Scream after agonized scream rang from the end of the darkening hall, swirling around in his stomach, stabbing, slicing and tearing with their sharp icy claws. He shuddered for the first time, all at once feeling the fear that emanated from the blood-spattered and spell damaged walls around him. Such fear, almost crushing in its weight.
He clutched at the bloody sword, aiming its sharp tip in the direction of the screams as if it could ward away the fear. He knew that Voldemort was waiting for him, he could feel it in his burning scar; the pleasure, the satisfaction, the anticipation, the want.
This was all a bad idea, he shouldn't have come here, he wasn't ready for this, he knew Voldemort's mind like the back of his hand; manipulation was key. But it hadn't stopped him, he couldn't risk anyone else dying for him, he was over all the death and destruction that all centered around him, all of that which Voldemort had put there. He needed to end this, once and for all.
He followed the trail of blood, his buzzing wand emitting a soft light in his left hand and his blood-covered sword standing guard as his protection in his right. He tried to ignore the devastation laying before and around him, but the light of his wand seemed to reach every dark corner. Exposing just how dark the man he was about to defeat, really was.
There were mangled corpses lying in bloody puddles strewn across the hallway floor, some had oddly large pieces of debris crushing their limbs, their arms or legs were sticking out in odd angles, mostly away from the body, while others were covered in wounds varying sizes, lacerations from the claws and teeth of werewolves or cutting spells. Some even had scorch marks still emitting wisps of smoke that curled in large coils and disappeared into the air, leaving behind only the foul smell of burnt flesh. The worst were the ones with blank faces, with dying wands still clutched tightly in their hands and their eyes staring unseeingly ahead of them.
It seemed that they had been the unlucky recipient of Voldemort's favorite curse, the one that had failed on him but succeeded on everyone else.
"Potter. So you finally join us here on this momentous occasion," sneered a cold, high pitched voice in the room at the end of the hallway.
Harry entered the large dome room slowly, cautiously avoiding fallen bits of debris from the walls around him, all the while keeping his eyes on the snake-like face not fifty feet from him. He wouldn't – couldn't give Tom an opening, not again.
"You kept me waiting," said Voldemort, a cruel smile curling his ugly thin lips into waved lines that looked more like twisted wire. "I'm not a man of patience, Potter -"
"You're no man at all, Tom. You're a snake!" Harry hissed, moving until he was standing in front of a wall, to make sure that his back was covered. His forehead creased when he noticed the piles of dead bodies lining the walls and floor, most were fresh and still twitching. He saw a tense and shaking young woman by Voldemort's feet, she wore Ministry robes and looked to have been at least in her late twenties. She gasped raggedly and gave a choked sound, looking as if she was desperately trying to tell him something, but then fell limp against the ground, blood pooling from her twitching mouth in one long stream and her eyes quickly died and lost their spark.
S he would be the last to fall before Voldemort's wand, Harry would make sure.
"A snake, you say?" asked Voldemort in Parseltongue, amusement and darkness in his voice as he ignored the dead girl to his right in favor of Harry. Harry had seen his eyes flash a brilliant red when he'd spoken his given name, but it was gone almost as soon as it came. "My, my, such a compliment, Potter. Unfortunately, flattery will get you nowhere, surely you know this by now? I was certain that seeing your mother and father pleading and begging for their pathetic little lives -"
"Enough!" Harry snarled back, flicking his wand in a vicious manner and shooting a cutting curse at Voldemort's head. It was deflected, but barely, and Harry felt a brief spark of delight in seeing the look of shock on Voldemort's face. Harry glared hatefully at the thing in front of him, a freezing smirk curling his lips back from his teeth in a threatening manner. He would defeat him.
Voldemort hissed, a low sound that echoed in the near silent room and encased them in a malevolent haze. "You foolish boy! You think you can defeat me, Lord Voldemort, with these silly little tricks?! Pathetic!" he snarled, outraged at the mere thought of being bested by something so humdrum. Harry deflected Voldemort's curse with barely a thought, shooting his own in between.
They fought for what seemed like hours but what was merely minutes, spitting and hissing curses at each other and slowly building up the list of wounds. Each seeming more deadlier than the previous one.
Harry growled -and almost screamed- loudly when one of Voldemort's unknown spells hit his shoulder, and had barely been able to bring up a shield for the next one. It hurt like hell to move his shoulder, but he managed to push through the pain long enough to say his next spell, one he knew that Voldemort had no clue of.
"Sectumsempra!"
Harry woke with a fierce jolt, the bones in his body jumping upwards with panic. It was like that time he fell from his broom nearly three-hundred feet from the ground, the exact moment when he stopped moving up and merely floated in mid-air for what felt like forever, and then suddenly began pelting downwards towards the ground, his stomach far up above his head and every bone in his body reaching skyward.
His heart raced in his chest, and beat loudly in the thick silence, almost sounding like a hammer slamming into a nail. It was just a dream, he assured himself, rolling onto his side and huddling into a small ball, arms tucked around the knees that were pinned to his chest, to soothe himself by rocking. Just a dream.
But it wasn't just a dream, it was a memory, complete with the exact feelings and thoughts of that time. Of all the times for his adrenaline to capture everything in detail, it just had to have been the moment where he'd defeated Voldemort. He'd hoped that everything would be fuzzy, as it had been exactly after the twisted man had finally fallen to the ground in a bloody ruin. But it seemed that the fates had wanted him to remember everything clearly, as his hopes had been dashed the night of Voldemort's fall when he'd awoken from the same nightmare.
The room was still bathed in darkness when he calmed down enough to see past his own nose, the dim embers in the fireplace barely casting the light and warmth he needed into the room. He hardly noticed that the fire had jumped to attention and brightened considerably, growing until it was roaring, until he noticed that the sun was just rising. Or it was supposed to be, anyway.
It seemed that not only was he to be in a foul mood, but so was the weather.
He'd found that he didn't mind the rain as much as he used to earlier in the summer, when he'd been forced to mow the front lawn when it was absolutely pouring buckets. That had been one of the hard tasks that Dudley wouldn't help him with, regardless if Harry had been injured or not. It seemed to reflect how he was feeling perfectly, almost like he was in his own little world.
If only everyone else weren't in it as well, then he wouldn't have to live up to anyone's silly expectations. No more Golden Boy, or the Boy-Who-Lived-Thrice, or even Harry Potter, Defeater of the Dark Lord Voldemort. He'd have been Harry, just Harry, a sixteen year old, hot blooded male.
