A/N:Hello again everyone. You guys are the best. 175 favorites 290 follows 105 reviews and over 29000 views; Thanks to all of you, another milestone was broken with over 100 reviews. Thanks again for your continued support of this story. Yes I know, I'm late, ad I apologize for that. For those that don't follow my profile or check it, I had Life to deal with, and couldn't get this chapter out in time; please expect more interruptions like to that mess with my update schedule. Special thanks to Jessie Bishop and Grovek26 for being my 200th and 250th followers respectively; you already got your cookie, but finally got around to making the announcement.
This is becoming too long for my test, but I need to address the point that, X2leoj, made in the reviews. I'm well aware of the errors I make with grammar and how it can make reading the story difficulty. I had first planned to wait it out until I found a full-time beta to get it all fixed, but if I'm not able to get one by the time I upload the 20th chapter, I'll take a short break from writing, read them all, and correct all the errors.
As usual,I apologize for any grammatical errors that got pass me.
TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter contains abuse and torture.
Please Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Harry Potter or anything dealing with its franchise; Only the OCs.
Chapter 16
First Impressions and Silent Screams
The early morning sun's rays had yet found its way through the heavy red partitions around the bed, and land directly onto the occupants eyes like it usually did, when he felt himself being shook awake violently.
"Wake up Harry -" a male voice said against his ear.
"-if we can't sleep in because of Oliver's fanatic training hours, either can you." Another voice identical to the last spoke from the other side of the bed.
Harry opened his jade colored eyes groggily, and groaned as he took in the grinning yet tired looking faces of the twins hovering above him, and then turned and pushed his face into his pillow.
"What are you two doing in here." He said loudly into his pillow.
"Oliver sent us to get you mate, now hurry up and get dressed, I wanna watch Angelina tear into Wood for waking her up so early, Quidditch or not." One of the twins said.
With a groan, Harry got out of bed and got ready for the training session. He watched groggily as one twin retrieving his Nimbus, while the other made his way through the dorm room with its other four occupants still asleep, and moved to the one making noise fit to give a lorry's engine competition. Moving the curtain to the side, it revealed his red headed best mate,as the twin spoke.
"Aww, look at this Fred, Ronnikins' sleeping like a baby." George stated as Ron made a particularly loud snore.
"I forgot how loud he snores with the ghoul around; feel sorry for you and your friends Harry" Fred said to Harry, as he was busy putting his training clothes on.
"Ron, get up." George said as he shook his brother.
"Why are you waking him?" Harry asked, finished getting ready.
"Ronnikins asked to be part of the prank we have set for your lil' Slytherin friend; we saw him running around the lake with that Ravenclaw girl" Fred replied.
"-ive 'ore 'nutes" Ron muttered out, with his head deep in his pillow.
Harry watch as George turned to his twin with a mischievous smile and spoke, "Bill's method, Gred?"
"Bill's method Forge." Fred replied as he moved beside his brother. Harry being curious, moved to the foot of the bed, moving the curtain, and spoke.
"What you two doing?"
"You'll see." The twins spoke in unison with matching grins on their faces, both of them turned to each and spoke.
"One-" the twin on the left said.
"Two-" the next twin continued.
"Three! Aqua Eructo; Flipendo" the twins said once more in unison, and casting simultaneously. Harry watched as a jet of water came from one of the twin's wands right in Ron's face, startling him; while the other issue a light red at his bed, causing the mattress to fly off, and Ron to tumble onto the floor with it.
"Oi! What the bloody hell was that for!" a red faced Ron spluttered out at the two chuckling twins, as he started to shake in either rage or from the cold water.
Chuckling loudly and causing Harry's other roommates to stir, one of the twins came up to him. Placing a hand on his shoulder, and beginning to guide him out of his dorm, the twin spoke, "Come on Harry, let's leave George to handle Ron, while we check in with Wood." finished the now identified Fred.
Harry made his way down the stairs towards the Common room with Fred by his side. As he stepped into the room, he noticed that it was almost completely empty, except for the a lively looking Wood, a few upper year students who seemed to be busy studying, and surprisingly a uniform wearing Hermione, who was sitting cross legged in front of the fireplace pointing her wand at a stone that was in her lap. As he got closer to the focused girl, he could hear her singing muttered words under her breath as the smooth stone in her lap glowed briefly between different colors as she went along.
"What are you doing Hermione?" he asked curiously, and watched amused as she jumped at the sound of his voice, causing the stone to fall onto the floor.
"Harry don't do that! Nearly gave me a heart attack." She replied while placing her hand at her covered chest.
"Sorry." He answered while noticing Fred had came along with him, and was now reaching for the stone.
"What's up with this stone Hermione…why's it so hot?" Fred asked as he placed the stone in his next hand while he shook the one that picked it up.
"It is?" she asked brightly, and then dimmed slightly as she asked, "What else have you noticed about it?"
"Don't know; it's just hot." He replied, before lightly throwing it towards Harry, who caught it with ease as Hermione turned her focus on him. As he held it in his grasp, he noticed what Fred was talking about; the stone felt as if it had just came out of the fire, but wasn't losing or gaining any additional heat. As he transferred the stone into his next hand, he noticed something else about it.
"It's light for its size." He stated to the seated girl in front of him, throwing the palm size stone lightly into the air and catching it, testing its weight.
