Title: The Grey Side

Chapter Title: Rita The Cheater

Author: Angelus'Childe93

Beta: DarkSiren929

thoughts

A/N: I'm really going for a record here writing 2 chapters in one day. That's a first for me. Poll still up remember you don't review I count it as not wanting Sirius in the story. Even if you flame me put your opinion in.

Today was Rita Skeeters day. One of her contacts in Diagon Alley, Mr Peery, the owner of the Alley's finest restaurant, had given her a story that would make millions. The story of how the Boy-Who-Lived had turned dark. She was ecstatic, as not only had he given her a story but pictures to go with it for just a small sum of money. She had of course, exchanged the galleons and boy had she got value for money! The missing Golden Boy of Gryffindor had been seen associating with the Malfoys.

Well, well, Mr. Potter, what have you gotten yourself into this time

Rita had just sat down in her favourite chair and inked up her favourite quill when suddenly green flames came to life in her fire place, casting an eerie light into her living room.

"Rita! Rita?"

"WHAT!!?" Rita snapped turning her head to the fireplace, which happened to be where, Leann Hampshire, another of her contacts in Diagon Alley, was standing.

Leann was slightly taken aback at being interrupted, but she forged on all the same.

"You won't believe this Rita! You won't believe what I just saw in Diagon Alley today."

"Believe what Leann?" Rita said exasperatedly.

"I can't tell you that without some galleons."

"Today might not be your lucky one Miss Hampshire, for if you have seen what I think you've seen then you're too late. Another has been paid for the information.

Leann looked crestfallen. Rita smirked, it was a game of hers you see, she always tried to lure her contacts into telling her without getting paid because they thought she already had the information. However, Leann was sure no one else had seen what happened and she said so. Rita decided to play fair, as Leann was a nice enough lady and usually gave her the juiciest info out of all of her other contacts. Besides maybe she had heard something more than Mr Peery.

"Did what you see happen in a back alley?"

"Eh… no. no it happened in Madame Du Pont's Robes for All Occasions."

"Yes, that's… what?"

"It happened in a…"

"Yes, yes. I heard you the first time. Now tell me, is it about a black haired boy?" Rita asked eyes blazing.

"How did you know? There were also some other people with him."

"With blonde hair?"

"Yes! Are you a seer or something Rita?"

Rita jumped out of her favourite chair, her quill laying forgotten on the living room floor. She ran out grabbed some more galleons and was back in the room before you could say quick-quotes-quill. She gave the extra money to Miss Hampshire before demanding that she be told everything that had taken place in Miss Du Pont's Robes for All Occasions. Rita Skeeter was a very happy person indeed.

The Malfoy's were having one of their best summer vacations ever, because with Harry in the house everything was filled with laughter and joy. Draco had a new best friend and Narcissa and Lucius could have a break from being their evil selves. Draco could too of course; however their happiness was bittersweet that day, as it was the last day of August. Thus, it was the last day that Harry and Draco had at home. However, they were also looking forward to going to Hogwarts and surprisingly the main reason for this was the article that Rita Skeeter had just published about Harry and how he'd gone Dark. Ergo the whole world was in an uproar. Well, okay the whole Wizarding population of Europe was in an uproar.

1 September 1.18 am, found Harry smiling to himself, reading a very interesting article on the front page of the Daily Prophet. Together with a picture of Harry and Lucius shaking hands in a dark back alley. Harry and his new family had decided to frame it.

-Harry Potter seen in Diagon Alley with the Malfoys-

The Boy-Who-Lived has been reported missing from his relatives' house since the start of June. But new information about our hero shows us that he isn't as lost as we originally thought. You see, he has been spotted in Diagon Alley in the company of the infamous Malfoy family.

The missing Boy-Who-Lived arrived with the Malfoys in one of the pureblood families many magical cars. The family seemed to fancy a black limo that day. Witnesses tells me that they thought Mr. Potter was from another rich pureblood family, maybe a friend of the family, or of young Mr. Malfoy. Apparently, Potter was dressed in fine clothes and seemed very comfortable in the Malfoys company.

But where has Mr. Potter been all this time we might ask ourselves, and where has he got the money to buy himself such expensive clothes? Has he been with the Malfoys? Has he gotten money from them? Because we know that he hasn't been in Gringotts collecting his money. His vault has not been opened, and he hasn't got the key either. His headmaster at Hogwarts is holding on to that.

But the big question here is why:

Why would our Mr. Potter associate with the infamous Malfoy family? Rumor has it, that he and young Mr. Malfoy have been enemies since day one at Hogwarts. Why did he leave his aunt and uncle's house? It was supposed to be a safe house for him and Albus Dumbledore had given him strict orders to stay there all summer. Why has Mr. Potter ignored his headmaster orders? Has something happened to make him change loyalties? Why hasn't he told anybody, not even his friends, that he was fine? Does he not care for us anymore? Has our savior turned his back against us?

