Harry sat in Dumbledore's office, shaking. His mother and father were in there with him. The attack was a surprise. Death Eaters took no mercy. At least fifty people were dead; over a hundred injured. A cup of hot tea was placed in front of Harry. He tried to take a sip, but his hands shook too much.
"How could this happen?" Lily asked. Not about the attack; they knew how that happened. What she wondered is why her son heard every single scream in his head throughout the attack. Every time someone was killed or injured he heard their scream in his head.
"I'm afraid I do not have an answer for you," Dumbledore said.
"What do you mean you don't have an answer?" Lily cried. "My son is shaking like mad and you have no idea how to fix it?"
Dumbledore sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I understand your worry. I will be looking for the reason why this happened but rest assured that young Harry will be fine."
Lily glared at Dumbledore. Her mouth opened as though wanting to bite off a remark, but she closed it and continued to glare at the old man.
"What are we going to do about this?" James finally sighed.
Dumbledore again rubbed his eyes. After replacing his glasses he looked at the Potters with a grave expression. "I'm afraid I do not know. This is not a matter of teaching him occlumency."
"Why didn't we know about the attack?" Lily cried. "Why didn't Snape tell us?"
Dumbledore sighed. "We did know of the attack. Severus did tell me, however, he did not know when it would be. I'm sorry."
"This is ridiculous," Lily snapped. "Why didn't you cancel all Hogsmeade weekends until the attack happened?"
"Malfoy," Harry whispered. "Malfoy." He had a contemplative look on his face. "Hermione!" Harry jumped out of his seat and ran out of the office.
Harry ran down the corridors in search of Hermione. When he could take no more he stood panting for breath. "Where's the map when you need it?" he wheezed. He made to grab his wand and realized he left in the office with his parents. "Oh man!"
"What's with you?" a cold voice asked. Harry looked up and saw her. She was dressed in white and glared at him from across the corridor.
"Nothing. I'm just-."
"Forget I asked," she sneered.
"What the bloody hell is your problem?" Harry snapped. "For the love of Merlin, you are so bloody bipolar!"
Aaliyah took a step back as though struck. "My problem? What's your problem? I walk by and you snap my head off!"
Harry stared at her. He rolled his eyes and began to walk away.
"Where are you going?" she cried.
"Away from you before I become even madder than I am now," Harry shot over his shoulder.
She ran after him and whirled him around. "What is that suppose to mean?" she snapped.
"It means you're driving me barmy! I'm going to end up in St. Mungo's soon," he boomed.
"Don't raise your voice at me," she screamed back at him.
They stood glaring at each other for a long time before she closed the space between them. He was just about to lean into the kiss when he remembered his mission-and the fact that he's pissed with her. "You can't just do that!" he cried.
Aaliyah merely raised an eyebrow.
"You can't just act all nice one moment ad become a bitch the next! Besides," Harry continued. "I'm busy right now."
"What are you doing?" she asked coyly.
"I'm looking for-," Harry cut off. "You're with him aren't you?"
She paled slightly and regained her composure. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Ron was right," Harry said to himself. "You're working with Malfoy. Where's Hermione?"
"I don't know," Aaliyah answered truthfully.
"Why?" he cried. "What are you getting out of it?"
Aaliyah tried to step closer to him but he stepped back in disgust. With a sigh, she turned her back to him. "I'm not getting anything. I'm just helping family."
Harry's eyes narrowed. "Family? What are you talking about?"
"Draco is my cousin," Aaliyah explained. "My father is his mother's cousin."
Something sparked in Harry's mind. "What? That's impossible. Sirius doesn't-."
"Puh favor," Aaliyah sneered. "Sirius Black is not my daddy. Regulus Black is." Her chin was shot out as if expecting a rebuttal.
Harry staggered backward. "I-," he started but cut off. Shaking his head he walked away in search of Hermione. When he was noticed that Aaliyah didn't follow him he tried to summon the Marauder's Map silently. He was sure it wouldn't work until he saw the map flying toward him
"I solemnly swear I am up to no good," he whispered, hoping it'd work without a wand. The map flared to life and revealed the blueprints of the castle along with the location of each occupant. With a quick scan Harry was able to determine that Hermione was in the Room of Requirement. Harry raced up there and barged through the door.
