Author's rant- Disclaimer? First chapter please.

A heartfelt thank you to all those who took their time to review my story. As I had promised, this story will be finished and here's the proof. After a really long hiatus due to technical issues, this story continues. I have finally written a chapter after years so, please do know that I might not be in the same mindset as I had been when I had started SotW.

Hopefully, you'll love it if not more then as much as you loved it before. Thank you for all your love and support.

Also, I have a good beta reader with me, he is helping me with editting previous chapters and he has done an excellent job with this one too. Kudos to yoganksri.

Alright, I don't have much to say except that-

Here's the link to my super private server on discord where I'll keep on updating new chapters, sneak peeks, Character designs, where you are free to talk and ask things regarding my fics directly:

Its a newly launched server...

Link: discord . gg / Gcbcv4dxGx (remove the spaces)

Name: Dev Black's Empire

Author out!

"I am Talking."

'I am thinking'

Spells

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A man can never change three things once fixed- his stature, his nature and his signature.

~R-Kade

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Previously in SotW-

"Ugh! Looks like the chocolate frog gave you it's ability to jump. No wonder you look like one too!"

"I am so going to kill you Davis. Just you see you bloody imp!"

And so on and so forth while the other girl just jumped and dodged the pillows, laughing all the while and still counting names of those wizards.

Silence of the Winters

-Dev Sagittarius Black

~~Chapter 20: Am I dead?~~

Days passed by like this and the winter season was coming to an end with the beginning of fresh blossoms and a new energy depicting the upcoming spring season. The group stayed together even though there were a few unreasonable moments of bickering, according to Harry at least. Like, who the hell cares if you don't wear a "group matching" dress on one of the sundays? It's not like they were some kind of team or something, right?

And why should anyone be concerned if he hadn't seen even a single quidditch match till date? Quidditch was good but a violent sport with loads of cheers and fanfare and was just an annoying phase of a day which had a quidditch match scheduled which lasted for about three to four hours. But maybe that wasn't what the rest of the general populace thought of, why you may ask?

Because they had convinced the cold prince of Ravenclaw to come to a freaking Gryffindor v/s Hufflepuff semi-final match wearing Hufflepuff supportive accessories because:

A. Susan and Hannah were their friends while there wasn't a single person in their group that was from Gryffindor.

B. Alan Potter was a reserve Qudditch seeker of Gryffindor house.

C. Susan really had mastered the 'hurt puppy' look and used it to its full advantage by being the one to convince the elder Potter.

The match ended without any unnecessary drama, Gryffindor won the match but that was mainly because Hufflepuff's main seeker was injured during their previous practice session by a rogue bludger and their secondary seeker wasn't that good.

It was during a simple night time stroll of the astronomy tower when Daphne finally got another meeting with the elusive boy from Ravenclaw. As usual, he was busy in his own little world with two tomes and a ball pen.

She strode towards the spot where he was sitting on a raised platform and stood right in front of him with her hands behind her back as she glanced at the tomes.

"What are you doing?"

"Swinging from Qutub Minar while drinking fire whiskey and singing Antarctica's National Anthem. Want to join me?"

An eyebrow twitch...clutching of fingers in a fist...a semi-translucent sneer crawling over her face...two deep breaths and she was fine again. All the while, he was still doing what he was doing without a care in the world.

"I meant" Daphne began in a forced calm tone "why are you translating an English tome to French?"

He still kept on writing without looking up and she had to wait for some time since he had to force the fifth part of his brain into indulging the girl while other four parts kept on doing their respective work of helping him remember the words, search the words in French language, form a sentence and write it down without a single spelling or grammatical mistake.

"I am translating the tome because it's my way of earning some free money."

"But, why would you need free money? You are the Heir of Two Most ancient and most Noble houses, hell you are in the top ten richest wizards in all of Europe!" She was actually confused with this fella and how his mind worked.

