Harry Potter, the Forgotten Son

Chapter 4: Deals

-X-

(I Own Nothing)

-X-

It took no time at all to make his way to the girls bathroom in which his sister and her friend were in. Seeing as the dorms were in the other direction and far from the dungeons, too far for the troll to reach without being seen and taken care of by the staff.

When he turned a corner it hit him, making his blood run cold. The smell! The awful gut-wrenching stench of a bloody mountain troll. He knew it was one due to the fact that he wasn't already kneeling down and throwing his guts up as a swamp troll could be smelled for miles and both forest and river trolls were naturally too afraid to leave their domain and enter different landscapes.

The sound of something being broken reached his ears followed by a pair of loud screams, making his heart drop before sprinting as fast as he could towards the sound. As more screams were heard he could feel his insides burning, as if his blood was boiling to a fever pitch. He no longer heard the sound of his shoes hitting the stone, all he could hear was the screams and destruction followed by a growl.

Reaching the doorway to the bathroom, he entered to find the wooden stalls reduced to splinters, toilets broken and spraying water, and the sinks shattered into hundreds of little pieces. He saw both Rose and Hermione pressed up against the wall, Hermione frozen from fear as she stared at the lumbering troll gazing stupidly at them while Rose aimed her wand at the beast with a shaky grip.

The troll, standing over twelve feet tall and wearing a leather loincloth with a matching vest that did nothing to cover his hanging belly, grunted in it's troll language before slowly hefting the large wooden club in its hand above its head, making Rose yelp in fear and clinch her eyes.

Harry snapped.

With his wand in hand faster than many trained duelers could only dream of, Harry swung it like a blade while growling out the incantation, "Diffindo Maximus!" sending a white crescent shaped spell flying through the trolls wrist, completely cutting it off with a spurt of blood before the spell left a deep groove in the magically reinforced stone wall of Hogwarts.

The troll let out what seemed to be a pained cry after a moment of staring at the missing limb that gushed blood, ignoring everything while Harry used the moment to cast summoning charms on the two girls and place them out of the way.

As she and Hermione were placed behind Harry, Rose started to hug her brother only to see the look he had on his face. A frightening look, the look of uncontrollable anger and even... murder.

Neither female could do anything but watch as the teen stabbed his wand out at the injured troll, snarling "Expulso!" as the spell struck with a resounding boom the beast, ripping it's vest slightly and knocking it over into a pile of what used to be the bathroom stalls.

"Expulso!" Harry snarled again, casting the spell that blew the target back, causing a magical explosion to knock in back even further.

Over and over Harry struck the beast, his voice getting crueler and crueler with each spell until it slammed into the wall where Rose and Hermione had once been up against. The trolls skin was resistant to magic but not magic proof, by the fourth hit it's skin had busted and now each spell dug deeper and deeper with a bloody red mist painting the floor.

It grunted weakly, its entire midsection looking like ground meat while Harry gave an enraged snarl, "Nothing in this world shall threaten what I care for," he hissed coldly while glaring at the troll, "Filthy... Fucking animal... Expulso Maximus!"

The wall behind the troll crumbled as it's entire body broke through like a wrecking ball hitting a glass house.

The girls could only stare in horror, covering their mouths in shock. At first the entire thing was terrifying, Harry was showing a side they'd never seen before, he was so brutal, cruel... it wasn't right! But then they heard him, he cared for them enough to do something like that!

As strange as it sounded, just that made them feel like he was justified in what they saw as killing the troll. Maybe a little over the top but hey, whatever.

Looking at the broken wall, Rose stepped up behind Harry and grabbed his arm, halfway looking around him as well as using him as a human shield if need be while Hermione did the same.

"Is... is it..."

"Dead?" Harry finished for her coldly as they held his arms, "It's possible, but the question here is are you two ok?"

Before either could utter an answer, McGonagall, Quirrell, and Snape came busting in with their transfiguration professor in the lead and Snape bringing up the rear.

"OH!" McGonagall gasped while holding her chest and bracing herself against the wall, "Oh my goodness!"

Pale at the sight of all the blood she looked at the three, Rose and Hermione had already spun around as their head of house arrived but Harry remained turned, glaring at the unmoving form of the troll, "E-Explain yourselves right this instant!" she demanded while pointing her finger shakily at the three.