He slowly uncurled from his position, finding that while the bed was comfortable, it didn't make well for someone lying in a ball and rocking, as it absorbed far too much and stopped him from moving backwards if he moved forward. It dipped far too low and felt like it swallowed him whole as well, which wasn't exactly a pleasant thought or experience given his track record.
He wondered about sleeping beside someone, whether the bed would be uncomfortably crowded or too lumpy to become comfortable at all. Would they try and hog the duvet or space? Would they invade his? Would they wrap around him protectively, almost like they were cradling him? Or was it just in books that people did that in their sleep?
Harry shook his head disbelievingly, realizing that he'd just thought about sleeping beside someone else. It's a perfectly normal thing to do, he thought to himself reassuringly, pursing his lips pensively as his heart gave a harsh squeeze and the empty hole in his chest panged hollowly, Too bad I'm not normal, he thought, before sliding out of the slightly messy bed and limping slightly towards the bathroom.
He wanted to wash off the congealed sweat on his body and relax in the shower before he made an appearance downstairs, because no matter how bad he felt, he didn't want to inflict his bad mood on the others. They didn't deserve that.
"Wotcher, Harry." greeted Tonks, miserably and tiredly, looking downright horrible and sleep deprived as she grimaced in half-disgust down the table at a plate of cooked eggs that was slowly but surely circulating the table. She winced when the plate of eggs made a turn in her direction and rubbed her slightly distended abdomen comfortingly, unconsciously shifting in her seat.
Harry slouched towards her and sat down beside her with a face just as tired and miserable as her own, and sighed with a frown, "Morning, Tonks. Bad day?" he asked, already knowing the answer as she turned her grimace on him and nodded grimly. Harry gave her a commiserating half-smile, "Yeah, I know the feeling." he said.
And he did, all morning he had felt pained and melancholic, weighed down by some huge invisible world -another one, what a stroke of luck- that seemed to want to crush him into dust. His skin had been itching all morning, especially around his back and forearms, adding annoyance to his list of depressing emotions. Melancholy, sadness, anger, remorse, you name it and he felt it.
And it didn't exactly help his case that his head and teeth ached as well, the day just seemed destined to want to hurt him.
"I don't see you throwin' up absolutely everythin'." slurred Tonks, looking a little green around the gills as the plate of eggs passed right in front of her. Harry shooed it away from them both when Tonks swallowed loudly and heavily, looking pained. She breathed easier when the plate was further down the table, "I love being pregnant and all, but I certainly didn't miss the severe cases of morning sickness." she said, gaining at least some color back in her cheeks now that the greasy eggs were gone. Although the pained grimace remained.
"I'm just going to liken morning sickness to having an upset stomach, seeing as I don't know what it's like to be pregnant," Harry said, glumly pouring himself a goblet of pumpkin juice and taking a large swig. That was one upside to his day, at least, not having to know the pain of pregnancy.
Tonks grimaced in his direction and nodded slightly, "It's almost exactly like having an upset stomach, except you don't know when you're going to be doing the throwing up. It's damn right depressing when you're happily sleeping beside your husband, content and having sweet dreams, when wham! You start spewing up vomit like a bloody fountain. I don't know how Remus can stand it." she said distastefully, glowering down at the table and stabbing her fork viciously into the top, so hard that the fork remained standing on its head. Thankfully, she was ignored by everyone around her, even Sirius, who looked almost ready to explode into tears, or screams of anger at his ruined table.
It was almost hard to tell who was pregnant here.
Harry glanced at her tiredly, offering a small comforting smile, "I'm sure it's not that bad, Tonks. Besides, just think about the future when that precious little girl is born, you won't even remember a single day of morning sickness with those two around." he said, seeing the four Lupin's laughing happily with each other in his mind.
Tonks gave a soft smile despite the sickly look to her skin, "Tell me something, Harry," she said, beginning to look slightly worried, "will Teddy and my baby girl like each other?"
"Is Snape a git?" Harry countered, a small smirk turning his lips as Tonks laughed gently and turned to peruse the proffered foods with an experienced hungry eye, obviously over her bout of sickness and hungry for food. Pregnant women are so weird, Harry thought, watching as Tonks seemed to adopt a predatory prowl and left her seat in search of the perfect food.
A small smile curled his lips when a plate of Molly Weasley's family famous food appeared in front of him, piping hot and full of eggs, sausages, bacon and toast. He wasted no time in eating it, but he did savor it; the taste, the feel and the warmth that the prepared food seemed to give off. This was a meal prepared with love. Not exactly what he'd be getting at Hogwarts, that's for sure.
Hogwarts. Harry sighed quietly, and put down his knife and fork in exchange for the goblet of pumpkin juice. With an upbringing like his own, going to Hogwarts was -and always will be- heaven, a place of warmth and acceptance for him. Not this time, it seemed. However much he loved the castle, he didn't want to be one of the few that had to stay there earlier than the others. It would just be another reason for him to stick out like a sore thumb, Boy-Who-Lived aside -along with the Destroyer of Voldemort-, he had been a normal teenager with a complex history.
But Fate really was a cruel bitch. It just had to make him something exotic and different. Why couldn't it have been Ron or Hermione that was different and special this time? He was sick of being different, sick of the fame, sick of the life of a celebrity, sick of being alone. Sick of being feared.
"Well don't you look like a barrel of sunshine on this great morning." said Ginny humorously, sliding into the seat Tonks had just left with a tired slump to her back. It seemed that the weather had weighed everyone down this morning, or perhaps it was just from lack of sleep.
Harry gave Ginny a small scowl, "While I enjoy your sarcasm, Ginny, today is just not the day for it." he said flatly, turning back to slice and mangle his food with barely any interest.
"Whoa, what happened to you?" asked Ginny, surprised enough to lose any shred of sleepiness at the annoyance in Harry's voice, "It's barely nine o'clock and you're already angry. What's happened?"
Harry ignored the urge to snap at her, and instead gave her a small apologetic smile, "Sorry, I'm just ..." he paused to ponder what excuse he could give her, finding that whatever he came up with was entirely too much of a lie. He sighed and closed his eyes, "I'm just tired and worn out I guess, I didn't get much sleep last night." he said, sounding as tired as he felt.
