Soldier 19

A/N: Yes, Harry is very OOC. He is imitating Byakuya Kuchiki and pranking Hogwarts.

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Chapter 19: The Valley People Swore

With the new school term well on the way, Harry spent most of his free time in the Library with Luna Lovegood, tucked away in a back corner out of sight. It was about the only time he found any peace, as everyone seemed to be trying to get on his last nerve.

When he wasn't in the library he was in the Room of Requirement, training with Muramasa. After all he'd promised Ichigo and the rest of his many sensei not to ruin all their hard work by letting his skills get rusty.

Muramasa was glad to help; plus it was a good way to work out his frustrations and stored energy. His month in Japan had built up his strength and stamina, and now his body needed the physical exercise.

Sometimes Luna watched their training. She'd been impressed with how graceful and strong he was when he practiced his sword katas. It was peaceful to sit back and watch him.

Harry liked hanging around the blonde Ravenclaw. With Luna he could be himself and didn't have to maintain his noble masquerade. She seemed to blossom under his friendship and always had a smile and a word of encouragement for him, no matter what.

The problems with Hermione, however, were ongoing. Harry hated that she dogged his steps in hopes he would forgive her. What she didn't seem to realize was that the more she harassed him, the farther she got from forgiveness.

Ron, however, was a lost cause. The jealous red-head had joined-up with Seamus Finnegan, which was fine with Harry, as he hadn't any time for the gluttonous menace and his childish behavior.

The rest of Gryffindor went out of their way to ignore Harry, not that he really cared. He'd had enough of their past betrayals and didn't need so-called 'friends' like that.

When Harry was in Japan he'd discovered what true friends really were. The people he'd met there didn't care if he was the Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One, or even that he was a wizard. To them he was just Ichigo's cousin Harry.

Ichigo found the whole title thing stupid. After all, he died all the time, as well as lived again. . . What was the big deal? To Ichigo Harry's circumstances were nothing special; really rather normal, for the young Japanese teen that is. A fact Harry appreciated.

During his stay in Japan Harry was able to use his magic in front of people and they didn't care. He was most appreciative of the freedom that gave him.

The Soul Reapers had their own form of magic and were even willing to teach it to Harry! Living in Japan for that month he'd learned more about himself and his magic than he had in four years at Hogwarts. He'd finally found friends he could actually trust enough to be himself.

How he wished Ichigo and his new friends could be with him at Hogwarts, they certainly would've helped relieve the boredom that was quickly setting in. His classes had been tedious, to say the least. A sudden smirk curved his lips; wouldn't it be hilarious to see how Ichigo would react to Dumbledore's twinkle?

However, in his opinion, potions had at least turned interesting. After the first class, and his futile attempt at occlumency, Snape and his Slytherins had thankfully left him alone.

Then there was Draco Malfoy, the amazing bouncing ferret, who, except for the first potions class, was surprisingly quiet.

Harry smiled as he remembered how the various and sundry things tossed at his potions bounced off the barrier he'd placed around himself and his cauldron. Harry snickered as he recalled Draco's face when the root he'd tossed at Harry's cauldron ricocheted back into his. . . and the ferret's subsequent trip to the infirmary.

'Maybe he finally got the memo to leave me alone, or suffer the consequences?'

No one, not even Snape, bothered him or his potion after that. He'd turned in a near perfect vial of burn salve, much to the snarky professor's ire.

Of course, he still lost points—for protecting his cauldron. 'Typical,' Harry mused, but he didn't really care enough to get angry anymore. He was only at Hogwarts marking time until he could leave for good.

"Out of the way, Scarhead," came the ponce's voice behind him as they were heading for the Great Hall for lunch. "Make way for your betters."

Harry sighed. 'Then again maybe not. . . '

Harry turned to face the blonde-haired Slytherin ponce. "What can I do for you, Scion of the Lesser House of Malfoy?" he asked coldly. 'Damn, I really have to thank Lord Byakuya for those lessons!'

Malfoy scowled. "What did you call me?"

Harry said nothing as he started to turn away.

"Just because you claimed your inheritance," Malfoy sneered, "Doesn't mean the pure-bloods are going to accept you. What you did in that duel wasn't all that exciting and father says that Fudge will retain his position."

