Though she was widely known to get heated over certain subjects, it actually took a lot to get her thoroughly worked up. This was one of those rare occasions. The summer had passed relatively quickly due to all the hustle and bustle within the house's walls, but she felt completely dissatisfied in what she had accomplished thus far. The house was still mostly a mess, books were vanishing from the library at an alarming pace, Sirius was being immature as ever, and then...
And then there was Harry.
If one were to ask Molly Weasley what she thought of the youth, she wouldn't have been able to provide an outright answer. While it was clear that Harry still had a some of his childhood remaining, the adult in him was a confusing affair. Confusing and highly, highly irritating. He could usually be found with his nose in a book, soaking in the information at an almost frightening speed. He was quite good at memorization, it seemed. Unfortunately, the books he read often dealt with things that Molly would never have left her own children even pick up, let alone read from cover to cover.
Harry also insisted on sleeping in the same bed with that Tonks girl. Molly's irritation with Sirius extended to his cousin, Andromeda. That woman also seemed to see nothing wrong with two teenaged children sleeping in the same bed. Andromeda Tonks had only dropped in for short visits, what with her job at the Ministry overworking her this summer (for reasons she refused to get into with Molly) and when she did, she usually went up to Harry's room and asked to be let in. The whole of her visits to her daughter and Harry were usually spent up there. What they could possibly be talking about was beyond Molly's imagination. Whatever it was, Molly assumed it was no good.
And despite all of his obvious 'faults,' Harry tended to keep his manners about him, respect
his elders, and had even gotten his homework finished early into the holiday. He was clearly
intelligent and sometimes could be found merely gazing into the crackling embers of a fire,
lost in thought.
It was all very strange to Molly, who raised her children on the straight and narrow path she had been following all of her life. Bill and Charlie had grown up to become fully functioning members of society with good jobs. Percy had applied for (and attained) a job at the Ministry upon his graduation. From there, however, she wasn't quite sure what to think. Fred and George had been problematic ever since they were little. And now, all they could think about was opening some kind of silly joke shop. A joke shop! Here in the middle of a war and all they could think about were exploding cards and vomit-inducing candies!
Still, the twins were intelligent in their own right. Molly knew this. She simply wished that they could apply their knowledge to something more useful! And Ron... Molly let out a sigh as she prepared breakfast. If the twins were an oddity, Ron was an outright enigma. She had been severely upset with him as he entered Hogwarts. He had proceeded to make an enemy of Harry and his friends and had done things Molly was mortally embarrassed about. But these days... it was almost like he was a completely different person. She wasn't sure what to make of that. Ron seemed to be almost mellow in his attitude towards things now. It was a sharp departure from his younger, brasher days, to be sure.
And Ginny...
Molly was thankful that Ginny was still alive. It was another thing that confused her about Harry. Harry had risked his life against vastly greater forces and had won. He had beaten a fully grown basilisk at the age of twelve! She knew full grown wizards who hadn't accomplished as much! And to have fought the Dark Lord himself on so many occasions, even facing him directly...
Another sigh escaped the woman's lips. Ginny was growing up to be a bit of a tomboy, but the fact that she was alive was enough. Ginny was her only little girl, and if she had lost her... well, she didn't like to think about what life would have been like without her. She had every reason to grant Harry at least a little leeway in his activities, didn't she? He wasn't harming anyone. He clearly loved the Tonks girl. It had taken almost a week's worth of attempting to beat that awful password protected door before the twins pulled her aside to have a little chat with her.
They told her of how long Harry and Tonks had been together. How Tonks more or less rescued Harry from his abusive relatives. If Tonks had never done this, they had told her, then Harry might not have gone to Hogwarts. And if that had happened, Ginny would have died in the Chamber, to say nothing of what a restored Voldemort and a basilisk could have done after that. They told her of how they had danced around the issue for almost three and a half years before Harry confessed - in front of the assembled students and faculty of the school, no less! And how, later in the year, Harry had all but dropped to one knee to propose to the girl.
After the talk, Molly had eased off of Harry and Tonks a little, though she still kept a critical eye on them. She might not approve of the way Harry did things, but it was clear that he had a calm head about him whenever he wasn't being riled up. And she thought she had overheard Harry mention something about Occlumency one day. Occlumency, of all things! She knew it was a dangerous time to be alive, just as it had been during Voldemort's first rise to power, but what purpose could Harry have to lock up his memories?