Well at least it wasn't that much of a lie, he could have done so much worse.
Ginny frowned lightly at him, staring at him hard as if he were an unsolvable puzzle, before an unnerving knowing gleam made itself known in her bright brown eyes and she took on a look of realization, "It was a nightmare." she said quietly, searching his face avidly as if it held all the signs. She apparently found many, because she immediately laid a comforting hand on his forearm. "Harry, you have to tell someone. These things aren't good for you -"
"I'm fine," Harry interrupted quietly, laying his own hand over her small soft one, "really, it's nothing bad. Just a few memories. I've survived worse." he said, squeezing her hand gently before letting go to pick up his knife.
Ginny stared at him, "If you were really fine, you wouldn't be losing sleep." she said quietly, looking away only to smile and say good morning to a tired Arthur Weasley, who passed behind them.
Harry paused a moment, before shrugging and going back on with his mangled breakfast, which was cold. He wouldn't push it away just because he felt upset, not when he was already so hungry. Even though it didn't taste as good as it did when it was warm.
Ginny's hand disappeared from his arm, and he watched as she poured herself a goblet of pumpkin juice, topping off his own when she took notice of its half-empty state. "I'm not letting this go, Harry." she said to him quietly, putting his goblet down by his plate.
Harry sighed inaudibly, feeling depressed, "Why not? It's not as bad as you think ..."
"You need to tell someone. You're not exactly a good judge when deciding what's bad or really bad, Harry," she said seriously, taking a swig of her beverage as someone else passed behind them. Harry felt something in his chest warm up. Even if Ginny was angry with him, she still had his back.
"If anything, you should tell me." she added just as seriously, when she knew that no one else was listening.
Harry shook his head slowly, giving her a small smile, "There's no point, Gin. I'm fine, really, it's just something that I have to deal with. Honestly, I've talked to Hermione about it, and even she thinks that it's nothing." he said.
Ginny looked as if she was about to say something, or protest at the very least, but seemed to just give up at the last minute. "If you say so," she said slowly, turning in her seat to help herself to the toast lined up in the middle of the table on a toast rack.
Harry felt a little bad for lying to Ginny, but he couldn't help but feel that he'd done the right thing. He didn't want to stress her, especially with things that weren't worth stressing over. He wasn't worried about his dreams, so why should anyone else be?
"Did you pack everything you need, Harry? All your clothes? Books?" asked Molly Weasley hurriedly, glancing at Harry every minute as she bustled around the kitchen, searching for her large ancient bag that seemed to have mysteriously disappeared in the last few hours. She had already sent her husband and children out to look for it, with a clear threat that if it wasn't found soon, nobody would be safe. But it was evidently still missing.
"Uh, yes Mrs Weasley," answered Harry, moving away from the kitchen door quickly, as he could hear someone approaching it. He wanted to stay as far away from this drama as he could. Molly Weasley could be quite intimidating when angry, and it seemed that the Lupin's and Sirius had come to the same conclusion as well, as they were all sitting at the table, drinking tea and watching the scene unfold before them quietly.
Everyone looked to the doorway when Ron appeared, out of breath and sweaty. Molly looked at him hopefully. "No sign of it, mum." sighed Ron, his face red and sweating from having to run all over the place.
"Oh! I thought I saw it in here!" cried Molly Weasley, throwing her hands up in frustration and scowling around the room.
Harry bit his bottom lip and threw back his memory to when he'd last seen the old ratty thing, yet again. And yet again came up empty, all he could think about was getting away from the stressed woman in front of him. "I thought I saw it in the parlour room," Harry said, gaining the attention of a flustered Molly Weasley and an exhausted Ron, "I'll go and check if you like?" he offered, inwardly hoping that she would let him. Sirius seemed to know what he was thinking, and smirked at him proudly. Harry was never more thankful that Sirius' back was turned to Molly Weasley, than he was now.
Molly nodded gratefully, "Oh yes, please do, Harry dear." she said, making a shooing motion towards him and seating herself at the table, where she slumped and rubbed at her damp face stressfully.
Harry took his leave and swept out of the room, dodging Ron, who was slumped against the hallway wall and running his hands through his sweaty hair repeatedly, making the messy red strands stick up as if he'd been electrocuted. "Alright, mate?" Harry asked, amused at the wiped out expression on the redhead's face.
"It's bloody mental, women and bloody bags. Why couldn't they just have pockets?" asked Ron rhetorically, looking at Harry as if to say 'Why me?!'.
Harry shrugged, "Because they can't fit all their doodads in their pockets?" he suggested, "How the hell would I know, mate? I'm a bloke." he said, shrugging once more before heading off to the parlour room.
"It's not really in there, is it?" asked Ron, catching on to what Harry had said before and completely ignoring what he'd just said then. "Her bag." he said when Harry looked at him weirdly.
Harry smirked slightly, "Nope, but I'm sure it'll turn up soon." he said slyly, moving to go to the parlor room.
Ron slung a finely muscled arm around Harry's shoulder -seeing as he was still taller than Harry- and fell into step, walking alongside to the calm and no-doubt empty parlor room. "Ah, Harry you sly bugger." he said playfully.
It took everyone in Grimmauld Place half an hour to find Molly Weasley's hidden bag. Half an hour spent looking on counters, in rooms and in bathrooms, a waste, for the bag was not hidden in any of those places. But beside one of the fireplace chairs in the parlor room, the very one that Molly Weasley had sat in when combing out Harry's hair.
She had ranted and raved, blasting anyone within earshot to the high heavens for making her run around like a 'headless chook' for half an hour, searching for a bag that was nowhere near her.
Ron had found it particularly humorous when Fred and George had gotten the tongue lashing of the century, and the blame for her missing purse. They'd joined Harry and Ron in the parlor room shortly after, rubbing their left and right ears tenderly and wincing every few moments. True to their actions, their ears looked a little bruised.
They'd been hiding in front of the fireplace, lolling about for the time it took for Molly Weasley to lose her steam and gain back her mind. They'd headed back into the kitchen when they figured that it was safe, nearly twenty minutes later, and were bombarded by the people Harry had to leave for Hogwarts with. Arthur and Molly Weasley, the Lupin's and Bill Weasley.
"And just where have you four been?!" asked Molly Weasley angrily, throwing about her newly found tatty bag and scowling heavily at the four of them, "Oh never mind that now, we're late as it is! Come along Harry, we were supposed to be at Kings Cross ten minutes ago."
