The fourth chapter is here. I'd like to thank the readers for their reviews so far. It's given me the confidence to continue on despite bad grammar and spelling.
It might be nice to hear back from more of you however. At least 468 of you have so far read on to at least chapter two which is really encouraging.
I have two stories on the go at the moment but Next update will follow shortly.
Enjoy!
When Harry awoke the next morning his thoughts automatically turned to yesterdays events. He wondered if Ron and Hermione actually knew how much he'd appreciated their help. He'd thanked Hermione but not Ron and Harry thought, maybe he could get Oliver Wood to give Ron a shot at Beater.
Harry would have written to her there and then but he had no idea what address she'd be at and they'd soon find themselves back in the castle tat night.
Harry sat up and looked to the cabinet beside his bed. Matrix was out cold. Harry couldn't blame him, last night had been a late night for them both.
A bustling at the window saw Hedwig land with post. It was her who kept him up last night sqwuaking to let out. He got up and strolled over to let her in. As he opened the window he shivered from the cold morning air. She flew to his arm.
"Hey" Harry stroked her breast softly. She dropped the newspaper she'd been carrying and as Harry bent to pick it up, Hedwig fluttered over to her cage and drank heavily from her water bowl.
Harry wondered who had sent him the paper. Surely not Ron or Hermione, why would they bother when they'd all be back in Hogwarts that night?
Harry sat down at the end of his bed and sank into the mattress. From the corner Hedwig ruffled her feathers, a sign she was settling down to roost.
Harry opened the twine and read.
"The Dark Lords Secret"
Oh great, he mused, what could Rita Skeeter possibly be blabbering on about now. She was, he knew extremely nosy and tricky. She had written horrible lies about him before and at this stage Harry had just learned to ignore her. He read on,
"Breaking news has just come to my attention" Harry thought, when did it not?
"Many wish me not to write about this as they think you, the public have no right to know. Mainly those officials at the ministry. It seems the Dark Lord is well and alive and has been hiding a dark secret – It seems he has an heir living among us".
Harry froze. Oh no! she'd found out! His mind was racing. Would people fear him now they knew? He read on urgently...
"Young Harry Potter, a boy we all remember as being the Dark Lords downfall those many years ago, shares many traits with the Dark Wizard. They are both parseltongues and powerful wizards but last last year, it seems the Dark Lord in fact kidnapped the child right out of Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry, from under the headmasters (Albus Dumbledore) nose"
"The Dark Lord then placed the Dark mark upon him and tortured the buy brutally; both mentally and physically until his escape. The Dark Lord then supposedly fled, but not before revealing that Harry Potter was actually Harry James Riddle; the son and sole heir of his Dark empire".
"One student interviewed said 'I knew he was weird but the teachers always favored him from the start, and even when he attacked me in the forest with two of his friends' remarks his classmate Draco Malfoy.
Harry flared with anger, that wasn't true at all but he should have known Malfoy would be the one to tell her. Truth was Harry did hit him but it was him, Malfoy who had led Harry to the forests edge in the first place with the intention of ganging up on him. Harry read on...
"Having met the boy before I am deeply disturbed to hear such news. Its safe to say that when I met him the second time around Harry was most aggressive towards me"
Harry laughed in shock. Only because she had written lies about him on their first encounter. So he'd told her off a bit. Who cared, she deserved it too.
"I know many of us Wizarding folk will be shocked at this but I feel the question is not whether Harry is the Dark Lords son or not. It's rather why the ministry considered it 'need to know' information and what they intend to do about it."
Harry stopped reading at last and put down the newspaper. He was nervous and with good reason. The ministry hadn't done anything about it but would that change now? They might expel him from school. Harry drove that notion from his mind, Dumbledore would never allow it. Still Harry knew he had a ruff time ahead of him, but he also knew he had his godfather, his friends and if things got really ruff; he had his father to lean on.
They arrived at Hogwarts late that evening and were some of the last to leave the train. When Harry and Ron finally emerged in their robes Hermione was waiting for them.
"Ready?" she spoke.
They'd only stepped off the train when Hagrid appeared over the tops of all the students heads. Hagrid was the schools caretaker, a half man Half giant who they'd made friends with in their first year. He was a fierce looking man with a beard that could smoother you but Harry and the friends knew he was softhearted and kind.
"Hiya 'Arry, 'Ermione, Ron" He shouted in his thick accent. Harry smiled but it was then he noticed something unusual. The normally self sufficient carriages were now being tugged along by what looked like walking horse skeletons with wings. Every carriage was the same and as Ron and Hermione stole them one with a particularly big looking beast Harry felt Hagrids presence by his side.
"They call um Thestrals" he said his voice dark. Harry shook his head in disbelief and looked up at the giant-man in confusion. "But how come..."
Hagrid put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "They're 'ere every year jus' the same they are. Most people try and avoid um see, on account of their nature, but not me". Harry opened his mouth to speak but Hagrid smiled down at him. "You'd best be going now Arry. They might not look it but them blighter's are fast as Hippogriffs so they are".