"It worked then!" Hermione exclaimed with a smile on her face.
"What are you getting on about?" Fred asked.
"I was enchanting the stone to produce heat and be light; I've been reading about it, but this was my first time doing it." Hermione said proudly as she got up and held her palm open, indicating she wanted the stone, to which Harry then gave her.
Fred whistled, and then spoke to Hermione, "Enchanting, that's quite the accomplishment. You wouldn't mind George and I coming to you for help with a prank every now and then, would you."
"Where did you get the book Hermione?" Harry asked her curiously.
"I got it as a Christmas present from William last year." She answered as she turned to the couch that was behind her and placed the closed leather bound book inside her bag that was resting on it.
"Why am I not surprised a slimy Slytherin would have a book like that." Ron muttered drawing their attention to him as he walked towards them, with George heading towards Wood, he continued in a whisper so that those around them couldn't hear, "Hermione…that's Dark magic; that Slytherin wants you to get in trouble and have your wand snapped."
"That's preposterous Ronald. There's nothing 'dark' about enchanting; it's simply imbruing magical properties into an inanimate object. It's the same as charms, just with longer lasting or even permanent effects." She replied.
"I wouldn't be so quick to say that my new accomplice in all things pranking. Dark wizards and death eaters used it for muggle baiting; Just as you can make that stone hot, imagine having a clock that explodes or have a mailbox bite the hand of any muggle that sticks its hand inside." Fred supplied.
"It's been labeled as dark magic, you can even ask my dad; look, just give me the book, I'll get rid of it for you." Ron said reaching for her book bag.
"Touch my bag, Ronald, and I'll turn you into a rat to keep your pet Scabbers company" Harry watched as Ron stopped at the glare his bushy haired friend was giving him, and decided to step in to stop their fight from escalating.
"Come on Ron, I'm sure Hermione wouldn't practice Dark magic. I'm going to run late for Quidditch, you know how Oliver can get." He said while placing his hand on Ron's shoulder.
"Yeah Ronnikins, and I doubt Hermione here has the makings of dark witch; I mean, look at that face, does that look like the face of a witch bent on revenge and destruction?" Fred said, while pointing at the still glaring girl before them, "Come on, I know what will get your mind of this; a nice good prank on your lil' Slytherin friend." Fred finished.
"Right." Ron answered with a smile on his face, and began walking towards the entrance of the Common room, with Fred heading to the now assembled Quidditch team.
"They can't be seriously thinking about pranking William, can they Harry?" Harry heard Hermione ask, and turned back to see her now holding her bag in her hand while biting her lip.
"Yeah they are…A-are you coming Hermione?" Harry asked curiously.
"Of course I am, why did you think I got up so early."
"Well you never seemed to enjoy Quidditch when Ron and I talk about it." Harry said as they began walking to catch up with the group.
"Well of course I don't, there are many other things we can talk about besides quidditch, and I enjoy watching you fly. Plus, you'll need someone watching your back in case something like last year happens again." She replied as she bumped her shoulder into him, causing him to smile.
A few minutes had passed in silence as the pair walked down the grand staircase behind the group, when Harry heard Hermione ask him, "Harry, you don't think the twins will do anything particularly harmful to William do you?"
"No, not really…I mean, their pranks can get a bit much, but it's all in good fun." He replied. But then his mind turned back to the book in Hermione's possession, and Fred and Ron's opinion on what it held. "Hermione…what do you think is the reason why William gave you that book if it really is Dark."
"Honestly Harry, I know your thoughts about William, but I know him, and I trust him with as much as I trust you; he wouldn't intentionally put me in harm's way." Hermione answered softly, trying to reason with him.
"Hermione…he threw me at Voldemort." Harry said, recalling the fear he felt when he was magically launched by the Slytherin towards the person that had killed his parents.
"I didn't say he was perfect Harry. And while the way he did it was…flawed...it worked, right?" He heard Hermione stated weakly in the defense of her friend as she looked at his face.
Before Harry could answer, they walked into the Entrance Hall, and heard one of the twins speaking.
"Well isn't this an interesting sight Forge, a wizard and witch actually exercising outside of doing Quidditch."
"Such model students they are Gred." The other twin replied.
From above the staircase in the Entrance Hall, Harry could see the quidditch team and Ron standing together with the twins in front speaking to two figures, William and Su Li, who both had a haggard appearance and covered in a light sheen of sweat, which was visible due to the still lit lamps. Hermione didn't wait for him as she quickly took the steps two at a time, forcing Harry to catch up to her. As they approached the group and stood to its right, they heard Wood speak.
"Fred, George. Enough horsing around, we have training." Wood spoke as he continued walking along with the remaining female members of the team following him.
"It won't take long Ollie." One replied to the back of the older boy's back.
"Yeah, we just wanted to introduce ourselves." Said the other.
"I'm well aware who you both are Messrs Weasleys; your reputation precedes you both." Harry heard William speak in a tone similar to Snapes, while his eyes ghosted over Ron till they rested on his direction briefly, and then focused back on the twins.
"Well you have us at a disadvantage my Slytherin friend-"
"-you know us, but we don't know you, so-"
"-it's a pleasure to meet you Mister…" the twins finished their regular back and fort by speaking simultaneously and sticking out their left and right hands out respectively.
Harry watched as William eyed the extended hands briefly, before he grasped them both and shook them, "Cunningham." He answered as the twins covered the back of his hands with their other.
