Author's Rant- Disclaimer? First chapter please.

A heartfelt thank you to all those who took their time to review my story. I really never thought I would receive this much if I stopped putting the review target requests lol.

I received 16 reviews on my last chapter, therefore according to my review-update table, here is the fifteenth chapter, third day from my last update.

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Please forgive any spelling and/or grammatical mistakes. My beta reader is still unavailable.

Hope you like it. This chapter has 8.7k+ words...my longest chapter till date!

Omakes are still open. Anyone who wants to publish an omake can write it and PM me or email me at devsagi/./black/ (the symbol vanishes on ff site but it's 'at the rate')/gmail/./com (remove the slashes '/')

Author Out!

"I am Talking."

'I am Thinking'

Spells

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Being greedy helps you become more pragmatic and goal oriented.

Being greedy is good. Being Selfish isn't. Share your ideas with others.

Give them their percentage and let them think on how to earn more...

~ R-Kade

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Previously in SotW-

"Harry, why would your guardians send you a muggle doormat?" Su asked looking at the new looking doormat with a dark blue 'WELCOME' on it. Harry just shrugged "Because I asked for it. I want to keep this room clean." Harry said and placed the doormat outside his door with a sticking charm on it's base that covered the rune circuit he had sent a week ago.

He then strapped the Rolex watch on his left wrist and winced a bit when it connected his blood and magic to the muggle doormat innocently lying right outside his door. 'Thank you Dumbles for this...though mine's way better than your 'non violent' one' Harry smirked when he felt being given the controls of the runes inside the doormat via the watch. Now he had a very good surprise for those who would ever come on his threshold just to cause some mischief.

Silence of the Winters

-by Dev Sagittarius Black

~~Chapter 15: Yule times- Part Two (An Ancestor's blessing)~~

"Alan?" Ronald Bilius Weasley, Sixth and youngest son of Arthur and Molly Weasley, Best mate of the Boy-who-Lived, proud Gryffindor, Slytherin hater, idiot supreme, one of the most insecure boy to be studying in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry asked his best mate wo, like him, was stuffing his mouth with a chicken sandwich.

"Hmm?" Alan asked him as he eyed the pile of gifts in front of his eyes, frowning. They seemed a bit lesser than he received last Christmas or the one before that or the one before that even, before that? He didn't remember but he was sure they might be more. What happened to all his Gryffindor house mates? Why didn't they give him gifts? He had specially asked Percy to sort the ones from Gryffindor while keep all others out.

And out of the sixty-eight Gryffs, only two gave him gifts and the two were none other than his best mate Ron and his brother Percy. Other than them, no one, not even that stupid Granger had given him anything. And he had sent all of them his own autograph! What more could they need? Even Fred and George told him that they 'misplaced' his gift and couldn't find it now. Molly had admonished them and he had told them to be careful next time.

So, all he had were the gifts from Weasleys and the ones that children from all over the world gave him every year because they were fascinated by his the 'Boy-Who-Lived' series. And why shouldn't they? It was after all his imagination. Alright, a major part of those were of the series authors but his fan wasn't supposed to know that. The writers got the profit he got the fame. Both happy. And then, he helped someone financially, didn't he?

"I don't know. Check it." Alan shrugged and saw Ron go for the paper parcel. He was sure that whatever it was, was something real cheap. Who the hells packs a costly gift in a paper parcel?

Weasley opened it and saw a clean, silvery cloak fall out. It was very slippery and felt as if they were holding water. "What's it?" Alan asked the other redhead who shrugged in reply "Dunno, it has your name on it, looks kinda old though, I say we give this to mom, she was ranting the other day about not having enough rags."

"Why does she even need rags?" Alan asked his friend making a crinkled curious face. Weasley just shrugged and forwarded the cloak towards Alan who took it and gave it a scrutinizing look before proceeding to wrap it around himself.

"Hey there's a note wit-"

"AAAAAAH! WHAT THE HELLLLLLL!"

Ronald turned and what he saw weirded him out. The bloody stupidly useless cheap rag of a cloak was flying 'away' from Alan who was trying to keep it under control as thaat silvery thing wriggled all it could like a savage bull.

"ALAN!" He cried and started beating the cloak with a nearby broomstick. Not surprisingly, it didn't have any affect on the cloak as it kept on struggling and pointing towards window. "MOOOOOM! C'mere Alan's got a BULL CLOAK! HELP US PLEASE!" He screamed and started beating the cloak while Alan grabbed the thing between his legs and kept on pulling at it with his ow two hands.

"What's it now-ALAN! RON! STOP IT!" Molly screamed and her eyes widened as another thought came into the mother hen's head "Percy checked the gifts this time. He might have missed it. Leave the cloak boys! IT LOOKS TO BE JINXED!"

Their eyes widened and they immediately left the cloak that as soon as free, literally 'SMASHED' through the closed glass window and flew away in North direction "Bloody hell." Ron muttered looking wide eyed at the large hole that cloak had managed to create.