As the two girls started babbling, Harry spoke above them in a tone that was far colder than they'd ever heard, so cold that they almost felt it.

"I believe that it is quite obvious, Professor McGonagall... This... filthy beast, threatened the lives of two young girls and like all dangerous animals, has been put down." He said cold-bloodedly while turning slowly to look at them with a stoney face devoid of grief for what he'd just done.

"Be that as it may," McGonagall spoke, "You deliberately went against us and disobeyed what we told you to do. I expected better from you Mr. Potter,"

"Just as I've expected better of this school," Harry shot back without missing a beat or showing any emotion to what she'd just said, "This school proudly boasts that it is one of the best and safest in Europe and yet somehow, something as dimwitted as a troll made it's way in." He then frowned at her, "And how dare you say that you've expected better from me, I did what was right and protected both my sister and her friend. I've saved their lives and you have no right to speak down upon me for doing so."

During this, Rose glanced to Snape and noticed a patch of his pants lag missing while the skin underneath has what looked like a bite mark on it with blood dribbling from it. Snape noticed her looking and quickly covered his wounded leg from view with his robes.

McGonagall bit her lip, it wasn't like she could argue with him over that, he had indeed went against them to find his sister and ended up saving her life so to punish him would be like saying 'I don't care if they died as long as you do as you're told.'

Sighing, looking at the troll off in the distance then to them, she spoke, "Well I hope you know just how lucky you are... not many students could say that they took on a full-grown mountain troll and live to tell the tell... just... just head on back to your dorms and go to sleep."

With that said, she turned and walked off. Snape spare Harry one last glance that said 'We're going to talk about this' and followed suit. Lastly, Quirrell motioned for them to get a move on, saying "Come on children, let's leave before it wakes up."

Harry walked past him, "Not bloody likely," he muttered with the two girls walking close by his sides

-X-

By morning, unconfirmed rumors about what happened were already on everyone's lips thanks to the numerous portraits that had seen the troll lumber into the bathroom followed by Harry not too long after. But since there wasn't any portraits in the bathroom due to privacy reasons, they could only speculate on what might have happened.

But nothing could be confirmed or denied by the parties in question as neither Rose, Hermione, or Harry showed up the next morning, which was a Saturday meaning that only a handful of students had classes which were usually make-up days for missed assignments or electives.

Near the end of breakfast, which ran a little later than on the weekend than it did on week days, everyone who wanted to know what happened noticed that not only were the three in question were gone but so was Professor Potter. Dumbledore showed up late and ate a small breakfast before standing up to make an announcement.

"Students, if I may have your attention please!" he called out with his wand against his neck, making his voice much louder as to be heard over the noise of talking children.

The sound of a quill dropping could be heard as the Great Hall went silent.

"Due to the damage caused by last nights... ordeal with the troll that entered the castle, the girls bathroom in the charms corridor will be out of order until the damages are repaired and the... mess... is cleaned up." The old man announced with a small frown, he'd seen the aftermath and while the damage would be easy to fix, the blood covering the floor and even the walls was another story. Like the trolls skin, it's blood had similar magic resistant properties, meaning that it had to be cleaned the old fashion way, something that Filch was less than happy about. "I would also like to announce that in regards to what happened, I'm rewarding fifty house points to Slytherin for Mr. Potter actions in saving the lives of two first years and... taking care of the troll before it could hurt someone."

Those who could read between the lines and hear what wasn't said were shocked, they could see the slight pause in the mans words like he was deciding on what words to use. When he said that the fourth year 'took care' of the troll they knew what the man meant was that Harry had killed the troll before it could hurt his sister and her friend.

-X-

"Madam Pomfrey, I assure you that this is unneeded," Harry intoned blandly as he was made to lay back on one of the six white cots inside Hogwarts Hospital Wing while their resident healer and school nurse Madam Poppy Pomfrey checked him over with the glowing tip of her wand.

Poppy Pomfrey was a very sweet and kind elderly woman... when you were following her every direction when it came to being a patient at least. But like Minerva McGonagall, when it came to her job she took no nonsense and ruled the hospital wing with a iron fist.

The healer looked at him with a stern gaze, "That may be Mr. Potter, but after what happened last night we can't be too cautious. After all, you did blast a fully grown mountain troll through a wall."

Knowing that this wasn't one battle he could win with words or magic, he just laid their as her glowing wand hovered over him while Hermione and Rose sat on two beds across the small walkway, their tests already done.