"The same reason why everyone earns free money, to spend it on themselves. I don't want to use my allowances for my other projects and I don't want to be a burden on my guardian's bank account. So, I am trying to earn the money I am spending on my accessories other than the tuition fees and other necessities." He spoke in a monotone as he still kept on translating the tome.

This did answer her question but she was still confused as to what projects he was working on and why he would take on such tasks to earn money. Also were his guardians so poor that they couldn't afford for some experiments of a teenage wizard?

'Should I help him out with his financial problems? It's not like translators earn that much in the wizarding world because of translation charms' This of course didn't mean that she was hoping to score some brownie points in his trust department. Nope, not at all.

"I can help you out with some cash if it's really that important. I mean, it's not like you are earning much from translating these tomes, right? Also, it's kind of a tedious task. Don't take this as charity, this is a friend helping another one." Daphne spoke with a small smile on her face as Harry kept on writing in his book.

After two minutes he finally stopped writing and closed the pen's cap. He looked up and Daphne had to control her blush as the alluring emeralds met her sapphire shade eyes for the first time that night, somehow the light from torches gave the green pools a water like shiny nature which made them even more mesmerizing.

"Thank you for your generosity but I am happy with earning 700 galleons per book."

"…"

"…"

"700 GALLEONS?! You are joking right? Tell me you are joking!" She exclaimed but he looked at her with the perfect poker face that he always had which certainly didn't help in making his earlier words a joke.

"Who pays 700 galleons to translate a book? Even professionals get 200 galleons at most. You are trying to pull a bluff on me, aren't you Harry?" She really wanted him to affirm her accusation but he simply shook his head.

"You aren't wrong, professional translators do get 200 galleons at most, but they are mediocre compared to what comes from my hands. You might see this as bragging but all the books that I wrote have perfect sentences without any grammatical or spelling errors."

"Also, the fact that I am translating a tome on truly Ancient Magicks, from nearly 7000 years ago into readable dialect and providing substitute for some of the materials that aren't available now for the potions and rituals in the original version helps with the price." Harry explained to her as he started gathering his stationery.

"So, you are getting 200 galleons for the translation work and 500 for all the research work? That's impressive." Daphne nodded while the boy just shrugged his shoulders.

She was doing her best to control her facial expressions and to reveal her 'I-am-really-impressed' face complete with saucer wide eyes "But 7000 years ago? Really? How did such a rare treasure fall into the hands of a thirteen year old wizard?"

Harry simply shrugged again, "My guardians are antiquarians."

"And they trust you enough to lend such a treasure to you for one complete year? My father wouldn't have let me touch something this precious until it was done under his watch." Daphne grumbled a bit before asking him "So, what will happen to these books after this?"

"I have to translate books in every language I know, and I have to translate two books per year, then these will be launched in other parts of the world in auctions and the like." He told her as he slowly got up from his bench and moved towards the window sill where the cool night wind blew.

"How many languages do you know?" Heirs of prominent families were required to know three different languages while the Lords were required to have knowledge of five different dialects, though that was not done now since the use of translation charms.

"Nine"

Daphne sighed at his response, 'Of course he knows nine languages, after all he is Harry, how can he be a simple boy? Wait, that's a ridiculous thought, shame on you Daphne!'

They stayed like that for sometime before Daphne finally mustered up the courage to ask the thing that she came here for, "Say Harry, will you join me and my family on summer solstice? We have an annual party on that day and I am free to invite my friends."

Harry stayed silent for some time before finally replying "No."

"What? Why? This is not because you are assuming that this invite is just a way to trap you in one of my top secret ploys is it?" She asked with mirth in her eyes but he was still looking at her with impassive emeralds that made her sigh in disappointment 'And they said 'I' don't have a funny bone, does this guy even know what a joke is? Or am I that bad? Ugh!'

"No, it's because you don't understand what you are putting yourself into." He shook his head in disappointment when the girl beside him just frowned and tilted her head in confusion. 'And here she was challenging my authority as a better politician and noble heir than her', he thought as he shook his head tiredly 'For the last time, just when will they stop these games and admit me as their lord already?'

