"Damn it Harry where've you been?" Ron hissed as Harry walked into the common room, "Dumbledore has been up here at least seven times in the last few hours looking for you."
"Really?" Harry asked, Ron nodded vigorously.
"Yes, he's seemed really fed up with you not being here. He seems pretty suspicious. Of course most people don't stay hidden for over five hours!"
"I was busy." Harry snapped.
"I believe you." Ron smirked at him.
"Don't do that. It looks weird on you."
"Yeah, not surprised. Felt weird too. So is the Malfoy Manor as nice as everybody always says it is?" Ron asked curiously.
"From what I saw it was lovely."
"Draco's room's nice then?" Ron asked cheekily.
"Ha.ha. That is not the only thing we do you know." Harry informed Ron.
"Really? Could have fooled me." Harry rolled his eyes at him falling into the couch across form the redhead, "fancy a game of chess while we wait for the headmaster to come up here searching for you again?" Ron asked.
"Why not." Harry conceded, "I don't mind losing that idiotic game every now and then."
"Wouldn't be as idiotic if you won every now and then."
"Never said it would be."
Dumbledore was sitting in his office.
"Well it looks like Harry has returned at last." He informed Fawks perked next to him. He stroked his beard in thought looking into the reflective bowl placed in front of him. "Where did I go wrong with you boy?" he asked in grief. "You were going to be the best of us. Even better then me when the time came." He sighed. Dumbledore stood and moved to the fireplace and through in a handful of floo powder.
"Professor Snape's office." He said clearly sticking his head into he flames. "Severus?" Dumbledore called into the darkened room. The greasy haired man stepped into Dumbledore line of sight, "ah, so you are in here. Wonderful."
"Is there something I can help you with Albus?" Snape asked.
"Yes I'm afraid there is. I'm having Harry to my office in a few minutes where I would like your assistance."
"How so?" Snape inquired after Dumbledore silence for a few minutes.
"Harry has always seemed rather nervous around you in class or otherwise. I have noticed he tends to not do well lying in you presence. If you could come to my office, I need to know if he tells the truth when answering the questions I'm going to put in front of him."
"Of course. I shall only be a few minutes."
"Wonderful. If I'm not there when you arrive make yourself comfortable. I need to go and collect Harry." Dumbledore pulled out of the fireplace and stroked Fawks's fiery plumage. "And soon we shall see just how far down the dark path that boy has gone."
"Checkmate." Ron called out triumphantly.
"Are you certain he's going to come?" Harry asked pained, looking at the clock resting over the fireplace. "You've already beaten me three time."
"Yes well you are doing rather badly tonight aren't you?"
"Thank you for that."
"No problem." Ron said with a grin, "up for another game?"
"Not really. I'm afraid three times is as many as I will allow myself to be beat one night."
"Then why don't you do your homework?" Hermione chimed in. Plopping into a chair next to Ron, "You must have something of that sort you haven't done."
"However true that is Hermione, do you ever wonder why we don't rush to do homework?" Ron asked putting away his chess set. "It is in fact not to put off the pleasure of having it completed, it's for the simple reason that normal people do not enjoy doing it, which includes Harry and myself."
"Well when you fail your N.E.W.T.s don't come crying to me."
"Honestly Hermione that's all you think about isn't it?" Seamus asked falling onto the couch next to Harry. "A pretty girl like you should fine something else to keep herself occupied. Or possibly someone?" Seamus asked.
"Very smooth," Harry commented, "I'm certain she has no idea what you're hinting at." Hermione rolled her eyes at Seamus.
"Honestly that's the only thing you think about isn't it? Maybe if you hooked up with someone yourself you'd stop trying to bother everyone else and would both her."
"Nope, pretty sure that wouldn't work." Ron commented absent-mindedly.
"What's that to mean?" Hermione asked curiously. Seamus glared at Ron and nodded to him as if saying 'you screwed up, fix it!'
"Well he's had to have been able to find someone desperate enough to go out with him at least once. Just because we haven't heard about it doesn't mean it hasn't happened and he has never changed in behavior to anything normal as far as I can tell." Seamus continued to glare at Ron this time in a more angry fashion.
"Too true Ron." Harry agreed grinning, "but he wouldn't be known as the dorm idiot if he didn't act like one."
"Very funny." Seamus said in a wounded way, "I can tell that I'm not appreciated. I shall go and grace others, who will understand they are being surrounded by greatness, with my presence.
"He's fun." Hermione commented.
"Yeah, he's defiantly not to bad." Ron agreed. Harry nodded his assent watching Hermione casually.
"Harry?" she called, "what's up?"
"Nothing." He grinned, "up for a game of chess? Your more of the kind of opponent I want. At least with you losing isn't a for sure thing."
"Oh all right." She agreed. The portrait swung open and the headmaster was standing into the opening it made.
"Harry my boy." He called through the silent common room, "would you please come with me?" he inquired.