"Ah! So you're the Slytherin our little brother was talking about." One of the twins spoke.
"Good things I hope." Harry heard William reply while he extracted his hands.
"Fred! George! Harry! You're burning daylight; get your arses out here now!" the voice of Wood bellowed out from the courtyard.
"Well, it looks like duty calls-"
"-catch you around, Cunningham." The twins finished speaking, and head towards the courtyard.
Harry watched a baffled Ron look rapidly between his two brothers and the expressionless William, before he sneered at the boy and ran to catch up with his brothers. It was then that he felt Hermione shove him slightly as she whispered into his ear.
"Go Harry, I'll catch up with you later."
With a slight nod, he turned and began to make his way towards the door. As he passed the stoic William and the silently observing Su Li, he heard him speak, "Have a good session, Mr. Potter."
"Umm, yeah, thanks." Harry replied as he continued his way outside.
Upon heading outside, Harry was met with the scene of Ron arguing with the twins at the other end of the courtyard as they made their way to the quidditch pitch and the changing rooms.
"-didn't do anything at all!" Ron shouted.
"Ikkle Ronnikins thinks we didn't do anything George." Harry heard Fred speak as he walked in step with them.
"Shows how much he knows about pranking, Fred." George replied.
"But all you two did was shake his hands." Harry stated curiously.
Fred placed his hand above his heart, "You wound us Harry-"
"-we expected Ron to think we'd do the prank right there with only the seven of us there-"
"-but not you.-"
"-that's too plain-"
"-too boring-"
"-no showmanshi-"
"Get on with it, and tell us what you did." Ron blurted out in annoyance, interrupting his two brothers' twin speak.
"Well, O impatient brother of ours, we used this." George answered as he took out a small phial of a light pink potion.
"What does that do?" Harry asked as they neared the changing room.
"This, Mr. Potter, is a catalyst that Gred and I created for many of our ingenious pranks. As to what it does, you'll just have to wait and see when your Slytherin problem has his morning pumpkin juice." George answered with a mischievous grin.
After Harry and the twins had entered the changing room, he along with the rest of his teammates had spent close to half an hour listening to Wood explain his new strategies for the season while pointing at a large diagram that was magically attached to the wall. When he finally finished explaining, did they leave the room and begin their training.
Harry watched the rest of the team zooming to and fro as he sat on his Nimbus high above them after another speedy catch of practice snitch that Oliver and released. As he sat there, he noticed that the sun was now up, with its rays beginning to warm up the grounds, and his two friends were sitting in the stands; Ron watching with his complete focus on the team, and Hermione glancing up every now and then as she read a book she brought. Harry couldn't help but shake his head as he smiled at the antics of his first female friend. However, It was then that he noticed a group of green and sliver heading onto the field, and he was not alone in noticing them, as Wood sounded his whistle causing the rest of the team to stop, and follow him down onto the pitch to meet the group of Slytherins.
As they all landed, Harry watched an angry Wood march to meet the Slytherin leading the group with the twins backing him up, and shout as he drew close, "Clear off Flint; I booked the pitch until breakfast!"
As Harry and the female chasers drew closer, he realized how much larger Flint was compared to Wood, and he had a grin on his face as he turned his head all around the pitch before he replied, "Plenty of room here for the both of us, Wood."
"Rubbish! I booked the bloody pitch with Hooch." Wood replied with barely contained anger.
"Ah, yeah about that," Flint said as he took out a folded piece of parchment and handed over to Wood, "this should clear up that misunderstanding." He finished chuckling along with the rest of his team.
Wood furiously opened the note and read it aloud, "I, Professor S. Snape, do hereby give the Slytherin Quidditch Team, permission to practice on the pitch today, owing to the need to train their new Seeker." He finished.
"Bugger what Snape says!" the twins shouted together looking annoyed at the opposing team.
"Watch your mouth you bloody blood traitor." Harry heard one of the other Slytherin players shout out, causing them to laugh.
"I'm not sure which to be more surprised of Xavier; the fact that you were able to string more than two words together or your lack of creativity to insult someone." Angelina interrupted them from beside him.
"Shut up, ya' flying cunt. How's that for creativity." Another one replied.
Distracted, Wood finally spoke up, "Seeker…what new Seeker? Where?"
Stepping from behind the larger teams, a seventh player stepped forward.
"Malfoy" Harry said with narrowed eyes.
"Potter." Malfoy replied smugly as he looked back at him. "And its Lord Malfoy to you; not so special now,are you."
"Harry!" the all heard a voice shout, and turned to see Hermione and Ron sprinting across the field to them.
"What's going on mate, wh-…What the bloody hell are you doing here Malfoy!" Ron yelled as he took in Malfoy's robes.
"The new Lord Malfoy has been very generous with his team Wood; just look at the gifts he gave us." Flint said as the seven of them each took out a highly polished, black broomstick, with the words, 'Nimbus Two Thousand and One' written in gold on the nose of the broom. "The latest model in the Nimbus series; said to be the fastest broom on the market." He finished casually, while Malfoy continued smirking at Harry and the Gryffindor.
"Had to bribe the team to get on, Malfoy." Harry stated as he watched Malfoy's smirk slide right off his face.
"You're just jealous, Potter. You know your second rate team can't beat us when we have brooms like these, and you don't." Malfoy announced.
