Chapter Eight - A Dark Stranger
Harry sat at the Slytherin Table, eyes locked on the cooling oatmeal in his bowl. This morning he had no appetite. In Hell he could go days without eating, but here on the mortal plane, his body needed sustenance. He tapped his spoon against the silver bowl, enjoying the loud clank. Closing his eyes, he inhaled, focusing on the various smells filling the Great Hall. His sensitive ears picked through several different conversations, halting when worried whispers from the Gryffindor table reached him. A malicious smirk curved his lips as the details of the trio's discovery were exclaimed over. Sighing in delight, he slipped his spoon into the oatmeal and lifted it slowly.
Magic brushed against his aura, the feeling raising the small hairs at the nape of his neck. This touch was different from that of a wizard trying to invade his mind. It was more of a magical knock, a demand for acknowledgment. He stiffened in reaction, emerald eyes narrowing in concentration. His silver spoon was lowered en route to his mouth, its contents spilling back into the bowl. The blood sluggishly pumping through his veins began to quicken with the tempo of his heart. With little thought, he examined the spot, searching for a magical signature. Moments later, a dangerous smile curved his lips and he reclaimed his spoon.
He was coming. And he was right on time.
Anticipation filled him as he straightened. He swept the Great Hall with gleaming eyes, noting that the House Tables were packed and all members of the Hogwarts staff present. His tongue flicked out and swept over his lips, the sensitive organ picking out the most delicate of scents. Flaring his nostrils, he reaffirmed what he'd discovered upon the air currents and smiled. He extended his aura and watched as the gathered students magic reacted to it, flaring brightly under the light caress. Turning his head, he focused his gaze upon the double doors and waited.
It took exactly two minutes and thirty three seconds for Filch to appear at the entrance of the Great Hall. It took another sixteen seconds for everyone eating breakfast to notice his arrival as well as that of the individual trailing him. Murmurs died away to whispers as curious eyes focused upon the tall stranger. Wood creaked as students craned their necks for a better view.
Harry sighed almost inaudibly, resting an elbow on the dark wood of the Slytherin Table. He rested his chin in the palm of his hand, sparkling orbs locked on the cloaked form drifting leisurely into the chamber. The faintest rasp of cloth against stone reached his ears, each breath sounding like the booming of thunder. As if sensing his appraisal, the shadowy individual halted.
A deep cowl concealed the man's face, the edges worn ragged. Small threads dangled from the drooping sleeves, only increasing the air of mystery that clung to him. Turning his head slowly, the tall male swept the students with pale eyes. Black hair slipped from beneath the hood and fell to his thin shoulders in a tangled knot. Lifting frail hands quickly, the male pushed the cowl back. Gasps broke the silence as his face was revealed. Ignoring the rash of whispers the action had caused, he resumed his course toward the Head Table. His steps faltered when his gaze landed upon Harry, the gray orbs widening and a devilish grin twisting his thin features. He changed course suddenly, veering in the direction of the Slytherin Table.
Swinging his leg over the bench, Harry rose. A smirk similar to the one the dark-haired man wore rode his lips. "Sirius," he greeted calmly. Before he had a chance to say anything else, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around his shoulders and hauled him against a bony chest. His nostrils flared at the smell of sulphur and brimstone that the other demon exuded, the scent momentarily making him nostalgic. Giving his advisor a hearty pat on the back, he pulled away. "Took you long enough," he grumbled playfully.
"Hah," barked Sirius. He stepped back with his hands resting on Harry's biceps, examining the younger male. After several long seconds, he gave a bob of his head and released the younger male. "You're looking well, as always."
"As are you, old friend." Harry said smoothly. He couldn't help the dangerous chuckle that slid past his lips, the sound causing the nearest students to shift nervously. The arrival of the other demon meant his hunt could continue with renewed vigor. While Harry's talents laid with tracking and locating . . . Sirius had other, more useful, powers.
Sirius was not a true demon. Rather, he was a mortal inducted into the demon world shortly after his death. His slightly suspicious death; though suspicious was putting it lightly. Imbued with the powers of a minor demon, he was set forth to do the devil's bidding. His job . . . create chaos wherever feasible. Sirius was very good at his job. So good, in fact, that he drew Harry's unwanted attention. While Harry hadn't needed or wanted a friend, minor demons always made wonderful gophers. Thus, a relationship of convenience was formed.