Molly rushed towards the boys "You two are alright, yes?" She asked already flicking her wand, checking for any injury "That jinxed cloak didn't harm you did it?"

"Err..not really, it did prick me though." Alan admitted and showed Molly his right hand's index finger that had a drop of blood on the tip. "Oh no. This could be a blood thievery. Whoever sent it could use Alan's blood and do Merlin knows what!" She rapidly shook her head and flicked her wand healing the small cut "We will have to tell this to Dumbledore soon, was there anything else with it?"

Alan shook his head in denial while Ron nodded "Yes mum, this note came with it." He said and forwarded the note with a flourish cursive on it.

Your father left it in

my possession before he

died.

It is time it was returned to you.

Use it well.

"That's stupid, why would Alan's father have a rag like Bull Cloak of all things?" Alan made a face at what Ron said. "Mrs Weasley, maybe it was some sort of prank?" Alan asked the woman who had a pensive look on his face before she smiled widely "Yes dears. Now don't worry about it, how about I make some Christmas special brownies?" immediately both the boys grinned widely and looked like Santa personally gifted them this batch of brownies.

Meanwhile Molly was internally under a mental conflict, she knew that handwriting. It was definitely Dumbledore who gave that cloak to Alan and if Dumbledore told them it was James cloak and to 'Use it well'...She was very sure that it was the legendary Potter Cloak of Invisibility. But then, if it was a family heirloom, why would it deny access to one of the only two left family members? 'There is definitely something wrong with that cloak' And she was sure Dumbledore might have answers to all these questions.

.

"Harry?" Su asked the boy whose right arm she had been leaning on, munching a chocolate frog, all dolled up in thick heavy wool jacket and covered from tip to toe. She still can't understand why Harry insisted on wearing just a plain white shirt with a thin jumper over it and that too, rolled up till three-fourths. She was like yes, wizarding world had warming charms but even then people wore wool.

Because having all their clothes with in-built runes was quite expensive and casting a warming charm every hour was a bit risky as well as tiring thing as it regularly sucked up on your magic.

"Hmm?" He was still trying the 'Mirror world' branch of charms. If he somehow made that in real and was able to ascend into it...Bloody fantastic!

"Are you missing your friends?" She asked him looking out at the horizon from under the oak tree near the lake. She frowned a bit as she saw a large white bird flying towards them 'What was a bird doing out in this cold?'

"No."

"..."

"You are dense." She grumbled and shook her head looking at the peaceful scenery and the flying white bird 'It's beautiful...' she smiled before frowning cutely again.

"Err...Harry?" Su asked him looking straight at that white bird that was now glittering a bit.

"Hmm?" '...is different, there have only been two practioners and none of them have been found till date. One cannot be sure if they ascended and are living in some sort of mirror world or their body just got molecularly disrupted as the molecules weren't able to keep up with the energy that was channeled-'

"What's that? Looks like a giant glittering bird."

Harry just hummed "It might be one."

"And is coming straight at us!"

That line made Harry snap his eyes open and he looked straight where Su was pointing with her gloved hand. He squinted his eyes to focus more clearly before shaking his head and abruptly standing up "It's not a bird."

"What? What else could fly this high at this time of the day?" Su asked him dusting some snow off as she too stood up beside him.

"A...piece of cloth." Harry muttered and waited looking at the thing that was still maybe 200 meters from them. "Harry...I am sorry but you aren't making any sense."

Harry just shook his head and zoomed in on the flying cloth. He nodded, his extra vision hadn't been wrong for this was indeed a piece of cloth. But what would make fly a piece of cloth like this? How did a piece enter the Hogwarts wards for that matter?

Harry witnessed the cloak's speed slowly dropping and very soon the cloak lost all it's power and fell just a meter away from both, Harry and Su.

"Looks like some cloak, kinda old too." Su said and went forward to touch it only to have her hand pulled off as Harry jerked her from the back of her shirt.

"You don't touch anything that dropped in front of you." Harry muttered and Su blushed as she forgot that necessary warning that her parents and master had tried their level best to ingrain in her. But the, when was the last time a flying silver cloak ended right in front of her when she was spending some quality time with her Harry? Err...just Harry, yes.

Harry eyed the cloak suspiciously. It could be some jinxed cloak that someone sent just to trouble someone or it could be some sort of prank by one of the Hogwarts students. Harry wiggled his fingers and was surprised to see a few high level charms that would require him to use his wand. A tracking charm, An infinite visibility charm, compulsion charm and a bloody mind connectivity one too 'This is most certainly not from a student. It has got to be a powerful wizard with some good year of knowledge under his wings'

"Su?" He called out the girl who was looking for a stick to poke the cloak with. "Yes Harry?"

"Wait here while I take this cloak to Professor Flitwick." He told her and levitated the cloak.

"Why wait here? I too could come with you." She said and straightened up. Harry had praised her stubbornness but sometimes she was a walking headache. Especially since there was no one else for her to bug. Why was he even entertaining her? Oh yes, protections. Stupid Protections.

