Chap. 2: Fun With Spice
The entire student filed into the great hall. Ron, Hermione and the rest of the sixth years sat down and had a nervous apprehension as they tried to find Harry in the crowd, to no avail. The new first years stood in line like usual and were called on one by one (five Gryffindor, two Hufflepuffs, three Ravenclaws, and six Slytherin). The headmaster got up and all went silent.
"Welcome to another year..." he hesitated, "We have a transfer student with us this year. He does not remember his origin, but his skills with magic is exceptional," he turns to Professor McGonagall who gets up and goes out a side door, "Right then, He should be here soon," he sat down as they waited.
The doors burst open in the front of the great hall and Harry stepped in. And audible collective gasp was head at the Gryffindor table.
"Please come up here so that you will be sorted into your house,"
Harry walked up with an indifferent look to his face. He then sat down in the chair. He then turned around to face Dumbledore.
"Well, aren't you going to tell them my name, or have you already"
"Everyone...this is the transfer student...Harry Marvolo...Voldemort,"
Some people fainted, while most others screamed. But Harry took pleasure in his old friend's reactions. Ron had a smug look on his face, while Hermione had turned white as a sheet. Neville had fainted and the rest just looked shocked.
"He will be sorted now..." and Professor McGonagall put the Sorting Hat on Harry's head.
"Hmmm...I see you have returned with the truth"
'Yes'
"Well, then you won't argue this time"
'Not at all"
"Slytherin"
Harry removed the hat and set down on the chair. He then got up and went over to the Slytherin table. Malfoy motioned for him to sit next to him, and he obliged.
"So nice to know that you have seen the light,"
"And who might you be"
"You can call me Draco Malfoy"
"You're definitely your father's son," Harry whispered to himself, so low no one could here.
"Now that we have everyone sorted, may the feast begin," Dumbledore said and sat down.
The platters filled with food, and Harry grabbed for a slice of roast beef and mashed potatoes. Harry learned much from Malfoy, who had told him that used to be a Gryffindor. About that he was only alive to kill Voldemort. But what amused Harry, was the fact that Draco had left out that part about them being rivals at the school, and what was close to being called mortal enemies. He could have laughed, but he barely held it at bay...Barely. He would just have to play the innocent fool until his lover's plan was set in motion.
Draco proved to more useful then at first glance. He had information about all the things going on at the school, and his father-being the smart one in the family-had kept Harry's betrayal a secret. But the way he appeared in the great hall, no one in the wizarding world will not know about what has happened to their savior. 'No doubt that tomorrow this dump will be swarming with reporters. Heh, if only they knew...' he thought as Draco got up.
Everyone else followed suit after him and waited for him to leave. He was waiting though. Harry was still eating (rare and bloody steak). Red eyes met gray, and an insane smile crept upon the apprentice's face. The blonde boy was infatuated with him. 'This year won't be so bad after all,'
Getting up, he brushed past the Malfoy with a smug look on his face and turned toward the Gryffindor table. He walked right up to his old friends.
"You people seem familiar...like you are my friends, or something. Would you like to tell me why, because I don't remember a thing about who I am"
Hope shone in their eyes. Ron stood up and extended his hand to him.
"My name is Ron Weasely, this girl sitting next to me is Hermione Granger, and the one right in front of you is Neville Longbottom,"
Smirking inwardly, he took that hand with an acceptable sweet smile on his face.
"It's nice to meet you all. Did I know you before"
"Yeah, we were close friends in fact. If you don't want to be friends, we can understand, but I don't think that bloke," Ron tilts his head toward Draco, "would like that. Though we can tell you who you were if you want to know"
"I think a friendship would be a brilliant idea. And off the record, I really don't care what Malfoy thinks, he'll just have to share. But I would like to see you guys later. Neville maybe I can show you something I know about fear sometime. It may help with your magic ability," with that Harry turned to join a fuming Draco.
"You do realize socializing with them is a bad idea"
"Lighten up, we only just met and you're already treating me like a child"
"I am not treating you like a child; I'm just saying that those folk are bad to hang around with. They could mean trouble"
"You worry too much, that is one thing that we need to work on with you"
They began walking out of the hall, to the dungeons. Arriving at the stone wall, a prefect (Blaise Zabini) walked up.
