DISCLAIMER: THE BOOK BELONGS TO J. I HAVE ONLY BORROWED BOTH CHARACTERS AND PLOTLINE.

CHAPTER 10

Harry had crawled into bed after a grueling session of flying with Draco, Blaise and Cho while Smith and Pansy had sat in the bleachers watching. They were all getting on really well, Blaise and Draco were hell bent on getting into the teams next year so they practiced with everything they had, Harry personally felt Cho was a shoo in. It was very rare that a Ravenclaw was so interested in sports and she was really good. Harry was still thinking about it.

Also Draco and Harry had started working on the potion. They worked on it in an abandoned classroom they had found, always making sure to pack it all up carefully once they had added the day's ingredients. They had timed it so that when they went home for Christmas the potion would have the necessary resting phase required.

Harry was exhausted he'd not eaten dinner that night and was famished now unable to sleep he got back up and dressed warmly. Sirius had told him about the kitchens and Harry decided that it was time to make a visit. Violet the portrait, had plenty to say when he had forced her to wake up and scolded him for wandering about the corridors late at night, Harry just smiled and heard his stomach growl loudly, ' eat first talk later 'he thought grimly. Violet must have the growl because she fell silent and the disapproval on her face drastically reduced.

Harry found the pear portrait that lead into the kitchen, tickling it while feeling rather idiotic. He entered when it had swung open, and was suddenly accosted by an elf "Me is called Bubbles, Mr Harry Potter sir," she squeaked "are you here to eat sir?" Harry was happy he had not needed to explain his sudden presence so he just nodded and two minutes later he found himself sitting at a table scarfing down a shepherd's pie, a tall glass of pumpkin juice and had the occasional bite of a treacle tart. After cleaning out his plate he sat back for a minute and then thanking Bubbles who blushed from embarrassment he put on the disillusionment spell and walked towards his tower hoping he would'nt run into peeves the poltergeist

He had just passed the corridor that would lead into the dungeons to the potions room when he saw a dim creepy green light and shadows of people. Slowly tiptoeing to where they were standing he could see the silhouettes of what definitely looked like Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore.

"Its hurting Albus, I've been trying to tell you the mark has been burning for almost a year now and it hasn't happened once since the night he had fallen. I fear the dark lord is becoming stronger, that he is trying to come back and when he does Dumbledore the first place he'll attack will be Hogwarts, he will come after Darren Potter looking for revenge."

The last bit Snape had hissed out so Harry had to strain to hear it, when he did he became paralised with unbridled fear. Voldemort coming back? And he was after his brother?

His legs had turned to jelly, the world they knew was not safe, there was still the threat of darkness. How could a man who had had his soul ripped out come back, was he…immortal? Had he conquered death!

If so they had no hope, and the greatest fear of all was that Darren was his target. What was he going to do he was eleven for godsakes! Who could he turn to? Thinking about his larger than life brother, his protectiveness kicked in. Never! he would never, let Voldemort get to his brother he would do anything for him, he would even act as his shield willingly.

Suddenly he was brought out of his reverie when he heard Snape loudly exclaim, "Albus! It must be the philosophers stone!"

"But Severus it has been guarded very carefully."

"There are ways around it Albus, if he gets to it we've already lost. "

"I'll see to it Severus, go get some rest." said Dumbledore tiredly "let's keep a look out from now on for suspicious activity." So saying the two professors parted ways each drowning in their own thoughts.

Harry still lay crumpled on the floor dazed and lost he stayed that way for about an hour almost falling asleep on the cold floor but he heaved himself off too tired to think and collapsed on his bed tomorrow he would start planning.