Book 3: Something Wicked This Way Comes
Busy busy busy! A bit of progress on book for but I'm at a rough spot that doesn't seem to want to come out right, I'll figure it out though have no fear!
Mistress Slytherin
Chapter 3
On Board the Hogwarts Express
"Draco you are my son and if you value your life you will quickly come to understand that things have changed." Lucius said sharply ignoring the werewolf completely. Draco gazed up at his father with wide eyes.
"Father?" He questioned cocking his head to the side.
"Do you remember everything I taught you, about the old ways?" Lucius said seriously. Draco nodded his head slowly.
"Harry has won favor in the sight of one of the great magics- the moon; he is above you now in status. He is a prince, you must come to understand that you cannot treat him the way you did before or you risk angering something far above even my ability to protect you do you understand?" Lucius said sharply. Draco frowned and nodded slowly. "Good. Then you must know that your time spent lazily making your way through life is over, from now on he is not your guard, you are his. Play your cards right my son and you too will find yourself under the protection of the moon. I must go now, remember all I've told you." He said shortly before striding out of the crowd without so much as a goodbye. Draco stared after his father for a long moment wondering what on earth had just happened.
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Harry sighed slightly as Remus Lupin slipped into the compartment he was waiting in and gazed at him wearily. Uncomfortable in the sudden silence Harry decided to break it.
"So, you're a werewolf." He said bluntly causing the man to flinch visibly. "And you knew my parents?" He asked curiously. Remus gazed at him for a while before nodding.
"Your father and I were good friends." He said quietly. "He was a good man." He said dropping his eyes. There. A pulse of sorrow so deep that it awakened the empathy of The Voice.
"Have you been alone ever since then?" He asked nearly gently. Remus blinked in shock and slowly nodded.
"You could have come to me you know." He said frowning. The amber in the man's eyes glowed briefly.
"I did not abandon you Harry, after your parents died, after- I lost everything, I was not myself, I really would have been a danger to you." Harry thought about it mulling over the words in his mind.
"I read about you once, in some old news papers at Hogwarts during my first year" He said thoughtfully. "I was looking up information about Severus-" His eyes widened and then narrowed in anger. "It was you- the record was short but I still remember, Severus was attacked by a werewolf." He said thinning his lips in anger.
"You call Snape, Severus?" Lupin said with a slight sneer. Harry hardened and absently noted the door opening.
"He has saved my life on many occasions, he has been there when everyone else deserted me and he is the closest friend I have." He said protectively before snapping his gaze towards Draco who was standing in the doorway frozen. Harry frowned.
"Are you alright?" He asked curiously. Draco just stood there. "Draco?" Draco shook his head looking away a full pout beginning to form.
"Harry- I thought I was your closest friend!" He nearly whined his face shifting into an impressive scowl. Harry twitched slightly.
"You are one of my closest friends Draco." He appeased smoothly. Actually Draco was more like an annoying little brother really.
"But I'm not your closest!" Draco insisted. Harry sighed heavily.
"You're like a brother to me Draco." He decided. A twisted little brother with attention seeking tendencies and a habit of getting into trouble that is. The Voice laughed. The force of Draco's pout weakened slightly.
"And Uncle Sev?" He demanded. Harry tilted his head to the side in thought. How did he explain Severus?
"Honestly I don't see him as the family type…" Harry mused. That seemed to be enough for Draco who happily plopped down beside Harry and sent Remus a sneer.
"So…when did that happen?" He asked pointing at the wreath. Harry winced and looked innocently out the window.
"I haven't the slightest idea what you're referring to." He said lifting his chin. Draco huffed.
"Sure you don't Harry, I wouldn't notice if the moon decided to make me her son either." He said lifting his chin slightly. Harry snorted.
"No you'd just announce it to the world like the pompous prat you are." Harry teased causing Draco to glare at him.