"Ok everyone, the password is Illigitimi!" The wall seperated, revealing a nicely set common room. Harry followed Draco to their own dorm rooms.
Upon entering he couldn't hold in a gasp. The dorms were separated and only two to one. But what got him was the size of it. The ceiling was towering over at about thirteen feet high, with a chandelier on top. Two enormous four posters able to fit at least five people easily. Walk in closets the size of the Gryffindor dorm room. Simply put: Harry was in heaven.
Falling gracefully down on the bed to the left, he closed his eyes and went over the plan for the millionth time, when a familiar voice rumbled in his head.
/Don't get distracted. You know how hard this mission is going to be/
/You know, you worry too much. Everything is going as planned, and then there is that little spice that I added to make it even better/
/And what, my little protégé, are you planning to do/
/Oh, just taint a few Gryffindors. You know, have a little fun on the side, and get some allies while I'm at it/
/You are a mischievous one, aren't you? Well, allies are what we need, so try and get as many as you can. I'll be going to bed now/
/I know, you just worry about your own things, and I'll just continue to play the poor Harry who lost his memory/
"And what has you so happy"
"Not much, just glad be where I am right now," Harry then turned so that Draco got a good shot of his rear end and went to sleep, to a place where he can truly be happy.
But sleep seemed to evade him. He'd been having this problem lately, Tom said that would be the side effect after he purged the curse Dumbledore had put on him. The old coot of a bastard always ruined things for everyone, it seemed. So in order to try to sleep, Harry went over the plan in his head a few more times. Spice was exactly what it needed. It seemed to...boring and easy.
-------------
The next morning, Ron and Hermoine got up earlier then everyone else in order to see if they could talk to Harry some more, and maybe find out where he has been. Or maybe find out if he is still going to stop this war. They had to know what happened to him, to be so cold...and to forget everyone who influenced his life. But then again, it could be for the better. If they could just get over the fact that he looks so much like a snake, it's just creepy. Then again, he may have been an experiment to freak mutation. Both involuntarily shuddered at that thought.
Upon arriving at the great hall, both had to stop when they noticed Harry sitting where he used to at the Gryffindor table. They tried to keep a calm and regular demeanor as they sat down in their spots. Harry looked up and quirked an eyebrow at their stiff approach.
"Did you sleep on concrete, or is that how you usually act in the mornings?" he laughed as they both jumped.
"No, it's just..." Ron trailed off and scratched his nose.
"You knew me, looking different then this, is that it"
"Um...well, you see it's also...a little hard...since, you know...don't remember anything..." Hermoine answered nervously, looking down at the ground.
"Oh, come on! Just because I don't remember anything doesn't mean we can't start out new," he stood up and stretched out his hand to them, "Hello, my name is Harry Marvolo Voldemort, what is yours?" he inwardly smirked as they flinched, but showed notice of it. They stuck out their hands, and one at a time shook his.
"Ronald Weasley"
"Hermoine Granger"
"Weasley huh? My father said your family is a tad large. But he also that you were my best friend before..."
He quieted before he gave too much away, just to get their pity, thinking that he knows what he had to go through. 'Heh, if they only knew,' He sat back down, and they ate in silence until a certain blonde came up.
"Harry, your eating at the wrong table-"
"Really mother, if I wanted your opinion as to where I can and can't sit then I would have woke you up, instead of just coming here. Now if you are quite through, you should stop being a git and sit down, since we have all of our classes together"
Before the blonde could respond, Harry feigned anger and swifted walked out of the hall. Draco turned to the two stunned Gryfindors.
"This is all your fault!" and he too ran after the ruby eyed boy.
-------------
Harry ran outside and hid himself and laughed silently at the Slytherin's face.
/And what-pray tell koi-is so funny/
/The plan is going in a much more fun direction now. Oh by the way, to the public eye, we are father and son/ 'If only you knew'
/What have you done now/
/I'm having fun playing the innocent fools' minds. I was wandering if I should tell the reporters that you are back, can I/ Harry replied in a mock sweet voice.
Voldemort laughed.
