Quoth the Raven
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1. Reviews are welcomed, flames aren't. We are getting stressed in our sewing that we needed a chance to take a break. Enjoy. -GF
Chapter 36: Bird or Fiend!
The morning after Samhain found a very tired Harry sitting as usual with Hermione and Luna at the Ravenclaw table. He only half-listened as those around him described the wonderful feast he had missed.
"That's all right," Harry said, more tired, and a little queasy from last night's adventure, than hungry. "I'm not into All Hallows' Eve. I really don't like to celebrate it much. Haven't in years."
At home, they really didn't celebrate it much, as it tended to upset the spirits trapped within the Tower complex. And after John had been told of how his birth parents died, he really didn't feel like celebrating that particular night either. Ben and Maggie did make a special dinner in memory of his birth parents. Also, before he went to bed, they usually held a small candlelight ritual, honouring his parents' sacrifice.
He and the Professor hadn't dragged their weary bodies back to the castle until sunrise, when the Nightmares had allowed them to dismount.
Legend had it that a Nightmare's own magic would not allow their rider to dismount, or fall off, but Harry wasn't taking any chances last night. He had made sure that he wouldn't embarrass himself by placing a sticking charm on his seat. It was only his faith in the Lady's assurance that he would be returning balance to the forest that had helped to calm his fears. Besides, to have shown fear would've sent the wrong signals to the Hounds and other creatures who had joined in the Hunt. He hadn't wanted to be one of the hunted, and that could well have been his fate if he had faltered.
The scant few hours of sleep he'd managed before breakfast had been uneasy, with the shrieks of dying spiders, the wild baying of the Hounds and the smell of burning flesh echoing in his dreams. The nightmarish ride through the Forbidden Forest would haunt him for some time to come.
Harry looked around at the staff table. If he wasn't feeling so green, he would've snickered. Of course, it stood to reason that Professor Snape was hiding in his chambers still. He had to give the man credit: he did know how to ride! He'd ridden his Nightmare with an ethereal dark style, his wand in one hand and a bloody black sword in the other. The spiders didn't stand a chance. His Nightmare had seemed to respond to her dark rider and had been vicious in her protection of him.
Harry wouldn't be surprised if the professor was nursing a hang-over. If he was even awake. Harry knew that if he could drink, he would've hit the bottle hard too. He did, however, wonder what his reception was going to be when he was next in the dour man's company. The professor had not been too keen on being included in last night's adventure, if the dire threats he made to Harry were any indication. The kindest threat was using Harry's bollocks for potion ingredients, one which Harry was thankful the man had not already acted upon. However, it had been hard to take any threat seriously as said man was hobbling, bow-legged and cursing, towards his chambers in the early morning light. He was last heard muttering about a hot soak and a bottle of Firewhiskey.
All Potions classes for today had been cancelled, according to the headmaster. It hadn't surprised Harry. He wondered if the man was sober enough to exit his bathtub yet.
"Why not?" Mandy asked as she bit into her toast, breaking into Harry's thoughts and pulling him out of them abruptly. She paused and looked at the faded scar on his forehead. "Oh... OH! Sorry." She blushed, deciding her toast was more important than the conversation.
Harry gave her a slight smile and nodded. "It's all right. I didn't want to bring everyone down with my depression. Wolf and I held hold a small vigil by the lake. Professor Snape joined us. Did you know he went to Hogwarts with my mother?"
Hermione had wanted to join them last night but, when she found out what the main event was to be, she respectfully declined. After meeting the Lady that Harry always talked about, she really did not want to draw another deity's attention to her.
Luna shuddered. "Samhain is not a good night to be outside. The veil is so thin! Plus I heard the Cwn Annwn last niiii..." Her voice trailed off softly. Her eyes widened as she gazed at Harry. Harry silently shook his head and pointed with his chin to Mandy. Luna nodded and turned back to her breakfast.
"Huh? What?" asked Mandy as she used a napkin to dust off her fingers, looking a bit confused.