Shaking her head, Molly left the kitchen and started towards his bedroom. If anything could be said for the small fights they had had, it was that Harry had gotten rid of that horrible painting of Mrs. Black. It had made it much easier in the house. Coming to a halt just outside Harry's bedroom, Molly raised a hand and knocked a few times.
"Breakfast is ready! Come down before Ron and the twins eat it all up!"
It had become a morning ritual, almost. The second one she had had to take up, after going and practically dragging Fred and George down to eat. But it kept the peace and Harry seemed much more relaxed around her when she didn't force any issues with him. She just didn't see any excuse why anyone should skip breakfast.
Which brought up another oddity to her. She had barely seen that Reinhardt boy eat at all over the summer! He was scarily thin, to a degree that Molly would classify as quite gaunt. The fact that he rarely seemed to have much energy to him only reinforced her worry. But she was reassured - by Dumbledore himself, in fact - that Solieyu was perfectly healthy, all things considered.
'All things considered indeed.' Thought the woman, scowling as she headed back down towards the kitchen.
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
"Just a few days left." Tonks murmured.
"Mm."
"Are you worried? About anything that could happen this year?"
"As much as I usually am." Harry said.
"Gonna tell us what Dumbledore pulled you aside for?" Asked Tonks. Ever since Dumbledore had dragged Harry off that one morning, he had seemed very distant and had refused to speak of what the two had spoken of. Just that it worried him for reasons he couldn't explain. Tonks didn't like that answer one bit.
"If the time comes, I will." Harry said, yawning quietly. "I'd rather not have anyone else worry about it, though."
"Hard not to worry." Tonks muttered, lightly hitting Harry on the chest.
"Sorry, Nymmy." Harry said. "Trust me, though. It wasn't a fun ordeal. Can't imagine it'll get any better, though."
"So... barring any unforeseen things happening, what're our plans this year?" Asked Tonks.
"Haven't given it too much thought. Gonna hunt down my contact to thank him. Going to go about reading up on a possible way to guard the Pit from intruders should anyone find it and get around Levi's password..." Harry said. "...Aside from that, I'll hopefully get enough free time to sit and train with Boris."
"You're going to get some warming charms on that place's floor. There's some heat from somewhere, but it's quite faint." Boris hissed. "If you want to do what you told me about, we'll definitely need the warmth in there. I won't freeze myself due to your stubbornness."
"Quiet." Harry hissed back. "We'll speak about it when we're alone. I don't like talking in Parseltongue when someone else is in the room. Especially when I'm alone with Nymmy. Makes me feel like I'm hiding something."
"You ARE hiding something." Boris said, sighing.
"Seriously, that's a creepy language." Tonks said, shivering. "Gives me the chills."
"I think your lack of pants gives you the chills, my good woman." Harry said, dryly.
"Quiet, you." Tonks said, swatting Harry's chest again. "Nn... you know, you'd better get Sirius or Lupin on that bookcase thing soon."
"I dunno. I think I could make a couple more just fine on my own." Harry said. "It'd be nice to have some more professional shelves to put the books on, but they've been pretty busy lately. I'd hate to drag them away from that for something this trivial."
"If you insist." Tonks said. "...I hope Dobby took good care of the place while we were gone."
"So do I." Harry said. "But he's pretty loyal to me. I trust him."
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. It was Molly Weasley, calling out that breakfast was ready. Harry smirked as he heard her retreating footsteps shortly thereafter. Getting their bedroom door password protected was the best thing they'd done all summer. And while they hadn't soundproofed it and it took a week of rude awakenings before Fred and George helped out, it had been worth it. The woman was much more tolerable now. Now if only she would treat Sirius with more respect. Harry had noticed Andromeda often got her share of cold looks from the woman, as well.
Andromeda hadn't been by but a few times, unfortunately. Whenever she would visit, she would come up to the room and Harry would let her in. It had been an amusing night when he had had to tell her of why the door needed a password. Andromeda seemed to not think very highly of Molly Weasley, either.