"They don't need fast brooms; they have talent." Hermione stated as she stood beside Harry.
"Do not speak the presence of your betters mudblood!" Malfoy snapped at her, Harry wasn't sure what he meant, but he found himself moving along with Ron who had taken out his broken wand.
"Watch your mouth Malfoy" Harry replied with his wand out while behind him, with Hermione and Wood being the exceptions, the rest of the Gryffindors followed suit, causing the Slytherins to do the same.
"Come on Potter," Malfoy said as he slowly took out his wand, "let's see what you've got when your filthy mudblood doesn't fight your battles for you."
However, before he could reply, Hermione jumped in between them while facing him with both her hands on his shoulders as she pushed him away. "No Harry, he isn't worth it. He's a Lord remember, If you attack him, you could get in serious trouble."
"You lot put away your wands and clear out. We'll give them the pitch." Wood commanded his team as he placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and gave it a squeeze as he continued, "You go on ahead Potter, cool down before you do something and we lose our best seeker."
Reluctantly, Harry nodded and placed his wand back in his robes as Hermione gently grabbed his arm, and started leading him across the field and back to the castle.
"You should've let us handle him Hermione; we could've taken him." Ron grumbled out as he walked on Harry's right.
"That's not the point Ronald, If Harry started the fight, 'Lord' Malfoy could do anything he liked to retaliate and plead it as self defense." Hermione stated in her usual factual tone as she continued to hold Harry's arm in her hand as she led them.
§Move second Pet!§ Harry suddenly heard a feminine voice shout from where Hermione stood, and felt alarms going off in his head, causing him to dive at her and forcing them both onto the grass in time to avoid a bolt of purple light.
"Malfoy what in Merlin's name are you thinking!"
"How dare you!"
"Wood let go!"
Harry quickly stood up with his wand once more in his hand, and turned to find Malfoy stand a few feet away from them with his wand pointing in their direction. Behind him, he could see the Slytherins forming a line to block the rest of the team off with their wands point at them, while the Slytherin captain, Flint, stormed towards Malfoy; Wood was holding onto the wand arms of both the twins as he forcefully kept them from casting at the Slytherins.
"How dare you turn your back on a Lord you filthy mudblood!" Malfoy yelled as he casted the same purple spell again, Harry and Ron to dive, while Hermione step away from the oncoming spell, and causing Flint to rush towards them faster.
"You're going to pay for that Malfoy." Ron said as he got up, and casted aloud, "Flipendo!" Harry noticed that his wand glowed red at the point that it was broken, and then backfired, causing him to fly bodily back along the field.
"Expelliarmus; Obsuro; Everte Statum" Harry heard Hermione muttered out, and then noticed Malfoy's wand fly out his hand and towards her, while he was launched back a few feet from where he stood before.
"Yo-You-You MUDBLOOD! HOW DARE YOU!" Malfoy shouted out redfaced as he began crawling around groping the grass, making Harry realize that there was a thick black rope like mass wrapped around his head, blocking his eyes.
As he continued crawling and yelling, Flint grabbed the back of his robes and lifted him up harshly onto his feet. "You idiot! What the bloody hell would you have done if that had hit her! Merlin!" he said angrily as he continued to hold Malfoy by the robes, and then turned to face his team. "You lot better put those wands back in their holsters, and get in the bloody air before I make you!" he finished, and Harry watched as the rest followed suit and launched themselves high into the air with their brooms.
"Let go of me Marcus! How dare you put your hands on a Lord!" Malfoy shouted as he blindly looked in the direction of said boy.
"Exactly, and as a Lord, you'd be in bloody Azkaban for killing her with a dark curse. If you want to do that, be my guest, but don't be stupid and do it in front of so many witnesses." Marcus finished, letting go of Malfoy's robes and taking out his wand and casting something that Harry couldn't clearly hear at Malfoy's face. When it didn't work, he looked towards Hermione with an indistinguishable look, before he intoned louder, "Finite."
As the black mass dissolved from around Malfoy, he spoke again, "Now, get in the bloody air. You'll get your wand when we're done training."
Malfoy turned to them and glared before he walked back towards his broom, and flew into the air. Seeing that Malfoy wasn't a problem, he turned and ran towards the still down Ron.
"Ron, you ok?" He asked as he helped his friend up.
"Yeah mate," Ron answered as he groaned out, "what hit me."
"You did, Ronald. You shouldn't use your wand when it's in that condition." Hermione said concerned as Harry finished helping him up. "Come on, we might make it in time for breakfast if we hurry."
"What happened to Malfoy, and how did you even know that a spell was going for Hermione, mate?" Ron asked.
Thinking back on everything that happened, Harry answered hesitantly, "I-I'm not entirely sure…I heard…a voice…coming from Hermione saying to get out of the way."
"I didn't hear any voice, Harry," Hermione stated from his left, as she narrowed her eyes and looked towards the castle as they approached it, before she continued, "but, I did hear a hissing sound that reminded of that time when we were facing Volde-"
"Don't say his name Hermione." Ron interrupted her as he flinched at the name.
"You-Know-Who then. It reminded e of that time Harry…I have a theory to what it is, but I'll need to research it, just to be sure." Hermione finished.
"You still haven't told me how you took down Malfoy, Harry." Ron spoke up as they climbed the stony steps up to the castle.
