Avangeline Harry Potter and the Darkness Within

Chapter Seven

The Plan

The next morning Draco was happy to see Harry happier then he had been in a long time. He was laughing and joking right along with the rest of them. Obviously hunting with Severus was good for him.

"Hey Harry how was the hunt?" He asked curiously.

"Absolutely wonderful the night was beautiful and I learned a lot. I even got to see my Sire take down his prey and between you and me if I become half as graceful as him I will be lucky." With that Harry was off explaining about his stag and Severus's boar. Trying to convey how he had felt during all this was difficult, how do you explain to a mortal what the sound of blood rushing through a vein is? Can you make them understand the beauty of a creature they take for granted? Harry didn't know but he was sure going to try.

Harry might have been addressing Draco but anyone else near them heard and every single one of them was spell bound. Harry's voice alone was enchanting and the story was a good one.

Harry's story was interrupted by the bell ringing for class. They had Herbology and transfiguration in the morning followed by double potions in the afternoon.

Harry had made sure that he had put on extra sun repellant to work in the greenhouses. He liked working with the plants and digging around in the fragrant soil. Even with the extra potion he still burned quickly his skin taking on a raw red appearance. When Draco pointed this out he explained that even though the potion blocked most sun it couldn't block all of it.

Harry's good mood lasted through transfiguration as well. His happiness helped the spell create a nicer looking product.

By the time he got to lunch his good mood had spread to his year mates in Slytherin. It was a strange sight to see smiles on their faces instead of sneers.

He was too busy joking with his new friends that he wasn't paying attention to the calculating looks he was getting from both Dumbledore and McGonagall. Lucky for Harry someone else noticed their fixation. Severus couldn't do anything about right in front of them or he could say goodbye to his job. That didn't mean he couldn't prepare Harry for any problems that might come up.

Lunch was over quickly and the Slytherin second years made their way to the dungeons. They were set to work immediately on a moderate level potion.

Draco and Harry immediately paired up and began working as Severus made his rounds checking their potions. He stopped at Harry and Draco's he leaned forward like e was inspecting the color then whispered. "I want you two to meet me down here tonight there is something you should know." He told them quickly then moved onto the next group.

Harry and Draco continued to brew their potion getting increasingly curious as the time went on. Even with the distraction they managed to brew a respectable potion. They bottled it and carried it up front.

After class the two Slytherins lingered behind as Severus had told them to. When the last person had left Severus ushered both boys into his office.

He shut the door securely then threw up every locking silencing and privacy charm he knew, and with his former position that was quite a lot. "Alright you two you have to listen up and listen well. Harry I believe you are in serious danger. You have both Dumbledore and McGonagall upset with you. They were doing a few things at lunch that made me worry they may be planning something. Draco you are also in danger just because it is common knowledge you and Harry are close.

Both of you must be on alert all the time. Cover each others backs and be there to help when needed, absolutely don't do anything stupid or rash. Don't even think about breaking a rule I don't think the headmaster would flinch before throwing you out. I know this is coming at you fast is there anything you must know now?" Snape asked.

"Why are they so out to get me? I haven't hurt anyone who did not give permission first." Harry asked.

"For McGonagall it is because you made her have to face the fact her precious Gryffindors are not golden at all. For Dumbledore it is a little more complex, first of all he has been molding you into his perfect little weapon that will follow every order blindly. He wanted you to come to him with anything and everything changing in your life so he would know how best to manipulate the situation. The fact that you kept this from him made him wary. Secondly you have started to break out of the mould he had set out for you. He could have handled your change if you had remained in Gryffindor but you became a Slytherin. Plus between you and me Dumbledore detests magical creatures he only puts up with us because we are useful if he thinks you are going dark being expelled will be the least of your worries." Severus explained a trifle blunt but at least he was honest.

"He would kill me for something I had no control over!" Harry said his voice raising an octave or two.

"Yes, if the great Albus Dumbledore perceives you as a threat he will not hesitate to dispose of you. The only advice I can give is to learn and learn quickly. I can only help you so much without him figuring things out. You need to learn not only about yourself but you need to harness your magic. You were born with more magic then most wizards accumulate in a lifetime, if you harness it bend it to your will you will be stronger then Dumbledore. Not to mention you have not reached magical maturity yet, for normal wizards that age is seventeen for us it is fifteen you need the extra time because vampires receive more power then a wizard. If the power you have now is not controlled by your fifteenth birthday you will become a danger to yourself and everyone else around you." The deadly serious tone in Severus's voice conveyed meaning well.

"I'll do it," Harry said in a deadly cold voice that Severus didn't think Harry was capable of speaking in. his jewel like eyes brightened and lit from within giving an odd parody of the killing curse.

"Good, also know you will not be alone. You are a Slytherin now never be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Draco stay close to him for awhile he will need the support. Now you two need to leave before Dumbledore becomes suspicious." Severus said shooing them out of the office.