What Andromeda had been so overworked for was beyond him. She had been forced to deal with a strangely huge influx of paperwork over the last few weeks. Usually, she only had enough time to eat and sleep. The rest of her time was spent working. She had looked pretty haggard on her last visit. There were noticeable bags under her eyes and she kept mumbling about some kind of frog woman. Harry chalked it up to the lack of sleep and didn't think anything of it.
"We gonna head down now?" Asked Tonks, rolling onto her back and stretching.
"If you'd like." Harry said. "We don't have to, you know."
"Well aware. But as much as the woman gets on my nerves, I'll admit her cooking is delicious." Tonks said, grinning as she sat up.
"Then to the breakfast table we go!" Said Harry. "Boris, you want me to bring anything back?"
The snake uncoiled from around a candlestick and looked over at Harry. "See if you can't get her to make some kind of small game bird for dinner. I could do with something... big."
"You don't mind how it gets cooked?" Asked Harry.
"If I could get someone to cook those rats, I would." Replied Boris.
"...Nym, be glad you can't understand our dear taipan friend. I think I've lost my appetite." Harry said, making a face as he threw back the covers and slid out of bed.
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
"Where, exactly, did my summer go?" Asked Harry, scowling, as he sat down.
"I think Mrs. Weasley ate it." Tonks muttered, sitting down next to him.
"You two are quite lucky she isn't around to hear that." Said Solieyu, sitting across from his friends.
"She wouldn't dare make a move against me. She'd yell a lot, be indignant, but that would be the extent of it all. Anyway, I don't need to worry about that for at least another nine months or so." Harry said.
The three had boarded the Hogwarts Express some twenty minutes before and were only now finding a place to sit. The trip to King's Cross had been a tense affair. They had to go in waves so that they wouldn't attract attention. It was all Harry could do to keep Sirius from tagging along to say goodbye to him at the Platform itself. Thankfully, Lupin had been there to be the voice of reason.
"Don't do anything dangerous." Harry had said.
"I'll try not to, but you know Albus." Sirius had replied, smiling grimly.
Platform Nine and Three-Quarters was pretty depressing. Harry didn't blame them, of course. Death Eater attacks had been going on all summer. He had tried not to think about it, given that he could do absolutely nothing to prevent them. But the thoughts still crept in during his quiet moments. He didn't like it, but he had no way to stop it, either.
Harry saw more than a few newcomers clinging to their parents and crying. A few of the older crowd weren't handling things much better, fearful that their families would be killed during the school year. The people already on the train talked in hushed tones, stopping as anyone passed by their compartments.
It was thoroughly unnerving to Harry. But, again, he could do nothing about it. And that feeling of complete helplessness was driving him crazy already.
"Have you heard from Luna this summer, Leon?" Harry asked.
"I have. I wish she and her father could move to Grimmauld Place, but she said her father was adamant about not 'running away' or something." Solieyu replied, not looking happy at all about the decision. "At least Luna herself will be safe."
"As safe as anyone can be at Hogwarts." Tonks corrected.
"About that," Harry began, sighing. "I think I might have found something in regards to a possible way to protect the Pit. I only found it last night, thought. Hopefully, Molly Weasley won't destroy the library while I'm not there to keep the books safe. I might have to ask Sirius to look for others like it."
"Oh? What kind of protection?" Asked Solieyu.
"I...would rather not say. I'm not sure I can do what's required, for one. Second, I'm positive none of our little group would approve of my methods." Harry said.
"And what, exactly, does that mean?" Tonks asked. "You planning to double password the door in Parseltongue or something?"
"No, no. That'd be far too inconvenient. I was thinking more along the lines of... ah... a living something." Harry said, looking out the window.
"You want something alive to protect the Pit?" Solieyu said. "...Okay, now I'm worried."
"Whatever it is, promise me you won't seek Hagrid's advice on the matter." Tonks pleaded.
"I'm not quite that crazy yet." Harry said. "Besides, Hagrid is Dumbledore's lapdog. If I say anything, he'll let it slip somewhere, be it to the headmaster or in a pub. This is the kind of thing I'd rather not have anyone know about it. Even after - and this is if I can even accomplish what I want, mind you - I find what I need, I'm hoping that no one ever has to see it."
"Always enigmatic, aren't you?" Came a soft voice from the doorway.
"Luna!" Solieyu said, getting up as the blond girl entered their compartment. "How have you been?"