"No, two students with a levitating cloak could look suspicious. Also, you won't be able to keep up with me. It would be better if you stayed here." This reason was plainly idiotic but Harry didn't want to tell her the real one either. So when she opened her mouth, Harry threw a low powered compulsion on her and was satisfied when she happily nodded. It's the world that compulsed him to take such drastic steps, he shook his head again and levitated the cloak saying the proper incantation and with the proper wand movement, he took a stride towards the Ravenclaw Tower.

Entering the hidden alcove near the fifth round staircase, yes an alcove. Not Filius Flitwick's office, that half-goblin would create too much of a nuisance. Harry flicked a Lumos over his head and placed the cloak down on the cold stone floor. He then began to meticulously unravel the charms and remove them cleaning the cloak off of all the charms he had earlier sensed.

It took him fifteen complete minutes before the cloak was completely cleaned, Harry rechecked the cloak and nodded, completely satisfied that the cloak is free of Charms he finally touched the cloak and gasped at the feeling it gave, almost immediately the cloak was singing in tune with his magic. It was as if the cloak was made for him and couldn't control the joy of finally being in it's rightful owner's hand.

Harry sent his magic in the cloak and was literally shocked at the utter mouthwatering power it held. The cloak was literally a powerhouse. A source of out-worldly power that held loads and loads of potential. It felt as if he just took a dip in liquid magic that saturated all his trigger points and charged him both magically and physically. The felling was phenomenal, as if he had just casted a thousand patronuses at once.

Harry shook his head and pulled himself out of the haze that this brilliant magical cloak had pushed him into and took a look at it. He didn't now how this came right in front of him or why for that matter or even what it really was and what it did. This was also why he needed to know who owned the cloak before him and therefore he spread the cloak completely while holding two of its corners with his hands and scanned the cloak for any family symbol. Nothing.

From its tip to toe, there wasn't even a single symbol that could be of an ancient house, a guild or a personal mark. The cloak was completely free of any and all marked lines and/or blemishes that it's magic removed by itself.

Harry was about to drop the cloak when he saw that. It was faint...a really very-very faint mark as if the ink had been soaked up by whoever used this cloak for such a long time. And the symbol was huge. It covered whole of the cloak and so, was easily able to mix with the folds. It was only pure luck that he saw the thin lines and traced it perfectly to form the symbol.

A triangle...enclosing a ring...and a beaded stick dividing the thing into two equal halves...two pure black wings originated from the center of the triangle and encircled the ring and the stick.

His hands slacked and his fingers trembled a bit as his eyes registered the falling cloak ad how it pooled on the cold stone floor below him. But that was not meant as a sign of disrespect. That was actually meant as the sign of pure and utter bewilderment that Harry felt course his nerves at the recognition of such a legacy.

Right there with him, in that small dirty alcove was onw of the most prized thing in all of the wizarding world.

The third Deathly Hallow.

The legendary cloak of death herself.

The cloak of the legendary Ignotous Peverell.

The cloak that had already seen generations of Potters and Peverells before him.

His house...His hands...His cloak...His family heirloom...His ancestor's legacy...

The everlasting, Peverell family's cloak of invisibility.

Harry reverently picked the cloak up with slightly trembling hands and took a deep whiff. It was completely useless because the cloak was charmed to be clear of any and all the blemishes, and that included any type of smell too. Still, holding the cloak he had been searching for the past six years was definitely an excuse to do idiotic things. Thankfully, no one was there to witness him. And he had to pat himself for his momentary good decision to take this cloak away from Su.

Harry in a bout of childishness wrapped the cloak around his neck and smiled when he saw his lower body completely vanish into thin air. Not even his enhanced vision could trace anything. There was nothing to be traced in the first place, no line that a disillusionment charm left, no shifting of air. Just nothing. It was then he felt something prick his fingers and he pulled his hand from within to see the a drop of blood on the tip of his index finger. He smiled and simply shrugged, it was after all the geeral blood protection he had read about. The cloak just confirmed it was in the house head's hand.

He wiggled his fingers and sighed as the cut completely vanished. Then he folded the cloak and kept it in his pant's endless pocket. Today was really one of the best Christmases he had spent. He thought as he moved out of the alcove and towards the oak tree where he had left Su all alone.

But now that he thought of it, how did the cloak end up right in front of him? Why didn't the cloak did so earlier? What caused the sudden change? Most of all, how was someone able to cast such complicated charms on such a magically resistant cloak? There has got to be some way because according to the scriptures he had read, the cloak was the ultimate defense against anything so it was undoubtedly the most magically resistant thing too 'And to think that someone could successfully taint such a perfection with trackers over it...'

