Chapter 7! I think... Lemme check... Yup! Chapter 7! Those AN's always throw me off. Anywho! So, let's clear up some things. First of all, regarding Tonks. She is a young Tonks! That's right, first year Tonks! Same as Harry, Daphne and Tracy! Not enough Young Tonks stories out there. Sorry if I've left a few readers confused.
Now, This chapter shall wrap up book One. Next chapter shall wrap up books two and three, mostly because of a lack of action in year two and three. Not to say I won't pertain details, but It won't have any long chapter's devoted to plot development. But, I digress, let us move on! The final plot wrap up for book one!
On with the Story!
Weeks passed, where the students of Hogwarts were, depending on the year, studying for OWLS and NEWTS, or pining for summer break. The Slytherin company spent much time 'borrowing' books from the restricted section, learning things far more advanced than any third year could. Tonks had made great strides with her metamorph powers, able to do full body changes and minor adjustments to her height. Tracy had earned her house almost a hundred points in transfiguration class, already turning objects into larger animals. Daphne, in empty classrooms, had already mastered a few darker curses that could cause bodily harm through somewhat bloody means.
Harry though, had made considerable progress with his books. Around his room, he had erected several blood wards, mostly on the door and walls. Using a 'code mark,' a scarred symbol on his hand, Harry could control any blood ward he erected, and do any blood magic. The trouble with this mark was it had to be carved into his hand and irritated repeatedly so that it would scar.
His other success was his 'Tesla Watch' as he called it. Using his watch, the one he stole from Dudley, he inscribed the necessary runes and tied it to his magical core, a difficult feat for a first year indeed. The only saving grace was the detailed, step by step directions in the book. He could cast several spells with his Tesla watch, all without his wand.
On the Quirrel front, things were happening as well. With Hermione's help, he learned the DADA professor was just a fresh graduate who wrote textbooks for a living. It was only a year ago that he went to Albania before coming back as this semi stuttering wreck.
It was nearing the end of the year when Harry found the strange defence professor was up to something.
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Harry was sitting on his bed, contemplating the events of the past year. Tracy was turning a matchbox into a pig and back again. Daphne was reading another dark arts book, while Tonks was morphing her features in front of a mirror.
"The third floor," spoke Harry. Tonks looked at him through the mirror.
"What?" Harry turned, absently rubbing the code mark. A habit he had picked up.
"Whatever Quirrel has planned involves the third floor corridor. How did we not see this before?" Daphne frowned, coming to the same realization.
"You're right... Whatever he's got planned involves that corridor. That's what he's going to do tomorrow! He's going to break in and... something!" cried Tonks, jumping with joy.
Harry frowned. "Tonks, how did you end up a Slytherin? Daphne got in because her family has a deep rooted history in Slytherin. Tracy got in because she's powerful and Daphne's friend. I got in because I've got ambition apparently and I would need you guys in the coming years. But how did you?" Tonks grinned.
"Well, my mother was Hufflepuff, so I was surprised. But I'm willing to chalk it up to my powers." At the slightly confused looks, she continued.
"When I found out I could change my form, my mother told me that I would have to be very careful with whom I make friends with. Since I can change my body at will, I would be valued completely for my body. So, I thought Slytherin would be good. I could prove to people I'm more than a slab of meat, while that careful isolation I'm used to would be present." Harry and the other girls nodded, understanding. To an extent, they all knew what ambition and isolationism was. Harry, beaten and locked in a cupboard, striving for something better. Daphne, ignored for her younger sister, wanting to prove her worth, prove her superiority. Tracy because her family was more concerned with politics than family. She wanted to show them what they had missed. And now Tonks, unable to see other kids because of her physical body, wanting nothing more than friends and the power to keep them.
"Alright, since that's done, let's figure out how to get Quirrel. Any ideas?"
Several hours later, they had an idea.
"So, we'll go to the third floor and find out what Quirrel is after, agreed?" Harry, Daphne and Tracy nodded. Tonks had come up with the idea, stating that there was no feasible way to track Quirrel. So, why not go where he wants to go? There was a weekend coming up, so that was a perfect chance to go.