"Do you know about the Third and the last rule of an invite?" This was the same rule that Madam Bones used when she invited him to her family manor during summer holidays and he simply couldn't decline her offer.

"Yes, the rule states that the Ancient and Noble houses have three chances each to strengthen the relations between their houses. A representative, be it heir, a lord or lady or a regent, can't decline the third and last invite from another ancient and noble house until.."

"Until, the invited house wanted to cut off all friendly relations with the host's house and forcibly push their house relations towards neutral at best and enemies at worst. Right?" Harry asked her and she gave a small nod.

"Now, how many times have I declined an invite from your house? Twice. If this was to be an official invite then I would have had to attend the solstice ball and that wouldn't have gone well for you." Harry told her and hoped that she would understand his reasons.

"Is that why my grandfather was hesitant in inviting you over with an official letter?"

"Yes. He is afraid that if I decline it once again then he'll have no control over the family magicks as they would put my house into the neutral category on their own."

'I think he will most likely want to 'accidentally' meet me first before inviting me again' He thought before looking back towards the Greengrass heiress "This doesn't act right now because you invited me as a friend and not as heiress Greengrass."

Daphne nodded her head understanding the issue 'One thing is clear, I do get to learn a lot from him about these pureblood machinations'

"But, what's wrong in accepting the invite, this is not a personal one-on-one meet with my family right? There would be loads of other people, I don't think grandfather would pull his tricks amid all that press and public." She tried to reason with him and was glad when he shrugged.

"It is plausible but why take the chance? What if he did pull the marriage contract issue and wanted to announce it publicly at this year's house party? Better safe than sorry."

Daphne knew that the green-eyed mage was being excessively paranoid but she couldn't fault him for being precautious around her grandfather, what with their previous records.

"If there isn't anything else then I'd like to go back to my room." He said and turned towards the staircase that would lead him back towards his common room.

"Wa-wait! I'll come with you too." Daphne said and joined him on the descending staircase.

"You do know that we have to go in opposite directions right? Or do you want me to escort you to your common room again?" He asked the pale girl who was somehow getting a rosy color on her cheeks. 'How did she do that? Was she manipulating the cells in her dermis or was it her body's response against cold?'

"Yes, I do. You can at least walk with me till the point of divergence right? Or are you going somewhere else?" 'It's better to revert the question back on him than to answer that', she thought as they started moving towards the said point of divergence.

Harry simply shrugged his shoulders and kept on walking with Daphne by his side, and was it just him or was her cheeks redder than before? He was really confused because Su and Susan had this ability too. Was it something that was taught to girls only? 'No, sometimes Terry too gets red cheeks, maybe I should ask him?'

First week of May began and so did Hogwarts' exam season preparation. First year exams were going to be held from the first week of June onwards. Therefore every single student in the castle was seen with books, notes, parchments and heavy satchels around their shoulders.

Harry had already studied his subjects and re-revised them so their study sessions mostly went with him giving a few pointers, only when asked, while doing his own preparations for writing faster with quills so that his writing speed could work in synchronization with his thought process.

Currently Harry was drenched in sweat as he looked around his training room. Scorched walls, torn dummies, mannequins with slashes around their waists and heads chopped out, charts with specific points depicted on the human body, score targets.

This was Harry's personal training room where he practised his elemental powers, meditated to clear his mind and remove the daily load of gobshit that the Hogwarts population called 'talking'.

Harry had expended every last drop of his elemental powers and he did so every night. This was his only way of increasing his boundaries as fast and as soon as possible. He wiped his brow and checked his wrist watch.

'7:30 pm, dinner should end in half-an-hour, I can still grab something if I make it before eight.' he thought as he donned his outer robes and moved out of the room.

Harry was going down towards the third floor when he heard the rather loud Crash of some big metal thing collapsing on stone. He turned to look towards the point where it came from considering he was alone in that corridor, but everything was normal there.