The sudden appearance of Snape at his shoulder had him stiffening. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sirius lick his lips and sniff delicately. Fighting down the mischievous grin threatening to encompass his face, he cleared his throat and lifted his chin. "Have you reconsidered my offer, Severus Snape?" To make his meaning perfectly clear, he dropped his eyes to the dark tattoo hidden beneath the man's heavy black robe.
Stiffening, Severus lifted his chin and glared at the pair. "The Headmaster would like to see you in his office after breakfast." He snarled, his onyx eyes drifting to where the old wizard sat amidst his staff. Giving Dumbledore a sharp nod, he returned his gaze to Harry. "And he requests that you bring your new friend." With a final sneer, he shot the young wizard's companion a murderous look and whirled around, stalking from the Great Hall.
"Nice fellow," Sirius commented.
Snorting in amusement, Harry shifted his gleaming orbs to the gray-bearded wizard perched at the center of the Head Table. As his gaze met Dumbledore's, he tipped his head and smiled, baring teeth slightly sharper than normal. "I'm very glad you think so, Sirius, because you'll be spending a lot of time with him."
Almost immediately Sirius flung an arm around Harry's shoulders and yanked him closer. "Do you mean it?"He demanded excitedly, orbs shining in a maniacal sort of way. His tongue flicked out and swiped over his lips, brow drawing down slowly. "There's something not quite right about that man."
Harry nodded as he watched the Headmaster rise and sweep from the Great Hall, faded lavender robes swirling behind him. Twitching his own robes neatly into place, he indicated that Sirius should follow him and turned to leave the hall. He stilled, however, when his eyes fell upon the graceful blond standing arrogantly between the double doors that opened into the Hall. His lips parted and he inhaled deeply, drawing Draco's delightful scent into his lungs. As his mouth watered and his pupils dilated, he completely forgot what he'd been in the process of doing.
Pursing his lips, Sirius looked back and forth between Harry and the blond. A knowing grin crossed his lips as the younger demon licked his lips and breathed in heavily. "Not quite as focused as usual, are we?" He muttered, shoving the Retriever lightly in the back. Ignoring the pointy elbow that connected firmly with his left kidney, he reached forward and pinched Harry on the arm. "Cupid finally get you? Man, that sucks. I didn't think he'd really follow through with that particular threat."
Harry rolled his eyes and shook his head slowly. "Cupid has nothing to do with it, Sirius." Giving himself a mental shake, he headed toward the wizard, Sirius following at his heels. "Good morning, Draco," he said softly in passing. He couldn't help but glance over his shoulder as he stalked from the hall, feeling strangely disappointed as Sirius pointedly blocked his view.
"Lust, is it?" The tall demon murmured, nodding his head sagely.
Harry gave a small snort that turned into a chuckle, something akin to relief flooding through him. It was only lust. Nothing more than a simple, primitive, mortal emotion. "Exactly. See, that's why I need you here. You know this world so much better than I."
Sirius grinned at the compliment. "I'm glad you've finally decided to admit that you need me," he purred suggestively with a wiggle of his eyebrows. Getting only a sneer in response, he decided to change the topic of conversation before the Retriever decided he no longer required a gopher. "Why, exactly, did you summon me?"
Slowing his pace, Harry tipped his head to the side and sniffed. He frowned at the flood of smells and shook his head before changing tactics. His aura flared with a mere thought; tendrils of magic stretching out and searching for any witch or wizard within the vicinity. Finding only a pair of very young witches and a ghost dozing within the walls, he deemed it safe to disclose what he'd learned. "The subject of my hunt is Tom Marvolo Riddle."
The name stopped the minor demon in his tracks, causing him to stumble forward. "Voldemort's here?" Sirius whispered, his tone hushed and oddly reverent. Some random thought must have crossed his mind because a radiant smile crossed his face and he clapped his hands in delight. "I finally get to meet Voldemort. The Voldemort."
"Yes, well, you have to help me find him first." Harry grumbled dryly, picking up the pace. He led Sirius up a set of stairs and down another hall, following the path he'd taken with Dumbledore just days ago.