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"You're stepping on my foot again."
"Sorry."
"Again, your elbow is digging into my ribs."
"For the love of Merlin people! Can we not act civilly underneath this cloak?"
"God, imagine in a few years when we're bigger."
"...Shut up."
The Slytherin Company was underneath Harry's cloak, again, and were rapidly approaching their destination.
"When we do grow, we'll just flip coins. Deal?" The girls nodded, the group continuing on. They had another set of stairs to navigate before they got there.
"A darn," muttered Daphne.
"What?" asked Tonks.
"I'll probably end up like my mother," she replied, with a huff. Harry frowned.
"Why is that bad? I thought your mother was a slightly decent person, if cold?" They stopped, letting the staircase move to a more acceptable position.
"She's got a chest larger than us four tied together." Harry frowned. Tracy nodded, realization coming to her.
"Hey, with my metamorph powers, I could have a chest so large, we'll need wheelbarrows to carry them." Harry sighed.
"Enough about future chest sizes. I can't possibly see how this could matter in the slightest." Tracy gaped. She was about to retort when she realized that all of them were still young and such thoughts were either unnatural or just something they had heard from parents.
The door to the third floor corridor was old oak, wrapped with iron bands. Surprisingly, there was no lock at all, just a simple latch on the outside.
Harry used his ebony wand to open the lock silently, the four of them piling in before closing it. Harry set up a warning charm that would let them know when a person got near the door. Tearing the cloak off, the girls separated, breathing heavily.
"There has to be a better way of doing that," muttered Tonks, glancing somewhat hatefully at the cloak. The other's agreed, but Harry folded it and put it in his pocket.
"Hmm, look at the floor," observed Tonks. Harry looked, seeing what she saw.
"Well, that makes our job easier," he muttered. On the ground were the distinct marks of robes picking up dust, interspaced with footsteps. Judging by the buildup of dust everywhere and the floor, these tracks were new.
"Do you think he already came by?" asked Tracy. Harry frowned.
"Not sure. He wasn't at dinner, was he?" The Slytherin students quieted, going through the memories.
"No... In fact, I don't think he was, was he?" remarked Daphne.
"Moving on!" exclaimed Tonks. "It looks like he went through that door," she pointed. Harry walked over, wrenching on the latch.
"Locked," he replied. Pulling out his wand, he cast the unlocking charm on the door, watching a slight green glow surround the lock before falling away. Daphne tested it, finding it unlocked.
She opened it slightly, peering inside.
She squeaked, gently closing it.
"What? Something wrong?" asked Tracy. She squeaked again, whispering into her ear.
"Oh," replied Tracy.
"What?" asked Harry. "What's on the other side?"
"Oh, nothing that much, just a three headed dog. Sleeping though, but three headed." Harry nodded.
"Well, let's be quiet then?" he asked, pulling the cloak out.
Being quiet, they slipped under and, with pressuring on Daphne, walked through the door. Indeed, on the other side there was a massive three headed dog. A harp was playing in the corner, probably being used to subdue the creature.
Harry looked around, trying to find something that this dog might be guarding. There! A door!
"Wingardium Leviosa!" whispered Harry, aiming at the paw. Using the gentle levitation spell, he moved the foot, revealing a door.
"Alright, let's go down quietly," mouthed Tonks, drawing her wand. The other's followed suit. Casting a levitation charm on their bodies, they were able to safely levitate down to the bottom. Harry quietly laughed at the thought of a Gryffindork doing this. They would probably just jump and hope for the best.
It took only a minute to reach the bottom, where Daphne cast a bit of fire to burn the plant growth preventing any continuation of their journey. They continued down a hallway, nothing discerning it from any other hallway in the school except for the age. The next room they arrived in was different.
"Are those..." began Daphne.
"Keys, yeh, that's what I thought," murmured Harry. He glanced at the opposing door. The lock looked thick and old.
"It's probably a test of agility. Find the right key and use it. More than likely the keys start attacking when you find it. See the sharpened tips?" explained Harry. Sure enough, the keys showed sharpened tips, while the wooden door was pockmarked with small holes.