Then he heard a girlish scream and someone groaned in pain from the floor beneath him, he ran downstairs and stopped at the base of the staircase. His eyes widened a bit as he saw one of his relatively closer acquaintances lie on the cold hard floor with twisted limbs, metal armour pieces around her and...wait, was that blood? That's a lot of blood.

"SUSAN!" Harry screamed in shock and ran towards where the girl was lying 20 meters from him in a small pool of blood which was increasing rapidly in size.

"What happened to you? What were you doing here all alone in the first place?" Harry asked her but the Auburn haired girl could only moan in pain as her vision started blurring.

Susan felt cold hands on her forehead and the brightest emeralds 'Why are there spots in my vision? And why is everything blurry?' she thought to herself as she heard Harry mumble some choice words.

"Ha...harr..y?" Susan tried to say more but her body won't cooperate.

"Yes Susan, I am here." Harry told her as he checked the sword which was impaled in her waist. Harry looked at the girl's face and could see concussion form on her forehead as blood was clotting internally.

'Shit this is bad...why didn't I learn anything other than basic healing from Grand Lady? Oh yes, cause I never needed that. Maybe I should ask her for those lessons now...stop being sarcastic to yourself Potter!'

Harry could only watch as the girl's eyelids slowly started drooping down and her pupils dilated 'Harry's here...ah well, I guess I don't need to stay conscious any...mo...r...e...'

Shaking his head he conjured a piece of cloth and pulled the sword out. Immediately he wrapped the cloth around her wound so that it wouldn't bleed anymore. Then he held the girl in bridal style and lifted her as he ran towards Hogwarts hospital wing.

In his haste to reach Madam Pomfrey, he missed the cold red eyes that were lurking in the shadows of room 3C, piercing the back of his head as he ran with Susan in his arms ...a room which was just a few meters away from the point of accident.

Harry took as many shortcuts as possible as he ran towards the hospital wing, at first he was going to use his elemental powers but then remembered that he had just finished his daily training and so had used every little drop of those.

This meant he'll have to run physically all the way to the Hospital wing. He swore that tomorrow onwards, he'll leave about five-percent of his powers for emergencies. It won't do to be stuck in a similar situation due to some misfortune and rely solely on his legs.

"Madam Pomfrey? We need your help!" Harry announced as he entered the wing and laid Susan on the nearest bed, coincidentally it was the same one which she had been given when she was victim of, as the Hogwarts populace calls it, the broom mishap.

The matron's office opened as she came bustling in the hospital wing, fluidly releasing her wand from her wrist holster as she started the diagnostic charms on Susan.

"What happened, Potter? Did she fall or something or was it someone bullying her?" Pomfrey asked him as she watched the flickering lights above Susan.

Harry only shook his head in denial "I was going towards the Great hall when I heard her crash, there wasn't a single living thing around her."

Pomfrey didn't say anything after that as she simply hummed in acceptance and started flicking her wand.

Twenty minutes later, the matron sighed in relief and stopped moving around as she sorted through the salves and blood replenishing potions on Susan's bedside table.

"I don't know who did this or why but the girl was cursed twice. First with a really powerful Confundus, which is used to confuse a person, and then she was put under the Imperius curse. I'd call it her luck that she somehow stumbled and hurt herself as the pain helped relieve the brain from the curses holding her brain. If not, then she'd have done what the caster wanted her to do." Pomfrey said as she looked at the girl.

"Are you really sure there wasn't anyone near her?" The old matron asked him and sighed in disappointment when he thought for a while before denying.

"Alright, you can stay here till nine if you want to, I am going to floo headmaster and Miss Bones' guardian." Pomfrey told him and then was about to move when Harry asked her how soon can Susan wake up because he was lucky he hadn't met any of their friends when he was bringing the redhead to the hospital wing, considering they were still having dinner in the great hall.

"She has a severe concussion and was actively fighting against the curse, I'd say that's the reason she crashed because she might have somehow fought it off and regained control of her consciousness for a while. But due to that and her blood loss, her magic is at its lowest point right now." She told the boy somberly "She might not be able to wake up for a week at the very least and two weeks at most."