Harry's eyebrows had risen high, but he'd said nothing. Instead, he'd shot back up into his room and gathered his things. He threw out the seed and emptied the water from Hedwig's cage and shrunk it down to a small size, no bigger than the top of his pinky. It joined the shrunken trunk in his pocket as well. He'd all but cleared out the alcohol cabinets, knowing that he'd need something stronger than a butterbeer to calm him down. He was prepared for anything; he had nearly all of the books on defensive and offensive magic from his bookshelf, his invisibility cloak, his fathers map, instruments and ingredients -those that were safe for shrinking- for potion making, his wand, a pair of dragon hide boots -one of the pairs he was wearing-, a few thick cloaks, shirts, pants, trousers -some jeans and one leather- and his family album.
He felt he could take on the world.
As a last minute thing, he threw on a comfortably large emerald cloak and pulled some of his hair over both of his shoulders so that it all wasn't just cushioning his back. It was mainly a distraction from having to go downstairs, but from the hollering sounds, it was already time. There was no more denying it now, he had to go.
He took in one last look of his room, knowing that he had now had something special to come back to, before he disappeared out of the door, his cloak swishing out behind him in a way only Severus Snape had managed.
Kings Cross station seemed almost empty when they arrived, and Harry would agree with anyone who suggested, that it was all down to the weather. It was absolutely pouring buckets, complete with the loud ominous grumbling of the thunder overhead, the fierce wind and the flashes of lightning that reminded Harry too much of cameras.
No one seemed to want to be caught up in the storm, and the few people who were braving it looked like they wanted to be anywhere else but here, and were only here out of necessity. Harry could almost relate, he didn't want to go to Hogwarts but had to anyway. Though the others don't know that.
Harry pulled the hood of his cloak tighter around his head to shield his face from the freezing wind, seeing the others do the same in the corner of his eye. Arthur was leading them towards the brick wall at a brisk pace, clearly wanting to get to Hogwarts as quickly as possible now that the situation with Molly Weasley's handbag was sorted.
"Quickly now!" called Arthur over the howling wind, only stopping once to entwine his arm with Molly's as they had now reached the brick wall. Harry's steps faltered when he saw the brick wall, but he kept going, watching as the elder Weasley's stepped through the barrier and disappeared entirely, followed quickly by their son, Bill Weasley. Harry really didn't want to go now.
Harry didn't realize that he'd stopped moving until a large familiar hand gripped his shoulder gently, and he looked up into Remus' kind eyes bemusedly. Remus smiled sadly, a knowing look to his aged face, and he nodded once towards the barrier, "Ready, Harry?" he asked over the howling wind, his voice practically drowned out.
Harry didn't say anything, not trusting his voice, and nodded once. He pulled away from Remus before he could say anything else, and ran through the wall, his hand clasped tightly around the tiny trunk and cage in his pocket. He kept his mind carefully blank, not trusting himself to keep calm in the midst of chaotic and panicked thoughts.
The weather on the other side of the wall was much different to the one he'd just came from, but he didn't feel the need to take off his cloak. He merely held it around him tighter, to shield himself from being spotted by anyone else that might be there. However, hew.
The Hogwarts express looked as impressive as it always had, large, red and powerful. And ready to move. Harry glanced at the clock mounted high on the wall and balked when he noticed just how late it was. They'd have to board now if they were to leave.
"Come along, Harry! The train will be departing soon!" called Arthur from a little ways down the train, waving him over.
Harry heaved in a deep breath and swept down the length of the train to where Arthur was standing, noticing quite belatedly that there was a group of important looking people behind him, all wearing dark and expensive cloaks. They were all Slytherin's. He shuddered to think that he would be alone with a group of Slytherin's in a dorm without any support from anyone else and no one to turn to.
Just my bloody luck to be the only damn Gryffindor creature, he thought bitterly as he climbed aboard the train, hesitating only to offer Arthur on before him. Arthur waved him on with a smile and said something about Molly waiting in a compartment for them, Harry couldn't much hear as the train had just then decided to give a loud ear-bursting whistle. They'd obviously been very late.
Harry walked on down the line of compartments, spying in on every one of them to see if Molly was there. He continued on for a few moments, ducking his head in and out of each compartment, until he finally found Molly sitting in one at the far back. "Why are we so far back?" he couldn't help asking when he stepped in.
Molly let out a small shriek and turned to smack him with her left hand, her wand positioned defensively in her right and pointing directly into his face. He stood frozen while she let out a loud sigh of relief, and lowered her wand, "Oh, Harry dear, you scared me." she said weakly, sounding as if she'd run a mile in ten seconds. He relaxed immediately when she smiled, knowing that he was off the hook. It didn't make him feel any less guilty about it though, and he made sure to look it. "Oh, don't look at me like that, I'm fine." she assured him, moving to sit back beside the window.
Harry sat opposite her, burrowing himself deeply into the warm cloak and leaning his head against the glass, "I'm sorry I scared you Mrs Weasley, I didn't mean to. I thought you knew I was there ..." he trailed off, frowning to himself.
Molly chortled and waved him off as if batting at a compliment, "Oh don't be silly, Harry! You can't help being light on your feet, it's not your fault." she said happily enough, breathing steadier than before. She picked up her large bag and began pulling two large knitting needles and a half-knitted jumper, it was maroon and large enough to fit Ron Weasley if he had a pot-belly.
Harry smiled weakly at her and forced himself to nod, even though he still felt bad about scaring her. "So, how long do you think it'll take them to find us?" he asked conversationally, trying to forget what recently happened, before feeling a little awkward. He didn't think he'd ever spoken with Molly Weasley without the presence of one of her children before. It felt a little odd.
"I think it'll take them just a little bit longer than you, that's for sure." she answered, grinning cheekily as she began knitting away.
Just then the compartment door slid open, and in popped the missing companions. Remus smiled apologetically, leading a drowsy Tonks in and sat them both at the opposite end of Molly, allowing room for Arthur to sit beside his wife. Arthur and Bill appeared behind them, though Bill seemed a little sour-faced.
"What's happened?" asked Harry, concerned. Though he hadn't been there when whatever happened, he was sure that it was all down to the pack of Slytherin's he'd seen. It was just too obvious.