"So... how do we get past?" asked Tonks. Harry grinned.
"Stand back, I have an idea," replied Harry. The girls backed up, curious as to what he was going to do.
"Alright... hope this works. Fulgur Fragor!" From his wand propelled black electricity, launching forth in a black ball, tendrils arcing and striking the keys in the air. It soared across the room striking the door. In a twilight explosion that blew the four off their feet, the door exploded inwards, ripping even the hinges off.
His hair smoking, Harry stood up. "Merlin's beard," he muttered, falling back again.
LINEBREAK
With their attire fixed, the four of them continued. The next room was a large chessboard, which was dispatched with Daphne's larger knowledge of the dark arts. A wide area impact spell destroyed the chess pieces on the white side, leaving them to go through a door. The fourth room was a wall of fire with a logic puzzle.
"So... drink the right one and we can walk through, drink the wrong one and we're either dead in horrible manners or drunk?" Tonks nodded, summing up Tracy's point.
"Well, it's obviously this one," spoke Tonks, picking up the small green one to the left. Harry frowned.
"How do you know?" asked Daphne. Tonks elaborated.
"Pureblood raised wizards and witches have no logical power in them. A simple puzzle like this would leave most magical people cursing the table. Besides, I grew up half Muggle, it wasn't that hard at all." She opened the vial, the cork top popping off.
"Wait, how much is there? Surely we can't all drink from that small vial," spoke Tracy. Harry took the vial, gauging the contents.
"Hmm, if we follow potion laws on effectiveness versus consistency, I'm going to guess this is made for one person." They were glancing at each other, the same question on the edge of their tongues.
"Well, bottoms up," muttered Harry. He swigged the bottle, much to the protest of the girls.
"Harry! You stupid idiot! What if you need help?" cried Tonks. Harry shrugged.
"I'm the one holding the bottle. That and I refuse to put you in danger." Noticing that they were giving him dangerous looks, he continued.
"Listen, I don't know what's on the other side. For all I know, Quirrel is on the other side of this. Now, he's a useless teacher, so I don't know how effective he is, but I don't want to endanger you, any of you." Harry lowered his head slightly, before jumping backwards through the fires. The flames tickled slightly, but he passed through unharmed. As he passed, they roared up, keeping the girls away. He could hear spells impacting on the fire, but they held the spells at bay.
"Well, guess that settles that," he murmured. Harry inwardly flinched when he realized the girls were going to quite possibly kill him when this whole thing blew over.
Turning around, he headed down the corridor. As he proceeded down the hall, it began to widen, soft yellow torches lighting the way, growing brighter as he neared the exit. When he reached the end of the tunnel, he stared.
It was a large room, with darkened walls. It was made from two levels, one being little more than a wide step than anything. A sharp staircase led towards a small arena like area in the middle. In the arena were two things.
Professor Quirrel, and the Mirror of Erised.
"Potter," snapped the usually scared man. Harry drew his wand from its holster. If worst came to worse, well, he had Fulgur Fragor.
"Can't say I'm surprised you made it here," continued the man. Harry edged his way down the steps, wand ready. A stray tendril of twilight energy arced off Harry's hand.
"Hmm, accidental magic. Unusual on a wizard with a wand," replied Quirrel, turning back to the mirror.
"I can see it, the stone. I see myself holding it, but I can't find it!" shouted Quirrel. Harry frowned. He was looking for a rock?
"Potter, do you know where it is?" snapped Quirrel. Harry shook his head.
"What stone could you been looking for?" pried Harry. The defence professor laughed.
"The philosopher's stone. The only object that can bring my dark master back into existence." Harry's mind whirled.
Quirrel wanted to bring back Lord Voldemort, the being that murdered his parents.
He had to be stopped.
"Fulgur Fragor!" cried Harry, aiming his wand. Quirrel casted a shield spell, glowing with thick sickly green streaks. Harry sent two more and an Incindio at the professor, but the shield blocked them all. That's when Harry saw it. The frame of the mirror was metal, gold if he was correct.