"So what, let me guess you plan not to tell anyone and to go about as if nothing has happened running to your little nook so that you can read like the closeted Ravenclaw you are?" Draco said incredulously. Harry pretended to think and slowly nodded.
"Yes actually, that sounds like a capital idea, in fact-" He reached into his bag and pulled out a particularly heavy tome before looking Draco in the eye. "I think I'll start now." He said cheerfully but before he could open the dusty cover Draco was sighing and snapping it shut.
"Harry, whether you like it or not being the moon's prince changes things. For one I am apparently no longer the prince of Slytherin at Hogwarts." He said tilting his head forwards pointedly. Harry frowned.
"Of course you are-" He started.
"No, actually you are, this perk of yours ranks you higher than me." He said somewhat petulantly. Harry frowned. He'd never thought of being higher than Draco, he just wanted to be…safe, untouchable. Of course seeing Draco as he was now-
"Alright…so what changes?" He asked slightly nervously. Draco smirked.
"Firsties go to you now, every little whining problem they have from nightmares to loo troubles, they'll come to you and you have to support them. Most serious pranks and plots will go to you as well, they have to clear it with you before mayhem is made and they have to have it well thought out. Rank amongst the students will have to be watched there are some that will do stupid things to get higher on the list and those stupid things could cost Slytherin as a whole-" Harry held up a hand suspiciously.
"Draco…I do all those things already, I've been doing them since-" Draco nodded.
"First year when I took your father's cloak?" Remus gasped slightly and Draco gave him a look.
"He was friends with my parents." Harry said in explanation. Draco nodded slowly.
"Yeah, right whatever, the point is that Slytherin has had two leaders since first year I just didn't want father to know it and you were too dense to notice." Harry blinked at Draco in shock.
"Oh." He said blankly. Draco nodded reluctantly.
"Yeah, it's different now, there are a lot that still practice the old ways, more than the ministry knows about and they will be able to see your crown." Draco said leaning back. "The headmaster-" he cut himself off as the door slid open and Crabb and Goyle's hulking forms shadowed them. Draco sneered. "Good grief did you get fatter?" He asked incredulously before turning to Remus Lupin. "Uh, right well I'm not quite sure why you're still here but we need to fit them in here too." He said jabbing a finger at crab and Goyle. Remus winced inwardly and Harry was surprised that he could feel it.
"Draco." He said his face like a block of ice. Draco turned and caught unspoken words.
"Seriously?" He said sneering at Remus. Harry rose a single eyebrow that seemed to say be nice and Draco huffed. "Fine, I'm sure you and Harry can have a wonderful heart to heart later but I really do think you should go, if other students see you here they might think that Harry is somehow associated with you- and that would be bad." He said as nicely as a Malfoy could manage. Remus blinked rapidly before standing seeing out of sorts.
"Of course, I will see you later Harry." He said dropping his eyes. Harry caught a flash of amber and twitched slightly as The Voice rose up.
"Yes and Lupin- do eat more, you are far too thin, even for a vagabond." He said simply to quall The Voice. The man glanced down at his thin form and nodded.
"Of course." He said before disappearing. Draco rose an eyebrow at him and Harry shrugged pointing to his forehead, Draco nodded in understanding as the train jolted to a start.
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Harry's head was spinning as he stared out the window watching the beautiful landscape go by. Things were changing. He was getting more powerful and his hard work was beginning to pay off, of course there was the slight issue of being forcibly attached to the younger version of the Dark Lord. Tom wasn't in fact the worse person he could have been stuck with of course, but it bothered him to know that he couldn't simply drop Tom and leave him in the girls' loo like Ginny Weasley had-
REEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!
Harry jerked forward and knocked his head on the glass from the sudden stop. Blearily he lifted his hand to the sore spot and winced at the resulting surge of pain. Magic surged up around him and the voices hummed softly in reassurance, somewhere in the back of his mind the moon screamed in fury.