/Sure, just don't cause too much trouble and try to make HIM look like the old fool he really is/
/With pleasure/ Harry walked toward the lake with a chesire smile placed on his lips as he thought up suitable stories to say.
----------
To say Draco was pissed would be an understatement. He thought he had The-Boy-Who-Lived under control. Maybe his father would give HIM the time of day. But no, the bloody git had to go back to his Gryfindor backstabbers.
"That bastard thinks he's mister high and mighty just because he was idiot enough to get his memories wiped"
"Now now, what language kids have these days," Draco spun around to look directly in red eyes. He growled and got ready to punch him, but Harry side-stepped the potential black eye inducing object.
"Why the hell are you hanging around those losers"
"Is that all? I just want to be friends with as many people as possible. Besides, you shouldn't worry about the spice until you get to taste how sweet it is"
Draco was lost, but Harry had already begun to walk to their first class: double potions.
----------
Harry walked casually into potions, to sit down next Hermoine and Ron with a giant smile plastered to his face.
"What are you so happy about"
"You'll see in about three seconds"
Draco came bursting through the door in three seconds precisely, almost late. Professor Snape seemed to be in a foul mood indeed.
"Today class we will be working on a more challenging potion, which will be done in groups. You will be given a month to get the Monthry1 potion complete. This is a potion that reduces aging. All of you had better hope that you get it right, because we are going to be testing on everyone. The choice of who you turn into will be drawn from a hat. Now that you know what you are doing, get to it"
Harry smirked and for once thanked Hermoine for changing him into Goyle. He then looked over at the two smiling Gryfindors. They had become a group of three, when Draco came over and sat down.
"The Professor did say four to a group, did he not"
"But that doesn't mean you have to sit with ours"
"It's ok Ron, besides I need to talk to you all together. So first off Hermoine get the ingredients that we don't have, Ron start measuring what we do have, and then after we get started I'll tell you"
Everyone did as thry were told swiftly and silently, they did not complain, because they felt no need to. If they were just talking and not working, then Professor Snape would get suspicious. Can't have a loyal follower and spy turned over to the good side. After putting in the first ingredients and waiting for it to be ready for the next things to add, they began to speak.
"What I wanted to say is, even though I know not a lot of my past, I found out much information that you all would be interested in. The first thing is Snape is a double spy, he works loyally to Voldemort," he pauses as they flinch, "and is lying to Dumbledore"
"Then we should tell Dumbledore about this-"
Ignoring Hermione's interuption, Harry continued.
"But Dumbledore has most of the wizarding world fooled. Only if you close to a secret triangle of people who specialize in obtaining information know. I was lucky enough to be able to get to talking with one of the top people who could provide me with information"
"Yeah yeah, just spit it out already, we aren't getting any younger"
Again, he ignored the outburst, this time from the platinum haired boy.
"After you here this, I want you to try to settle your differences and try to be friends. This will help in the long run-"
"So Mr. Potter, I see that you are done with the first part of the potion, but if you don't continue working, it will get messed up... and we know you don't want to try something that could very well turn into a poison," all four occupants jumped at the sound of their teacher's voice hovering over them. Professor Snape watched in grim amusement as the kids shffled to get the new ingredients in the cauldron.
He knew there was no way in hell that Harry would join his lord's side so easily. It was just impossible. The savior had a reputation to keep as the Boy-Who-Lived after all. But fate was against him to test out his theory, for it was time for the kids to go to their next class.
-
Packing everything as quickly as they could, the four teens ran out of the classroom out of breath.
"Is this how it feels to treavel with the great Harry Potter?" Draco asked after they got far enough away from the dungeons.
"This is just on our good days. Normally Snape has to find everything wrong with our assignment, hey Malfoy if you sit with us more often, maybe we won't have to worry about the git so much,"
"Like bloody hell I am"
"Well, now that he is in our group for this assignment, we won't have to worry about Snape for another month," interrupted Harry, to everyone's chagrin.
The irony of the sixth year2 is that the entire staff decided that putting all of the houses of the same year in the sameclass was a good idea, so everyone went to the same place for their classes. It was supposed to help with inter-house relationships. 'Probably to add to the elaberate lie that the old geezer thought up. He is just bloody a bastard to screw with everyone's lives.' thought Harry as they walked into transfiguration.
