Yo! Sorry for being late again and again...
Big thanks to Gryffindorforever4242 for the reviews, and I hope you'll like that one too!
Before starting, big thoughts to the innocents victims dying out there, wherever they're at.
The qualitly of this chapter should be higher since I had the help of two wonderful people to edit it. So everyone (including me) should thank TrendyTreky and Merinus!
I won't take any more of your time,
ENJOY!
ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ
Harry Potter felt that his body and mind kept getting weaker as the days passed. He was desperately trying to master wandless magic before his body and mind broke. However, since his breakthrough last week, he did not find any other clue. He was still trying his best to avoid sleep, he caught himself dozing a few times, and he even slept for a few hours, only to have it confirmed that his nightmares were not gone.
He managed to avoid screaming while he woke up, but he was not ready to try his luck another time. The nightmares were terrifying, and their implications were gnawing away at his insides. He had tried to think of something else, but nothing did the trick. Talking to his 'relatives' was difficult since his fatigue made him incapable of following more than a few exchanges in a conversation with them. They seemed to have noticed that something was wrong and asked him about it a few times, however he always managed to redirect their attention to something else. The one-time Lily took him apart and seriously asked if he was sick, threatening him to call Mrs. Pomfrey, he lied to her, saying he was a little homesick. His facial expression must have been distraught since she did not question it, nor did she call Mrs. Pomfrey, and it happened three days ago, so his lie should be safe.
The only thing that managed to keep his mind occupied was Quidditch. However, he knew better than to mount on a broom in his condition. He merely watched the Potters fly, while Lily, Daphne Greengrass, Ivy (when James did not take him with her) and himself were picnicking. Most of the days were passing like that, and under normal circumstances Harry would have been absolutely delighted by that. However, this monotony coupled with the state of his mind was driving him crazy, he felt as if he was trapped in a never-ending loop, unable to get out. For now, he managed to keep it inside him, but he knew it would not be long until he exploded, and what scared him was that he did not know what would happen then.
The fact that he was now living with people that were supposed to be dead did not make things any better. Since he could remember, everyone teased him about him being an orphan. But all of a sudden, he was surrounded by parents and siblings. The unreal feeling he got drove him crazier as the days went by.
He was not entirely himself. He knew it. He also knew where it came from; the Horcrux. According to Chaos, it was within him since he was one year old, and except for the Parseltongue, he had never felt that he was habited by someone or something else. Even when he learned about the Horcrux by Chaos, nothing really changed inside himself. However, when he travelled to this universe, something changed.
He now clearly remembered that during the universe crossing, when he was falling into nothingness, he had fainted because of his scar. It had started hurting so much that he fainted. The pain was now only a memory, but if he had to describe it, it felt as if someone forcefully tore one of his members off his body. It was crazy because he had never felt such a thing, but he still knew it was the same feeling.
Harry was currently lying in his bed, trying to stay awake. It was noon, and soon, someone would call him to get lunch as it always happened. The only thing that changed was the person who called him, as they seemed to take turns. Harry could never guess who it would be next, and it quickly became his way out of this crazy routine that had installed in his life. That was why he felt a little bit thrilled when he heard a knock on the door.
Of course, fate always managed to mess with his life when he really did not need it.
"Harry? May I come in?"
The voice who came through the door was not one he was unfamiliar with. However, he was sure that that person had no reason to be in front of his door. Or maybe she had, but Harry did not like that reason, not at all.
"Of course, Madam Pomfrey." His voice sounded croaky, more than usual this morning, it was weird, as if his throat was hurt. Since he could not understand where that sensation came from, he merely discarded it.
Some rumbling sounds came from the other side of the door and slowly, it opened revealing Madam Pomfrey's smiling face. She entered the room slowly, as if she was avoiding any sudden movements. He recognized this weird behaviour; he acted the same with Hedwig when she was throwing a fit. The memory of his beloved owl prickled but he managed to not let his thoughts wander too much from the situation he was in right now. Or at least he tried his best with the state he was in.
She's acting as if I was on edge. I'm not. Did someone tell her I was on edge? Who would do that? Why?
Without him even noticing it, she was sitting in a brand-new conjured chair next to his bed and she was holding one of his hands between hers. It was strangely comforting, and his crazed thoughts started to calm down as well.
"I heard you're having nightmares."
His body went from comfortably warm to ice cold in the split of a second. He immediately took his hand away and retreated a bit further on his bed. He was looking at the matron, but he could not really focus on her, his mind was buzzing for no real reason while a feeling of discomfort was rising within his stomach.
He already knew that if she was here today, it was for him. However, having someone saying the word 'nightmares' in front of him made them real. He could not understand what was going on with him right now but what he knew was that he was breathing really fast. His heartbeat was loud. He started sweating. Madam Pomfrey was trying to say something to him, but he could not make sense of her words. He could not even see her expression; his vision was blurry. He wanted to leave that place immediately. He tried to stand but he started to feel pins and needles in his legs. It quickly spread to his whole body, and he fell on the bed like a rag.