Harry sat on the chair near Susan's bed as he looked at the lying girl. His first human acquaintance in Hogwarts. His first close acquaintance. How she had tried to befriend him on their first day, how she had tried to encourage him after his 'Snape sessions' back before winter holidays. How she tried to stay with him when he wasn't feeling festive for Halloween even though she wanted to party.

How the girl tried to mother him into eating more food every time they say and would get all chaotic whenever he ate less than usual, how she had included him, a total loner whom no one would have talked to, into their little group and how she would whine and do small things and would hope that he or anyone else hadn't noticed her.

And someone had tried to curse her. No, someone had cursed her and was making her do something against her wishes, it must have been too drastic because she had used almost all of her magical reserves in fighting off the curse in the end choosing to rely on pain rather than follow with the orders of Imperius.

One thing was certain, he would find who did this and make them regret their existence, make them...beg for death. His mind has already started formulating plans on how to trace this person and how much to torture them, maybe increase their pain sensitivity and then pierce them with pins and molten hot knives? Yeah, that sounds good enough.

But there was something else that needed to be done first. Harry made up his mind as his eyes hardened and he gently took Susan's hand in his own and began the process.

Harry woke up from his sleep as his brain registered the rather loud bang which he later came to know was Amelia Bones' regular way of checking in when her sole family was on death bed...almost there anyway.

Madam Amelia Bones stopped mid-stride as she looked at the lying body of her baby girl with a large scar near her abdomen.

Her niece looked so peaceful, it was as if she was sleeping and within moments she'd be up and hug her 'Good Morning' then berate her for working out late again...but Amelia knew this won't happen...her Susan...her precious niece...her only hope for surviving this blasted world was cursed twice in a supposedly 'safest' place on the continent and had nearly killed herself so that she couldn't do what her perpetrator had wanted her to do.

Amelia again leashed her anger as she remembered her latest session with Dumbledore, he had galls to call this as an unfortunate incident in the huge set-up to remove evil as whole. Like always he had talked in riddles whenever he traversed dangerous waters.

All she had been able to take it from that old goat was 'Don't launch complete investigation because you don't have enough evidence and that person could be anyone unless Susan remembered their face when she was cursed'

And she had to give it to the headmaster that he was frustratingly right. It could be literally anyone out of the 700+ people residing in Hogwarts and they'd have cleared their wands by now.

At first she argued that they could simply trace back to those who weren't present during dinner time but then Pomfrey pointed out that it was possible that Susan had been cursed before dinner and had been told to execute the task during dinner time.

Because, according to Pomfrey, you can't reduce your magical reserves to its lowest levels within an hour or two or passive fighting with an imperius command. It has to be at least 4-5 hours of fighting that led them to this situation.

Now she could only wait for Susan's awakening and hope that her niece remembered her assailant's face. It's a good thing that she had made Dumbledore swear on his words of protecting Susan until she is completely fine again. 'Well, he didn't have any other choice anyways'.

It was after all this that Amelia noticed the boy sitting beside her niece, Harry Potter. Poppy had told her that it was him who had carried Susan all the way from the point of accident to the Hospital wing.

"Harry, I don't know how I could ever thank you for what you did for my little girl. Time and again, you were there for her, I am sorry we troubled you so much. House Bones owes you another life debt."

For the first time in his life, Harry didn't care about the debt. The thing that was higher in priority was Susan's improvement and revenge, debts came after that.

"Even though I don't require it right now and it wasn't on my mind, as Heir apparent and future Lord of House Potter, I Accept the second Life debt owed by House Bones to House Potter, forwarded by the regent of House Bones." Harry nodded once before speaking again.

"Madam Bones, I am a minor and my 'relatives' are unavailable right now, therefore I won't be able to give an official statement or an interview but I'd like to tell you a few things.. unofficially". Harry said and noticed Amelia's frown.