"I've been alright." Luna said, smiling up at Solieyu, who was at least a head and a half taller than Luna was. "And you?"
"Like Harry's fond of saying, 'about as good as can be expected,' I guess." Solieyu replied, sitting back down.
Luna sat next to him, smiling over at Harry and Tonks. "And the two of you?" She asked.
"He stole my line." Harry said, pouting.
"We've been good, considering we were chased by dementors." Tonks said.
"Yes, I heard about that from my father. You were quite lucky to escape." Luna said.
"We were." Harry agreed. "I really hope I can escape from the crowds and get a talk in with the guy who warned me."
"You realize I'm going to be curious." Tonks commented.
"Well aware, Nym." Harry said, grinning aside at the girl. "Which is why I hope to catch him while YOU TWO are in your Magical Creatures class."
"What makes you think I plan to keep it?" Asked Tonks, grinning in a distinctively feral manner.
"Because it's a simple class and the less stress this year, the better?" Harry said.
"Damn. Okay, okay. I promise not to pry. If you go after whoever this guy is, I won't follow. Alright?"
"I appreciate it." Harry said.
After another half hour, everyone who was planning to board had done so. The windows were open in many compartments and, as the train left the station, Harry could hear many of the kids calling to their parents and saying goodbye. He prayed that this goodbye wouldn't be the last one for any of them.
"Speaking of goodbyes..." Harry began slowly. "Has anyone we know been affected?"
"I didn't recognize any of the names." Luna said, her voice low. "But that doesn't change the fact..."
"That they're dead. Yeah." Harry finished, shaking his head. "I'll find a way to stop him again. I just... I need a battle plan this time. It isn't a simple matter of rushing in headlong and hoping for the best. He's amassing a small army and I have to be ready for any of it. It's thoroughly disgusting."
"I wish I had some ties to the vampire community." Solieyu said, glancing over at the compartment door. "I'd be able to find out if they were aligning themselves with Voldemort or not."
"Too risky." Harry said. "They'd probably do anything to get you with their ranks. I dunno how secure Sirius' house really is, but I can't imagine an onslaught of full-powered vampires would be a good thing."
"Think this'll be a quiet ride, or do you think people will loosen up and drop by eventually?" Asked Tonks.
"They'll probably loosen up." Harry said. "Can't imagine them sitting still and whispering the whole trip. I'd imagine they'll go looking for their friends."
"Does that mean we won't be exempt from dealing with Malfoy?" Tonks whined.
"I'm afraid not." Harry said. "I'm almost positive he'll stop by eventually."
"Damn." Tonks swore. "I was hoping he would stay off with his daddy dearest and not darken our compartment for once."
"We should be so lucky." Harry said.
The next few hours proved Harry to be right. After awhile, people did start to leave their compartments and hunt down their friends. It started slow at first, but once the momentum was built up, it was the usual madness on the Express. It even seemed to relax Harry, who had been feeling tense for some time now. Fearful that the train might come to a grinding halt for one reason or another. Attacking the train en route would prove a point to the wizarding world, Harry was sure of that.
He wondered if any guards were stationed around the train. He hadn't picked up on any hints of such a thing occurring as they were leaving Sirius' house, but with the Order, Harry could never be one hundred percent sure of anything. It was starting to get dark when it happened. Harry was wondering if it actually would or not. In a strange, backwards way, it was also reassuring.
"Hullo, Malfoy." Harry said, looking towards the now-open compartment door where Draco Malfoy stood. "...Where are your 'friends' at?"
"Afraid to leave their compartments, the cowards." Malfoy said, his voice dry. "I see you've managed to stay alive yet another summer. Tragic."
Harry nodded. "Yes, though I did experience a bit of excitement. Oh, I would love to not have to see your face again, believe me. But circumstances just wouldn't allow it."
"How very sad. I was hoping to have a Potter-free year." Malfoy said, bringing up one hand and staring at his fingernails. "A pity, really."
"So why did you decide to come by alone?" Asked Tonks, glaring at the blonde. "Were you really feeling that ballsy? Think you can take all four of us, do you?"
"She's right, Malfoy. It's dangerous being alone in times like this." Harry said, smirking at the Slytherin. "You should run while you still can. Or have you made that decision already and are just waiting for an opening?"