"Harry!" Hermione cried out, shocked.
"Where is he?" Harry wheezed. Running a lot in one day will do that to a person.
"Where is who?" Hermione asked. "Harry, are you alright? Do you need to go to the Hospital Wing? Was it another dream? Can I-."
"Will you shut up so I can tell you?" Harry growled.
Hermione stepped back, hurt.
Harry sighed and caught his breath. "Look Hermione, I know that Ron and I haven't been hanging out with you a lot lately, and I know we've been caught up on our own thing and have been keeping you out lately, but why are you hanging out with Malfoy?" Harry asked.
"How did you-," she started in shock.
"Do you deny it?" Harry interrupted.
Hermione hung her head in shame. She took a seat on the couch that was in the room and stared at the floor. "I don't know why. I was just alone and he was the only one who seemed to show an interest in what I felt. It wasn't anything serious. We'd just hang out here and do homework together. He even started calling me by my first name-without "mudblood" being anywhere near it."
"Why didn't you come to us?" Harry bit out angrily. "I hope you know that your new best friend was responsible for the attack today."
Hermione sunk lower. "I know," she said in a small voice.
"You knew?" Harry said incredulously.
Hermione began crying. "He told me that the Death Eaters were planning something and his father told him to stay out of Hogsmeade until it happened."
"Why didn't you say anything?" Harry shouted.
Hermione's head shot up defiantly. "I tried! You and Ron ignored me! I hope you know that your little girlfriend is Sirius' niece? Or perhaps the fact that her mother was part of Voldemort's inner circle until she was killed this summer!"
Harry paled and took a step backward. "I know you're upset but that's no reason to-."
"You think I'm making this up?" Hermione cried as she shot out of her seat. "I cannot believe I've seen the day where the Great Harry Potter decided to choose a Slytherin over his own friends." She jabbed him in the chest, hard. "You're a hypocrite. You're a bloody hypocrite!"
Barely stifling a sob, Hermione ran out of the room leaving Harry feeling guilty. 'I just-,' he didn't even know what he "just."
Harry couldn't remain upset with Hermione for long. After a couple of days he sought her out and finally made peace between them. He wished he could say the same thing for Ron though. Ron was upset that Hermione had been hanging out with Malfoy and refused to talk to her.
As for Aaliyah, Harry avoided her at all costs. He felt betrayed. He saw her trying to catch his eye in the hall at times. He just ignored her. Ron had a field day with his, "I told you so's." At one point Hermione broke down in tears. Harry gave Ron a sound tongue-lashing but it didn't stop him.
The trio was in the Gryffindor Common Room late one evening. The only thing providing light to the room is the fire. All students were in bed asleep-ignorant to everything.
"I don't know what I'm going to do," Harry said.
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked looking at him.
"I can't go on with these damn sounds in my head," Harry groaned.
Voldemort had recently attacked a small village in Wales. Every death, every injury, every scream was heard in Harry's head. Poor Harry nearly collapsed. Ron looked at him sympathetically. Hermione stared pensively into the fire.
"Maybe, do you think that your connection with Voldemort is getting stronger?"
"What are you on about?" Ron asked.
"Well, Voldemort is Salazaar Slytheirn's heir, right? Slytherin had this telepathic ability. Like with the parseltongue thing. Maybe, it's just the connection getting stronger," Hermione suggested.
Harry nodded slowly. "Yeah, and maybe he knows it so he's using it to his advantage to like stick me in the Hospital Wing."
"I'm sure it's not the Hospital he wants to stick you in," Ron commented dryly.
"Thanks," Harry deadpanned.
"No problem, mate," Ron replied cheerfully.
"But, it's rather odd," Hermione continued. "You're a descendant of Godric Gryffindor, or so they say-."
"Who says?" Harry interrupted.