"See you tomorrow Uncle Severus." Came from Draco followed by Harry's.

"Good night Sire."

The two boys then left the potions classroom heading back to the common room Harry already coming up with a plan in his mind. He quietly told Draco his plan. "Draco, I know what I need to do."

"Exactly what Severus told us," Draco said with a slight hint of annoyance in his voice in a how can you be so thick sort of way.

Harry's eyes also conveyed his annoyance but his voice was steady. "I know that, what I meant was I know what to do in order to follow his instruction but…. Um….I. don'tknowhowtoaskforhelp." Harry said the last part too quickly for Draco to follow.

"Alright say that again a little slower this time." The blonde boy asked his friend.

Harry's sun burnt cheeks got a little redder as Harry sheepishly repeated what he had previously said in a low voice. It was only slightly slower then the first time but Draco understood. "I need to ask for help but I don't know how."

"Simple you go up to a person and ask, come on Harry where is that Gryffindor courage." Draco said almost jokingly.

"The Gryffindor courage is a mask like most of the Slytherins wear. Truth is I haven't been able to ask for help before. Ever." At this Harry shuddered slightly at this as if remembering something unpleasant.

"What do you need help with? If you can force yourself to tell me then I can ask others by proxy." Draco suggested.

"I need the Slytherins to teach me how to be a pureblood," at this point Draco gave him an incredulous look. "I am serious if I know proper wizarding etiquette I can learn from different people. I have done a little reading on the specious and blood wise I am now considered a pureblood any so called muggle blood was removed when I turned. Plus Slytherin's are some of the best wizards in Hogwarts and its not even so much power as pure knowledge. The largest proportion of people in it are pureblood they have been doing magic forever if I am to truly learn how to harness magic then I need help from the Slytherins. I know I have been accepted by most of them but will house loyalties stretch far enough to help one Slytherin who has destroyed another?" Harry explained and questioned at the same time.

"Harry listen to yourself, Voldemort has killed people from all houses including Slytherin and yet some still help him. I think you will be surprised those that cannot openly support you thanks to family problems will at least not get in your way. Plus I know some pureblood families interbreed with certain magical beings instead of muggles, so don't be shocked if some Slytherins are part vampire. I'll help you talk to them we will start with the rest of the second years and work our way up from there." Draco reassured his dark friend.

"Thank you Draco means a lot." Harry answered.

"Hey, what are friends for," Draco said shrugging off the compliment but showing in his eyes that it was received.

The two boys then finished the journey to the common room in a companionable silence. They were halted soon after entering by both Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson. "What did Snape want he looked worried?" Pansy asked.

"We can't tell you it would put to many people in danger, but we do have a favor to ask." Draco started.

"Draco I think I will ask them to help me if I can't alright," Harry said very quietly to the other Slytherin. At Draco's affirmative nod he continued on to the other two. "It is me who needs the help. I have basically been told that I will be a danger when I get older if I don't get myself under control. I need help training my magic and I need to know a few other things." As he spoke his voice got weaker and weaker as if this was paining him.

Pansy hearing his silent distress asked him gently, "what else do you need?"

Harry blushed lightly before answering in an impossibly soft tone. "I need to learn how to act like a pureblood. I am not stupid I know when I get older I will need to know wizarding laws and customs right away. Can you, I mean will you, I mean you don't have to if you don't want to but maybe could you…"

When it became obvious Harry couldn't finish the sentence Draco helped him, "he wants to know if the Slytherins can help him?"

At this Pansy put her hands on her hips in a move that made her look older then twelve like she was chiding a child actually. "Of course we will help you, why wouldn't we? Why was that so hard to say?"

"Long story short I was brought up in a household that I got starved if I asked a question and well if I even dared to ask for help it wasn't pleasant." Harry said quietly his voice tired like he had been trough to much in a single day to take it all in.

"I will drop this for now because I can see it's uncomfortable for you I just hope you will talk to someone about it eventually." Pansy explained.

Then Blaise spoke up for the first time even though he was listening the whole time. "I will help too Harry, but for now we better get moving if we want dinner tonight."

"Thank you," was all Harry said before the four of them walked out of the common room and up to the great hall.

At dinner Harry kept his masks up well, he ate and laughed and joked like he had at lunch. Anyone who knew about the afternoons events was impressed that not a hint showed of the massive bit of information learned earlier.

A/N sorry this chapter took so long I have had massive amounts of family surrounding me for the past week and finally got a chance to escape and write. Hope it was worth the wait and don't worry I don't expect many more long waits. I want to say for anyone that read my other story power of destiny there is now a sequel started called Harry potter and the dawning of a new day. I will be updating that tonight or tomorrow depending on how my update for pain of the innocent goes.

Well so long and happy belated Fourth of July

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