Malfoy returned the smirk. "I don't run from anyone or anything, Potter. You should know that by now."
"Yes, you're more the type to stand up and risk getting knocked down than to take the safe route, aren't you?" Harry said, arms crossing.
"Better to save face in front of those who look up to you than to make an arse of yourself and be ostracized for your choice." Malfoy replied.
"Perhaps you're simply too scared to do the 'right' thing in situations like those." Harry said, smiling pleasantly. "I'll say it again, Malfoy - you should run while you still can."
"And if I don't?" Asked Malfoy, his grey eyes narrowing.
"Then I'll do whatever it takes to keep my friends safe." Harry said.
Malfoy gave Harry a calculating look before smirking again. "I see. You should be careful who you call your friend, Potter. You never know who might turn out to be an enemy."
"I'll cross that bridge if I come to it, Malfoy." Harry said. "I'd rather protect someone and fall doing it than to hide and save my own skin."
"How are you not a Gryffindor?" Asked Malfoy, eyebrow cocking slightly.
"I think too much." Said Harry, sighing as he closed his eyes and tilted his head back.
"You should never take your eyes off of your enemy, Potter. Don't you know that? You're supposed to be Ravenclaw's finest, after all." Malfoy said.
"I know who I should and shouldn't keep track of, thank you." Harry replied. Then, making a 'shoo' motion with his left hand, he continued, "You'd best get back to your group of cowards, Malfoy. They may wet themselves in fear without their leader around to reassure them that they're safe."
"They won't be safe no matter if I'm there or not." Said Malfoy, turning and stepping back into the hall. "No one will. You can say all you like about protecting those close to you and standing up for yourself... but that isn't how the real world works. You'll lose, Potter. Sooner or later, he'll manage to catch you at your weakest."
"A problem I intend to fix." Said Harry.
"How so?" Asked Malfoy.
"Ah-ah, Malfoy." Harry said, smirking. "What fun would it be if I spoiled everything at this point?"
"I suppose you're right. We'll see how well you cope with what's going to happen this year." Malfoy said, his eyes lighting up in an eerie sort of way. "You have no idea what's in store for you."
"And what does that mean?" Asked Harry.
"Ah-ah, Potter." Malfoy said, his smirk growing vicious. "What fun would it be if I spoiled everything at this point?"
And with that, Draco Malfoy closed the compartment door and walked back up the hall. Harry glared openly at the door for a few minutes before blowing out a sigh and bringing a hand up to rub at his temples. "I need some damn aspirin."
"That was like watching a tennis match." Solieyu muttered.
"Yeah, that was weird." Tonks said. "The fact that he came alone at all was strange, don't you think?"
"I think," Luna began, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "That he's sitting by himself."
"So do I." Said Harry, his gaze turning to the window. Watching as the countryside passed them by, he smiled crookedly. "So do I."
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
"A frog!" Harry growled, hands slamming onto the back of the couch in the Pit. He glared forward at the fire as its flames crackled. "A frog is setting off the alarms this year! Seriously?! Is that old bastard not even trying anymore? She's clearly out for me! And I'm not just being paranoid this time! Nothing about that horrible woman screams 'trust me, I'm a kind old woman who'll teach you how not to die'! God, is there some kind of curse on me or something, because this is completely ridiculous!"
"It's really creepy when you rant in Parseltongue, you know." Tonks commented dryly, walking around the couch and sitting at one end.
"Damn it, was I doing that again? Sorry. Boris, warn me if I slip into it, would you?" Harry asked, sighing.
"Consider it done. Impressive, though." Boris replied.
"You know," George Weasley said, leaning back against a wall. "Our dad was talking about someone who looked like her last week."
"Very much like our dear brother Percy, actually." Fred added, standing next to his twin. "Both enjoy sucking up to their superiors in hopes of getting a promotion."
"Your dad?" Harry said, looking at the twins. "...Let me guess, then. The frog works at the Ministry?"
"If it's the same woman, she does." George said.
"Can I have one single effing year where someone isn't out to get me?" Harry wondered aloud.
"You don't know she's out for you, Potter." Said Pansy Parkinson, who was sitting in one of the chairs towards the back of the room. "Stop being so damn paranoid. The world doesn't revolve around you."
