Changing Sides

Disclaimer: DO NOT OWN. I repeat, do not own.

Chapter 13: Perilous Perception

It had been two weeks since Harry and Miranda started going out. Ron and Hermione were still going out and Ginny and Harry were talking frequently. Harry was really enjoying the time he got to spend with Miranda even though Neville kept telling him that he shouldn't trust her and she could potentially be Rita Skeeter in disguise or she could just be some fan-crazed girl who is going out with the Boy Who Lived. But Harry ignored these comments, or tried to at least.

"Neville, I really don't think she's Rita Skeeter in disguise," Harry said to Neville.

"But I was doing some research about the things she wrote in her articles. They are exact quotes that you said! But you said them meaning something else. One thing you said sarcastically and she wrote it down literally so she is obviously around you somewhere if she knows exactly what you said," Neville explained.

Harry thought about this for a moment. "No, I don't think so," he said.

"But Harry--"

"Neville, I have Quidditch tryouts today and I have to get there so I'll see you later," Harry said and picked up his broom and left the dormitory.

Neville didn't say anything else. He sighed and watched Harry as he left the room.

Harry got down to the Quidditch Pitch and noticed Hermione, Ron, Neville and Miranda sitting in the stands. He waved to them and Miranda blew him a kiss and Ron made a gagging gesture.

Not many people had showed up to try out for Seeker since most people knew that Harry had that position locked since First Year but a second year boy showed up and he wasn't even able to stay on the broom. He fell off during the tryouts and Harry dove and caught him and then caught the snitch. Angelina gave Harry the Seeker Position. Harry was rather pleased with the team and he was also glad that Ginny made the team as a Chaser.

--

Harry's friends were all sitting in the stands.

"Ron, you should've tried out," Hermione said. "I know you were talking about it."

"No, I'm not that good," Ron replied. "I can't even play when we play at the Burrow."

"Well, that doesn't count. We're just playing for fun. None of us are even really trying," Hermione said.

"I'm always trying," Ron said sadly.

"Hey Ron, does Harry ever talk about me?" Miranda asked suddenly.

"Um, what?" Ron asked.

"Does Harry ever talk about me? Like if I'm not around?" Miranda repeated.

Ron was going to say no mainly because Miranda was always around but he thought that he might hurt her feelings and then she'd take it out on Harry and he had enough to deal with without an angry girlfriend.

"Yeah, sometimes," Ron answered.

"Sometimes?! That's it?" Miranda asked.

"You can't expect Harry to only talk about you," Hermione said annoyed.

"Whenever we talk, you talk about Ron a lot," Miranda stated.

"You talk about me?" Ron asked. "Oh, you shouldn't have."

"I know that now," Hermione said jokingly. "Well I love Ron."

"Are you saying that Harry doesn't love me?" Miranda asked.

Hermione put her head in her hands and Ron did the same.

"Let's just find out then," Miranda said. She pulled out her wand and pointed it at Harry. He was hovering in the center of the pitch in a semi circle with the rest of his team while they had a team meeting. "Legilimens," she said. She didn't break her eye contact with Harry.

--

Harry rubbed his forehead. He just got a splitting headache and he waved it off as he tried to focus on what Angelina was saying.

"Harry, are you listening to me?" she asked.

"Yeah, keep going," Harry replied. He kept his hand on his forehead.

--

"Come on, do you love me?" Miranda asked to herself.

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked nervously.

"I'm seeing if Harry loves me or not," Miranda said aloud.

Suddenly the world around her went black. Then it came back into focus. She was standing in the middle of... a graveyard? She saw Harry and she saw a body lying on the ground.

"Well, wandless magic. What a great feat for Harry Potter. What a great talent. What a great power I would love to have on my side," Voldemort said. "Bring him," he nodded to Lucius.

Lucius pulled Harry back to his feet and Harry could barely support himself. He felt so exhausted. First time wandless magic can do that to a wizard, especially such a young one. Harry was led, well, practically dragged over to where the cauldron used to be and Voldemort, his Death Eaters and Lucius stood in the clearing.

They looked around and then taking Harry with them, disapparated.

The room went out of focus and then back into focus. Miranda saw Harry lying on a carpeted floor in a large bedroom with Draco Malfoy standing at his head.

