Disclaimer : I do not own anything of the Harry Potter universe, it all belongs to JK Rowling, I just love writing about the fantastic universe she presented us.
This story is/was posted on my other account, since I had trouble posting a new story on this account. Now that it is all worked out, I'm moving that story here, since that will be easier to manage all of my stories. The story is mostly the same as before, minus some mistakes or typos.
If there are still grammer or spelling mistakes, please let me know. English isn't my native language (plus I have dyslexia), so it is possible that there are still a few mistakes in my stories even though I edit them before I post them. I hope you'll enjoy the story.
Plus, sorry for the late update, but life caught up with me, making it difficult to find the time to write.
The Change - chapter 4
The next day, Sunday, they found themselves on the Hogwarts Express again. Both Harry and Hermione were with their noses in books, while Ron tried to convince them to play some exploding snap.
"Sorry Ron, I know you aren't such a fan of studying, but I'm trying to prepare for OWL's and I want to be as prepared as possible if I have to face Voldemort" Harry explained.
Ron gave his usual shudder at hearing the name "You've changed through the holidays Harry"
"I know, seeing that attack on your father changed me Ron, it made me really realize that I have to prepare as much as I can and making sure I'm ready for the OWL's and more, since it is clear that Voldemort is after me" Harry replied.
"I for one like the change Harry, it was about time you took your studies more seriously" Hermione told them, looking up from her book for a few moments.
"I understand Harry" Ron told him "I just really can't focus on books that well"
Harry rummaged through his trunk and got out a book and handed it to Ron "I saw this book in Sirius' library, I thought you might like this one"
"Strategic ploys in history?" Ron read.
"Just try it" Harry urged him.
Ron decided to give it a go and before they knew it, the three of them were reading their book. They didn't even notice Neville entering until he spoke "What happened here?"
Harry looked at him in surprise "What do you mean Neville?"
"I never thought I would see the three of you reading a book on the Hogwarts Express, especially not you Ron, no offense. I would almost think that it isn't really you three, but polyjuiced "
"No problem mate, but this is a really interesting book. It discusses different techniques they used to win previous wars" Ron explained.
When Neville looked at Harry he told him "I decided to take my studies a bit more serious, if Voldemort comes after me, I want to be prepared"
Neville nodded "Do you mind if I join you? I got a new book from for Christmas from my gran about Herbology in Africa"
Harry motioned for him to sit and then went back to one of the auror books Tonks had given him. It was a book on curses and he couldn't wait to try them out. If he hadn't been in company he would have slipped inside his own mind to do so, but it would have been a bit too obvious and strange to do so.
The lunch cart passed by and they bought some sweets, but for the rest, the only sound that was audible was the one of the turning pages of the books they were reading.
Most of the next few months after the Christmas break developed quite the same like in the Hogwarts Express. Harry had read Tonks' books by the end of January and had practiced a lot of the things described in the Room of Requirement and in his head using Occlumency. He had started reading through the class material for most of his courses and found that he was competing with Hermione to answer during classes, much to the amazement of his professors and peers.
Hermione however liked the friendly competition with Harry that had developed in class, apart from Umbridge's classes of course. During those classes, Harry and his friends stayed as silent as possible, even then managing to get detentions with Umbitch.
After February, Harry started to focus on the sixth year course load, while also seeking other interesting books about Occlumency to strengthen his defenses even more or about Dueling. Since he had processed the entire course load of his fifth year, together with revising his years before.
He still led the DA and taught them everything they could use in a fight, so that their chances of living improved if they should be attacked. The number of students participating had also increased in comparison with before the break. Because of the increasing disappearances, the break out from Azkaban and killings all over the country. More and more people started to believe that Dumbledore and Harry weren't lying, but of course, the more people believed him, the harsher Umbridge became towards Harry.
Harry had already been able to sample the evidence against her in January, but sadly there wasn't a secure way to send it to Tonks and his plan to give it to Tonks on a Hogsmeade weekend in February was disrupted since he was doing detention again, this time joined by quite a few of his closest friends. That had as a result that Harry couldn't even give the recording devise with someone he trusted to pass it on to Tonks.
Umbridge also knew that something was going on in the school and that Harry was in the middle of it, so her Inquisitorial Squad tried to follow him around. But he still managed to give the weekly DA meetings right under her nose, thanks to the aid of his invisibility cloak.
Sadly, at the ending of March, Umbridge had started to interrogate random students, in the hopes of getting knowledge of 'illegal' activities at Hogwarts. Cho Chang's friend Marietta Edgecombe had sold them out, which was clear by pustules that had formed on her head forming the word SNEAK. As a result Dumbledore had to leave Hogwarts so he wouldn't get arrested and every DA student got multiple detentions with the blood quill.
In the beginning of April, Harry and his friends waited in line to go to Hogsmeade that day, a privilege that strangely enough hadn't been revoked after the DA was uncovered.