"You have to admit, Harry, the demon does fabulous work." The taller demon pointed out, narrowing his eyes as they drew to a halt before a statue of a gargoyle. He observed Harry with slitted eyes, smirking when the Retriever hissed 'Sherbert Lemons' and set the stone statute to sliding aside.
Glancing over his shoulder at his companion, Harry tipped his head in acknowledgment. "That may be so, but his failure to return on time means I get stuck freezing my balls off in the snow while I look for him." A shiver slid down his spine at the thought and he immediately shouldered deeper into the heavy robe he wore. He grimaced and stepped into the shadowed stairwell, beginning the short trek upwards to the Headmaster's study.
"You're a real pessimist sometimes, Harry."
"It's expected of me," Harry replied easily. He lifted a hand and knocked lightly on the door before him, head tipping as he listened to Albus shuffle about inside. The old wizard was undoubtably preparing himself for the meeting that lay only seconds ahead, the raven-haired demon thought, an evil grin curving his lips. Ah, mortals. How they loved their drama.
"Enter," called the aforementioned wizard.
Placing a hand on the door, he flicked a quick look over his shoulder, silently warning his companion to mind his manners. Under his hand, the door swung open. "Good morning to you, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore." Harry greeted politely. As he'd expected, the Headmaster sat imperiously behind his large desk, blue eyes narrowed behind half-moon spectacles.
"Please have a seat, Harry." Albus said, waving a hand to indicate the pair of chairs resting before him. His lips firmed as the young demon moved gracefully forward and lowered himself into one of the seats, emerald eyes glowing eerily. He shifted his gaze to the tall stranger, frowning when the male continued to drift around the room.
"Severus Snape said you wished to parlay with me." The raven-haired demon finally said, breaking the silence that had fallen. He shifted uncomfortably in the chair, brow drawing down as his nostrils flared. His tongue flicked out and ran over his lips, subtlety testing the air. Iron . . . in its natural form. Immediately his chin came up, eyes flaring at the deliberate threat.
"Your very presence here defies everything I believe in," Albus informed the young male. Shaking his head slowly, he slid open the top drawer of his desk and withdrew the weapon he'd placed there earlier. In the sunlight the iron dagger glimmered with promise, its blade razor sharp. "You endanger my students at every turn. Just this morning I received a frantic fire call from Professor McGonagall reporting that three of her students were lying unconscious in the Great Hall."
Harry peered thoughtfully at the blade, considering it cautiously. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sirius arch an eyebrow in question. A slight shake of his head sent the older demon to perusing the shelves full of clinking, clanking devices. "I believe we went over this the other day, Headmaster, you may have the tools but you don't have the power. You would, perhaps, manage to wound one of us before we killed you. If you were very fast, you might even kill one of us. However, the outcome would still be the same."
A sly smiled twisted Dumbledore's face and he rose from his desk. Leaving the dagger lying upon a pile of parchment, he turned and walked toward the massive shelf that stood at the far side of the chamber. "I don't recall giving you permission to invite another of your kind here," he stated as he pushed his glasses up his nose.
With that remark, Harry assumed he had won the battle. "I require his presence," he answered simply. His eyes flicked to the phoenix perched in the corner, the emerald orbs narrowing as the bird trilled and fluttered scarlet wings. The sudden crash of glass and metal had him whirling around and shaking his head at what he found.
"I slipped," Sirius said in leu of an apology. Shrugging his shoulders, he moved away from the broken glass.
"Be that as it may," Dumbledore began as he waved his wand and repaired the hourglass, "you failed to gain my permission before bringing him here." Turning back to the row of books he stood before, he gave a soft exclamation and pulled an ancient tome from the shelf. He returned to his desk slowly, frowning as the wandering demon tugged roughly on Fawkes' tail. "You may see yourself as being all powerful, Harry, but the truth is . . . you're not." That said, he laid the book down next to the dagger and sat.
Harry's eyes widened at the sight of the book. He couldn't suppress his snarl of shock nor the sudden fisting of his hands. "Where did you get that?" Rather then waiting for the question to be answered, he stood and skittered backwards. His heart pounded and his pupils dilated as he stared at the grimoire. From where he stood, he could smell the dark magic wafting from the pages of the book.
Seeing his companion's agitation, the tall dark-haired demon crept forward. Fear chased all shock from his face, gray eyes shimmering in an unnatural manner. "Those were all destroyed," he sputtered. "All of them."