It didn't take them long to reach the castle. Harry was oddly silent on the trip. When he'd asked Hermione and Ron what they thought of the Thestrals, they'd given him worried looks and asked what he was talking about. Harry decided not to push it, he'd question Hagrid again later.
When they reached the castle they dismounted from the carriages and walked up the stone steps leaving their luggage at the door for the house elves that appeared out. As they made their way up the steps to the entrance hall, Harry spotted Draco Malfoy, who stood a few feet from the door. Harry felt a searing rage bubble within him. The students around Harry were keeping their distance and Harry had a good idea why.
"What happened to letting it go?" Hermione spoke beside him. Harry frowned
"I'm trying but he's the reason I'm getting all this hassle" he couldn't keep the anger from his voice.
He felt the tension leave his body as Hermione wrapped her hand around his. "Come on" she tugged him in. As they entered the Great Hall students everywhere pointed, whispered and a few gave him piercing stares. Hermione and Ron glared back until they'd look away. Most of the students had already filed in and had taken seats.
The three friends took their seats but as soon as Harry did, Ron and Hermione both stood up from the other side of the table, furious looks plastered on their faces.
"Potter" came Malfoys seething voice but Harry was already up and staring into his face. He only needed one remark. That was all, it would be justification enough for him.
"What?" Harry asked staring into his eyes and seeing the fear in them. Malfoys two crony friends were at his side. Crab and Goyle were flexing their muscles in a threatening way.
"How's your farther?" Malfoy asked in an unusually casual voice. There was no mock in it.
"Still bossing yours around last I remember" Harry spat and decided to ignore him, for Harry knew the other students would be looking for reason to be scared of him now. He turned around and sat back down. Ron and Hermione followed suit.
"Haven't you heard from him lately?" came Dracko's curious voice.
Ron huffed. "What business is it of yours?" he asked.
"Oh I see" Malfoy feigned a tone of surprise "You have new robes Weasley, your parents must have starved for months to buy you those". Ron stood up again.
"Tell your dad" Harry spoke and winked at Ron "He's not very impressed with him running at the first sniff of the ministry wont you?" Harry didn't bother to turn around. Ron's face split into a wide smile and Harry knew Malfoy had gone.
Hermione frowned "Harry you really shouldn't".
"Why the hell not Hermione? That little grease ball is the reason Harry's getting all these stares" Ron argued. Harry looked around his house mates. They quickly averted their gazes. He sighed but at that moment Dumbledore stood up brandishing a white piece of paper and silence fell in the hall.
"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts" His voice carried well around the hall and he bore a big smile. "As we will shortly be joined by this years up and coming first years I would first like to announce our new head boy, head girl and prefects". Harry smiled over at Hermione who drummed her fingers nervously on the table in front of her.
"Our new Headboy shall be, Seamus O'Flahery of Ravenclaw" The Ravenclaws exploded in celebration and his house mates stood up to pat him on the back.
"Yes, yes well done Seamus" Dumbledore spoke making the Ravenclaws clam down. "Our new Headgirl will be Gretta Forkbeard of Hufflepuff" Harry glanced over at the Hufflepuffs table. Gretta was a rather bony looking young women with bright orange hair and a snaggletooth. Her friends patted her on the back as she burst into tears. A scoffing reached his ears as Hermione elbowed Ron in the ribs.
"Now last but not least our prefects, Miss Angelina Prince, Miss Hermione granger, Mr Frederick Crowsleeve and Mr Paul Broadfoot". Harry smiled at Hermione who let out a huge sigh and smiled back.
Dumbledore smiled "Congratulations everyone and now on to the sorting ceremony!".
A round of applause sounded around the hall as the hall door opened again and the flood of first years began to fumble in nervously.
Professor McGonagall stood up with the battered looking sorting hat and placed it on the stool at the top of the stage steps.
The first thing Harry noticed when he gazed into the crowd was the number of first year students was small, less than half of any other year. He shifted in and out of concentration as the hat began it's short but informative opening speech drawing out gasps of awe, fear and wonder from the first year students. This brought a smile to his lips and Harry let his eyes fumble over the new faces.
The hat stopped rhyming and as Harry looked up at it he couldn't help but notice it wink at him.
McGonagall raised the parchment to her eye level. She started to read off names.
Harry scanned the faces smiling. They reminded him so much of him on his first day. His eyes glided over one boy and stopped.
Harry's jaw opened slightly in shock. The boy looked the spitting image of him, no glasses but the same black untidy excuse for hair, the same thin and scrawny frame. He looked just as Harry had always looked, even though Harry had taken much more of a stretch this year.
"Harry" Hermione laughed "He looks just like you"she said spotting the boy at last.
As if he'd felt Harry's burning gaze the boy turned his head and locked eyes with him. The boy's eyes widened and he urged forward slightly before he stopped himself. He gazed back up at the sorting of his fellow first years and back at Harry as if he wanted to walk straight over to him.
The boy looked in an inner struggle with himself and didn't remove his eyes from Harry, not even when the hat called his name.
"Conor.A.Riddle".