There was only two ways that could have been possible, either the wizard was too powerful or he had something equal to or greater than the power of the cloak. There were only three other things that held power equaling the cloak. And he couldn't see anyone wielding that much power and staying hidden for this long. The only other way could be that one of the Potters did this so that their children don't play any mischief with the cloak 'Yeah that could be the reason it held such strong charms in the first place'

But then again...Where was the cloak kept all this time? There was only one person who knew of that and Harry didn't want to meet him for the second time so soon. But their meeting was inevitable, he was very sure of that.

.

Green flame erupted from the fire place continuously for the fourth time.

"You are late."

"It wasn't us. Mrs Abott wasn't able to help herself, she just packed extra things in Hannah's bag at the last moment." Tracey told and bowed her head shamefully, like others.

"Hannah?" The only redhead of the group enquired her best friend.

"She is just like that..." Hannah trailed off then each of the five girls sighed simultaneously and spoke out shaking their heads "Always." And broke out laughing as they hugged each other.

Sitting round the table each of the girls took a sweet roll prepared by the Bones family elves. Savoring the delicious thing in their mouth as they swirled it with their tongue absorbing every little drop of sweetness from it before straining their neck muscles as they pushed it down their gullet. It's taste still putting them in a blissful haze. Pure love they were, Sweet rolls.

"So finally the ice queen decides to grace us with her presence. Oh how we may thank your highness." Su said and both she and Hannah bowed while Daphne waved her hand and pulled her 'I-am-above-the-world' face before they broke out laughing again.

"Seriously though, I thought you would leave this too. I know you won't." Hannah hastily added "But, the way you have been avoiding us. I couldn't help think that youu would want to keep the distance."

"Yes Duph. (Yes, Duph not Daph)" Su began and smirked when she saw Daphne groan at their childhood nickname "Even that pig head here joined our group. What took you so long?" She calmly asked ignoring Tracey's indignant 'HEY!' at being called a pig head.

"Tracey was able to join you because she could. She was already a half blood under protection of House Greengrass. Therefore, in a Slytherin's eyes 'Mingling with dity puffs' won't tarnish her reputation anymore than it already is." They gave a pitying look to the brown haired girl who was busy munching on her buttered croissant. Seriously, where the hell did all of that go?

"But since I have been permitted by the Triumvirate's chief relations McKinzel and Head rule maker Butchead, I will join your group but-""

"But? Don't tell me you are prolonging it anymore. Terry will not be able to survive the heart attack." Those who knew who Terry was and how he felt towards Daphne had a hearty laugh imagining the situation.

"Oh she will join us the moment we reach Hogwarts. I am certainly not going to fill her on everything and surely not on every little thing that Harry did." Tracey said offhandedly and widened her eyes when Daphne groaned at her bestie's tongue slip. Why the hell she chose a gossiper for such an important task was beyond her.

"What about Harry?" All traces of amusement left Sue Bones as she narrowed her eyes on the groaning bleach blonde girl beside them. No one said a thing wrong about her crush. No one. And that included her best friend too.

"Shut up Trace." Daphne grumbled when Tracey started saying her 'I am Sorrys' and looked at Susan and Hannah before pulling the day's Prophet and forwarding it towards Susan and Hannah, "Read it."

House Potter takes House Li under protection

- Atray Tiwari

Hadrian James Potter, heir and future lord to the Most Ancient and Most Noble Houses of Potter-Peverell publicly announced on December twenty-third that House Li was under the protection of House Potter-Peverell till he himself expressly revoke it. This could have been taken as a childish fun play by a major teenager but the said thirteen year old heir was certainly NOT joking.

He indeed protected his vassal house by punishing it's tormentor, one Sophie Mckinnon, a muggleborn fifth year witch and gave her a one week stay in the Hospital wing. Her boyfriend, Norman Yanerds, heir presumptive to the Noble house of Yanerds was so furious that he physically beat heir Potter.

"I have never seen anyone lose his temper and beat a physically inferior first year boy this brutally. Yanerds went as far as to straddle Mr. Potter and repeatedly beat the poor boy. Not even listening when I told him to stop. I would have stunned the boy if not for his equally guilty friends who were standing their and watching Yanerds physically assault Potter till I came there to stop him."

-Madam Poppy Pomfrey

Matron of the Hogwarts Hospital Wing (since 1972)

Head of House Li, Zhu Qiang Li confirmed the House Protection act and submitted a verified copy in British Ministry of Magic and its Chinese counterpart. The deal is signed by blood quill on both sides and is not yet visible to general public except being present in the records. Therefore, we really don't know what compelled Lord Li to sign the deal scroll and what compelled a teenager heir to take his classmate under his protection.

The act though is really brave and we must applaud Heir Potter for such a chivalrous display not usually seen. Being beaten by a boy five year his senior not only tells how true to his words he is, it also describes that Heir Potter values his words more than his life and therefore respects the ancient house laws set forth by our ancestors. Though a few of us clearly don't think so.

"I don't think Harry should indulge in such things. He should study, play and live a normal life like a boy his age should. he most certainly shouldn't take such huge decisions and play in the grounds of grown ups. There is always the right time for everything and I feel he is being delusional about this being his time to give house protections. One should come to the school staff members or to me in such dire consequences not take decisions themselves. I am greatly disappointed in him.

- Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore

Headmaster of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry

"I always thought that the prat was upto no good. Becoming famous is all that he wants. I tried to befriend him our first day and even tried to invite him with myself before yule. But all he did was act like a dumb idiot and deny me everytime. He even dared to attack me the first time, shows how much he cares for his own. It's ironic how he wants to beat his own brother and then save some foreigner with house protections and what not. He is just jealous and I am afraid is a dark wizard in the making."

- Alandale Henry Potter

The Boy-Who-Lived

Susan immediately snatched the paper from Hannah's hand and threw it as if it burnt. "Aunt says all prophet writes is plain rubbish."

Daphne nodded understandingly "Yes, it mostly does. But apart from the two statements by Boy-whose-head-lies-in-a-gutter and Albus Dumb-old-dork, everything else is completely factual. House Li is indeed under protection of House Potter, there are documents that prove that summitted to the Ministry office by Lord Li not two days ago."

Su and Hannah both frowned at that "I really don't know what might have pushed Harry of all people to take Su under his protection." Hannah spoke her thoughts before Su interrupted her "And why did she need protection in the first place? To me she looked definitely fine when we left." Hannah shook her head at her redhead friend, this was one of the things she wanted to ask from Sue and clear her views on matters regarding Su Li.

"Look, do you trust everyone in your group?" Daphne asked looking straight at them.

"Of course I do, why wouldn't-"

"Not you Sue, you would pour your heat out to the first one that talks goody-goody with you for just half-an-hour." Daphne waved her off before looking towards Tracey and Hannah "Do you?"

"Su and Harry are a bit closed off and Terry is somewhat immature but they haven't given me any reason to not to trust them." Hannah admitted and looked towards Tracey who shrugged "Agreed with Hun here." (Again yes, Hun not Han)

Daphne couldn't believe her eyes, were her friends this dumb? Maybe they were. "Both of you trust Harry Potter?" She asked incredulously.

"Not both Duph, all three of us do." Sue chimed and her friends nodded.

'Yes, my friends are really dumb'

"Alright, so if you can't see it clearly then I will show you." She said and turned towards her most level headed friend "Tell me Hannah, who in I don't know how many years has been given an yearly pass for the restricted section? Which student, a first year at that has killed a full grown, magically resistant mountain troll?" She eyed her friends as if daring them to deny her claims "And if the rumors about him saving both you and Li at the same time-"

"They are true! He did save both of us." Susan shot back furiously

"My point Susan! That's my point. A boy, not even in his second year, saves not one but two girls midflight. Taking breakneck dives and doing dangerous stunts on the broom and yet is still drinking theories and eating theorems. Don't you see what's wrong?" She asked them

"Maybe he needs to read a thing many times to be able to absorb it?" Susan feebly reasoned but even to her own years it sounded really lame.

"Sue, don't you think a bit weird that a guy who was able to maintain balance on a broom with two girls and his weight on it. A guy who single handedly killed troll and was able to do something enough to shove a fifth year girl into a week long rest at Hospital wing, a guy who is a know-it-more-than-all at Potions is just a mediocre at best and below average at worst?" Daphne asked them and looked at each one of them.

"You two weren't there and Trace was knocked out when he was fighting that thrice be damned troll." Daphne trembled a bit when she that dreadful night "His magic, it was saturating the air in that corridor. It was very thick, as thick and viscous as a jelly. The air was so charged that you could have literally sliced with a knife. Hogwarts own walls thrummed as he shot his final bombarding hex that took the troll out." Daphne involuntarily gulped down her fear "He was throwing high powered curses with ease and was doing it with so much fluidity as if he had done exactly that his entire life."

"Now that you put it like that." Tracey began, all traces of her usual bubbly self gone "It does feel like he has been bluffing us and doing his best to keep us in the dark." Daphne nodded with a proud smile, glad that at least one of her friends was finally starting to see things her way. Just two more to go.

Sue and Hannah looked at each other as if having a silent conversation before Hannah spoke up "Alright Daphne, maybe Harry is bluffing us. Maybe he is vountarily keeping things from us. Maybe he is having loads and loads of secrets." She saw her bleach blonde friend nod her head "But."

"But he has not given us any chance to suspect him. He helps us all he could, going as far as to take Su under his protection and getting beaten for that, not that I like it. But it shows what he is willing to do. I am sure he has got loads of secret but till the time it didn't came to bite us. I am not going to betray him and his trust by being suspicious of him and his activities. Maybe we are his first friends and he is still uncomfortable around us?"

Tracey too nodded her head "Yes Duph, maybe he was betrayed by someone and so decides to keep everything to himself? We can't judge a book by its cover, right? I am sure whatever the reason is, Harry will tell us when he ready or needs to. I don't thinks it's a good idea to poke his privacy just because you are suspicious of him."