"Alright, I'll just do all the talking then," Malfoy said. He stepped over Harry and leaned against the wall. "You're in my house, some call it Malfoy Manor. The Dark Lord brings his followers here, this is their Headquarters. More specifically, you're in my bedroom. I've been given a job and it's to teach you some practical dueling skills and to get you a little more well-informed on the Dark Arts and some more spells and curses." Malfoy paused to see if Harry would say anything. When he didn't, he continued, "It was quite a scene when Diggory was portkeyed back to the stands where we were. Everyone cheered because they thought he won until they all realized he was dead. When they also realized that you were gone, it was chaos. 'The Boy-Who-Lived disappeared! He's missing!' they were all saying. The confirmed right then and there that Diggory was killed by a Killing Curse so naturally, I was almost positive you were dead too, but clearly you proved me wrong." Malfoy crossed his arms. "I also happened to have overheard that you performed some wandless magic. That's quite advanced. Even I haven't attempted that yet."

Miranda found the room spinning again and then she found herself in the middle of a dark room with a long table in the middle. She watched as Harry walked into the room and found himself seated in a chair, she looked at the other end. A cloaked man with bony, white hands sat there smiling very creepily.

"Yes, well, I sent him on a mission and I figured you and I could talk," Voldemort answered. "You are here so we can discuss your task."

"My task?" Harry asked.

"You did not think you were merely living at the Malfoy's for my sheer kicks?" Voldemort asked. "I would think not. You are here to become a better wizard. Think of this like summer school."

Harry did not say anything so Voldemort continued speaking. "You have become an exceptional wizard while staying here. You know much more than an ordinary fifth year would know and better yet, you taught it mostly to yourself. That is an extraordinary feat. I see so much of myself in you, we are more alike than you know."

"I would think differently, Tom," Harry said. He did not like the idea of being compared to Voldemort, especially in a similar way. He also did not like the look in Voldemort's eyes when he said that.

"Think what you wish," Voldemort said. "Getting to the point, when you return to school, Harry. I need you to retrieve something for me. I do believe that you probably remember this object. The --"

What Miranda was seeing was cut short by a loud yell from her right.

"HARRY!" Hermione cried standing up.

Miranda had been forced out of Harry's mind by the fact that Harry was now falling out of the sky. He seemed to have just tipped off of his broom and went down. Fred and George raced after him and caught him together mere feet from the ground.

Hermione, Ron and Neville leaped from the stands straight onto the pitch, luckily they sat as low to the ground as possible. Ginny was also on the ground in an instant. Miranda followed cautiously.

"Harry? Harry?" Ginny asked. She was calling his name. She shook him lightly.

"Wha--?" Harry asked and opened his eyes. He sat up. He fell backwards. He landed on his back.

"Ooh," Ginny said and put a hand on his forehead. "Are you alright?"

"I dunno what happened. I was fine and then I had a headache and my brain was like throbbing and I couldn't take it. It was almost unbearable," Harry explained.

"I asked if you were alright," Ginny said.

"Fine, I'm fine," Harry answered.

"Whenever the famous Harry Potter says that he is fine. He is most certainly not fine," Ginny stated.

"She's right Harry," Hermione said. "We'll take you to the Hospital Wing."

Harry nodded and Ron and Neville helped pick Harry up as they limped their way back to the school.

"Where's Miranda?" Harry asked.

"Harry, I don't know what she was doing. First she was asking us if you ever talk about her and then she was all like 'he doesn't love me, we'll see about that.' And then she pulled her wand out and said something but I don't remember what," Hermione explained.

"Did she try and hex me?" Harry asked.

"No, no," Neville said taking a deep breath under Harry's weight. "She pointed it at you and said something like 'Leligems' or something. I had never heard of it."

"Legilimens?!" Harry asked suddenly.

"Yeah," Hermione and Neville answered.

"That was it," Neville said.

"Oh my god," Harry said and pulled himself free of Ron and Neville and took of running towards the school.

"HARRY!" several voices shouted. But Harry did not turn around, he needed to find Miranda. If she had just invaded his mind, it's possible that she could have just seen so much that would lead her to making false accusations.

Harry ran to his dormitory and threw off his Quidditch robes so he could move around faster. He dug through trunk and pulled out his Marauder's Map. He muttered the phrase and looked at the map looking for the dot labeled Miranda Wesley. He stopped when he saw the dot labeled Rita Skeeter. And according to the map, the dot labeled Rita Skeeter was standing right behind him.

A/N: Cliffy for your thoughts? The chapter was kind of short, I know but it's all important. The chapter title Perilous Perception is a synonym for the words dangerous and thoughts so if you knew that, well then you probably had a good idea what this chapter was going to be about. If not, then, probably not so much. Exams are almost over. The 25th of June is my last day and then I am free. I will update much more often. Let me know what you think!

--Elizabeth