"Have you seen the papers?" Ginny asked, glancing at the Slytherin from the other reading chair. "Fudge has publicly stated that Voldemort hasn't returned!"
"Figures. Yeah, if Fudge is doing that, he's probably sent the frog here to keep an eye on Dumbledore for him." Harry said, running a hand back through his hair. "Okay, so what does that mean? Well, Dumbledore outwardly stated to all of us that Voldemort is back in his little speech. I was watching her. She had one of those looks McGonagall has if someone rubs her the wrong damn way. Only it looked about a hundred times worse."
"Meaning that Dumbledore and Fudge are officially having a spat and the Minister has decided to ignore the murders taking place." Solieyu added, sitting at the other end of the couch. Luna sat on the arm next to him.
"So the Ministry has someone inside Hogwarts to try and ensure that Dumbldore doesn't, what, 'preach his lies' or someone to brainwash us students?" Harry asked. "You know, I normally wouldn't say something like this, but I hope Voldemort tortures that fat little jackass!"
"Harry!" Hermione said, eyebrows raised.
"What?! Are you telling me you wouldn't want Fudge out of the picture? It'd be so much easier to deal with Voldemort if we got someone intelligent in the position! The public apparently wants to believe Fudge. And while I can't blame them for their train of thought, it's like trying to ignore a huge bloody meteor as it flies towards the Earth!" Harry said.
"So what's our plan for this year?" Asked Fred.
"Survive." Harry said, sighing. "Survive and try not to give that god damned frog a reason to try taking control. Because you know that's exactly what this is about. If Umbridge reports to Fudge saying that any of the teachers aren't doing things up to some ridiculous standard or if Dumbledore continues to speak about Voldemort returning, Fudge will do something to try getting control of Hogwarts away from him."
"He can't do that, can he?" Tonks asked. "Surely there are rules preventing that."
"He's the Minister." Pansy muttered. "What he says goes. Hogwarts is 'merely' a place of learning. If the Minister wants to arrest control of the school from Dumbledore - if he really wanted to - he could do it."
Harry groaned and spun around, slumping to the ground behind the couch and leaning against it. "I know I'm supposed to be some kind of stupid hero for the wizarding world, but can't I get some time off once in awhile?"
"Superman never gets the day off." Luna said, tilting her head.
"Pansy. I'm assuming you have something to report on?" Harry said, lifting his head to look at the girl.
"Report? I wasn't aware I was to take notes. But yes, Potter, 'something' happened. Those of us who have Death Eater parents were taken to see him." Pansy said, her voice getting softer.
"Him." Harry repeated. "...Yeah. Lovely man, isn't he?"
Allowing herself to shudder, Pansy stared down towards the ground and continued, "I didn't expect him to look so..."
"Snakelike?" Harry offered.
"Snakelike." Pansy said, nodding. "And he gives off this aura of... I don't know what. But it scared me. It scared all of us. ...Well, almost all of us."
"Almost?"
"Draco didn't cower." Pansy said. "Draco isn't afraid of anything, I don't think. That or he's found a way to shut down his fear so it doesn't register, because he managed to stand up straight and face the Dark Lord without so much as a flinch."
"Sounds like Malfoy." Harry said, nodding. "Too damn stupid to know when he's outclassed."
"Yeah, but... you should've seen what he looked like after our fun little meeting was over with. If looks could kill, none of us would've left there alive." Pansy said.
"Why? What happened?" Asked Harry.
"Well... we all arrived at... some mansion, I guess it was. Big place. We arrived really early, too. It had to be around dawn. Anyway, our parents had their ridiculous masks and cloaks on, but none of us had the 'privilege' of such things yet. We were to be introduced to the Dark Lord and he was going to speak with us. That's what I was told, anyway. Once we were all there, we were ushered into this large room - it would've put the Great Hall to shame - and there he was. On some horrible, twisted throne. He had some wisp of a man kneeling down next to him..."
"Wormtail." Harry hissed, knowing full well he had slipped into Parseltongue that time.
"You just said his name, didn't you?" Pansy asked, glancing up.
"Names tend to sound the same, yes." Harry said.
"...Yeah. Wormtail. Horrible little parasite. Once we had entered, the doors closed behind us and, almost as one, our parents knelt. Draco gave his parents a strange look then..." Pansy said.