"But why can't we get your relatives for questioning? Is it because they are muggles? I assure you, we will send our muggleborn officers so they don't have any trouble entering and exiting the wizarding world." Bones was actually astonished with Harry's forwardness, she had already prepared a speech to convince Harry to tell her everything but here he was doing it himself, as if he already suspected what she was about to do.

'But, why unofficial methods?'

All of a sudden, Harry's eyes got that frosty look in them as he gazed straight into her eyes "Because they are unavailable madam, I don't know why but after my sixth birthday I haven't seen them, I contacted muggle authorities but it was useless as they weren't able to trace any of my..family."

Bones frowned again "Where were you living and how are you able to survive if they are not with you?"

But before Harry would have answered her, loud shouts of 'SUSAN!' reached their ears and moments later the entirety of said girl's close friend circle barged in the wing. Harry looked at Madam Bones and they nodded. They'll have this conversation and Harry's official/unofficial report later.

Quirinus Quirrel paced back-and-forth in his office clenching and unclenching his fist. He was angry, confused, disappointed and scared all together and everything just because of one boy….Harry Potter.

Quirrel still remembered the day he met the eldest Potter brat. He had scoffed at another person wasting fresh air, when his master had stopped him and told him the real secret. The secret which could've changed everything.

Harry Potter, the eldest Potter brat, was actually the real boy who had reflected the dark lord's Killing curse. The emerald eyed mage was actually the True Boy-who-lived.

The dark lord didn't know why Dumbledore didn't proclaim Harry as the Boy-who-lived but slowly it made sense to both of them. Actually, it did to Voldemort and he beated sense in Quirrel. Same thing…almost.

At first Quirrel had internally scoffed at his master's words when he saw just how weak that boy was. Yes there was the broom incident but magical practitioners sometimes developed an extra sense to perceive magic.

But then happened the troll incident, where a weak Claw defeated a fully grown mountain troll with a blasting hex and had enough power to first create and then freeze water beneath the troll's leg. Even Quirrell had to admit, the boy was indeed an enigma, a crafty little fox.

And thus began the game of research-back planning- random hexes-watching from 'shadows'-putting one of his friends under imperius and forcing her to fight the boy to death…..oops.

Quirell controlled himself and turned towards the laughing portrait of Richmond Derrevans. He swore to Merlin that if it wasn't for his Master's requirements, he would have blasted this portrait to smithereens ages ago. Quirell sometimes imagined how nerve-grating Derrevans would have been when alive if he was this irritating when dead.

"I don't want to say this but I-told-you-so. Richmond laughed in his portrait when he saw Quirell glare at him. He laughed harder when Quirell shut the curtains around him.

'Soon' Quirrel thought to himself. 'Very soon I'll acquire the knowledge of getting past that blasted Cerberus and then you won't be able to save this world from my Master's rise anymore Dumbledore'

Harry and his friends reached the point of divergence and wished each other 'good nights', he didn't say anything as there was still something that had to be done before he could call it a night.

They had been kicked out of the Hospital wing, even Hannah who was Susan's best friend, dorm-mate and sister in all but blood. Harry had told them the truth which he had spoken loudly so that Madam Bones could hear it and gave his memory as an evidence considering the fact that Harry couldn't be questioned without a guardian and didn't want to follow loco parentis, that would give the Headmaster, the controls of his school life.

After all was said and done, Harry promised Madam Bones to tell her as much as he knew via letters. They had left Susan in Pomfrey's care and started their journey back to their respective common rooms.

On asking, Harry came to know that after Pomfrey told Dumbledore, he had asked McGonagall to tell Hannah about Susan but as they were all sitting together at the Dinner table, they all came to know what had happened and came to check-in as soon as possible.

The green eyed claw just nodded and entered his Ravenclaw dorm room with Terry before he announced that he forgot something and would be back soon.

Norman Yanerds was sitting in his favourite arm-chair, finishing his charms homework near the open window. This was the last of his work today and after this, he'll finally spend some quality time with his girlfriend before going back to sleep.

The burly sixth year had just finished writing his essay on Ten uses of Bubblehead Charm and was about to start rechecking the points before taking a much needed break when he felt something entering and exiting his outer robe pocket almost immediately.