Bill scowled and looked away as he flung himself down in one of the seats beside Harry, "Slytherin's," he said through gritted teeth, "Malfoy's to be specific."
Harry himself felt a scowl take place on his face, and he took the moment to slide the hood of his cloak down, "Stupid Malfoy ..." he paused, suddenly realizing the implications of Malfoy being on the train. He turned to Bill quickly, "Is he a creature?" he asked.
Bill nodded with a dark look, "I can't believe the wanker, flashing his fangs all about like they're something special," he muttered darkly, ignoring his mothers spluttering about bad language and glaring at a spot on the floor as if seeing Malfoy's head. His foot stomped on the patch harshly, "he even 'offered' to 'give me a go'! The little prick!" he snarled, once again stomping on the floor.
Harry winced for Malfoy, knowing that Bill was incredibly dangerous and skilled with hexes and curses. He really wouldn't want to be on Bill's bad side. However, Harry was then distracted by what Bill had said, "Malfoy has fangs?" he asked, confused. There were many creatures in the Wizarding world that had fangs, and not all of them were vampires.
Remus nodded from the corner of his eye, and Harry turned to him. Remus looked fairly angry, almost a mirror image to Bill, "The Malfoy family appear to be .. vampires," he said slowly, glancing once from Harry to the compartment door as if wanting to run down the hallway and slaughter the Malfoy's. It was not look for the faint of heart.
"Appear to be?" asked Harry, ignoring Bill as he stomped repeatedly at the floor. He was waiting for the moment where Bill's foot would go through the floor and get stuck.
"Well one could hardly tell if another is a vampire, if the said vampire keeps their teeth sheathed, Harry," said Remus, a slight tone of amusement in his voice.
"And Malfoy - Draco," Harry amended, seeing a potential for mixing the Malfoy men up, "flashed his at you?" he asked incredulously, looking between Bill and Remus with wide disbelieving eyes. If Malfoy was so bold as to taunt Bill Weasley -a large muscley, manly man with a fierce look of bad-assedry about him- so openly, then how the hell would he survive in the same dorm as him?
Tonks nodded shortly, her curly purple hair bobbing around her chin frantically, "Malfoy junior tried to do the same with me, but aunt Narcissa stopped him before he could. She must've recognised me, 'cause she didn't say anything about how I'm dressed. Funny, that." she said, looking thoughtful.
Remus' jaw tightened, "You look beautiful in whatever you wear, Dora. There is no one else here to tell you otherwise." he said firmly, pressing an adoring kiss to his wife's temple. She rolled her eyes playfully and snuggled into his side, splaying one arm around his back and another arm over her stomach protectively. Remus' hand settled on her stomach as well, and he gained a look of fierce protectiveness.
Harry unconsciously looked just as protective, although he was glaring heatedly at the compartment door as if he was expecting Malfoy to just show up instead of acting all lovey-dovey with someone. He couldn't wait for Malfoy -either of the two Malfoy males- to slip up and give him a reason to bash his head in, Harry at least, had more than enough power to take them on. However, it wouldn't be nearly as fun, as he'd always had enough power and magic to crush the Malfoy's.
A cold smirk spread across his face when he glanced down at his right hand. If anything, he could beat Lucius Malfoy and Draco Malfoy at their own game.
"I don't like the way you're looking right now," said Bill, slightly amused and yet worried at the same time, "too evil and devious for someone with such an angelic face." he said, making baby noises at Harry.
The smirk on Harry's face pulled up into an amused grin, "Angelic face? Oh no, Billy boy. This face," Harry gestured to his face and gave a pointedly devilish smirk, although it was ruined when his lips began twitching, "is anything but angelic."
Bill's eyebrows raised in incredulity, and his voice came out higher when he spoke, "'Billy boy'?" he asked, glancing at his parents with a look that clearly said 'Can you believe this?', "Whatever happened to my manhood? Left at the train station, I suppose?" he asked, sounding put out and depressed. It was clear to Harry that it was an act, as upset people usually weren't trying to hold back a smile.
Harry chuckled and reached over to pet Bill's arm comfortingly, "There, there Billy boy. Don't worry, I'm sure it'll find its way back to you soon." he said, trying to sound placating, but failing.
Bill rolled his blue eyes and shot Harry a mock glare, snatching his arm away from Harry's gentle petting. He shook his head, making the long ponytail of red hair swish over his shoulders and his fang earring to flick back and forth viciously, "How did we get from calling Malfoy a prat, to discussing how I've supposedly lost my manhood?" he asked, beginning to look puzzled and confused.
Harry was about to shrug, when his right hand began to burn slightly. It was the Potter ring, heating up and seeming to reprimand him for even thinking of displaying such an uncouth gesture. It seemed like it had heard what Harry had been thinking, and was taking it seriously. If rings could do that. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, calming and firming himself. He needed to act the part of proper and high-class if he was to beat the Malfoy's, and shrugging was not going to help. The ring was right.
"No idea," said Harry, smiling slightly in Bill's direction, "but I guess I'm indirectly calling you a prat, seeing as you said I looked ugly." he smirked.
Bill rolled his eyes at that, and socked Harry in the arm, before slouching in his seat and crossing his feet at the ankle, "Yeah, well ... just be careful 'round Malfoy, okay? I have a bad feeling about him. I don't know if it's the fangs, or the fact that he's a new vampire, but I feel like he's going to be targeting you an awful lot." he said, sounding concerned and angry all at the same time.
"He wouldn't want to if he knows what's good for himself," said Harry darkly, his expression tightening and twisting until he was practically glowering out the window. He could just imagine it now; Malfoy all slashed to ribbons, his stupid bloody face nothing but a gaping wound laying in a puddle of red.
"Just be careful, Harry," said Remus quietly, "we don't know if their charms work on you, and if they do, what your reaction might be. You're still an unknown creature, remember that."
As if I need any reminders, Harry thought bitterly, hugging his arms around his waist underneath the cloak.
Malfoy is a vampire, and Harry's enemy.
Malfoy will probably try and kill Harry the moment he sees him. And Harry will probably have to room with him, because that's just his luck.
"Bollocks." he muttered to himself, letting his head fall against the window with a dull thud.
It was six o'clock by the time they reached Hogsmeade station, and it was incredibly dark. Harry had his hood up again, and was clutching at his wand, as if expecting Malfoy to come flying at him. Who knew, he probably would.