"You noticed?" Tonks asked.
"I was looking at him so I didn't have to look at him." Pansy said, glaring at Tonks. "So then he stands up and walks towards us. And everyone standing near me just visibly started to shake. I won't lie, I did too. It... I can't even describe the feeling..."
"It's like a dementor, only about a thousand times worse because you know you can't banish Voldemort away." Harry whispered. "He's there and if he has you in his sights, you don't have many options."
"Yes. Exactly. Draco was the only one with his head raised high. He suffered for it. The Dark Lord hit him with the Cruciatus. Twice. The second time because he stood back up and raised his head defiantly against him." Pansy said.
"Bully for Malfoy. He's too stupid to stay down." Harry said.
"He told us we were to be the next generation of his Death Eaters. That, together, we would forge a new age. One free of mudbloods and Muggles polluting it - his words, not mine. We were to receive the Mark over the Christmas holiday and, more or less, act as his spies within Hogwarts' walls." Pansy said.
"Oh, that's just lovely." Harry spat. "So I'm being hit from both sides! Fudge and Voldemort might as well get married and go skipping off into the sunset! If Fudge succeeds, Dumbledore will probably have to leave the school. And since Dumbledore keeps this place safe, Voldemort could lay siege to Hogwarts any time he wanted!"
"What? No. He couldn't..." Hermione said, hand raised to her mouth.
"Oh yes he could. Voldemort fears Dumbledore. Dumbledore is pretty much the only thing keeping the school safe. Remove the headmaster from the picture and what happens?" Harry asked. "What else happened, Pansy?"
"Not a lot. He rambled on and on and on about how purebloods were superior, how Dumbledore needs to jump off the top of the school, and how you are to be saved for him." Pansy said.
"Yeah, I can't imagine Voldemort would be too happy if one of his little ass-kissers killed me. I got away from him. I've stopped him in the past - on several occasions in several forms. I'm sure he wants to savor picking me off himself. Not that I intend to let him." Harry said.
"He also talked about a little experiment to try getting to you early." Pansy said.
"Dementors." Harry said, smiling darkly.
"How did you know?" Asked Pansy, eyebrows raised.
"Because he went through with it." Harry said. "They got my cousin. I got a warning from someone, though. I knew they were coming."
Pansy stared at Harry. "You got a warning from someone?"
Harry smirked. "I got a warning from someone. Becoming deaf, Parkinson?"
"Someone obviously has a death wise." Pansy said, shaking her head. "If they ever get caught, they're dead. They're worse than dead."
"I have a bad tendency of having extremely good luck in extremely bad situations." Harry said, chuckling. "Well, it's good to know I wasn't being lied to. I've had my doubts off and on all summer. Hearing you mention it, though... that's all I need to know."
"Do you know who it was?" Asked Pansy.
"Hah!" Tonks exclaimed. "None of us have been able to pry the information from him so far. And trust me, we've tried."
"Having secrets, are you? Secrets aren't good things to be carrying around in a war, Potter." Said Pansy. "...Anyway, as I was saying, he ranted for awhile. Then our parents escorted us out into another room before returning to finish their meeting. Leaving us to stew in our own juices, so to speak. None of us really talked, though. Draco went off to recover in a corner of the room. He wasn't looking so hot. It was about a half hour later that our parents collected us and we all went home."
"Great. Any idea how many potential survivors we have out of the lot of kids you saw there? How many do you think will try fighting?" Harry asked.
"None, if I were completely honest with you. Before we saw him and he spoke to us, I'd say a good third of them might have been savable. But afterwards? I don't know. I glanced around the room when the lot of us were alone. I didn't like what I saw." Pansy admitted.
"My luck could not get worse if I tried. I know this is going to sound completely ridiculous to everyone, but... what about Malfoy?" Harry asked.
"I'm... I honestly don't know, Potter." Pansy said, looking troubled. "I'm going to try bringing the subject up this year, but you know him. He'd rather die than to work on the same 'side' as you."
"Yes, but he's also out to protect his own hide and to keep his honor about him. Voldemort stripped him of that in front of his own parents and a mass of his peers. I can't imagine the big ponce would be too willing to support his precious Dark Lord after that. And, of course, he got hit twice by the Cruciatus. I'm sure that left an impression." Harry said.