"Looks like we can't have are game after all." Harry told Hermione apologetically.
"That's fine Harry. I'm sure whatever the headmaster has to say is important." Harry smiled weakly at her. It was a forced smile he only just was able to turn from the sneer whishing to grace his features, as Harry left with the Headmaster he missed the evil grin spreading across Hermione's face. But Ron didn't.
Professor Snape stood against one of the walls in Dumbledore office leaning casually against it. When the door opened admitting the headmaster and Harry he caught the Potions Professor's eyes a questoin in there depths that clearly asked what Snape was doing there. Snape jerked his head to the headmaster and raised an eyebrow. Harry grinned and nodded to him just slightly.
"I hope you don't mind Severus's presence Harry." Dumbledore said sitting regally down in his chair behind his desk.
"Of course not Headmaster." Harry said with badly disguised anger in his voice, "what's this about."
"Where have you been this evening Harry?" Dumbledore asked him concerned, "I have been worried, especially after you were absent for such a period of time. You are of my care while at school and I hate not knowing where any of my students are."
"You've let Malfoy (Harry spat out the name) go away every day for awhile. I was just on a simple outing."
"Draco's father talked to me about taking his son with him for a few days. You however simply left. Harry this is not something thing you should do. What if someone found you? What would happen then? Even with the threat of Voldemort gone you should realize there are still evils out there who would not stop to harm you."
"Nothing happened." Harry grumbled fuming from where he was sitting in the chair directly in front of Dumbledore's desk.
"And do you think you are so special Potter that you should get the privileges of simply being able to leave campus whenever you want. You are not of age and even those who are aren't allowed to leave. Just because the headmaster here has given you some leeway because of who you are does not mean you are to special to follow the rules give to all students." Harry turned to Snape eyes blazing opening his mouth to retort.
"That is enough." Dumbledore announced. "Thank you Severus but I can handle this on my now."
"Then why is he even here?" Harry cut him off harshly.
"Don't you dare talk to me in so disrespectfully." Snape snapped, "ten points from Gryffindor and a detention for your insolence."
"Now Severus is that necessary?" Dumbledore asked calmly, "He has not done anything to terrible. I think that punishment might have been a bit strict even for you."
"It will stay as I handed it out headmaster unless you feel it is necessary for you to over ride it." Dumbledore sighed and slipped off his half moon spectacles rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"I will not Severus as you know. Harry please return to your dorm. We shall finish talking at a later date."
"Of course headmaster." Harry said stiffly. Glaring at Snape as he walked out of the old man's office.
"I refuse to snog you in a corner." Snape's smooth drawl informed Harry as the young man pulled him into an alcove near the Headmaster's office.
"Don't you worry. I would rather snog Ron."
"Isn't that the mental picture?" Snape said revolted. "Thank you for that."
"Shut up. Now how would I get to have a Death Eater meeting?" Harry asked his almost silently. Snape grabbed Harry's collar and dragged him down to the dungeons. He opened the door to his office and shoved Harry in.
"Never talk about anything right outside the headmaster office. He could pop out of there at any time and here you. Not to mention his gargoyles are always babbling to him what ever they hear."
"All right. I'm sorry, so how do I call a Death Eater meeting?" Harry asked him again.
"Its nice to know your actually going to do something with all of the men and women who are willing to follow you. I was wondering if you were simply going to let them regroup by themselves, which will happen should you wait much longer."
"I was just testing what they were going to do without leadership for a time. I'm quite happy with there response."
"They said they would follow you and so they await your orders. You must simply give them." Snape said.
"Wonderful. And how do I call everyone together for a meeting?"
"I do not know. The dark mark has vanished in case you forgot. You stated you were to come up with a more humane way to gather. Call this a test off your abilities. I will not follow someone who can't even gather a few hundred men who already said they would follow you." Harry sighed annoyed.
"You're no help." He announced exiting Snape's office.
"I never said I would be." Harry grinned and closed the door firmly behind him.
The next day at Malfoy Manor as well as every other Death eater residence a note appeared in front of the ex-Death Eaters where ever they happened to be. It simply said:
Meet at the Malfoy Manor, Now.
-Silence
Lucius chuckled and called for a house elf.
"Ready the large ballroom on the ground floor for a meeting of around two hundred people." He ordered. "As quickly as possible."
"Yes, Master Malfoy." He answered disappearing with a pop.
"Nice to now you feel to just make yourself at home." Lucius said to Silence as he flooed into his sitting room.
"I figured you wouldn't really mind." Silence commented sitting down next to Lucius.
"Will Draco be coming?" Lucius asked.
"No, he's got something else he is doing for me right now." Harry grinned, thinking back to his conversation with the blonde,
"Honestly Potter I do not understand why I have to do this. One of your Gryffindor friends I'm sure would happily play you for a few hours."
"Yes, but if Dumbledore went up to check on me he would notice them missing. Please Draco." Harry begged.