The others had also donned their robes' hoods, to protect their faces from the slightly nippy wind blowing their way. Harry was travelling in the middle of the group, with Arthur and Bill on either side and Molly leading the way. They hadn't seen the slimy Slytherin's yet, but Harry had no doubt that they would, and probably at an incredibly bad time.
"Ah, a carriage," said Molly Weasley in relief, rushing towards one of the Thestral drawn carriages and pulling the cab door open, she climbed inside immediately to rest herself, and Tonks was second to join her with the help of Remus.
Harry was third to go in for some reason, though perhaps it was because Bill or Remus were becoming wary of the forest, or because they were becoming paranoid that the Malfoy's were suddenly going to come out and attack Harry. Harry didn't mind, it was warmer inside the carriage than it was outside, which was silly as it wasn't supposed to be as cold.
Remus pulled the door closed and almost immediately, the carriage set off. However, the closer they got to Hogwarts, the more tense Harry got.
"Don't worry, Harry," said Arthur happily enough, "you'll be fine. Everything always works out for the best." he said.
Harry didn't say anything, but nodded and smiled gratefully all the same, forcing himself loosen up his muscles and relax. If he's kicked out, then he's kicked out. At least he still has Sirius to go to.
The journey up the hill and across the grounds was a silent one, filled with a mounting tension that just got higher the closer they got to the castle. Remus had growled lowly when he peered out the window, and Harry knew why without having to look. There were three other carriages all following the bendy track they were making.
And most were probably filled with Slytherin's.
"Calm down, love," said Tonks quietly, squeezing Remus' hand soothingly in her lap. She nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck, and Harry saw her smile lovingly when Remus moved to encase her in a hug. Harry felt another pang in his chest, somewhere close to his heart, and he was forced to look away.
Harry frowned when the carriage pulled to a stop, and he noticed that instead of stopping at the gates like they usually did, they had instead stopped in the courtyard. Since when had he lost sight of the path they were travelling?
"Well this is different .." Harry trailed off, watching as Dumbledore and a small group of wizards and witches descended the entrance hall stairs. Dumbledore looked a little annoyed, but it was largely concealed by the wide grin on his elderly face. Harry knew why almost immediately, Fudge, Umbridge and other Ministry toadies were there.
"They won't do anything you don't want them to, Harry. You hold all the power here, not them." said Arthur kindly, giving Harry's arm a comforting and fatherly squeeze.
Harry nodded stiffly, "They're going to try and get on my good side now that I'm a Lord, aren't they?" he asked quietly, glancing from Arthur to Remus. If they tried, he would shut them down. Especially Umbridge, although, what ideas she'd had about getting him on her side would be amusing to listen to.
Arthur nodded his balding head and sighed, beginning to look weary, "I'm afraid so, Harry. They'll most likely try and convince you to go along with their ideas, you have a high standing in the Wizarding world, both in the Ministry and with the people. You're a very important person, and to have you backing them would kick up their standings." he said.
"But I'm not -" Harry tried to say.
"We know, Harry," interrupted Remus, not unkindly, "but to them you're just a person that can be used, it's one of the reasons why we forbid you from owling anyone. It can be intercepted and used as blackmail that could ultimately ruin you."
"This is the wrong time to be discussing this, boys," said Molly sternly, crossing her arms across her large chest, "poor Albus has been waiting for five minutes in that cold wind, all because you all can't stop talking."
"Oh, not you, Harry dear. I meant Remus and Arthur," Molly added hurriedly when Harry looked just as guilty as Remus and Arthur. Bill and Tonks snickered.
"Rightio then, out we get." said Arthur, smiling appealingly at his wife.
Molly nodded happily, and waited for Remus to open the door, "Alright Remus, we're ready." she said kindly, fixing up her already neat hair under the hood of her cloak. Harry immediately pulled his up, just remembering that it was down.
Remus gave a soft laugh and opened the door and slipped out, holding his hands out to steady Tonks as she scooted across the seat and stepped out. Tonks grinned up at him and pecked his cheek, thanking him, before going to greet Dumbledore.
Molly beamed at Remus as she stepped out, patting his arm with a motherly approval and then fixing her cloak as if it was messed. Arthur gently stopped her flurrying hands by holding them between his own after stepping out, and tugged her over to meet Dumbledore, whom was smiling affectionately at Tonks as she rubbed at her stomach and bounced about, almost tripping over her own feet in her haste to tell him about her recent stay at Grimmauld Place.
Bill gave Harry a hard look when he was next to move out, his right leg already hanging out of the carriage, "You will be careful this year, right Harry? I don't want to lose one of my brothers to anything stupid like a werewolf or a Death Eater," he said firmly, looking and sounding the part of the protective older brother.
Harry did little more than nod with an understanding smile and say, "Ron'll be fine, Bill. I'll keep an eye on him when he's out patrolling the corridors. I'm sure he'll be fine."
Bill's eyebrows furrowed, "Ron knows how to take care of himself, Harry. Just don't forget about yourself, little brother." he said quietly, knocking Harry's shoulder gently with a brotherly shove as he climbed out of the carriage.
"Little brother ..." Harry whispered to himself, heart clenching tightly in his chest. He was considered a little brother?
"Come on out Harry, professor Dumbledore would like to see you." said Remus gently, still holding the carriage door open.
"Yeah Remus, I'm coming." Harry replied, smiling.
Harry stepped out carefully, keeping the back of his cloak held out behind him so he wouldn't trip on it. He cast a glance at Remus, and saw the wizard eyeing something over his head. He didn't have to look behind him to know that it was the Slytherin's.
"Alright, Remus?" he murmured, the wind almost drowning out his words as it pulled at his cloak.
Remus inhaled deeply, seeming to calm himself down, "Yes, I'm fine, Harry," he murmured back, smiling slightly. Harry stepped away from the carriage so Remus could close the door, and they both made their way over to Dumbledore, whom was now facing their direction and smiling widely. Harry couldn't help but smile when he saw the vision that Dumbledore made.
He wore long lavender robes with gold trimmings that shimmered slightly under the light emanating from the castle and the moon, there were a few stars sparkling and shooting across the fabric whenever the wind caught it. He wore pointed pale green shoes that were partially hidden by the hem of his robes, only having been seen when the wind picked up its pace. His long silver beard was tucked into the bright red belt tied around his waist. He looked fabulous.