When she finally finished, giving him a clean bill of health as her spells hadn't found anything wrong with him, he sat up and redressed behind the screens hiding his cot from view. The three started to leave but the door opened and in walked Lily.

"Harry..." the redheaded woman whispered while looking him over as he stopped a few feet away. "Can we... talk, please?"

Harry looked at her for a moment and nodded, he'd been expecting this for a while now and decided to go on and get this meeting out of the way.

"Rose, Hermione, can you give us some privacy? I'll be see you this afternoon" he spoke to the two, who nodded and left the room while Poppy had already went to her office.

"You know," he started as the door shut behind the two girls, "I've anticipated this meeting for quite some time... it's been awhile hasn't it mother?"

For some reason, hearing him refer to her as mother struck a chord with her, making her happy that he would still call her that.

"Harry... I'm so sorry," she started after a moment of silence, wanting to go on and get this off her chest, the very thing that had kept her awake at night and ate away at her soul, "I'm a terrible mother, I never should've neglected you like I did. Can you ever forgive me? I just want us to be a family again"

Harry raised an eyebrow without really expressing a positive or negative view, "Mother... I've forgiven you long ago for what you've done, but the fact of the matter is that you abandoned me years ago. My true childhood is over and you've missed out on it, the honest, brutal truth is that I no longer need a mother figure in my life. I've done well enough without one for the seven years before coming here to this school so why would I need one now? To appease the guilt consuming you from within? In all honesty I believe that you deserve to feel this way but I'm going to be the adult here and say that while I forgive you I will never forget."

She trembled.

"Now, I have business to attend to in Hogsmeade during this weekends trip so if you will excuse me, I must be on my way."

Watching her son walk around her and out of the Hospital wind, Lily didn't know what to feel. First off, Harry had said that he forgave her but at the same time didn't want anything to do with her. She felt better at first but his second statement cut like a knife and it wasn't as if she didn't deserve this... just as he said.

-X-

After sending the two first years on their way, Harry left the castle and walked down the path leading him to the village of Hogsmeade alone. The village was off limits to first and second year students so it was no surprise to see the place bustling with teens from the castle, buying anything that they might've needed. Clothing, parchment, quills, books, potions equipment, potions ingredients, quidditch items, candy, and even a magical greengrocer among other things.

But he wasn't there to shop right now, he'd have time for that later. No, he was here to get information from a... friend as well as meet someone else afterward.

Walking into the Three Broomsticks Inn, which was also a pub despite it's misleading name, Harry sat at the bar and waited.

"Hello Harry, what can I get for my favorite Hogwarts student?" Madam Rosmerta asked as she leaned against the bar across from him, the neck of her blouse dipping a bit low.

The woman was the owner of the pub and like most witches, aged a bit slower than normal, making her the wet dream of many schoolboys from the castle. Her hair was curly and blond with brown roots and her eyes were acid green. She had a few wrinkles here and there but her wonderful perky bosom was more than enough to distract most men from the small hints of her age.

"While I'd enjoy what you're offering," he mused with a raised eyebrow as he peered down into the woman's low cut shirt, taking in the sight of her cleavage, "I'm afraid that at the moment, I'm looking for something a little less... physical and a bit more... enlightening."

She smiled, "Oh I see, well what kind of information might you need?"

Ever since he first started coming here, he'd made sure to make friends with the owners of the two pubs in the village, the first being Aberforth Dumbledore, the younger brother of Albus Dumbledore and owner of the Hogshead, a dingy little pub. He and Aberforth had a... professional relationship to say the least, the pub wasn't as popular with the students like the Three Broomsticks was and his main customers were the more seedy denizens in the area. He invested some of his money into the pub to help the man out in return for letting him use the pubs back room as a meeting place whenever the 'seven' couldn't meet in the castle or to pass along any information that he might hear.

Rosemerta on the other hand didn't need any investments at all and in return for the information she could easly gather from gossiping students and visiting teachers who wanted to relax and talk about their days.

Presenting a small bag that clinked and chimed as it hit the bar, he laid his hand over it with an expectant look on his face. "There's something inside of Hogwarts, something that the school is hiding or protecting. I want to know what it is or why it's here." he told her lowly as not the be heard by the few people inside the pub at the time.

The blond barmaid hummed, looking thoughtful, "I think I might have heard something about that..."