"I didn't, it was all Hermione; you should've seen her Ron, she was brilliant. Had Malfoy down with only three spells…where did you learn to duel like that Hermione?" Harry asked impressed, as he watched his bushy haired friend begin to turn red slightly…maybe from the cold.
"It wasn't something you couldn't do Harry, it was only Malfoy after all, and William helped me come up with spell chains when we study together." She replied.
"Why did you do it though Hermione, I thought you said we shouldn't fight Malfoy." Harry stated.
"He attacked me Harry, I was perfectly within my rights to defend myself; and I didn't fight him, I just made sure he was no longer a threat." Hermione replied plainly.
"You're hanging around that bloody Slytherin way too long, Hermione. You're beginning to sound like one." Ron muttered.
"Thank you, Ronald." Hermione replied with a smile, and began walking faster towards the castle.
Ron paused briefly as Harry continued on with Hermione, "Wait…What?" he asked bewildered.
It wasn't long before the trio had made their way back into the castle and inside the Great Hall, which was filled with fellow students and the professors having their breakfast. When Harry and his friends had found their usual spot along the bench at the Gryffindor table and began to dish out their food, did Hermione speak again from across the table.
"You should have something light to eat Harry, classes are going to start soon and you still need to change."
" 'eve 'im 'e 'mione, and 'et 'im eat." Harry could barely make out the words Ron spoke with the food in his mouth.
"Don't speak with food in your mouth Ronald." Hermione tiredly admonished their friend.
Swallowing, Ron spoke again, "I can't wait to see what kind of prank Fred and George has in stored for that Slytherin; we even have a great view from here." He finished pointing towards the Slytherin table, Harry looked and realized they could clearly see the Prophet reading William seated there, as he ate, read and spoke with his usual Slytherin friends.
"I really don't think we should let them, I should have said something to him about it." Hermione replied while biting her lip as she played with her food.
"Geez, Hermione it's just a prank." Ron spoke as he shoveled some more food up. "It's 'ot 'ike 'ts 'ything 'angerous." He finished.
"It's not the prank I'm worried about Ronald, it's-"
"Hello Harry Potter. Thank you for defeating the Dark Lord when you were a baby." A dreamy voice interrupted Hermione, causing the trio to look at the short blonde haired Ravenclaw girl that spoke, and the red headed Ginny Weasley that stood beside her, looking as red as her hair.
"Ummm…Hello." Harry replied uncertainly as the girl's wide unblinking blue eyes continued to stare right at him.
"I'm Luna Lovegood, a childhood friend of Ginerva; who can't talk at the moment due to the Whackspurts infesting her head." The now identified Luna said to him.
"What are whackspurts?" Hermione asked the girl, while she looked deep in thought, but came too when Ron snorted.
"There's no such thing, she's just mental." He replied as he ate some more of his breakfast.
"Do-Don't mi-mind Luna…i-is it alright if we sat here?" Ginny stuttered out while avoiding looking at Harry.
"No! go find your own friends Ginny." Ron said angrily at his sister.
"RONALD! That's your sister!" Hermione admonished the redhead once more. Wanting to avoid any agruements from the two, Harry addressed the two standing girls.
"Umm, yeah sure. Go ahead and have a seat."
The two sat down on either side of Hermione, with Luna now looking dreamily up at the enchanted ceiling, and Ginny looking down at the table.
"So…Luna, Ginny, how are you two enjoying Hogwarts so far." Hermione spoke up to the two after a brief awkward silence.
"Fine." Harry heard Ginny muttered out, and watched as she turned redder when she realized he was looking at her.
"It's been far more interesting than I expected; Hogwarts' been quite welcoming and open so far, but she does seem to like playing jokes with the stairs and doors. I haven't seen any of the nargles lately, but they seem to like taking my things when I'm not looking. I haven't made any friends yet though, and a lot of people seem to be getting my name wrong and been calling me Loony, even when I correct them. I thought whackspurts disliked high places, but it seems daddy's research was wrong on that point." Luna finished in that dreamy tone, all the while rocking slightly on the bench as she continued to look up at the ceiling. as she started to hum a strange tune.
"Told you she's metal." Ron whispered out.
"Ronald!" Hermione whispered back harshly.
"Luna…are you sure that it's these…nargles…taking your things?" Harry asked, being all too familiar with having to deal with bullying from his time with Dudley and his gang.
"Oh yes, I'm quite certain." She nodded her head vigorously.
"Well I'm certain you'll make more friends eventually; you made friends with Ginny here, didn't you." Hermione spoke softly to the young blonde.
"Oh no, I met Ginny a long time ago by a pond near our houses when we were younger. We used to play 'Harry's bride' together there, and pretend to kiss and marry him; though Ginny liked being the bride more than being Harry." Harry's eyes widened sharply with each word the girl spoke, while Hermione blushed lightly as she suppressed a giggle and Ron laughed spraying bits of food on the table.
"LUNA!" Ginny shouted out mortified, as she got up sharply and ran out of the Great Hall, passing the twins and the rest of the teams as they entered.
"Oh dear, I thought she would have found that memory funny." Luna said in the same tone, but it seemed to lack a bit of airness that she first had.
"I'm sure it would've been funny, Luna, but I think it was more embarrassing for her to have Harry hearing it." Hermione spoke.