"Good evening Mister Potter, Mister Lupin," greeted Dumbledore, his blue eyes twinkling madly behind the half-moon spectacles perched atop his nose, "I do hope your trip was enjoyable. I should have liked the train to have reached here at an earlier time, but I can't help but be thankful, as the House-elves have prepared us all a rather spectacular meal in the Great Hall."
Harry grinned when Dumbledore winked at him, "Excuse me for my rudeness. Would anyone like a lemon drop?" he offered, a smile curling his lips as he held a small brown sack that was full to the brim of the lemon candies.
"Yes please, professor." Harry said happily, stepping forward to select a few of the sour lollies. He took four. Not so surprisingly, Tonks was the second person to reach into the bag, and she stepped away with her completely full hand held to the top of her stomach so that the lollies wouldn't escape, her face lit up in a happy grin. She reluctantly offered one to Remus, whom smiled cheekily and took one as well.
Harry was surprised when one of the Slytherin's stepped forth as well, and selected two lollies out of the bag. But then Harry wasn't exactly surprised after all, as it was Blaise Zabini, one of the rare polite and kind Slytherin's. Blaise and Harry exchanged friendly smiles as Blaise passed by, and both inclined their heads respectfully. Although, Harry noted that Blaise returned to the other Slytherin's with a sort of gobsmacked and dazed look.
Harry felt a small pang of relief. At least rooming with Blaise wouldn't be so bad, he was polite to everyone. Although he could be extremely nasty when crossed, he was a lot like Harry himself in that respect actually.
Dumbledore smiled widely at everyone before him, "Now that that has been taken care of, I should think that it is time to begin with testing these brilliant minds. Follow me." he said, and then spun around, robes flaring in the wind, and began walking up the entrance stairs.
Harry didn't hesitate to start following him, and began moving up the stairs behind him, his cloak trailing out behind him in the wind. He was completely calm and collected when they reached the entrance doors.
Each of the Heads of House's were standing by the side of the doors, their backs to the Ministry toadies behind them, and were watching Harry and the other students and parents ascending with varying expressions. Minerva McGonagall, the Head of Gryffindor House, didn't look so surprised to see him, but was giving him her rare dry smile. "Not willing to miss out on another adventure, right Potter?" she asked dryly.
Harry smiled cheerily at McGonagall and inclined his head respectfully, the ring on his right hand calling for him to show proper manners, "You clearly know me professor. Care to play Guess-The-Creature with me?" he asked playfully.
McGonagall's smile widened just little that bit and she shook her head minimally, making the pointed hat flop a little on her head, "I think not, Potter. I believe you're something rare and unknown, such a game would be useless." she said wryly, looking at him with a stern fondness.
Harry went to say something, when a large hand fell on his shoulder and pulled him a little to the side, just in time for him to avoid a particularly mean looking elbow swinging where he had just been standing.
Draco Malfoy had elbowed his way past the other students to get to the front, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy following him with their expressions exuding nothing but pure arrogance. A growl crawled up from his chest and rumbled out of his mouth when they near enough shoved McGonagall out of their way, forcing the older and sterner woman to the side, but the hand tightening on his shoulder had him quietening.
"Calm down." whispered Remus into his ear, giving his shoulder another comforting squeeze.
Harry inhaled deeply, closing his eyes tightly and counting until he hit thirty-seven. Growling was not something that would help him beat the Malfoy's at their own game. When he was calm enough, he nodded to Remus; a clear 'I'm alright'. The hand disappeared, and Harry immediately stood straighter, his posture perfectly aligned and his head held high, though it was still half covered to the onlooker. The Malfoy's and Snape were glancing at him, their eyes sometimes squinting as if to help them see past his hood.
Dumbledore called attention to himself by giving a single but very loud clap. When everyone, including the uppity Malfoy's and the sneering Potions Master, had turned to him and silenced, Dumbledore spoke, "Now, when I call your name, you will step forth and state your name and the name of your creature - and you must speak clearly, only then you shall pass through these doors behind me." he said, his eyes passing over those who were standing before him with a piercing gaze, "A word of caution; do not use any magic, the castle will eject you should you even attempt to Wingardium Leviosa your way into it. However, we do not know if it will attempt to harm you in any way, so it would be best advised for you not to attempt anything at all. Are there any questions?" he asked, peering around.
When no one said anything but grimly, Dumbledore nodded decisively and moved to stand on the opposite side of the teachers, his hands on his thin hips, "I think we should start with Blaise Zabini," he said, smiling gently at the dark haired Italian standing nearest. Harry almost winced for him, seeing as he knew what it felt like to be put on the spot.
Blaise stiffened and paled slightly, but obediently walked towards the open entrance hall nonetheless. He pushed his shoulders back and paused before the threshold, his face determined, "Blaise Zabini, vampire." he stated clearly, hesitating only slightly before walking forward and into the hall. The air crackled slightly, but did nothing else. Blaise was safe, and he knew it by the relaxed slump to his shoulders.
"Excellent!" Dumbledore said, smiling widely in congratulation as Blaise turned around and smiled with relief, "Theodore Nott." he called, turning back to the others with an excited smile.
Theodore stiffened, much like Blaise, but hardly hesitated when walking towards the entrance hall doors, "Theodore Nott, vampire." he stated, almost as clearly as Blaise had, and walked through the threshold. The air once again crackled, though it was slightly louder this time, almost sounding like a warning.
Dumbledore smiled as Theodore and Blaise moved off to the side, and turned back to the others, only to have to look to the small group of teachers and Ministry workers off to the side. "Draco Malfoy." he called, losing just a little bit of the thrill as the blond sneered slightly.
Malfoy pushed back his shoulders and strutted towards the threshold, his matured and handsome face a pure mask of arrogance, "Draco Malfoy, vampire." he stated, clearer than the two before him, and strode through the threshold. The air cracked like a large whip against the walls, the sound bearing down on the three inside the hall. Malfoy hunched protectively in on himself and made his way to the other two quickly, his face losing some of its arrogance.
Harry sneered and glanced at the elder Malfoy's, watching as they both closed their eyes and shook their heads in mild irritation and disappointment. Harry wondered if that was because of the reaction, or because of Malfoy's arrogance and stupidity.
Dumbledore had much the same expression -minus the irritation-, and merely shook his head slightly before turning back to the others, "Ernie Macmillan." he called, sounding kinder but less energetic.
