1) I really appreciate the reviews and feedback all of you guys are giving me! Keep it up! Thank you for all the positive responses. I would ask only that you also include feed back. Remember, feed back will make this fic better!
2) I am going to open up a submission contest. Create a character, a short scene, or a plot point that you think will be cool, and the top five will be put into the story at some point, while characters may become permanent members of the cast. Please make these serious. I do not want vampiric bunny ninjas or anime characters as submissions. If I do put them in the story it will only be so that Butler can kill them with a pencil. Thou hast been warned. Submit characters =)
3) I own nothing!
4) Sorry for the delay in updates, I just haven't been able to find time to sit down and write. So much work right now! SATs are evil!
Thanks alot!
Italics = Gaelic (Native Language of Ireland)
Harry Potter stood in front of the Headmaster of Hogwarts as several teachers prodded a frozen Mrs. Norris. Beside him stood a sniffling Hermione, no doubt certain they were about to be expelled, and a pale faced Ron, straight backed like a soldier being screamed he himself hadn't been so terrified of being expelled, Harry would have laughed. Then again, it was hard to laugh with Snape glaring coldly at Harry, promising all kinds of agonizing punishment. From one end of the room, Professor Lockhart was going on about some adventure in one of his books, as the portraits of the professor nodded sagely. Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore stood over Argus Filch's frozen cat, carefully examining the animal as Filch fidgeted nervously. Snape, stood just behind Harry, a hand gripping his shoulder.A violin playing filled the room, the mournful cry making everyone look at Snape, from whom the sound was emanating. Or more accurately, from the pockets of his robe.
"Excuse me." Snape drew a sleek black cell from his robe and left the room. As the rest of the room glanced at one another in amazement, Snape walked back in, the cellphone still in one hand.
"Headmaster, a person of some importance is here to see you."
"Please send him to my office Severus." Dumbledore murmured, still examining the cat. "She's not dead Argus." Dumbledore glanced upwards, irritation briefly crossing his face as a cold sneer interrupted him.
"I think you will want to see me now professor." Lucius Malfoy was standing in the doorway, his elegant black robes slightly ruffled, his cane clasped like a sword. Beside him stood Artemis Fowl, dressed in a sleek grey suit. Harry's eyes narrowed. Of course. Malfoy was here to get him, Harry expelled, and Artemis was playing suck up. So like a Slytherin.
"Petrified is she?" Artemis drawled, his accent and dispassionate tone making Harry decidedly uncomfortable.
"Yes. How did you know Mr. Fowl?" McGonagall asked, clearly just as suspicious as Harry was.
"She is frozen but clearly still living. No signs of ice or magical bonds, hence petrified." Artemis sauntered forwards, pushing past Malfoy to enter the room. Hermione hissed in surprise as Malfoy grimaced and stood aside to let the young man pass.
"Did you see that?" she hissed to Harry.
"What?"
"Malfoy got out of his way. Fowl's a muggle born like me. Something's wrong, Malfoy's following Fowl."
"Be silent Miss. Granger." Snape sneered, shoving Hermione away from Harry.
"Mr. Fowl, a pleasure to see you." Dumbledore smiled, but it failed to reach his eyes. "Can I help you?"
"Please excuse my intrusion Professor, but I felt that my services could be of some assistance."
"How could you help eh Mr. Fowl?" Lockhart laughed, "Leave it to the grown ups, there's a good lad."
"The cat was attacked by a basilisk." Artemis snarled, whirling around to face Lockhart. "Clearly she did not look into it's eyes as that would have killed her. Most likely she saw it's reflection and was petrified. Now I would suggest that you stop treating me like a child and those with an intellect do their work." Lockhart actually stumbled backwards, tripping over his robes. Ron snorted.
"How do you know all this Mr. Fowl?" McGonagall asked, her lips the thinnest of thin lines. Artemis must have realized that he was now under suspicion by the matron of Gryffindor for when he spoke, his voice held none of the anger it had when he had snapped at Lockhart.