"She won't let any harm come to you, though," Luna said wisely as she dabbed her napkin to her chin.
"I know," Harry said, as he excused himself from the table, giving the girls a smile. "The Lady has always watched out for me. I'll see you later, Hermione. We can compare notes. Luna, Mandy."
He walked out of the Great Hall, and that was the last anyone saw of Harry Potter for the rest of the day.
0o0o0o0
Severus Snape moaned as he downed yet another pain potion. Reaching out, he returned the empty vial to his bedside table. By now, he was sure that Albus had recieved his note about cancelling his classes for the day. As the potion took effect he thought drowsily of the many ways he could punish Potter for trapping him into the Hunt last night. He slipped into sleep with an evil smile on his lips.
0o0o0o0
Over the summer, Hermione had learned the answers to many things that used to puzzle her about her friend. She was ever so thankful now that she had been sorted into Ravenclaw. Gryffindors were entirely reckless and too favoured by the Headmaster! Her classes with Wolf had taught her that even those in authority could make mistakes and, from what John had told her this summer, Dumbledore was less than he made himself out to be, and definitely less than others gave him credit for.
As she moved down the stairs from the Headmaster's Office, she huffed in annoyance as she fingered her necklace. Over the week before Samhain and after Harry Potter's confrontation with the Weasleys, Dumbledore had summoned her to his office alone several times. Thankfully, Harry insisted that she have Professor Flitwick accompany her for any meetings with the headmaster. She came away from those meetings with feelings of disgust for the man and several migraines that his prying had caused.
As she once again walked away from another pointless meeting with the Headmaster, she continued to finger her necklace and curse the old git mentally. What made him believe that he had the right to invade her mind? The nerve!
Thankfully, John had told her about the protections embedded in her most prized possession. She fingered the charm around her throat and smiled. That old goat was just begging for trouble, and her John was going to give it to him in spades! In her mind and heart, Harry Potter would always be 'her John'.
0o0o0o0
Lord Voldemort stared down at the lifeless body of his paramour Bellatrix Lestrange. Even with his considerable knowledge, he could not find the curses that caused the wounds on her body. It was very frustrating.
Even his faithful Potions Master, Severus Snape, was mystified. The holes in her body looked familiar, and yet there had been nothing inside the wounds. Whatever had caused them was obviously lethal, and seemed to have no counter. All they had managed to do was prolong her life by slowing the bleeding. Even putting her into stasis hadn't worked, as the wounds had continued to bleed.
What both of them didn't realise was that the Muggle-borns took their knowledge and training from Hogwarts and expanded on it. Both Dark wizards may have had their beginnings in the Muggle world, but they had turned their backs in their arrogance and never took into account the progress the Muggle world had made.
He ordered the body burnt and the ashes scattered.
0o0o0o0
Ever since he was recognised by Hogwarts as a Founder's Heir, Harry pretty much had the run of the castle. He could do no wrong in her eyes, so she kept his secrets. She was very pleased that someone was finally paying attention to what was going on within her walls. Hogwarts gleefully anticipated his actions, hoping he would return her to her former glory as a premier school once more.
Harry was becoming very bored and found the mask he was forced to wear tiring. In his opinion, the classes were a joke. He knew the entire curriculum. There was no challenge to his studies at all and he was becoming more frustrated by the day. Harry knew that, while he found no challenge here, Hermione never had the early magical training that he did. She always dutifully collected class notes and assignments. For her, the classes held a bit of a challenge, and Hermione was never one to quit when there were things to be learned.
Those that had watched him grow up knew that a bored John was a dangerous John. Harry Potter was only a mask that the lad was forced to put on, and John was ready to explode. It was time for Scrapper to come out to play! His family knew that the raven side would come out at some point during his stay at Hogwarts. They just hoped that Scrapper would not give away too many secrets.
Hogwarts approved of his plans to skip today's lessons and offered a suggestion or two on just what he could do to liven up the day. Scrapper cawed as he flew out the window into the crisp late autumn sky. Now to find Wolf...