Flinging his hand with the watch, he snapped his fingers, channeling magic through the watch and into his fingers, obeying his command.
A bold of black lightning launched forth, striking aged bronze. Because it wasn't properly grounded, the black, magically infused lightning sought out the nearest grounding wire.
Quirrel.
He shrieked as the lightning struck him, going around the shield. The bold dissipated, leaving the shocked professor to struggle to a standing position.
"Reducto! Bombarda! Expelliarmus!" cried the Professor. Harry dodged the first two but fell prey to the disarming spell, his wand flying out of his hand and lying in a corner.
With a wild snap of his fingers he cast two arcs of electricity at Quirrel, their black bodies racing towards the only grounding point in the room. he blocked the first, but the second struck him in the leg, bringing the professor to his knees.
Harry, not having his wand and feeling drained from the rapid fire lightning, did the only thing he thought of.
He charged.
In a wild charge, he tackled the professor's chest, sending the duo sprawling. At once there was a hissing sound as smoke began to rise, rolling out of Quirrel's body.
"What magic is this?" screamed Quirrel, watching his hands turn into ashes.
"YOU FOOL! KILL THE BOY!" screamed and ethereal voice, prompting Harry's scar to start burning. He glanced around, trying to find a place where the voice came from, but only one location caught his attention.
"The turban," he whispered. Charging forward, he grabbed the edge, reefing as hard as he could. It came off fairly easily, revealing its secret.
"OH MY GOD!" cried Harry, watching a face emerge from the back of Quirrel's head. at this point, his neck was crumbling, but slowly. Harry swiftly punched the face, causing both Quirrel and the face thing to scream in pain, before they both exploded in grey and black dust.
"He... he ha!" laughed Harry, watching the dust fall. He stumbled over to the mirror, tired as hell and a bit delirious, deciding to see what Quirrel was looking for.
Staring into the mirror, he didn't see his parents, or the smoky outline near the back. Instead, he only saw himself pulling a funny red stone out of his pocket.
"Hmm, that's weird," he muttered, not taking notice of the sudden weight in his pocket. He froze though, when the sound of moving dust echoed in the cavern.
Turning around slowly, he screamed. A ghostly apparition of the face was at eye level, flying towards him in a silent scream. It collided with his chest, sending him backwards and into the mirror, breaking the glass and landing in a pile, broken shards raining upon him and digging into cuts.
"They're going to kill me," he muttered, passing into blissful sleep.
Several minutes later, a figure in blue robes with a floor length beard walked into the room, surveying the damage.
"Perfect," he muttered, undecidedly in a pleased or irritated tone.
LINEBREAK
Soft white light woke the sleeping youth. Eyelids opened, revealing emerald green eyes. They flicked left and right, taking in his surroundings.
Beds in white linen, stretching distantly, blurring without his classes. Sheet dividers separated the beds partially, but his was the only bed in use.
Looking down, he could see a moderate pile of gifts and cards, the nearest one probably saying 'Get Well Soon.'
Harry groaned, rubbing his scar, hoping to get rid of the lingering pain that was there. Propping himself up on his elbows, he looked for anyone that might be in the hospital wing.
"Oh, you're awake." Harry's head snapped to the left, an audible crack piercing the silence.
"Headmaster?" he asked. Dumbledore was sitting on the edge of a chair, slowly turning a box of jelly beans in his hand.
"I was interested, when you missed the feast the other day. Imagine my surprise when I realized Professor Quirrel was not there as well. Since the third floor corridor was off limits, I checked there. With the dog sleeping and the hatch open, it didn't take me long to figure things out. Tell me, what happened to the Professor?" Harry scooted up a bit, pushing the pillow under his back, providing a sitting position.
"I'm... I'm not sure. He was... wanting something from the mirror. It changed into a duel, where he disarmed me." At this, Harry stopped. He remembered what happened, the face, Quirrel breaking apart, and with a fuzzy memory, being thrown into the mirror by a face.