-----------------
"Ok class, from this year on, you will sit in groups of four- I have a list of who is sitting with who. This will apply to everyone starting tommorrow," she began to go down the list. But it was only when she reached Draco, did Harry look worried, "Daco Malfoy, Harry Potter, Terry Boot, and Susan Bones. Blaise Zabini, Ronald Weasely, Padma Patil, and Zacharias Smith. Pansy Parkinson, Hermoine Granger, Mandy Brocklehurst, and Ernie Macmillan. .." McGonagall continued down the list as some students groaned, while others gave silent cheers.
What has got you so happy all of a sudden
Oh the fact that HE made getting allies a hundred times easier. Voldie, Harry pauses mid-thought to let that sink in, I think we can get two more adult allies
Who would they be
A werewolf by the name of Remus Lupin, and an animagus known as none other then the convict Sirius Black. Now before you say they are on HIS3 side, hear me out
I still wonder why I listen to you
Thank you. Anyways, they could care less about HIM, because of the fact that all the times I ended up in the hospital were linked to him. If I were to contact them, maybe I can show them the light as well. Hmm...that reminds me, I never found out who our new Defence Against Dark Arts teacher is. I guess I'll know in a few minutes
Harry picked up his things and began to walk out with the rest of the class. He hoped to every god he could think of that it wasn't some fat bitch that dealt her own detentions and messed with the kids' minds4. He walked in the classroom...and nearly died in order to properly thank all the gods personally.
"Hi Harry- GOOD LORD!" Remus about near fainted at the sight before him.
"Um...do I know you Professor?" Harry hated to to act dumb in front of his friend, but he had no choice...for now.
"Harry it's me, Remus...don't you remember me"
"I'm sorry, I don't remember you, but then again I don't remember anyone. But I have new memories now. Professor, do you mind if I can talk to you sometime"
"Huh? Oh yeah, you can come and see me tonight if you like. But if you have other things"
"No no no...er...tonight's fine. What time"
"How does seven sound"
"See you then,"
---------------
Harry sat down as kids started to file in. He still managed to have fun, even though Terry kept complaining.
"Hello class, I am so glad to see you again this year. Though some people have had unfortunate things happen to them to get here," his eyes instinctively travelled to the red eyed young boy, "But the good thing is your still alive, right? Well, as you know-"
Professor Lupin was interrupted by a loud snore. He scanned the class to find the lazily sleeping Weasley boy out like a light. Lupin walked right next to the desk, bent down next to his ear, and siad in a loud voice,
"Well Mr. Weasley! It's good of you to volunteer yourself like this"
Ron jumped at least ten feet in the air. He looked around with a stupified expression plastered to his face. Harry was stifling the urge to laugh his head off. The red head walked up to the front with worried being cast at the thing that was covered next to the desk.
"As I was saying before my victi-I mean partner volunteerer himself, we will continue to study against dark creatures, though most spells will be equally effective on humans in a battle," he emphasized the word battle, "Anyway, we were lucky enough to have a friend in south Africa to capture this creature," he lifted the cover to reveal what looked like a too-thick black cloak hovering just so, "Can anyone tell me what this is?"
A slightly surprised but interested eyebrow raised as Neville's shaking hand went slowly up.
"Alright Mr. Longbottom, what do you know about these"
"I-It's name...is a Lethifold. It's very dangerous and eats anything"
"Your right. The Lethifold is a mercifully rare creature found solely in tropical climates. It resembles a black cloak perhaps half an inch thick-thicker if it has recently killed and digested a victim-which glides along at night. The earliest account we have of a Lethifold was by the wizard Flavius Belby, who was fortunate enough to survive a Lethifold attackin 1782. Can anyone find the part where he wrote down his experience"
Again Neville's hand went up, a little more daring this time.
"Go ahead and read what he wrote then"
-------- " 'Near one o'clock in the morning, as I began at last to feel drowsy, I heard a soft rustling close by. Believing it to be nothing more than leaves of the tree outside, I turned over in bed, with my back to the window, and caught sight of what appeared to be a shapless black shadow sliding underneath my bedroom door. I lay motionless, trying sleepily to divine what was causing such a shadow in a room lit only by moonlight. Undoubtedly my stillnedd led the Lethifold to believe that its potential victim was sleeping.