"Hey you lot,-" a voice said as it took a seat on Harry's left, causing him to turn and see it was one of the twins.
"-seems like we didn't miss the fireworks." Another voice finished the sentence as it squeezed between Harry and Ron, despite his best mates protest.
"No, he hasn't touch his pumpkin juice yet; just sat there reading and eating." Harry filled them in.
"Huh, sounds a lot like you Hermione." One of the twins spoke, causing her to duck her head slightly.
"What exactly is this prank…it won't be harmful…right?" she said so softly, Harry could barely hear her speak.
"We don't know" the twins said simultaneously causing her head to snap up sharply.
"What do mean you don't KNOW!" Hermione finished off in a barely contained yell.
"What I mean is that it'll change his appearance somehow, but we don't know what it will be. Don't worry, the change should be harmless, and shouldn't last too long." One of them replied.
"Hey, he's going for it!" Ron yelled amongst them, causing Harry, the twins, and a curious Luna to look across to the Slytherin side of the hall, while Hermione didn't turn, but bit her lip as she rested her face in her hands, covering it.
Harry watched as William placed the Prophet down as he spoke with Greengrass, and took up the goblet filled with pumpkin juice. As he took a sip, Harry noticed that he seemed to choke or gagged a bit as he placed the goblet down, whipped his wand out of nowhere and began casting at it, as the other Slytherins around him became alert at the movement and began doing the same with their own.
William got up sharply and hunched over the table as he rapidly started turning green, which brought the attention of all the houses on him along with the professors. Harry noticed that all of the Ravenclaws in his year were standing, but it was Su Li who had somehow already found herself beside the Slytherins and was casting various spells at the still choking boy.
Only a few seconds had passed since the time he had drunk the juice and Li reaching, but that was all that it took for the Slytherin to transform completely into a humanoid dark green toad that was covered in large warts all over the visible parts of his skin. The entire hall was silent was they watched the once normal boy seem to take a breath, causing a large bulb to form at his throat, and then a loud croak to echo throughout the hall; making it explode in humorous laughter with the exception of the Slytherins.
Harry watched as Hermione braved to turn around, and gasped at the sight of her friend, while the twins and Ron laughed outrageously at his appearance, however he noticed that Luna had remained silent. He watched as the William's eyes roamed over the hall, until their met each others, and Harry felt something stir just behind his eyes. As soon as the stirring disappeared, a cold draft spread suddenly throughout the hall, but it was only Luna who seemed to notice as she jumped slightly before he felt it.
There was a loud bang issuing from the professor's table, causing everyone to become silent and look at the now standing Professor McGonagall.
"We will have order." she spoke sternly as she glanced over the hall until they landed on William. "Mr. Cunningham, are you alright."
Harry watch as William seemed to just glare at the professor until Dumbledore spoke up, "Perhaps you should go to the Hospital Wing, Mr. Cunningham; you do seem a bit green." He finished, causing peals of laughter to issue out in small pockets throughout the hall, until Professor McGongall gave each a sharp look.
Harry watched as William calmly walked out of the hall after he silently sent Su Li back to her table, but his focus was brought back to his friends when Ron laughed. "That was bloody brilliant you two." He said, causing the two to bow.
"That-that was utterly horrible!" Hermione almost shouted at the two.
"Oh come off it Hermione, it was hilarious. You'd be laughing too if it was Malfoy that we pranked, and not your slimy friend." One of the twins answered amusingly.
"That's different, Malfoy's a complete prat; what did William do." Hermione argued.
"He's a Slytherin, don't really need a reason for that lot." The other twin spoke.
"That was quite mean." Luna spoke out in a plain voice, causing them all to turn to look at the short frowning girl.
"Nobody asked you Loony." Ron spoke angrily, only for Harry to elbow him.
"Enough Ron." He said, feeling slightly guilt for some reason at the look that the girl was giving them.
"I was expecting him to give some sort of outburst though, he's a Slytherin; they normally get all stormy when we prank them." One of the twins spoke.
As she got suddenly, Luna spoke to them in her dreamy voice, "Tigers are patient but short-tempered; calm but rebellious; noble but petty; fearsome but affectionate; free spirits but fiercely territorial. And like any other predator, you should only really worry when they become silent and you lose track of them." As she finished speaking, she turned and skipped towards the exit.
"What was that suppose to mean?" Harry asked, puzzled by the tangent that the girl went on.
"I-I'm not sure…" Hermione replied as she watched the girl leave.
"Told you she was mental." Ron stated as he took up some more food.
Hermione glared at him for a second, turned back to Harry, and spoke, "You need to get ready for class Harry."
Harry looked down as his partially finished meal, but after Luna's words that seem to echo within his thoughts, he lost his appetite. "Yeah, I'll catch up to you two later…"
As Harry walked outside the hall, He couldn't help but recall the words that Luna had spoken once, more…and had a strange feeling that something bad was to come.
The long day of classes had ended and now opened the way for the weekend and all that it entailed for him as he walked the cold dimly lit corridor of the dungeons. Today did not go as he had planned; he didn't get to destroy Potter because of the filthy mudblood, then the mudblood had lacked the common sense to show him his due respect and when he made to punish her, Flint had caused him to become distracted long enough for the filth to hit him. If that wasn't enough, he had to watch as the filth stopped the wild Doxies during Defense; though she finally was showing her place and doing her job in taking care of the nuisances that Purebloods like himself couldn't be bothered with, he was enjoying the scene of that the little blighters were causing and the filth had ruined that like the mudblood she is. The only good thing that happened today was the fact that the pretender had gotten what was coming to him, but even that he had missed.