"I'm not sure what happened after I tackled him. I... remember being thrown into the mirror, then I woke up here." Dumbledore nodded. Inwardly he grinned. The boy didn't get the stone, and he didn't remember Quirrel being possessed.
"Well then, I believe there is one thing left to discuss one last thing. You're accommodations for the summer." Harry frowned. Why would it be... oh no.
"I'm not sure where you disappeared for the last few weeks before the school year, but you must return to the Dursly's for the summer." Harry paled.
"No... no you can't!" he started, images already flashing by, memories of pain. Memories of abuse.
"I'm afraid it's true. With your aunt being a relative, her blood powers the blood wards that keep you safe during the summers. They keep out wizards wishing you ill intent." Harry shook his head.
"No, anywhere but there!" he shouted, fists clenching the sheets of the bed.
"'You don't know what they do to me!" He reflexifly grabbed his arm, the shaking evident. Dumbledore sighed. He asked the Dursly's to be cruel and mildly abusive, but not to this extent. He needed him weak, not a sobbing wreck!
"I will speak with the Dursly's on their treatment with you. Perhaps a few memory spells and idle threats will correct them." Harry was still shivering, his hand clenching his arm as the shaking spread to his shoulder.
Dumbledore stood up, pulling something from his robes. A wand, black with the initials H.P. engraved in the dragonhide handle.
"I took the liberty of retrieving your wand from the chamber. A most peculiar wand I must say. I was expecting something else, given your parent's wands." He twisted it in his hands, observing it, before putting it on the table.
"Madam Pomphrey will be here soon, she'll release you when she deems you healthy." With that, the aging headmaster departed, leaving Harry by himself. He gripped his arm, the shaking lessening slightly.
Anger. Black, powerful anger clenched at his heart. How dare the headmaster! How dare he sentence him to that... that place! And expect a few 'memory' charms and spells would change anything.
In anger, he lashed out, removing his hand and pounding it into the bed. Black lightning arced, striking a nearby bottle of Skele-grow. It exploded, sending creamy white fluids everywhere. Harry's eyes widened, the shaking stopped. Immediately followed the Matron.
"It's always a problem, first years get hurt, get mad, and BOOM! A burst of accidental magic! I swear, I've gone through more equipment due to accidental magic then St. Mungos," she grumbled, loud enough for Harry to hear. He froze.
Wasn't accidental magic untraceable? No... that wasn't it. Daphne would know.
"Damn, the girls," he muttered. As if on cue the doors burst inwards, charging the three Slytherin girls that Harry had a healthy fear of.
"Harry James Potter you stupid idiot!" cried Tonks. Harry was sure she grew her lungs a bit just to get that extra bit of strength. Harry recoiled slightly as the girls charged, standing at the foot of his bed, giving him harsh glares.
"Umm, Sorry?" he tried. It didn't work.
"What the hell were you thinking?" asked Daphne, anger lacing her voice.
"Well, he was there! He wanted something! To be fair, he struck first!" pointed Harry.
"Yeh right! You probably tried blowing him up, didn't you!" exclaimed Tracy. His silence was all they needed.
"Well... he threw me into a mirror!" retorted Harry.
"Before or after you tried to blow him up?" asked Tracy Sternly. All three girls were tapping their feet.
"After," mumbled Harry. They scowled.
"Harry Potter, for you extreme stupidity... your sleeping on the couch." Harry gaped.
"Hold on! It's my room! You can't do that!" exclaimed Harry. Daphne grinned.
"Try us," she grinned, eyes narrowing. The other two girls grinned as well.
"Oh, by the way, since we're on the topic of your punishment, Hermione wanted to talk to you. Something about payment for her investigative work?" Harry nodded. He had told the resident bookworm that he would get around to paying her back for the services of finding info about Quirrel later. Problem is, he kind of forgot about that. Then again, being thrown into hospital can jog your memory.
"Say, how long have I been out?" asked Harry. Tonks frowned.
"About a week actually. You hit the mirror pretty hard. Madam Pomphrey said your magical core was fluctuating for about 4 days. Apparently you had magical blocks set by your parents she had to remove." Harry frowned. A block?