Daphne shook her head at how easily Potter had managed to manipulate each of her friends into believing him to be the most innocent person on earth "Think whatever you want too but I won't trust him just like that. I will thoroughly inspect him before deciding if I should trust him or not." Daphne too said her final words and crossed her arms over her developing chest.

Her three friends shook their heads in disappointment. Sometimes, it was better if one left what they did and just trusted with what was happening. They were afraid that their Slytherin cold friend wasn't used to this sentiment and were not very enthusiastic if the situation between her and the coldest Ravenclaw ever lead to crossing of wands. It would most certainly not be...beneficial for either of them.

.

Harry looked down at his hands and growled in frustration. It was January first today and he had been trying to get this particular trick from the last four days and was still unsuccessful. He glared at the hay humanoid dummy standing nine meters from him, his silver eyes glowing with ethereal unbound power in the torch lit room, giving an eldritch glow as he pushed his right hand and leaving his magic out, tried to swirl the air around his palm into forming stiff and sharp razor knives before throwing it at the dummy.

'Three meters...four...six...six and a half...no no nO NO!' "DAAAMNIT!" He growled and pushed both his hands together, blasting the dummy to smithereens. He still can't push his airblades more than seven meters. He could if he joined both his hands and then pushed them, channeling his power through both at the same time but without the other's support. Both his hands couldn't work more than seven meter of distance. He knew what was needed- Practice. More and more practice.

Coming out of the room he was really frustrated at yet again not being able to push his blades more than seven eight meters. There had been improvement but that was it. Only fourteen out of his thirty blades reached the eight meter tag. He turned round the corner and saw a lone figure coming from the dungeons and making his way up the staircase. Harry smirked, it was time for some good old payback and relive some weeks worth of stress.

Norman Yanerds, the 'bad boy' of Ravenclaw was certainly not in a good mood, Snape was a real moss wiping asshole. It all started a week ago when his dearest Sophie was cursed and was knocked unconscious because she wanted to protect her heritage from a blood thief. And then Harry Potter happened.

Norman still growled whenever he thought of that stuck up brat. That one single piece of shit had completely upturned his whole bloody life. What was wrong with 'avenging' his girlfriend's condition? And Potter was taunting him too! Why didn't anyone see that part? NO! All they saw was how he had brutally beaten the crap out of that royal shithead. And he so wanted to kill that thing for it.

His girlfriend was still in the hospital wing though Pomfrey said she would be up by tomorrow, his fellow classmates hated him for losing nearly hundred points. Even Robin, his friend, hated him and admonished him for such a rash decision. His teachers hated him for beating a lil, poor firsty this brutally and atop that, his own bloody father hated him for such an idiotic thing that made him bow his head from shame in the Ministry and now his father was going to send letters to Potter of all people for a public forgiveness because he feared a stupid 'blood feud'.

Personally, Norman wanted the Potter brat to declare blood feud. Then it would be very easy to kill that stuck up ponce once he got that crow in his clutches. That was another problematic thing. It had been one week since that incident and till date Potter had not been anywhere alone. He would get up really early and move into the library, come with his blood thief pet and go to bed early as well.

Norman did think of reaching for the brat's door but his rarely used Ravenclaw side whispered 'If he could make something happen to Sophie even though it was just a door belonging to a vassal of his, Merlin only knew what he, himself would have on his door to protect himself.' And so, then onwards he had been waiting for the oppurtne moment to repeat the lesson he taught Potter in the Hospital wing.

That was his line of thought before his complete world went dark.

.

"Whatcha doin Sue?!"

Susan 'Eeeped' and imediately closed her book, locking it completely. She turned around to see an impishly grinning Hannah. "Don't you ever do that again Hannah Abott, or so help me from killing you!" She screamed incredulously and took deep breaths to control her raging heartbeat.

"Yeah- yeah, now what were you sketching this time?" She asked and forwarded her hand towards the art book before Sue slapped it away. "It's n-not complete Hun, I will show you when iit's done."

"But I want to see it right now. C'mon Sue don't be a spoilsport. Show me what it is!" She tried but her friend vehemently denied her any access. Hannah narrowed her eyes at her redhead friend "So you aren't going to show me, eh?" She asked slowly and sighed when Sue shook her head in a 'NO' movement.

"No problem..."She said and turned a bit before grinning widely and snatching the art book right out of Susan's hand and running away "I will see it myself!" She laughed and began running away from a shell shocked Susan Bones who began running after her blonde Hufflepuff best friend, trying her best to get her precious art book from her friend's clutches who dodged each and every of her attempts with cat-like grace, laughing merrily all the while.

.

"Urgh...damnnnn..." Deep grey eyes tried to focus around them as their owner rubbed the crust out. He looked around massaging his still stiff shoulder over which he slept on and everything cleared when the lone figure sitting on a plush black and silver throne, looking straight at him with cold green eyes. Eying him like a predator and scanning his bloody soul to detect any hint of fear.