-X-

Standing in Potage's Cauldron Shop, one of the three stores that the owner, Madam Potage owned, Harry looked over the many makes and brands of cauldrons that were offered. The place was a bit messy and dusty despite getting a lot of business from students destroying their cauldron during potions or wanting to get a better one, the shelves were haphazardly stacked and some cauldrons were even stacked on top of each other over seven feet high in the middle of the floor.

But when you ignored that, one found that the inventory was amazing, Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver, Self-Stirring, and Collapsible just to name a few. They also carried them in any size you needed, from cauldrons so large that you needed a bonfire to heat it to some so small that a candle looked like it would work.

"I've been thinking of acquiring a self-stirring cauldron made of silver," he mused out loud while looking at the item in question as a man in black robes walked in and over to him, "Very useful for not only potions but the slight reflection allows one to see who might be approaching, wouldn't you agree Professor Snape?"

"It would be a good investment for someone going into the field of potions," Snape replied off handily, "I bought one for my fifth year and still use it from time to time."

"Maybe, but what can I do for you Professor? You asked to speak with me here of all places, why not use your office?"

Snape frowned, stepping next to his student and giving him a look which Harry caught.

"Don't worry, Madam Potage is away for today and her assistant has decided to take an early lunch over at the Three Broomsticks," Harry told him before taking his wand and waving it at the door, which caused the sign in the window to change from 'Open' to 'Out for Lunch', "Now, what's on your mind?"

"I'm not sure if my office is safe to talk in, the portraits all love to gossip like certain Ravenclaws and one has been placed in my office over the summer," Snape muttered with a scowl, as he hadn't wanted the blasted thing in there, "But I wanted to talk with you about what happened with the troll."

Harry hummed, looking at the other silver cauldrons nearby, "What's there to talk about? The thing was a danger and as such, had to be put down."

"You know that your little rampage has raised some eyebrows right?" he spoke only to get a nod as the teen picked up a small palm sized copper cauldron, "It might not seem like it sometimes but your one of the most well known students in all of Hogwarts, even the Bloody Baron sees you as the perfect Slytherin student. But what I want to know is why you went so far, killing the troll like that was brutal even for you."

Placing the small cauldron down, Harry turned and gave the man a deadpanned look, "Professor, I've been in your house for three, going on four years. You know things about me that no one else does or do I need to remind you of the fact that you are bound by numerous magical oaths that keep said information locked away and insure that you never utter a word of them?"

Snape was silent for a moment, as Harry's head of house it was his job to insure his students safety in not only the dorms but to look for signs of child abuse or neglect. It had taken a bit of time for Harry to open up to him... as well as an oath to keep it to himself but he learned some... disturbing things about how the boy grew up.

"You know how protective I am over my little sister and yet you ask why I ended the life of the troll that threatened her, Professor I thought you knew me better than that..."

"Usually it wouldn't be a concern accept that now, the Headmaster has started pestering me about you more than the usual 'how is he doing?' every now and then... but aside from that I need to use the favor you owe me,"

The teen raised an eyebrow and nodded, "So long as you know that I reserve the right to refuse should it cross the line."

"I need you to use your little 'smuggling' connections to get a hold of something and brought to the school," Snape told him while smirking at the sudden flash of shock that Harry showed before it vanished behind a vale of emotionlessness, "That's right I know it's you, but I've decided to overlook it as long as you continue getting good grades."

"I see..." he hummed while the man handed him a list, "How long have you known?"

"Since you first started supplying the twins with large amounts of pranks."

Harry frowned and looked at the list before blinking, "Ever-Ice dust and a pound of scales from a Aterignis viper?" he repeated after reading before looking up at the man, "I assume your aware that both of those are highly regulated and forbidden inside Hogwarts, not to mention expensive."

"I know but certain... problems make it so that I can not buy them from the right sources, I'm more than willing to pay as long as I can get them both."

Harry folded the list and stored it away, "I assume that it has something to do with a certain item hidden away in the school... am I right?"

This time it was Snape's turn to look shocked, "How do you know about that?"

He shrugged, "I have my ways, but a certain half-giant seems to get a bit too talkative when he's drinking. So, how about this. I'll get what you need, but you have to tell me what's so damned important... do we have a deal?"

To be continued...

-X-

REVIEW PLEASE

I don't feel that this was as good as it could've been.