Seeing his confusing, Daphne elaborated. "When children are younger, a block on your magic is not uncommon. Accidental magic in a young young child can be lethal. I guess yours weren't removed when you started school." Harry nodded. It made sense. As a child, you could see a knife and want it because it's shiny. Or get mad and wish someone away.
He was struck from his thoughts by Daphne tackling him, entrapping him in a hug.
"Stupid prat," she mumbled. The other girls joined in, but less violent than Daphne. Harry rubbed their backs.
"Sorry, onetime thing," he said. Under his breath, he mumbled 'almost.'
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Harry stood on the train platform, looking for his 'relatives.' Dumbledore had apparently contacted them and threatened them to be nicer to Harry. Personally, he didn't believe it. Next to him were the three girls, all waiting for their parents to find them.
"Oh my god! Is that a man?" asked Tonks, pointing at the proverbial wall of moving flesh, clothed in a grey suit, rolling towards them. Indeed, it was Vernon Dursly, walking on legs too short for his own body mass, giving the appearance that he was rolling towards the black haired youth.
"BOY!" screamed the fleshy mass, eliciting a jump of fright from Harry.
Like an obedient dog, Harry walked forward, his trunk trailing behind him. Hedwig the Eagle was going to stay with Tonks for the summer, writing letters back and forth. He didn't trust Vernon not to do anything.
"We're leaving," snapped the man, turning right around.
"By Harry!" waved the girls, watching him depart. He was soon lost to the crowds, the three girls standing there, waiting for their parents.
"I hope he's ok for next year," murmured Daphne.
Harry stumbled after Vernon, arriving at the car. Vernon swirled, glaring at Harry.
"Your freakish teacher told us to be nice to you this summer. He... convinced us... to not harm you." Harry let out a quiet sigh.
"Physically. All summer you will be doing chores, all day. Petunia has drawn up a schedule that you will adhere to. Any deviance and... well... accidents happen." With that, he entered the car, the hatch opening on the back. Harry moved his trunk towards the back and hefted it in, closing it. He wrapped his hand around the handle, when he felt it.
A pulse. Electric pulses going through the car. He could see tendrils of white light spanning the car, avoiding some sections. They were heavily concentrated in the front. It took him a moment to realize that he was seeing the electricity in the car.
"Interesting," he murmured. Just something to add to his plans. He entered the car, the door closing with a thud. A quick snap of his fingers and he managed to reroute the power from the battery elsewhere, preventing it from starting.
"Now then, 'Uncle' Vernon," spoke Harry. His voice was decidedly darker than usual. Vernon was only just paying attention, instead trying to start the car.
"Things are going to change around the house." This got Vernon's attention.
"What are you bloody talking about!" the man screamed, attempting to turn around. When he did, he paled, his usual red face turning an interesting shade of white. Harry had a ball of twilight lightning in his hand, spinning rapidly. Five tendrils of energy connected it to his fingers.
"You see, I discovered something interesting over the year. I can only get expelled if I use magic with my wand. This is, as defined by fairly stupid and backwards laws, perfectly legal." Vernon heard every 3 word, but he got the main idea.
"Now, here is how the summer will work. I will cook meals for the sole that I like cooking. I will have Dudley's second bedroom. We do not have to interact at all during the summer. Deal?" the black lightning spoke volumes on Harry's power.
Vernon could Only nod.
[A.N.] Chapter 7! Finally! 7 chapters into one year! A glorious affair this has been! Now, I have compiled my results, through both the reviews and PM's I've had, and I've decided on this.
A 10 or 12K word chapter for book 2. There will be changes to canon, but it'll be somewhat familiar to a person new to this fandom. Now, book three will be a smaller chapter, more than likely a collection of events rolled into one. It'll probably be a 5 or 6K chapter. In my opinion there was not much that happened in that story. The boggart, gaining the map, that's about it. Oh, and Siruis, that was kinda important.
Now, All I ask is you review this chapter and give your honest opinion on what you think. I'd prefer reviews that are a few sentences long. One was simply 'good job.' Nice, but irritating as hell.