"Harry? You alright?" Draco said pushing himself up off the floor. "What was that-?" Harry watched Draco's features pale and turned to look at the window. The sky was darkening unnaturally and a bit of frost had begun to form on the frame. "Dementors…." Draco whispered softly his expression horrified. Harry gasped and clutched his chest as the moon's distinctive power rose to the front beckoned by the darkening skies.
And then he saw it…skeletal, wraith-like. He stood slowly as the arm slid the door open and magic urged him on while the voice took control.
"You dare harm what is ours?" His voice had joined with the others a dark powerful sound that spilled from his mouth as power rushed through him. The creature let out a low wail.
"A childe! Forgive us!" the creature hissed taking a step back. Harry felt his body move and decided not to fight the voice as he stepped out into the train's corridor to follow the retreating form.
"Did you think you would go unpunished?" His voice rose angrily filled with a power that threatened to overwhelm him. Slowly his hand rose and the creature screamed as a dark heady power vibrated from his fingertips before shooting forwards crackling with the combined wrath of the moon and the voice. The Dementor screamed in agony lifting its skeletal hands to the sides of its hooded head before with exploding outwards rattling the windows to the other compartments. Until all that was left was ash and tattered cloth. When it was done he could feel the other Dementors retreating rapidly in fear and slowly lowered his hand as his three companions slowly slipped from him leaving him positively buzzing with restless energy. He smiled slightly and turned back to the compartment where Draco stood watching him with wide terrified eyes. Harry frowned slightly and reached out.
"Draco?" Draco let out a gasp and stumbled back his entire body trembling. Harry stilled.
No….
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"Here." Lupin said handing him a sizable piece of chocolate. Harry took it blankly and nibbled on it feeling only slightly better. Draco wouldn't look at him after the thing with the Dementors- he was terrified of Harry.
"Why was he afraid of me?" Harry asked clenching his fists in hurt and betrayal. Lupin who had said very little since Harry had found his compartment and curled into the corner near the window sighed heavily.
"Harry the magic you dabble in is powerful stuff; some men spend their entire lives trying to become what you at such a young age have become." Remus said quietly. "That is not without consequence I'm afraid." Harry's mind returned to the Druids, their blood staining his skin collecting on the ground for his sake while the moon shined coldly down.
Murderer
But hadn't he said from the beginning, when he'd stood over Vernon's bed and watched him die that he would do anything to become strong? Only, instead of becoming strong…he'd been overpowered by a madman like Marcus. He was at the beck and call of Tom because without the other boy he felt as if he would tear in two.
He needed to become stronger.
Even if it meant losing Draco- the sudden pang in his heart startled him. Draco- for all his annoying attributes was like a little brother to him, though he didn't quite know when that had happened.
"Harry?" Remus edged, but just then the train pulled to a slow and steady stop. Harry shook his head and stood.
"I'll be fine, thank you for your concern." He said somewhat warily. Remus nodded his head.
"Of course." He said tilting his head forward more than casually. Harry pressed his lips into a thin line. There it was again, Remus was afraid of him too. Sighing slightly he slipped from the cabin and made his way through the crowd his mind focused on getting off the train as soon as possible.
"Mister Potter!" Harry stilled at the stern voice and turned slowly towards Severus suddenly afraid that someone had told him what happened on the train.
"Sir?" He said making his way through the crowd some of which made a great deal of noise as he passed pointing and staring with wide eyes. Severus rolled his eyes and glared at them as Harry approached.
"We have much to discuss I'm afraid Harry." He said shaking his head slightly before freezing as his eyes absently drifted over Harry's shoulder. Harry frowned and glanced over to find Remus looking at them with pursed lips.
"Professor, I believe you have somewhere to be." Harry said coolly. Remus' jaw flexed and his eyes flashed amber.
"O-Of course, just- please be careful." He choked out before turning and fading into the crowd.
"I see you've met our newest defense professor?" Severus said tightly. Harry nodded.
"Yes, I've also had the dubious pleasure of meeting my newest guard dogs." Harry said with a slight sneer. "Dementors, what on earth were they thinking?" He said shaking his head.