"So why aren't you getting any of his powers?" Hermione said as though not interrupted.
"What are you talking about?" Harry cried.
"Oh, for goodness' sakes! Think," Hermione snapped. "If you really are a descendant of Godric Gryffindor, why are you not having access to his powers? Voldemort, it seems, has unlimited access to his ancestor's powers."
Harry nodded. "Oh. What do you think Ron?"
"No idea what you two are on about," Ron said. "I'm going to bed. Let's talk about this during daylight hours."
Hermione nodded and made her way to her room.
"Still acting odd," Ron said to no one in particular.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked as they headed up the stairs.
"What? Oh, just Hermione. She's been out of it. Not the same," Ron said. "Know what I mean?"
"Not really, but okay."
The next day Harry went to Dumbledore's office. Since the attack in Hogsmeade, Lily had not been too impressed with the Headmaster. While she never outwardly defied him, it was obvious she was cursing him in her mind. Well…obvious to Dumbledore with his nosy self peeking into her head.
Anyway, Harry went to Dumbledore's office to converse with the old man about how he was supposed to survive the next attack Voldemort made. He sat in the office and saw that Dumbledore was not there. He decided to wait.
'What if Hermione is right? What if I am the descendent of Godric Gryffindor? Why did Voldemort inherit his powers, but not me? What clue am I missing?"
With a jolt, the room began spinning. Becoming dizzy, Harry closed his eyes. Finally, within seconds, Harry stopped and landed in a dark room. He stood up and was face to face with a blond haired woman, a raven haired woman, and two raven haired men.
"Uh…," Harry said as a greeting.
"Young Mr. Potter, your destiny awaits you. Should you accept it and you better, the day will come soon," the first raven haired man said.
"Uh…," Harry repeated.
"Salazar, would you at least introduce yourself to the young man before you beginning informing him of his fate?" the raven haired woman asked in exasperation.
"I'm sorry, my dear," the blond woman stated. "I am Helga Hufflepuff, this is Rowena Ravenclaw. The two clods over there are Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin."
"Uh?" Harry asked in shock.
"Eloquent, aren't you, boy?" Godric said, chortling.
"Uh, I," Harry tried.
"Shut up before you embarrass yourself anymore."
"Look, we do not have long," Rowena said. "The time is coming for you to fight. You must fight."
"Okay," Harry said.
"That is not all," Helga snapped.
"Look, I'll be frank. My heir is a prat. Even I know that you can't purify bloodlines the way he is-."
"I'm sure he doesn't care about bloodlines right now," Godric deadpanned.
Rowena and Helga nodded sadly.
"I do believe he just wants to take over the world," Helga told him.
"Whatever, the point is that he's become completely psychotic and he must be stopped. You must stop him."
"How? I don't have any fancy powers or anything," Harry exclaimed.
"You have the love of your parents," Rowena said gently. "That's the strongest love there can be."
"How am I supposed to use it? It doesn't work on him anymore," Harry argued.
"It does," Helga urged. "Trust us it does."
"Look, technically we aren't allowed to give you any of our powers since you are not a blood heir," Godric stated. "But we're making an exception, you will borrow Helga's power of controlling earth, kinda like mother nature or whatever muggles use now; Rowena's power of knowledge, you will be able to sort through information quickly, and if you try hard enough you might be able to make up a few spells of your own; you have Salazar's snake ability, so you don't get another one of his powers, sorry kid; and mine, you will get my power of fire. You can't burn anything, it's not that type of fire. It works as a barrier, and you will be able to hold off on Voldemort for as long as you can."
"Now go, child," Rowena said. "Go and do us proud."
Harry woke up with a start. He glanced around and nearly groaned. He was in the hospital wing.
"You're awake!" Hermione cried before launching herself at him. "Oh Harry, are you alright?"
"Yeah," he said hoarsely. "I'm fine. Can I leave?"
Hermione nodded. "Madam Pomfrey said you can leave once you awaken. Ron is at dinner; your parents are at an Order meeting."
"We need to talk," Harry said gravely. "It's time."