"Really? So the cowardly fool lived? If he leaves off bothering me, I could care less," Harry said, turning his back completely to him thereby making his disdain evident to everyone in the hall.

"You don't care? That's rich. Wait, come back here! Potter!"

Harry paused as he noted that there were students listening in. "What do I care about this back-water world? You have taken everything from me, and given nothing back but pain and misery. And you, Scion of a Lesser House? You are nothing but a spoiled little boy trying to pick a schoolyard fight. I have no time for you." Harry took another step away from Malfoy.

A spell was fired at Harry's back. Many students gasped as Harry evaded it by jumping up and flipping back over the spell, landing beside the startled Malfoy heir. Turning toward his antagonist, he raised his finger and pointed at the boy's wand hand. "Bakudo #1: Sai."

Suddenly the blonde found both of his arms wrenched savagely behind him as white ribbons of light encircled his wrists, locking them tightly together. He screamed in pain as he fell to his knees.

Harry turned and walked away.

"Potter! What's the meaning of this!?" came Professor Snape's voice as he pushed the watching students aside.

Harry sighed and dipped his chin. He so didn't need this. Why do they keep coming back for more? Morons, the lot of them. This is what he gets for letting them push him around for so many years. Well no more. He was done—and so were they if they kept it up.

"Professor, help!" Malfoy whined piteously from his knees. "I was minding my own business when Potter. . ."

Harry said nothing, knowing to protest his innocence was futile. So he didn't even bother.

"I'll see you expelled for this, Potter!" the snarky professor exclaimed. "Pointing your wand at another student, you know dueling in the halls is forbidden."

Harry raised a hand. "Check his wand first, mine is in my trunk. I haven't used it all term, you need only ask the other Professors. However, I would also suggest that if you are going to fire any type of spell at me, be prepared to suffer the repercussions of your actions."

Severus Snape scowled. "Release him, Potter!"

Harry turned and walked away. "I am tired of this school. It teaches nothing but prejudice and how to bully the weak. Be warned, I am no longer weak."

"Potter! Get back here!" screamed the irate professor as the students who witnessed the confrontation snickered and scrambled out of the way.

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Lord Lucius Malfoy was a wizard on a mission. The blonde-haired, aristocratic wizard just received word his only son and heir was in the school infirmary because he'd been attacked by Potter. A triumphant smile crossed his face. He finally got what he needed. He would see the poster child of the Light expelled for this!

Lucius entered the infirmary to see his son sitting on a hospital bed with his hands bound behind his back. A glow of light energy twined around his wrists, holding them tightly together.

The school nurse, Madam Pomfrey was waving her wand, trying to undo the spell, and failing much to her consternation.

The Headmaster and Professor Snape were standing nearby. Potter was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh Lucius, my boy, I am sorry to have to call you in on this," Albus greeted him. "You can see the problem. Mr. Potter has been sent for."

"What is the meaning of this? I'll have Potter expelled for this!" Lucius snarled coming to stand by the bed.

"Father!" Draco exclaimed before giving a cry of pain as he moved to face his fuming parent.

"I'm afraid, if I do expel Harry, I have to expel Mr. Malfoy as well as he was the only one with a wand out and a bludgeoning curse had been fired from young Draco's wand at Mr. Potter's back," Albus said, stroking his beard. "Mr. Potter however, hasn't used a wand all term. The professors are astonished at the amount of wandless magic he has been displaying. Then there is that strange sword of his, we can never seem to catch him carrying the blade to confiscate it."

Draco whimpered, trying once more to break free. "Father. . . !"

Just then Harry Potter walked into the infirmary as if he was going for a stroll. "You wish to see me?" he asked in a low, cultured tone.

"Harry my boy, could you please undo your spell?" Albus asked.

Lucius snarled as he watched Potter pinch his nose and close his eyes in a long-suffering manner.

"It is Lord Potter to you, Headmaster. I am not your 'boy'. Although it begs to be asked, are you physically attracted to boys?"

Harry looked over, ignoring the constipated looks on the adults and noted that Draco was still bound. "Very well, if I must." With a sigh and wave of his hand he dismissed the Kido spell. Draco shrieked once more in pain as the tension was released on his shoulders.