"You owe me big time." Draco informed him after near an hour of Harry's bribing and pleading with him. Dracoagreed to take the polyjuice potion and change into Harry. Harry watched and shook his head.
"That was weird."
"Give me your glasses." Draco ordered sticking his hand out in Harry's general direction. As Harry his sight was bad to the point that he could only see Harry as a Harry shaped burly outline.
"Then I wont be able to see."
"Silence doesn't use glasses. Ever think of changing to him." Draco drawled. Harry changed handing his glasses to Draco.
"You should try actually sounding like I do. I'm not quite that haughty."
"Really?" Draco asked amazed, "fancy that. Do not take to long Potter. I do not know how much time I want to spend in the presence of Gryffindor's."
Silence stood in the Manors ballroom before all of the former Death Eaters who had been able to leave to come to the meeting he'd called without suspicion. That, of course, included near everyone.
"And I have decided to use something I have seen done before to call meeting from now on." A jewel of some shape and color appeared in front of everyone in the room and the piece of jewelry that most were accustomed to wearing. "When this heats it will mean I have called a meeting. Do not expect them to be as regular as they were with Voldemort. I honestly have other things in my life then bothering you lot." Many of the men chuckled around the room.
"As you all should know Lucius has been made Minister. I would like those of you who want a job to try and get one there. The more influence we have the better we will be."
"And what of mudbloods and halfbloods. Are you going to be doing nothing in concern to them?" one of the Death Eaters called out from where he was sitting.
"The ones smart enough I see no reason to kill, or even kick out of Hogwarts. As to other less then average, even those of pureblood, we shall have to fix them. The students need to learn more and with Hogwarts as it is, those who need it have a problem with getting help. When Dumbledore is gone we'll be able to fix that."
"So you will simply allow those who might leave our society and go into the muggle world again with all knowledge of our ways go to school and learn as well while endangering our world?" a different masked man asked angrily.
"Of course not. I simply have not gotten to that part. Before leaving Hogwarts all get a degree to let them and others know that they in fact passed at that institution. It shall no longer only be a piece of parchment. The spells added will cause those who leave our society to never be allowed to reveal what they know to any muggles except for the significant other and only then if they have magical children or have been together for a considerable amount of time. I want, like all of you, nothing but the best and security for our World and lives."
"And we will simply still live in hiding? In fear of muggles and them finding us?"
"Not for long. But that is not for today. This meeting is simply the beginning. You may go. Remember what I've said, and if your children are not up to par with others that go to Hogwarts get them that way as soon as you can by whatever means necessary. Or they might be left behind." Silence swept out of the room Lucius soon following.
"Interesting how different you act when you're not around Draco. If anyone could see how much of a weakness he is for you he might be in serious danger."
"Never speak of harm coming to him." Harry ordered wand pointed at Lucius.
"Put your mind at ease. Most do not know of how deeply you care for him. And I would never do anything against my son."
"Good. Let it stay that way."
"Interesting speech, and yet you didn't actually say anything for what they wanted to hear." Lucius said changing the subject easily.
"Answering questions is a work of art and must be done delicately. I will get many people mad if I let them know that soon there children will be kicked out of school with mudbloods and halfbloods who are actually slightly educated being left in it. There were issues and I do not plan on approaching them how they have been in the past. Some do not like that, so I simply do not completely tell them."
"A maneuver used by the best of deceivers."
"Yes. Now I need to talk to you very quickly before I go back and allow your son to leave the tower, as I know he must be dying to do."
"I'm listening." Lucius said.
"Two hours." Draco informed Harry for the twelfth time as they were finally walking back from the Gryffindor common room. They had to wait in Harry's dorm for Draco's potion to wear off and then Harry smuggled Draco out under his invisibility cloak. It would do no good for Gryffindor's to see Draco Malfoy walking calmly from the seventh year boys' dorm and through their common room.
"How bad was it? At least you had Seamus and Ron who actually know who you were that you could talk with."
"Yes, let me thank you for telling the Weasel." Draco glared at Harry, "I absolutely loved his little comments he was throwing around all night. However you are right, Seamus was fine. Except for when he was propositioning me for a three or foursome with Blaise, he wouldn't want you leave you out of course."
"I'm sorry." Harry said nuzzling into Draco's neck, "but you can do whatever you'd like to me in return.
"Do not you worry. I would have even without your consent." Harry groaned into Draco's neck pushing the blonde up against the wall they were walking past. "get off me Potter. Honestly you know I do not allow myself to be manhandled just anywhere."
"I knew it was Potter." Blaise announced jumping out from the shadows. He had been waiting on Draco and hopefully his boyfriend before he changed into Silence to come by. Seeing the twin looks confusion on the boys faces made Blaise think something ws definitly not right with the two of them.
"What are you on about Blaise?" Draco demanded.
"Silence is Potter. I had thought as much but now I know for sure."
(3/28/05)