"I honestly don't know." Pansy said, sighing. "Like I said, I'll try talking to him. Don't expect a miracle, though."
"Draco isn't stupid." Harry said, standing back up again. "He's a complete asshole, he only looks out for himself, and he still holds Voldemort's ideals as the one true way, but he's not stupid."
"Coulda fooled me." Ginny muttered darkly.
"Draco views the world in black and white. And right now he's stuck between those two colors. If he joins Voldemort, he knows what he'll be reduced to for sticking to his ideals. But if he joins us, he'll be siding with people he hates. So what's he to do? It's very simple. He will join us until he sees a chance to backstab us. That's what I think, anyway." Harry said. "Pansy. If he says he'll fight, bring him here."
This sentence immediately caused an uproar in the Pit amongst almost everyone in it. But Harry simply crossed his arms and closed his eyes, waiting for the din to die down before speaking again. "Draco is powerful. And we need all the allies we can get in this fight. I hate the little bastard as much as any of you. But I'll be damned if I let Voldemort get to him first. I can deal with him once he turns on us. And if any of you have a problem with the way I intend to run things from this point forward, you can get the hell out of here. You won't be welcomed back. Voldemort is after me. Above all other things, he wants me dead. And if I feel I can't trust someone completely, I won't let them come here."
"And you trust him completely, do you?" Fred asked, looking rather disgusted with Harry.
"I trust him with my life, if that's what you mean." Harry said, walking towards the bedroom door.
"Why?"
"Like I said - he isn't stupid. If he thinks he can save his own hide, he'll come around eventually." Harry said, his voice quiet as he opened the door.
"Tell them." Boris hissed softly.
"No." Harry hissed back.
"They deserve to know. They need a reason." Boris replied.
"I gave my word." Harry said. "How did you work it out?"
"I'm very observant."
"So it would seem." Harry hissed. Then, switching back to English, he spoke a little louder. "You're free to remain in the Pit as long as you'd like. If you leave, you go in small numbers to avoid drawing attention. I have plans to increase the Pit's security this year, if all goes well. Think of me and my decisions how you will. I trust that if any of you plan to back out, you'll tell me to my face. That I would trust Draco with my life should be good enough. I'm going to bed."
With that, Harry stepped through the door and into the bedroom, closing it behind him.
And, across the room, Ginny stared after him with wide eyes.
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
Author's Notes: Man, it took me awhile to get this out. I'm really sorry. My sleep schedule's once again been muffed up. I hit a colossal writer's block recently, too. There were some pretty big chances from the chapter guide notes and what actually appeared. Originally you were to see the trip to King's Cross as well as the start of term feast, with Dumbledore declaring Voldemort's return and Umbridge getting introduced. But then I figured... you know what? Everyone knows Dumbledore's speech and the trip to King's Cross woulda been butt-ass boring to read. So I jumped around. Speeding things up just a tad.
I'm going to catch ten flavors of heat for what I did. I KNOW some of you are going to hate what's going on. If you've read all the signs so far, you know what's going to happen. For better or for worse, this is the path I've decided upon. It's been set in stone since the middle of Chamber, kids. And if you don't like what I'm going to be doing - and I'm being vague in case some of my readers haven't picked up on it yet - then do as you will. Flame me if it gets it out of your system. I really don't care. I brush flames off. I've got stuff I need our mystery guest for.
This also starts Harry's metamorphosis into a different person. The change will happen directly within Chapter 10 of this very book. We've got some fun with Umbitch next chapter and then Harry officially goes into a self-imposed lockdown. It's not a tremendously drastic change - as much as I like overpowered ubergod Harry, he shan't be making an appearance in the R-Series. ...Well, maybe the final battle will have some epic stuff happen, but I already know how most of it's going down, so don't expect too many fireworks. Anyway, Harry's first twist just happened and I'd say it's pretty dramatic, wouldn't you? And yes - Ginny heard every word they said.
Oh. And as a side note - I'm slowly going to be converting the completed R-Series books into .pdf format. One easy file to keep on your computer should you ever want to browse through the books when you're not online or whatnot. I'm still learning the ropes and haven't quite figured how to add that nice little chapter selection to the side, but it gets the job done. The going is incredibly slow, though, so don't expect anything for awhile. Until next time, kids.