"What are you doing here Potty? Came to get your weekly beatings, eh?" He sneered at the still siting boy.

Harry shook his head in mock disappointment tutting as he did so "Wrong question Yanerds. I am in a good mood today, so giving you another chance. Try again."

Yanerds growled and clenched his fist "Don't you think you are not in a situation to give me chances? Can't you see there's no one to save you this time around Potty?"

Harry just eyed the boy with bored eyes and sighed "Should have known that it was all monkey fart in that empty space between your ears." He shook his head and flicked his wand out "Think Yanerds, use what little of your gutter is left and answer me." He said and shifted forward a bit to look straight in the boy's eyes. Shooting a legilimency trail in his Grade one occulomency barriers.

"For the past Twenty-nine minutes and thirty-two seconds you were completely at my mercy. I could have just used every spell I knew or just thrown you out of this room or pushed you down the staircases and no one, literally, no one in the castle would have known what crippled you or why. No one Yanerds, not even you." Harry said and stood up from his throne.

Yanerds snorted "Empty threats Potty, every within and out of Hogwarts knows that, currently you are my greatest enemy and-" "Of course, no one likes their Punishment." "-shut up. So, like I said, they know it already. So you would be suffering detentions beside me before you could even think of doing anything."

To his surprise, Harry laughed. A cold laugh yes, but a laugh nonetheless "Oh Yanerds, poor-poor Yanerds." He said and laughed more before looking at said boy "This is a bigoted world Norman. Who do you think would win? A bad boy and heir presumptuous of a small Noble house or a tortured soul who had been nothing but good to everyone and is heir and future lord to two most ancient and most noble houses with loads of favours, life and house debts? The case would be finished before it's opened and you would be rusticated for lying and trying to harm such a strong and powerful house."

Yanerds won't ever admit it but he was indeed feeling a bit afraid because whatever Potter had said was true. The boy was already being perceived as a victim and a hero for trying to protect a blood thief while he was being classified as a brutish bully. His father was already writing plea letters, what would he saw when a ministry letter reached him regarding an upcoming case? His father had never liked him and he was sure he would let his son be rusticated and pushed into ministry cell if his father had any choice.

Though Potter didn't need to know that and so he put on a brave face though what he didn't knew was Harry was already having a first class view of everything that went in that dump yard brain of his. "You would be accidentally dead before you put a case against me."

Harry waved his threat off as completely useless "Coming back to point. Do you know why I didn't do any of that in the past twenty-nine minutes? Well since I put the question in your grain brain, I should answer it too." He said and walked straight towards Yanerds and looking straight in the boy's greys he whispered "To make sure you know who 'beat the real shit' out of you...to make sure who not to mess with...To make very sure...who is the real 'bad boy'."

Norman threw a punch at Harry who held it in his right hand "You know the rules Yanerds...let's begin."

.

"Al-right...He-hey Hun. St-stop." Both of them were panting but Hannah still held the locked art book close to her breast, not going to part with it until her demands were met.

"You going to show it to me?" She asked Susan with the same impish grin and after contemplating for five seconds said girl nodded in defeat "Yes. But you will have to promise to not tell this to anyone. Not even Aunty." Hannah hesitated a bit at hiding something from the elder Bones woman but nodded.

"Give it to me, I will open the lock." But Hannah denied it "Open it when it's in my hands." Susan made a face at the trust her friend put in her before shrugging the thought away and putting her wand in the lock. This was not some magic trick. This just meant that the one who was opening the book was the owner and no one else, just a small primary security charm.

Hannah opened the art book and looked at the first page. Susan had designed the borders with colour balls, art-lights and painted vines. The page was filled with a stylish calligraphy from Susan as she described how useful the book was and how she got it from Harry as a Christmas gift.

"So Harry gave the book, eh?" Hannah asked and Susan nodded blushing "I just told him once that I liked sketching and that prat remembered it. This book is charmed to have infinite pages too." She told her smiling brightly.

Then Hannah turned the page and stopped for sometime before smirking and looking at a tomato red Susan Bones "Thanking Harry by drawing his sketch, are you?" She grinned when she saw Sue just look away her cheeks, if possible, reddened even more.

Hannah looked at the sketch and had to say that Susan indeed had a really good memory. It was Harry Potter, yes. But not any Harry Potter. It was Harry Potter when he got Lily for the first time in the great hall. He was looking at her and was smiling softly as the eagle nuzzled on his right side. She too remembered the day but not as widely as Susan. The picture was named 'HIS FIRST SMILE'.

Everything clicked in place. Every weird habit of her friend that she had witnessed and tried to ignore came out and she smiled as she trailed her finger along Harry's jawline. "Sooo..." Susan groaned beside her and facepalmed making Hannah grin wider "Harry, huh?"

'Nod'

"He knows?"

'Shake in denial'

"You plan on telling him?"

'...'

"Oh c'mon Sue tell me! How long?"

'incoherrent gibbrish'

"What? I didn't hear that." Hannah pressed and grinned when Sue groaned again.