Harry started with surprise as the Hufflepuff stepped forward, swallowing loudly as he looked up at the imposing doorway. He quivered slightly when he stopped before the threshold, "Ernie Macmillan, werewolf." he stated clearly, his voice surprisingly strong as he walked meekly through the doorway. Nothing happened, not a crack or crackle in the air was sounded, and Ernie was relieved as he walked further into the hall.
Harry was disgusted when the other Slytherin's avoided the down Hufflepuff like he had dragon pox, but maybe it was the genetics playing up, as werewolves and vampires hated each other with the core of their beings. Harry could understand that, so he let the disgust go and let himself feel the surprise and sympathy he felt towards the stout blond. Not only was he a Hufflepuff -someone destined to be bullied by the other Houses-, be was now a werewolf, and at the worst possible time, what with the Ministry cracking down on them.
He glanced towards the Ministry workers in time to catch a familiar toad-ish looking face, glaring hatefully into the hall. It was Delores Umbridge, or otherwise known as the 'Bitch in Pink' in the Gryffindor common room. He tensed, his instincts telling him to remove her from the scene. The hand returned to his shoulder and squeezed. He forcefully relaxed, and nodded again.
"Harry Potter." called Dumbledore, sounding far more energetic and excited than the previous time. Harry thought it was because of his uniqueness.
Harry stepped forward and made his way to the threshold, his hood was still up and he belatedly thought that he should pull it down, before realizing that he honestly didn't care if it was up or not. He stopped before the threshold, noticing that everyone was watching him. He could see the three Slytherin's and Hufflepuff waiting inside, "Harry Potter, Valerian." he stated clearly, before walking inside.
The air fell utterly silent around them, the wind stopped howling and flapping at his feet, and the air became a tad bit warmer and charged with magic. It tingled along his arms, back and neck, tickling him as if adoringly. He shivered and ducked his head, allowing the hood on his cloak to fall almost to his chest. A warmth he hadn't yet experienced filled his chest and spread down his spine, creating small sparks that flittered above and below his skin near lovingly. This was definitely different to what he'd been expecting.
"Harry?"
With a small sigh, Harry lifted his head and slid off the hood, allowing himself to see and be seen. Ernie was standing the closest to him, his tired face frowning in concern and worry. Harry gave a small smile and inclined his head, "I'm fine Ernie," he said, beginning to pull the cloak from around him. It wasn't as cold anymore, and there was next to no wind, if he kept it on -especially his hood- it could be taken as an insult.
"A - are you sure? You were still for a long time." said Ernie, looking faintly awestruck and dazed at him. Harry knew it was because of his looks, and he couldn't help but want to preen under the silent praise.
Harry beamed at Ernie's concern and slung the emerald cloak over his left forearm, "I'm absolutely fine, Ernie, it was just a shock, that's all. How long was I standing there, anyway?" he asked, patting at his shirt and pants as if brushing away dust.
Ernie swallowed loudly and looked away from him, "Long enough. I almost thought that you weren't going to ever move again." he said quietly, shuffling around on his feet.
Harry chuckled and moved closer to where Ernie was standing, so that he wasn't standing alone, "So what's this I hear about being a werewolf?" he asked, giving Ernie a small smile.
Ernie paled and looked down at his feet, his face turning into a distressed frown, "I was attacked by one of Greyback's wolves a week ago. It bit my arm when I tried to fend it off with a stunning spell, but it was gone almost as soon as it had come after it had bitten me." he said bitterly.
Harry frowned and laid a comforting hand on Ernie's arm, which flinched slightly under his touch, "I'm sorry to hear that, Ernie. I know it's not exactly a good time to be a werewolf -" he began to say.
"It's never a good time to be a werewolf! You lose all of your friends because they think that you'll just up and attack them, you lose your family because you've turned out to be an utter disgrace to the family name and you have no one to turn to because everyone thinks you'll bloody attack them!" interrupted Ernie, sounding pained and angry, "I wouldn't be surprised if even you, the Savior of the Wizarding world and kindest of the kind, were to ditch me out of fear of catching my incurable disease!"
Harry shook his head with a sad smile, "I'm not afraid of you, Ernie. You're a werewolf, yes, but there's far worse things in the world than a Hufflepuff werewolf. Greyback for one, and murderous people for another. You're not some diseased person someone should be wary of, you're an amazing person." he said firmly, squeezing Ernie's arm comfortingly.
Ernie looked up at him reluctantly, seeming to hesitate for a moment, "Do you really believe that?" he asked, his voice tight with fear, "Do you really believe that I'm not a raving monster?"
Harry nodded firmly, "I know what a raving monster looks like Ernie, and you're definitely not it. If anything, you only turn into a wolf once a month for a limited amount of hours, raving monsters are crazy twenty-four seven." he said, smiling.
"How can you even stand to be around me?" asked Ernie, frowning, "Even knowing that I turn into a vicious dog once a month is bad enough, but knowing that I can spread my disease to you ..." he trailed off, beginning to look confused.
Harry sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, unaware that he looked a lot like Severus Snape, "Ernie, I have a friend who's a werewolf, and he's one of the most wonderful people I've ever had the pleasure and luck to meet. I'm not afraid of him, I've never been afraid of him, even when I once saw him change." he said, before closing his eyes tightly and furrowing his eyebrows, "And you're a wolf, not a dog."
Ernie was silent for a moment, allowing Harry the chance to hear Dumbledore inviting everyone inside for some 'lovely dinner!'. At last, Ernie spoke, "You've seen someone change into a wolf, and you're not afraid of them? Who is he? Can I meet him? I've never met another werewolf before!"
Harry held in a sigh and nodded, dropping his hand from his face. Ernie began babbling quickly, seeming to be out of his shell now that someone -Harry Potter no less- accepted him. He talked about Slytherin this and Muggleborn that and everything he knew about what was happening in the Ministry, and gave a detailed account of his dealings with the 'Bitch in Pink', otherwise known as Delores Umbridge. Harry had played the dutiful friend and offered advice when it was called for, and an opinion when it wasn't.
It was going to be a long night, and he hadn't yet had an encounter with the three uppity blondes, also known as the Malfoy's. He felt it was inevitable, seeing as even now, Draco Malfoy was eyeing him from a distance. It was just a matter of time.
And they hadn't even sorted out their rooms yet.
Harry had said it once, and he was about to say it again, "Bollocks."