"Logic professor. No student could petrify something, and this school's staff are far to honorable for the act. Thus a creature. Only three creatures can petrify something, the cockatrice, the basilisk, and the gorgon. We are not in Greece, so gorgons are out, we are to far north for cockatrices, and anyway, there are no cobras in Scotland. Thus the basilisk. Most likely a northern sea serpent variant, thus very large but not as venomous."
The silence that followed was broken by clapping. Dumbledore was smiling down at Artemis Fowl, his face split in a genuine smile. "Mr. Fowl, well done! Well done indeed! I assume you know the legend of the Chamber of Secrets?"
"You mean the story that Slytherin built a secret chamber to house a monster beneath the school? Of course professor." Now Artemis was smiling. "Your work on the subject was most illuminating."
"You read my essay?" Harry noticed that McGonagall and Snape were slowly backing away from Dumbledore, pained expressions on their faces. "What did you think?"
"Well," Artemis coughed in embarrassment."It isn't my place to comment on the work of one so experienced and well respected as yourself but I felt that you seemed to brush off the legends as mere fancy before a full examination. All legends are based in some kind of truth Professor, as I am sure you are aware."
"Oh of course but..." Dumbledore was interrupted by a grimacing Snape. "Professor, perhaps we can send the students to their dormitories if this is the work of a monster not a sutdent? Mr. Malfoy wishes to speak with you regarding this matter as well."
"Oh yes. Perhaps some other time Mr Fowl?"
"I look forwards to it Professor." Artemis gave McGonagall, Dumbledore, Filch, and Snape each a curt bow, and proffered a hand to Mr. Malfoy, who shook it almost tentatively. Lockhart he ignored. Then, the suit clad Slytherin strode from the office.
"Good evening Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss. Granger." McGonagall said pointedly. Nodding hurriedly, the trio ran out of the room, after Artemis. Behind them they heard Malfoy say "Now Dumbledore, what am I to do with you?"
Harry, Ron, and Hermione caught up with Artemis just outside the library, where the boy was admiring a suit of armor.
"Fowl."
"Good evening to the three of you." Artemis drawled, barely glancing at the trio.
"Why were you with Malfoy?" Ron asked, moving forwards aggressively.
"Back up Mr. Weasley, I dislike my personal space being violated." Artemis narrowed his green eyes when Ron did not back away. "You really won't go away until I tell you will you?"
"No. We won't" Harry agreed, moving to stand next to Ron.
"Ugh. Fine." Artemis sulked. "Your common room or mine?"
"Wha..?"
"Ours." Hermione interjected. Artemis blinked, then smiled. "Lead the way Miss. Granger." he murmured, bowing as she passed. Hermione gave him a soft shove, and Artemis grinned like a cat. Haryy noticed that Ron was gritting his teeth.
"Talk while we walk?" Hermione called to Artemis who was a little behind her. "If you want." Artemis replied.
"How do you know Malfoy?" Ron growled.
"He and I do business together."
"You do business with Mr. Malfoy?"
"He does business with me Mr. Potter, there is a difference."
"Why?"
"For the same reason I do business with anyone Mr. Weasley, to make money."
"Merlin's Hat." Hermione muttered to the portrait of the fat lady, which swung open. "This way Mr. Fowl."
It was the most complex conversation Harry had ever been a part of. Artemis sat in one of the over stuffed armchairs beside the fire in the Gryffindor common room as Harry, Ron, and Hermione pelted him with questions. If the boy was hard to read, his answers were even more so. When asked why he had arrived with Malfoy, Artemis had replied that "A colleague of mine has interests that converge with Mr. Malfoy's" and no amount of further questioning could get him to elaborate further. Hermione didn't speak much, but sat back and let Harry and Ron shoot questions at Artemis.
"I remember hearing about you on the muggle news Fowl." Hary began.
"Please. Artemis."
"Call me Harry then. You were being investigated for theft."
"My family was questioned. No charges were pressed."
"Because the officer's in charge of the investigation turned up dead." Hermione shot back.
"An unfortunate accident." Artemis murmured, looking into the dying fire.
"Because they were found?"
"No Miss Granger, because we had to kill them. I don't like killing. It's bad for business."
"Would you have us killed?"
Artemis was silent for a moment. "It would be a decision that I would deeply regret making. If forced however, I would not rule out the option." The warmth of the common room seemed to disappear.