He checked the pocket and pulled out a piece of parchment he was sure wasn't there moments ago. The content on that little innocent piece of paper made him gulp as his face paled.

I want the names and location of all the students who are fifth-year and below and were absent from Dinner. Also, if possible, find out what they were doing. I don't care how you get that information, I want the list within five days. Burn this note discreetly.

~Your Master

Norman looked around himself but couldn't find his master. Still, he knew that he was already being observed and any kind of disobedience will be met with severe punishments. So, he did the intelligent thing and kept the small note in his pocket, he'll burn it later. Right now he needed to contact his girlfriend and his friends because there was a task that needed to be finished soon.

'Knock Knock'

"Come in"

The gate opened and closed as Severus Snape kept on chopping the African Lizard's tail into fine strips. He frowned when he didn't hear anyone and turned to watch the door, only to pause.

"Po-" Snape grabbed his throat as it felt someone was choking him before gurgling out "Ma-master" the greasy bat took large gulps of fresh air as his throat was released from constriction that his magic had made around himself so he could follow the oath he gave months ago when he enslaved himself to the whims of a first year kid.

'A first year kid who had bested you in every single way' the traitorous part of his mind spoke and he physically shook his head and tried to focus on his surroundings when he realised that it wasn't his mind that said the last sentence, it was-

'Mine, bravo Snivellus, you finally showed the first intelligent thought of your day, hopefully this transient phase remains as long as I am here' Snape's eyes flashed in anger.

"Stop doing that." The greasy bat growled.

"Or what? You'll challenge me? Or did you forget our previous sessions?" Harry replied with a small smirk before snapping his fingers.

"You are nothing more than a mere puppet who is being controlled by, as you put it so eloquently, a spawn of James Potter. Now stop being a brat and listen," Harry waved his hand and conjured the same black and silver throne that he did when he had made Snape his slave.

Snape went completely red but sat on his knees and bowed low waiting for his master to release him from this utterly embarrassing position.

Harry didn't.

"I have a task for you. You can do anything you want but I want you to make a list of all the sixth and seventh year students, as well as teachers who weren't present during dinner tonight, also what they were doing." Harry told the potions professor in a no nonsense tone.

"But-"

"Did I give you permission to speak yet, Snivellus?" Harry asked his servant before continuing "You are free to use any method necessary to fulfil the task, you have four days to finish it and I don't want any single person to be missed from your compiled list or you'll accidentally lose a finger. Am I clear?"

Snape didn't want to say anything so he remained silent.

"I…see…Ardeat Nervorum!" Harry said and saw as Snape started flailing on the floor. He kept the curse for another ten seconds before releasing Snape and healing him.

"We'll try it again. So, am I clear Snivellus?"

Snape didn't even hesitate and nodded feverishly "Yes Master, crystal clear. You'll get the list four-"

"Fourth day from now. Good and remember the warning on what will happen if you dare to leave out anyone." Harry said as he simply waved his wand and vanished his throne and moved out of the dungeons.

Now he just needed to wait four more days to punish the person or group that had cursed one of his closest acquaintances. Till, then he could simply do the thing he was doing for her without telling anyone. But for now, he needed some sleep.

Ending Note- There you have it fellas, Twentieth chapter of 'Silence of the Winters'. Liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please tell. I am waiting for all your reviews! Also, those who have been with me since the beginning know how much I appreciate constructive criticism and new ideas. So if you have one, DO SHARE IT WITH ME! Put it on a Review or PM me, whatever you like. I will for sure respond to it.

Sorry for the long delay, hopefully it won't happen again.

Also, Here's the link to my super private server on discord where I'll keep on updating new chapters, sneak peeks, Character designs, where you are free to talk and ask things regarding my fics directly:

Its a newly launched server...

Link: discord . gg / Gcbcv4dxGx (remove the spaces)

Name: Dev Black's Empire

Thank you for reading and reviews.

With regards,

Dev Black