flashback)
When Harry returns to the Dursleys, he doesn't take any crap from them and is even willing to use his wand on them despite the Ministry's warnings
When the Advance Guard rescue Harry and take him to Grimmauld, Harry MUST remain independent and oppose/be sarcastic towards figures of 'authority'
Sirius CANNOT turn on Harry or die at the Ministry
When he learns of the Ministry's actions against him, Harry doesn't just sit back and let Dumbledore do all the work
All pairings are welcome
Guidelines: Harry acquires a second wand
As part of his 'defection' Harry somehow becomes Lord Potter
Tom hears of Harry's darker nature and offers a 'truce'
Harry joins Tom's Inner Circle
Slash
Sirius gives Harry full access to Black Family knowledge (Dark Arts, Forbidden Magic etc.)
Forbidden: Golden Trio sticking together
Harry remaining weak and naive
Light, Grey or Evil Harry
Harry siding with/listening to Dumbledore and the Order
Other than that, it's up to you...