"So...you'd kill us then?" Ron asked, his voice trembling slightly.
"If you posed a threat that could not be removed peacefully, then yes." Artemis saw their expressions and lent forwards. They lent back. "I'm a firm believer in answering a direct question with a direct answer. You asked if I could have you removed, and I said yes. Now does this mean I will? No."
"Why are you here Mr. Fowl?" Hermione asked, leaning forwards to gaze into the Irish boy's emerald eyes.
"What do you mean?"
"Why are you at Hogwarts. You're clearly smart enough to learn magic on your own, and I doubt school is conducive to the creation of a Fowl Empire. So, why are you here?"
Artemis was quiet for a while. "I guess, I wanted to know what it was like."
"What was like?"
"To go to school, to be forced to socialize with people my age." Ron and Harry glanced at each other. If Artemis started crying his heart out to Hermione, they were leaving. "Have you heard of As-burgers Syndrome Miss. Granger?"
"Yes."
"My family has a history of the disease. My family has an inordinate number of brilliant individuals, but most, myself included, have difficulty relating to other people. In someways, the three of you can do things I will never do, have numerous friends, the ability to relax, to laugh. I cannot be calm. I am always seeing the angles, the objective, the lies. I exist as a machine of sorts, a machine for the propagation of wealth and power. That is all I can do. In someways, I envy you."
"How?" Ron snorted. "You're filthy rich! You can do what you want!"
"You have no idea how lonely wealth makes someone Mr. Weasley." Ron looked at Artemis. "How d'you figure?"
"You have a large family?"
"Yeah."
"And you love them and they love you?"
"Yeah. So?"
"I don't have a family Mr. Weasley. My family is probably best described as a firm, a business. When I was growing up, I saw my parents maybe once a day, and even then only for minutes. They were too busy. They had work to do. When I was six I started working just to be like them. My family has not had a Christmas together, we haven't celebrated my birthday, or anyone's birthday. That is what money is to my family Mr. Weasley. Money is loneliness. I play my games with politics and crime because there I can be who I want to be, not the little boy who has no friends and never had a birthday. That is why who I am Mr. Weasley. You have no idea how much I would give to be like you." Artemis shook his head as he finished, as if irritated with himself for speaking. Ron, Harry, and Hermione sat in their chairs, stunned.
"I..." Ron stammered. "I didn't know you were..."
"Don't worry about it Mr. Weasley. I don't mind."
"Ron."
"Hmm?"
"Call me Ron. You've never had a birthday?"
"Never."
"Merlin." Ron blew out heavily. "I though I had it tough."
"Thank you for the sympathy, all of you. I must be going." Artemis stood. "By the way Mr. Weasley, your father works for the ministry does he not?"
"Yeah why?"
"Just wondering." Artemis left, a rare smile on his face.
The next morning, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were down in the great hall having breakfast, when five owls flew in and landed right in front of Ron, Ginny, Percy, Fred, and George.
"What the?"
Ron gingerly removed the letter from his owl, which flew off.
"It's from the ministry!" Ron gasped as he examined the letter.
"What?" Hermione snatched it and looked it over. Sure enough, the ministry seal sat on the back of the letter, the black wax bearing two crossed wands.
"Open it!" Harry urged.
"Why's the ministry sending me mail?" Ron asked as he tore the letter open and read aloud.
By request of your father we are forwarding this letter to you and your siblings. At seven this morning, your father was officially promoted to the head of the newest office in the Ministry of Magic, the Department of Home Security. This agency, at your father's lead, will be tasked with enforcing anti smuggling and dangerous material laws, including muggle artifacts. Our best to you and your family.
Cornelius Fudge
Minister for Magic
"Congratulations Ron!" Hermione squeaked. "Good job mate!" Harry grinned, slapping a stunned Ron the back. Further down the Gryffindor table, Fred and George were roaring like lions from the top of the table, and Percy and Ginny were hugging.
"My dad's the head of a department." Ron mumbled. "How, who?"
Harry looked over at the Slytherin table where Artemis was going through his mail. The boy looked up and smirked, giving Ron a curt, but not unfriendly, bow.