"Obviously not," Albus said jovially. He flipped the grimoire open and began to turn the pages. The demon's reaction to the book surprised him. He had assumed some level of fear would be shown at the initial appearance of the book, however, outright terror was not what he had expected. Realizing that he had discovered something that truly scared the young demon, he relaxed. Fear was always a wonderful motivator and he would use it to his advantage.
Shaking off the spell that the book had settled upon him, Harry straightened and took several deep breaths. His eyes drifted closed at the sweet smell of pure magic, delighting in the way it melted within his lungs. He relaxed into the feeling, letting the familiarity calm him. After several seconds of this routine, he opened his emerald orbs. "Which spell shall you use to cast us home? Perhaps the one that requires the blood of an innocent? Or maybe the one that requires you to bind us to something easily destroyed?"
"The remainder of your stay here will be dependant upon your ability to follow orders and the guidelines I originally set." Dumbledore stated, closing the grimoire. His hand remained on the dusty cover of the book, the gesture a warning that he was to be taken seriously.
Rather than continuing to toy with the old wizard, the raven-haired demon gave the answer he was expected to give. "As you wish," Harry murmured. He bowed his head and lowered his dark lashes, shielding his shining orbs. His teeth dug into his lower lip, the twinge of pain aiding him in keeping the devilish grin off his face. To his delicate ears, the words sounded extremely insincere.
"Excellent. Before you go, Harry, I must ask you if you're any closer to finding your cousin? For the sooner you locate him, the sooner you can be gone from my castle." Albus stated as he pushed back his chair and rose. He stiffened as the taller demon suddenly appeared at Harry's shoulder, its unearthly grey eyes resting on him. Picking up the ancient grimoire, he brandished it at the new demon before turning around and striding to the bookshelf behind his desk. The book was slid away carefully, a light brush of his fingers changing the appearance of the spine.
Tipping his head to the side, Harry smiled. "With every passing hour, I grow closer to finding my cousin. Sirius' presence here will only quicken my hunt."
"Excellent." Albus muttered, "I shall have rooms prepared for your companion in the dungeons. For now, I suggest you go to class." He nodded his head in dismissal and returned his attention to the books before him, old fingers running pensively over the spines.
Harry bowed his head and swung around, stalking from the Headmaster's study with Sirius at his heels. As soon as he was out the door, he let loose a hiss of frustration. He balled his hands into fists, ignoring the pain as his needle like nails dug into his palms. "How did he get that book?" The words were torn from his lips, unearthly green eyes blazing. Rumbling unhappily, he stalked back and forth several times before drawing a deep breath and halting.
"Now what?" Sirius asked as they stepped into the corridor. He glanced around them, gray eyes sweeping the shadows anxiously.
"We do what we're here to do," Harry responded. Running his hands down the front of his robes, he rolled his shoulders and inhaled.
Sirius bobbed his head and then frowned. "What am I here to do again?"
"I want you to follow Severus Snape. He knows Voldemort's location and will eventually be the one to lead us to him."Harry explained. "Oh, and Sirius? Don't siphon or toy with his aura, enough damage has been done to it already."
Sirius gave a small pout before bowing his head in acquiescence. "I will do as you have asked and report back to you tonight." Whirling around, he tipped his head before taking off down the hall. He vanished around a corner in a hiss of black cloth, completely focused on locating the Potions Master.
Smiling, Harry turned and prowled down the corridor. He had a Charms class to get to.
XxXxX
A/n: As always, thanks to everyone who took the time to read and review and I'm glad everyone's enjoying the story.
Disco-Dancing on the Roof - lol, I love researching things that will help me make my stories better, especially when its stuff I don't already know a lot about. It's so much more interesting that way.
Lady Starlight2 - Unfortunately you'll have to wait for chapter 12 for that little encounter. But I'm glad you're enjoying the story.
Andromeda Malfoy-Potter -I haven't thought about bringing Remus into this story yet, though it's probably workable. Actually now that you mention it . . . he'll fit perfectly in that chapter . . .
hieisdragoness - lol, I don't think I'll ever stop writing. Thanks for the pm, it raised my spirits enough to get my butt back in gear.
Lady-Frisselle - I think a lot of Harry's background will remain a secret. As for the answer to your other question, I'm afraid I can't answer it.