As he made his way towards the end of the corridor, he was met with a dead end with a large portrait of his House's coat of arms. Not breaking his stride, he spoke aloud, "Sanctimonia Vincet Semper". As the portrait opened and closed behind him, he took in the sight of the large common room of his private dorm, filled with the antiques of both the prestigious Malfoy and Parkinson Households, and his fiancée sitting on one of the couches, hugging her knees. As soon as she noticed he was in the room, she got up and presented herself, like a Pureblood woman should.
"Pansy." He replied with a smug smile as he brushed past her and sat in the armchair that used to belong to his father, enjoying the feel of comfort and power that came from it.
"Where were you My Lord, I missed you greatly." Pansy spoke as she stood before him. This was why he enjoyed Pansy, she just knew her place.
"I was getting things finalized for my departure with Severus; I can't wait to relax after the day I had. How are things going with the plan, have you written anything today." He demanded.
Pansy flinched and spoke hesitantly, "D-Draco, m-my love. I-I don't think we should...I mean…I blacked out recently Draco, I blackout...and my occlumency can't find the memories." She finished of desperately.
"Dobby!" Draco called out, ignoring the girl in front of him. A loud pop was made, and before him was the disgusting sight of his personal house elf. "Get the book." He demanded, which caused the elf to shake violently as he popped away again. Focusing back on his fiancée, he got up and approached her.
"We were chosen to unleash a weapon created by the Dark Lord himself, upon all those filthy mudbloods and blood traitors, Pansy. A honor that only my father had received; Imagine the respect we will get, the power, the fear that we'll cause to the mudbloods. And when the Dark Lord eventually returns, the praise and favor we'll have for completely one of his missions that he had left for my father." Draco spoke with pride and glee as he stood in front of the smiling, yet nervous and pale looking girl, but was disturbed by the pop of his house elf.
Turning to it, he looked at the transfixed wide eyes of the elf before him as it looked at the book within its hands. Walking over to it, he snatched the book out of its grasp and took out his wand and casted, "Crucio."
After a few minutes of watching the thing wail, he let up and spoke, "I told you to never let me catch you looking or writing in it again, you filthy pest." Turning back to Pansy he walked up to her and placed the book in her hands.
"If it means you get a few blackouts to unleash whatever weapon the Dark Lord has here, then so be it. As your Lord and future husband, I command it." Draco said with as much authority he could muster.
"Couldn't w-we find someone else to write in it," Pansy whispered as she watched the book in her hands warily. "Crabbe or Goyle or maybe even the toy that father got you."
"I'm not done with Daphne yet, and I wouldn't trust Crabbe or Goyle with doing my homework, let alone something this important." Draco joked before he pressed the book against Pansy's chest, "Enough of stalling and take it." he finished, and watched as she hesitantly gripped the the book firmly in her hands.
"Good," he stated as he walked over to the now shakily standing house elf, "I'll be back on Sunday. Elf. Take me home." He finished with a command as he felt the thing grab him and popped away with him.
As they popped within what he realized was the day room of his Manor, he spoke to the elf that had quickly retracted its hand as soon as they arrived. "Where is my mother, Elf."
"Miss retired for the night, master." Dobby replied.
"Begone." Draco ordered, and without another word, the elf popped away. As he made his way toward his new private study, he thought about his mother. She hadn't sent him his usual package of sweets or letters like she did last year, and he wanted to have a word with her about the owls he'd been receiving from the family's various business interests and correspondents. he might not trust her, but he had more important things to do as a Lord than to be bothered by the constant letters and updates; especially when he had to focus on unleashing whatever weapon that the book said was within Hogwarts.
He stood before the door to his private study, but paused as he listened to indistinguishable mutterings of Daphne on the other side. She had started doing that after the first month of his ownership, but stop whenever he entered. Opening the door, he heard her stop as he walked in, and closed the door behind him.
"I'm home Daphne, did you miss your Lord, filth?" he asked as he approached the girl. She hung limply from the shackles around her neck, wrists and ankles, with her head hanging down as her matted fading blonde hair blocked her face. While she was still naked, the dirt, blood and bruises that had covered her body the last time he visited her before school were no longer there; causing him to frown, but ignore it thinking that his Lord father must've came and cleaned the girl up before using her.
Seeing that she was ignoring him, just as she did at school, he pulled out his wand, "Crucio" he casted, and listened to her hoarse screams echo in the chamber. Flicking his wand, he sneered at her as he approached her, grabbed her hair and pulling her head back so that he could stare at the hazed grey eyes that seem to look past him. "Your Lord addressed you mudblood filth."
"Y-yes m-m-m-. I-I m-missed y-you." 'Daphne' stuttered out weakly.
"Good." Draco replied as he dropped her head, causing the chains to rattle briefly. "You caused me plenty of trouble yesterday, and today your fellow mudblood filth both stopped me from upstaging Potter and attacked me."
"I-I d-didn't m-mean i-it, m-m-m-." she said hoarsely
"SAY IT" Draco yelled as he pointed his at the girl. Feeling both excitement at getting to see what the spell he wanted to cast on Greengrass, the mudblood and Potter would do, and rage at the fact that even now 'Daphne' still refused to address him as her Lord.