"Where do you want to start" Hermione asked Harry, while walking the last part to the town.
"Let's get our supply of sweets and then parchment and ink. I have a meeting at eleven that I have to be at" Harry told her.
"Who are you meeting?" Ron asked.
"Tonks, I have something she wants, something that might help us with Umbridge" Harry explained.
So they started to replenish their supply of chocolate frogs and other sweets, before making sure they had enough parchment and ink for the rest of the year.
They were just on their way to the Three Broomstick, when all hell broke loose. Harry, Ron and Hermione were stunned from behind and dragged into an alley. There, they were portkeyed out of Hogsmeade and into the ministry.
When they were rennervated again, they were surprised that they still had their wands. So after realizing they were in serious trouble and before Harry did anything else, he held the pendant he had gotten from Tonks with both of his hands, hoping she would be warned. Then when their attackers weren't paying attention, Harry, Ron and Hermione started firing spells at them.
In the surprise, they had managed to stun one of the death eaters, but there were still two left that started to throw curses back. Neither group had the upper hand, until one of the death eaters managed to revive their companion. With three against three, the trio was pushed back by the death eaters.
"Bombarda" Hermione fired at the ceiling, making it come down on the three death eaters.
Taking advantage of the situation, the ran as fast as they could until they were presented with multiple doors. Quickly deciding to take on of them, they ran into a circular room, with an ancient doorway in the middle. They were only there for a few seconds catching their breath, when the three death eaters also showed up, only now they were accompanied by four other death eaters, including Bellatrix Lestrange and Lucius Malfoy.
"So we meet again" Lucius sneered, trying to look as haughtily as he could.
"What do you want" Harry yelled, not understanding what the point was for bringing them there.
"We want you to retrieve something for the Dark Lord, if you don't, you and those two pathetic friends of yours are going to die" Lucius merely stated.
"Why would you need me?"
"Ah, you don't know about this apparently. There is a prophecy about you and the Dark Lord and we want to have it. Sadly only those concerning the prophecy can pick it up, that is why we need you"
"Don't waste time, I want to get out of here" Bellatrix sneered towards Lucius.
"Of course, now Potter, come here, or you friends won't have much of their lives left"
Harry's mind was reeling. He knew either way, they would be dead, no matter what he did. He just wanted to defy him, when a noise brought him out of his thoughts. Tonks, Dumbledore, Kingsley, Remus, Hestia Jones and Sirius appeared at the other side of the room. Immediately spell fire broke loose in the room.
Harry dove immediately, since a curse from Lucius Malfoy came his way. Sending back a cutting curse in return, Harry started to duel with the man. He was starting to loose and had already incorporated a few spells, making his body hurt like hell, when Sirius came to the rescue. Together they managed to overpower Lucius until he was smacked against a wall and his motionless body lay on the ground.
"Nice one Harry" Sirius complemented him before a purple jet flew from Bellatrix' wand, in his chest and he toppled backwards into the veil that spanned the ancient doorway. Sirius' body disappeared immediately and Harry wanted to jump after him when he was held back. Remus held his body as Harry tried to get away from him.
"He's gone Harry, there's nothing you can do" Remus said, his voice thick with emotions.
Harry stopped fighting him until he saw Bellatrix slipping away, while the rest of the death eaters were being rounded up. Since Remus hadn't expected him to try and break away in that direction, Harry managed to do so and ran after Bellatrix. He followed her to the atrium, where she was trying to leave.
"Stupefy" he yelled at her, which caught her attention.
"So you're going to try and fight me" Bellatrix taunted him "There's nothing you can do to stop me, just like there is nothing you could do to safe that pathetic godfather of yours"
"Impedamente" Harry yelled at her.
A bit surprised, Bellatrix only barely managed to step away from the curse.
"So you think you can play with the adults" she asked before she pointed her wand at him and yelled "Crucio"
The pain that shot through Harry's body was excruciating. There was nothing he could do but yell and convulse, hoping the pain would stop, until the pain even worsened and his head almost exploded from the pain.
"Stop" Harry heard the command. He felt the pain fall away and looked up, only to see Voldemort a few meters away from him.
"So we meet again Harry Potter" his high pitched voice said, looking down on Harry.
"Tom" Harry spat out "I didn't expect you here"
A high maniacal roar came out of Voldemort's mouth "Don't call me that, my name is Voldemort"
"No that is just a self-appointed name which sounds ridiculous if you ask me"
"Crucio" Voldemort roared and again, Harry felt the excruciating pain, only worse this time.
Voldemort put him under the cruciatus curse for three long times until he passed out, his body not being able to cope with the physical and emotional pain anymore.
Luckily it had been at that moment that Dumbledore appeared and immediately sent a curse towards Voldemort, making him chose between attacking Harry or defending himself. Choosing the latter, Voldemort sent back a volley of spells towards his nemesis.