To my horror, the shadow began to creep up the bed, and I felt it's slight weight upon me.It resembled nothing so much as a rippling black cape, the edges fluttering slightly as it slithered up the bed towards me. Paralysed with fear, I felt its clammy touch upon my chin before I sat bolt upright.
The thing attemted to smother me, sliding inexorably up my face, over my mouth and nostrils, but still I struggled, feeling it wrapping its coldness about me all the while. Unable to cry for assistance, I groped for my wand. Now dizzy as the thing sealed itself about my face, incapable of drawing breath, I concentrated with all my might upon the Stupefying Charm and then- as that failed to subdue the creature, though blasting a hole in my bedroom door- upon the Impediment Hax, which likewise availed me naught. Still struggling madly, I rolled sideways and fell heavily to the floor, now entirely wrapped in the Lethifold.
I knew that I was about to lose consciousness completely as I suffocated. Desperately, I mustered up my last reserve of energy. Pointing my wand away from myself into the deadly folds of the creature, summoning the memory of the day I had been voted President of the local Gobstones Club, I performed the Patronus Charm.
Almost at once I felt fresh air upon my face. I looked up to see that deathly shadow being thrown into the air upon the horns of my Patronus. It flew across the room and slithered swiftly out of sight,' "
"Well now, as Belby so dramatically reveals, the Patronus is the only spell know to repel the Lethifold. So it generally attacks the sleeping, though, its victims rarely have a chance to use any magic against it. Once the prey has been successfully suffocated, the Lethifold digests its food there and then in their bed. It then exits the house slightly thicker and fatter than before, leaving no trace of itself or its victim behind.5 Now that we know what this thing is, who can tell me what you would do n this kind of situation?" Professor Lupin asked.
Harry raised his hand.
"Yes Harry"
"If I was in that situation I would think of my most happiest moment I could muster, which would be considerably easier since the Lethifold doesn't sck the happiness out of you like a Dementor. Then I would cast the Patronus as fast as I could, and pray that I don't die,"
Ron was resisting the urge of falling down while not laughing. All the while he hadn't realized that he accidently knocked over the glass case, releasing the Lethifold loose.
The Lethifold went to the closest thing it could find: Ron. Ron's wand unfortunately in his backpack, he could not fend off the huge cloak shaped thing. Without so much as a warning, a chair clattered to the floor, a giant silver panther attacked the Lethifold, and Blaise was in front of Ron, helping him to get oxygen through his lungs again.
A few minutes later, the Lethifold back where it belongs, and Ron and Blaise sitting unconsciously closer together, the class got ready to leave.
-----------------------------------------
Harry walked down from the Gryfindor common room with Ron and Hermione in tow at fifteen minutes before seven. They had the invisibility cloak wrapped snugly and securely around them, so not to get caught. Upon arriving at the office, they knocked and awaited for an answer. When they recieved that answer, they all let go of the collective breath they were holding.The all entered Lupins office and Harry unwrapped and revealed what he had concealed from them. He sighed and placed a pensieve on the table. "What I must tell you is better put if I explain through this. Trust me this will help in the long run. I want you to understand who the real bad guy in this whole war is. I want you to know why I disappeared for two years..."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 - This potion was completely made up and also in my opinion very poorly too, but it reduces the looks of aging, not the effects.
2 - The storyline had to be bent a little for this to work out. Harry got kidnapped again after the end of the fourth year, got changed the next week, and trained until the sixth year. So Sirius is still alive in this story. IF YOU DO NOT LIKE THEN TOO BAD! I did this for the storyline to fit my original plans.
3 - Voldemort and Harry don't like to refer Dumbledore to his name because it is like a desease to them. They hate it.
4 - Come on you know what I'm talking about here. If you are a fan you should at least. ;;;
5 - You can find this passage in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
YAY! I got it up, and that is the good part right? Maybe not, since I left it at a cliffie. But the next one should come A LOT sooner, now that I set out to work on this again. Well, I have to go begin on the next chapter so you don't get grumpy on waiting on me.
ToriChan