0o0o0o0
Wolf was strolling into the castle when a raucous caw echoed as a raven flew in to land on his shoulder. He reached up to stroke its breast as he took a note from its beak. The afternoon sky was dotted with grey clouds. 'Looks like Autumn's almost over with,' he mused.
"So this one belongs to you, Mr Wolfram," Albus said, coming out of the shadows. He had been walking around the castle trying to decipher just who this 'Lord of the Forest' was. The old ways were over with; only a few of the more die-hard pure-bloods followed them these days, which was the way he wanted it! The old ways interfered with his concept of the greater good.
"Headmaster, I am Sergeant-Major Wolfram," Wolf said, breaking into Albus' thoughts. "I earned that rank through blood, sweat and extremely hard work. It is very disrespectful for you to make light of it. I warn you now, if you continue, you will not like the consequences." The raven cawed his displeasure as well, causing both men to smile.
"Does he have a name?" Albus asked, turning the conversation back to the inquisitive bird.
"Yes, sir. This is Scrapper. He's fresh out of the nest, so he's a bit of a rascal. Has he been behaving himself?" Wolf gave the raven a sidelong look.
Albus turned to usher Wolf back into the castle, "And Mr Potter? Did he not come with you?"
Wolf opened the note with a frown for the headmaster. "Uh... no. I was on my way to meet Lord Potter." Wolf stressed the title, "He has been going over some of his estate dealings. The goblins sent a huge packet the other day."
"I see." Albus frowned, as he hadn't wanted to have Harry going over the Potter accounts so soon. He had plans of doing so with the boy in his seventh year, as a bonding experience. He was however, thankful, that he hadn't been able to dip into the Potter accounts. If they were going over them now, well... This was not good, not good at all.
0o0o0o0o0
Alone in their suite of rooms, Scrapper turned back into John. "He doesn't seem to like Scrapper, Wolf," John said with wicked grin as he plopped into an over-stuffed chair by the fire.
Their rooms were well warded from all listeners, especially interfering headmasters. John made a face as he stared into the fire.
"Can you blame him?" Wolf asked as he placed a plate of biscuits by John's arm.
"The ravens have been trying for years to tell him what was going on in the forest," John said after a moment of silence. "They were very upset that the spider issue had got so out of hand, especially when their nests were destroyed and young ones eaten. Most of the magical creatures within the forest had fled. The herd of unicorns, since the death of the lead mare a few years ago, retreated to the Fae Realm. They refused to come back until I sent them surety that it was now safe for them and that the spiders were gone."
"So when are you going to give The potions master his present?" Wolf asked with an evil grin, changing the subject as he handed his charge a mug of hot chocolate.
"Since he wasn't able to harvest them himself, I delivered what I able to collect to him this morning. They're under a special stasis charm right now and should be fine for awhile. He's been a bit put-out with me ever since the Hunt," John smirked. "Seems he finds walking a bit uncomfortable even now. I figure there's enough to last him for life, if he is careful."
Wolf laughed before turning the conversation yet again to a different subject. "Everything is going as planned. Everyone that is non-essential at the Tower will be evacuated, the day before you come home."
"How's Ben doing?"
Wolf smiled and handed over a care package from Maggie. "He's been given a clear bill of health by both Dr Atwaters and his regimental doctor. His medical leave will end at the end of the month. He will be back on duty on the first."
Harry wanted to ask if Ben and Maggie would be leaving with the others but knew the answer. Duty to the Crown came first.
Outside the window of their rooms, black shapes dotted the colourful sunset skies.
0o0o0o0o0
For those that pointed out that Snape would have recognised what a bullet hole was, sorry wrong country. Guns, for the most part, are not as prevalent in Britain, as they are here in the States. According to Wikipedia, the UK has one of the lowest gun related homicide rates in the world. Yes, we do try to double check our facts. So both Riddle and Snape would not recognise a bullet hole if they saw one.
We hope that clears some things up.
Until next time, GF and the Frau