"M-M-M-." 'Daphne' continued to stutter. Finally having had enough, Draco aimed his wand at her left forearm, and as his wand glowed purple at the tip, he casted aloud, "Confractus." He watched as the purple bolt of magic hit its target, and watched as the bone immediately snapped in two, sticking out of her skin, however it caused very little blood to flow from the exposed area; he casted again at her right shin, and watched as it too snapped. Draco felt a sense of euphoria as he superimposed the faces of Daphne, Potter and the mudbloods Granger and Cunningham, over the screaming girl in front of him.
"Are you ready to address me properly, mudblood." Draco asked, but getting nothing from the still screaming girl, he played with the thought of casting the spell again to shut her up, but held back as he waited for her to stop screaming.
He watched her until she finally stopped, and weakly lifted her head until their eyes met. He watched as tears began streaming down her face, and he sneered at the mudblood, "Well, speak." He commanded, but was met by silence and the same tearful look.
He casted again; breaking her right leg at the thigh, but still received no response from the mudblood, except a brief look of pain. He casted over and over and over again; breaking a finger, a collarbone, her other forearm, and yet he received nothing but the occasional gasp of breath.
He stopped as he panted exhaustedly as he kneeled on the floor and looked at the broken form of the mudblood as she watched him with blank unblinking eyes as she spoke in a hoarse voice, "You can chain me…you can torture me…you can even use and destroy my body…but I will never let you break me…you will never hear me call you that…" 'Daphne' managed to say.
Draco snapped as yet another person refused to show him the respect he deserved; that he had earned; that he had strived for. And as her words resonated through his mind, he casted the spell again, and continued to cast at the mudblood before him. He was determined to break her. If not…then he would see which would break first; the filths will…or every bone in its body…
Back at Hogwarts, Harry walked along the empty halls towards the Grand staircase, while massaging the wrist of his right hand. He had spent the past three hours aiding Professor Lockhart in answering his fan mail as part of his detention from the incident with the flying car.
§Huuungrrryyy…§ the faintest of a whisper echoed throughout the hall as he made his way through it.
"Hello?" Harry called out as he paused in the hall.
§Foooooddd…§ the whisper said once more, sounding as though it was coming from the wall, making Harry move forward and press his ear against it to hear properly.
§KIIILLLL…§ Harry heard the whisper much clearer, and jumped back. He listened as it sounded like it was moving away from where he stood, and then found himself chasing after it, determined to stop whatever or whoever it was from killing.
As he made it to the Grand Staircase, he stood at the banister of the third floor as he waited for another set of cases to move into position. As he waited, he noted that he was starting to get cold, and that the air was becoming cold enough that he could he see his breath.
Just when he realized that the staircase approaching him had stopped midway, did suddenly a black mass fell onto it, hitting the side of the railing with a meaty thud, as it then flipped onto the staircase, and toppled towards him. Harry looked at the railing and noticed the blood present, and jumped across the small gap to check the mass.
As he touched it, he realized that the mass was a person, and black surrounding the person were robes that were ripped in places. Heart racing, Harry quickly started moving the bloodied robes away; thoughts filled with the hopes that the thing he had heard didn't kill the person, as he finally moved them all away to reveal the face below.
"Fred? George?" He asked the figure, shocked as he looked at the bloody and broken form of the redhead. Looking up, he notice that all the other staircases had stopped in their movements, and that another figure was bouncing off each railings above him. Thinking fast, Harry pulled out his wand and casted, "Wingardium Leviosa".
The figure was still falling, but was starting to slow down rapidly due to his spell, however Harry noticed that something had fell out of the robes of the person, and landing beside the bloodied twin at his side. As the figure was finally under the full control of his spell, Harry slowly lowered him towards himself and placed him down on the uneven staircase. Removing the robes that had wrapped themselves around the figures face, it revealed the face of the other twin.
"Please be alive." Harry spoke, as he placed his hand on the chest of the twin, and his ear close to his mouth, to feel both the still present beat and the slow breath of the twin, but before he moved and did the same to the first twin. Breathing a sigh of relief, Harry looked up to where the twins fell from, and noticed a tall figure standing there with bright red hair, but it faded out of existence.
"Percy?" Harry asked mostly to himself. He shook himself as he focused back down on the twins, when movement from the thing that was dropped caught his eye. Picking it up, he noticed that it was a large folded bit of parchment that had blood soaked into it a bit, but what caught his interest was the fact that he could see eight pairs of dots and three labels of his, and the twins names above a corresponding pair of dots, while he could see the end of the other that was being covered by the soaked blood.
"Potter." He heard a voice that he recognized call to him calmly as he looked up from the parchment and towards the direction of the fourth pair of dots and where the voice and called him.
"Legilimens." Was the last word he heard from the empty staircase, before his vision then faded as a bright white light hit him from the empty space.
A/N: And there you have it. Please review and let me know your thoughts on the chapter and how I can improve.
-I was planning on adding more to this, a whole scene with introducing Lockhart, but with this already being late, and rushing to get it uploaded, I decided to leave it be.
-This was the last of my 'house keeping' chapters, and now that you know what's happening with each of the main characters, I can focus back solely on the plot and William.
Till next time