All the evidences points to the conclusion that we have lost our Boy-Who-Lived. One of my contacts can swear under the Veritaserum potion that she saw Mr. Potter cast a spell on the owner of a robe store in Diagon alley, to make her do as he wanted. I quote:

"At first I thought he was just another rich pureblood family's son. He, young Mr. Malfoy and Mrs. Malfoy went into a robe store while I stood outside the window watching them. The next thing I saw was that the owner, whom was alone with the three of them, asked who the black haired boy was. I fancied to know this too, so I listened closely to their conversation. I had no need to sharpen my ears though, as the lady screamed 'Harry Potter' as loudly as humanly possible, after he apparently had showed her his scar.

Here is where its gets interesting though; the lady with the impressive set of pipes, dumps into a nearby stool and Mr. Potter swears at her because she screamed so loudly, though it has no effect as she has gone into shock. Mr. Malfoy starts laughing and Mr. Potter seems to threaten him, because after Mr. Potter says something to him, he jumps up from the floor like as scared rabbit and stops laughing. Then Mr. Potter turns towards the lady and points his wand at her head. He tells the Malfoys something about a spell, I couldn't hear what he said, but the Malfoys nods and he casts a spell on the store owner. After the spell hits her she comes out of her shock, but acts like a mummy. Mr. Potter smirks and tells her what to do, which she does without batching an eye. When she is gone, Potter turns to the Malfoys and says smirking 'See, worked like clockwork'. They laugh and leave the store.

And I must tell you, he scared me half to death with his evil grins and smirks. When he turned around after casting the spell I could have sworn that his eyes turned red for a moment, just like You Know Who's. And the spell, it was light blue, just like one of the unforgivables, the Imperius curse". End quote.

Yes, the evidence points against him, but the robe store accident isn't all. After meeting up with Malfoy senior the four of them went to an expensive restaurant for a better lunch. When they were done eating Mr. Potter signed for Lucius Malfoy to follow him outside.

A contact of mine followed them too and managed to get a picture of them shaking hands and grinning at each other like old friends (the one on the front page). This person also heard some of their conversation, I quote:

"It's a deal Mr. Potter, and if I may say so, how dreadfully Slytherin of you!" Lucius Malfoy said.

Harry Potter took his hand with a serious face, and answered:

"Thank you Mr. Malfoy, it's a pleasure doing business with you".

So, then we have to ask ourselves again; have we lost our savior, has he turned against us? And how exactly did this boy survive the killing curse as a baby, the one nobody before or after have survived? Was the spell really cast on him?

The questions are many, and I, Rita Skeeter, will help you answer them. I will keep you informed on this issue and try to get a hold of Mr. Albus Dumbledore, and hear what he has to say for himself. Can we trust a man who can't even look after one single boy, to look after our children at Hogwarts? Time will tell, and so will I.

Rita Skeeter.

Rita Skeeter had published many articles like this since the Malfoy's had been seen in Diagon alley. And they enjoyed reading them. Dumbledore had received lots of hate mail from people saying that he should have tried harder to keep Harry from the dark side. The red letters were naturally guests on the Hogwarts headmaster's desk. The old man had often gone out and said that they had nothing to fear, and that Harry was a good boy who would never leave the side of light. He assured them that Harry just wanted to find his place in the world and that he, Albus Dumbledore, had everything under control.

Albus Dumbledore had of course tried to find Harry and the Malfoy's, but they had not showed themselves in public after the Diagon Alley thing. They really didn't need to, and it help to freak out the wizarding world even more; some thought he had joined Voldemort in hiding, and some thought he was killed by the Malfoy's after they had been seen together. The conclusions were many and the answers were hilarious. Harry and Draco couldn't wait until they entered Hogwarts again. Harry only hoped that he would be sorted into Slytherin, as Lucius had finally managed to convince the other school governors to sign the deal which stated that every student from year four to six at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry should be resorted this year. It had been easy to make Dumbledore sign it too, since Lucius had made one of the governors take the deal to The Daily Prophet, namely Rita Skeeter, whom thought the deal was great. After she published her opinion Dumbledore had little choice but to sign since he wasn't a very popular headmaster in the eyes of the wizarding world anymore.

Harry loved Rita Skeeter!

2 a.m. I better get some sleep, tomorrow is going to be a long, but interesting day.

As Harry Potter, the once savior of the wizarding world lay down to sleep, he thought of how his old friend would react to him. It wasn't that he hated them; they had been good friends, sometimes. Tomorrow, well today actually, would decide how their future was together. If they had a good excuse to lie to him, then he would maybe forgive them, but if they hadn't, well let us just say that they would not be the best of friends anymore.

Slytherin Harry Potter was here, and those who had a problem with it, better keep their thoughts to themselves, or suffer the wrath of three blondes and one brunette.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------TBC

A/N: I know that in the last chapter I said Harry had his key, so to explain Harry has a key that Dumbledore doesn't know about that Sirius gave him at some point. Albus Dumbledore has the other key and as the Goblins like Harry because he is always polite to them they had no inclination to give the press any information regarding his finances.