Lucius frowned thoughtfully, ignoring his son, at the causal way the Potter boy threw magic around. Wandless and wordless? Even the Dark Lord could not do that!

"Potter! What spell did you use?!" Snape demanded.

Potter turned his back to them and walked away. "It is just something I picked up. I am late for lunch, you will excuse me."

"Now wait just a minute!" Lucius shouted. "You can't just walk in and out like that! You will respect your betters, boy."

Lucius watched as Harry Potter stopped and turned. With a flash step he was beside the blonde Death Eater and in his ear the boy whispered. "Like you, who kneels to kiss the filthy robe hem of a half-blood with delusions of nobility? Don't make me laugh. Tell your master I will be coming for him soon, cur."

Stunned at how fast the Potter boy had moved, Lucius spun to fire a spell at him, only to find that Potter had moved closer to Draco. His proximity to the younger Malfoy prevented him from attacking for fear of hitting his heir.

"This was your only warning," Harry told Draco in a cold, calm voice. "You are just a spoiled, ignorant little boy trying to play at power in an adult world. One day your mouth is going to write a cheque that your feeble skills cannot cover.

"Never, in the time I've known that I am a wizard, have I ever started a conflict, especially with you. And I have never been allowed to finish what you began. But know this, Scion of the Lesser House of Malfoy, start something from now on and I. Will. Finish. It. I refuse to back down anymore. Grow up, or die before your time." Harry looked over at the adults. "Gentlemen. Madam."

With another flash step Harry left.

Lucius could feel the shivers running up and down his spine. That wasn't apparation! From what Lucius was told he'd done the same at the Ministry. The Unspeakables still haven't come up with a name for it.

To see it in person was frightening, especially since he was well aware that apparation was impossible within Hogwarts' wards. This was no mere boy, or the weak wizard, everyone portrayed him as. This was a young Lord of unknown power. The Dark Lord must be told, but he had no desire to be the one to tell him.

Severus Snape snorted, interrupting Malfoy Senior's musing. "I told you Albus! You need to expel Potter. He's dangerous. 'Never start something,' hmmph," he snarled. "He is always starting something."

"Actually," Madam Pomfrey interjected, "If the rumors are to be believed, and I do believe them, Mr. Potter is telling the truth. I've noticed that Mr. Malfoy is always harassing Lord Potter, and that poor boy is the one always getting punished for it." She glared at Severus Snape. "Minerva is always complaining about it."

With a huff, she waved her wand over Draco and seemed satisfied with her findings. "There now, Mr. Malfoy has been released and there's nothing wrong with him. I better not see you in here again for fighting in the halls, young man."

Madam Pomfrey waved her wand over the soiled linen and vanished it and the bed was quickly remade with fresh, clean linen.

"Gentlemen, looks like we've worn out our welcome, if you wish we can finish this in my office?" Albus asked in his patented grandfatherly way as he was shooing everyone to the door. "Mr. Malfoy, lunch is just starting, I am sure you want to be with your little friends."

"Yes sir," Draco said, looking over at his father.

Lucius checked his son over for injury, and other than strained muscles in his arms and shoulders, he was fine. "You may go Draco. I will inform your mother of what happened." Turning to the headmaster he frowned. "Very well, I wish to know what has been going on in this school."

"Oh there you are Dear Lucius, I was told you were here," came the sickeningly sweet, simpering voice of Dolores Umbridge. "I must tell you all that's been happening here. You won't believe it."

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Draco walked into the Great Hall looking for Potter. He itched to pay the half-blood bastard back for making a fool of him. Then Potter looked up and met his eyes.

A cold chill shuddered through him. Then again, maybe not. That look was not a look he was used to seeing on his school rival. It was a look that promised endless pain and death. The look of a furious adult displeased with a spoiled child. When did Potter become so scary?

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Thanks everyone for the reviews. So far, someone has finally realized we were using bits of the song as story titles and another actually guessed what we were planning with Flitwick. Kudos!

Also, please don't PM us asking for an update. It's just a waste of good texting. We'll update when we are able to. The story has 30+ chapters already written and it takes time to edit them.

Until next time. -GF and The Frau