"Never try to understand the minds of mad men Harry." Severus said wisely. "Now, come, I'm afraid we don't have much time to speak." He said guiding Harry to where the large carriages were waiting. Harry nodded and startled when several loud whinnies filled the air his eyes growing wide as he turned to the front of the carriage. The threstles were bowing to him.
"You can see them?" Severus whispered pursing his lips. Harry nodded.
"One of the first experiences I've had in life was watching my mother die Severus, it leaves a mark." He said absently his mind coming up with excuses. Severus breathed in sharply and nodded.
"I've never seen them act this way before…" Harry sighed slightly and raised his hand as magic directed him to causing the creatures to stand their heads still bowed. Severus' sharp eyes found his. Harry felt a thrill of fear, would Severus fear him too?
"Harry…" He said suspiciously.
"You don't want to know." He said abruptly before climbing into the carriage. Severus pursed his lips and huffed before climbing in after him and shutting the door behind him.
"I'm sure that I do want to know Harry." He said softly. Harry felt his fear grow.
"Not this time Severus, what is it that you needed to discuss with me?" He asked hoping beyond hope that the man would take the bait. Severus glared at him for a moment longer before sighing softly.
"We will revisit this topic Harry." He said solidly. Harry winced.
"I'd rather we didn't." He said hopefully. Severus gave him a look and Harry felt his heart seize up. This was Severus, this wasn't Tom. Tom understood because he'd done far worse deeds, but Severus had morals, he was kind and treated life as precious underneath all the defensive armor. Would Severus turn away from him? Would he hate him for what he was becoming? Harry sighed. There really was no choice.
"Fine." He said reluctantly. Severus nodded sharply and the carriage began to move.
"Good, now, I put your request forward with the headmaster like you asked, however he was a bit…reluctant to give you the time turner without persuasion." He said eying Harry slightly. Harry sighed.
"Please tell me I don't owe Lucius Malfoy another favor?" He said wincing. Severus nodded shortly.
"I'm afraid so, but in the end it is worth it. Lucius sees you as someone with true potential; he will be willing to go to any lengths to help that potential grow. As we speak he is talking to the board about contributing a special fund so that you can be tutored on the weekends as well." Harry's eyes widened.
"What subjects?" He asked curiously. Severus pursed his lips.
"You and I both know that there is no way that Lucius would go out of his way to pay for an extra professor in Horology and Divination Harry." He said tightly. "He has confided in me that you will in fact be learning Druid magic and-" He sighed. "Old Magic." He said tiredly. Magic sang around Harry and the voice laughed in happiness. Harry though could only see the look on Severus' face.
"Would it be so bad Severus?" He said feeling hurt and frightened. Magic was a part of him. "Would my learning these things, utilizing them for my own benefit, would it be so terrible?" He said looking away. Severus sighed.
"Harry-" He cut himself off. "I have a personal quarrel with wild magic, I would never want to get in your way of learning you know that. I'm just; honestly I'm frightened for your sake Harry, magic is so willful at times that I'm afraid that it will lead you down the wrong path." He said shaking his head slightly. Harry felt a pang in his chest.
"Severus, what exactly is the wrong path?" He said softly. Dark eyes lifted to meet his and Harry swallowed thickly. "War is coming Severus, I time of change is approaching. If I am going to survive this- I need all the help I can get." He said shaking his head slowly. Severus stiffened his face pale.
"Harry-"
"I can't tell you any more." Harry said his voice tight as he met the man's gaze pleading with him to understand. "I have to learn as much as I can, to protect myself, I will never allow myself to become as helpless as I was when Marcus-" His voice cut off abruptly and magic rose up to sooth his frayed nerves.
Hush childe he is dead, gone…I will protect you…
Harry sighed slightly and opened his eyes surprised to see Severus staring at him in shock and pain his face ashen.
"Lily…I'd know that voice anywhere…" He whispered