"Since the day Lily bird came. I just wanted to befriend him because he looked really alone the first day I came and he had been very polite in our train ride. When did this start? I have no idea."

"This long and he is still oblivious to it." Hannah shoo her head "And he has got every reason to do so!" Sue again came back to her original self to protect Harry "I haven't shown him any real signs either."

"Still, you are the only one whom he allows inside his space more than anyone." Hannah told her smirking and made a face when Sue looked at her like 'What?' "Sue, I am sure that no one has ever used his shoulder as a pillow." She grinned when Sue blushed harder.

"He is good isn't he? I don't know why Duph hates him." Susan said frowning sadly while Hannah shook her head "She doesn't hate him, she is just suspicious of harry. And both of us know how she is, first suspicious then tentative and then a good trustworthy friend. So I would take this as her first step towards friendship."

Susan just nodded silently and an easy silence fell before Hannah closed the book and locked it "So, what's the plan?" She asked grinning impishly. And groaned when she saw Sue make that 'What?' face again. Susan was a very smart girl but sometimes she behaved like a dumb hippo.

"What's the plan Sue? You aren't thinking that I won't help you out did you? tell me what I have to do and let's pull Harry off the market before anyone else notices!" Sue's eyes widened along with her smile and she hugged Hannah tightly thanking her all the time.

"No plan yet. I had thought of taking things slowly till our third year and then ask him to Hogsmeade. Though start giving him hints from our second year onwards." Hannah shook her head at that "That won't do. Too much time taking and though there's no one else striving for his attention right now...wait! Is this why you don't like Su? Because you think she has her eyes set on him too?"

Susan winced but nodded "She has 'this' look that says she is already head first for Harry, and now they are even closer. I don't like that." Hannah smiled at how childish Susan sounded, she still couldn't believe that her best friend was jealous over her other best friend 'Oh Harry, you don't know how much of a storm are you causing in two of your female friends' She thought and giggled a bit.

"I wonder what he might be doing right now?" Susan asked aloud making Hannah think of ways Harry would right now be entertaining himself with.

.

"So you are nothing more than a stack of sucked up rotten potatoes, eh? All bark and no brawl." Harry said shaking his head in disappointment as he sat on his fallen boy's bloodied back while the said boy panted for air.

"You know I actually pity your parents Yanerds. What a total waste they have created." He tutted sadly "You were no fun at all. One minute, forty-three seconds, that's the time it took to completely knock you out and here I thought you would recharge my stiff muscles. They didn't get rid of the dust you worthless monkey dump." Below him Yanerds pitfully whimpered.

"You know what, I have got a gift for you, I am sure you will love it." Harry said and got up from where he sat and moved towards his throne.

"A very simple and helpful gift."

Yanerds turned his head and what he saw made his throat dry. There in his tormentor's hands was a black and shiny stiff one meter long metal pole with a 4 inch diameter. Completely oiled and well polished. And Harry had a very innocent smile on his face, his eyes glinting merrily.

Yanerds whimpered as Harry stood near him holding the rod "N-NO P-P-Potttterrrrrr.."

'WHAM'

The rod slammed on the fallen boy's back as he started to crawl away "Accident." Harry spoke aloud grinning widely.

'WHAM!'

This one was on the back of Norman's knees and the boy screamed in agony. It was good he had fore-silenced the room because he was sure this treatment was necessary. He smiled when he heard the bones crunch again as the patella spat open from the other side the juncture became nothing more than powder. "Fault." Harry gave a hollow laugh when he saw Norman loose all his hope and just lie flat on the ground waiting for his third hit.

'WHAAAM!'

'You will get what you so righteously deserve for touching me Yanerds' "Mistake..." It felt good to unleash the beast inside him. It was hungry. really hungry ever since he had stopped hunting. Now it felt good. His inner beast was feeling satisfied.

'WHAAAAMMMM!'

The fourth one landed right on Yanerds upper back and Yanerds just spat a pint of blood from his mouth. "Blunder..." Harry growled before cheering in a faux baby voice "And now for the little hand that did all this." Yanerds turned to look up at Harry only for him to slam the metal rod full force on his right hand and the boy cried as he felt each and every one of his hand bones turning to powder. Norman cursed himself for falling head first in this situation and into the hands of a murderous first year boy.

There was only one thought that coursed through the bloodied, blood drooling completely shattered boy's head as he saw Harry place his right foot on the fifth year's chest and raise the rod for the sixth and probably last strike, if the murderous glint in his green eyes was any hint.

"Get ready to feel numbness Yanerds he said and slammed the rod ful force on said boy's skull.

Yanerds just joined both his hands and whimpered out one single word, "Ma...Massss..terrrrr..."

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Ending note- The letters Harry received will be shown but the chapter crossed 8.7k+ words. Hope you like the punishment.

My beta is still not available, therefore forgive me for any and all the grammatical and spelling mistakes.

With Regards

Dev Black