He felt sick. Horribly sick. All he could do was listen to his fast and heavy breath helplessly. His head was a mess, even more than usual. Then all of a sudden, things went black.
When he opened his eyes, Harry thought the morning he had was just a bad dream. However, when he took a look at his own body, he knew that the nightmare was in fact just starting. His hands were pale, so pale that his blueish veins looked almost fluorescent. The only reason he managed to examine his hands was because he was doing it. Voldemort. He had absolutely no control over the body he was in. In a way this was comforting, Harry would have thrown up if he had, because that would mean that it was his body. He shared way too much in common with Voldemort, he did not want to share the latter's body.
"It's ready." The voice coming out from his mouth was as sharp as a razor, but a hint of anticipation could be heard.
Harry knew that he often saw his killing during the nightmares, but he somehow knew that there was something else. The ripping feeling he got after the killings was terrifying him.
All of a sudden, his surroundings changed, but not as a fading dream. Rather it felt as if his body just appeared at another place, as if he just teleported. It was raining, and the surroundings did not look welcoming at all. However, the anticipation kept growing inside him, something was going to happen. Harry had never felt such anticipation during his other nightmares, he did not like that at all.
He took a good look around him. A graveyard, a church, and a few cottages here and there. It felt familiar to Harry, horrifyingly familiar. He started to walk towards an empty space in front of him. A child who was wandering close to him fled at his sight. Suddenly a cottage appears out of nowhere, as if it had always been here. By the window a few figures could be seen. Harry saw them and wanted to wake up immediately. He tried to scream unsuccessfully, his mental protections were non-existent here and he could not move an inch.
He was going to relive his parents murder once again, helplessly. The prospect of reliving it again, after the Dementors' incidents, was excruciating.
And that was not the end of it, he was going to die at the end, and if Harry relied on his experience about those nightmares, his death would affect him as well. Frankly, death was never on his bucket list; rather, over the last few years, he tried his best to not die.
The thought of dying was electrifying him. He did not want to die, and certainly not in a dream, because of, if he was right, Voldemort's Horcrux. That was the last thing he wanted. Moreover, if he died there, it was the same as abandoning his friends who were back in his world. Ron, Hermione, Daphne, Tracey, and Astoria. It felt as if he had not seen them for ages, with his kidnapping and everything that happened afterwards, he did not really have the time to think about them.
But now, when he was at his lowest, they were here. He knew they would never abandon him, and so neither will he. He tried his best to fight the imperative force that trapped him inside Voldemort. He was now right in front of the window, watching the Potters. He watched in horror the man opening the door, and despite all his efforts and newfound motivation, he could not do a single thing about the situation. He wanted to cry because of his helplessness, but even that was impossible.
As he kept trying his best to just look away from the scene, he witnessed his father die under his wand. It was as if he had done it himself and it drained him of every ounce of force he had. He stopped fighting, it was useless. Voldemort was now in front of Lily Potter, who was begging him to kill her instead of her son. At that exact moment, Harry felt something. Or more accurately it was Voldemort who felt that way and Harry felt what he felt.
Irritation.
He was irritated because that foolish girl kept insisting on dying. He had already told his precious servant who told him about the prophecy, Severus, that he would spare the redhead because he wanted her. Yet there she was begging to die, and who was he to not comply.
Harry's mind emptied in a split second. Not only his mind, but he also felt as if his entire self was empty. Snape, once again. He had told Voldemort about the prophecy, and without any remorse, he had asked for Harry's mother to be spared so she could become his thing.
I am going to kill him.
Just like a fire, anger started spreading into his whole body. It was consuming him entirely; he could not think straight anymore. His vision suddenly went blurry, and in a sense, it was great since he could not see the rest of the scene displayed in front of him. He could not think of anything else than murder. Murdering Severus Snape.
All of a sudden, his eyes opened to a blinding white surrounding that was awfully familiar. He immediately closed his eyes; the brightness was hurting his retina. As quickly as his anger swelled up, it died down. And by sheer accident he had managed to avoid his death.
"I see that you are finally awake, Mister Potter." Professor Dumbledore's voice came to his ears.
He tried to open his eyes a few times and when he tried to put his hands in front of his face, he noticed that he could not. His whole body was numb, just like the aftermath of his torture sessions. However, it was not what kept him from moving. His hands were tied with ropes to the bed.
Once again, his breathing started to accelerate. His helplessness reminded him of his nightmares.
"Ah, I almost forgot about them. Allow me." The headmaster made the ropes disappear with a single wave of his wand. "You have to understand that it was necessary for your own safety. Your nightmares were quite… violent."
Harry's breathing calmed down. He painfully sat up and touched his wrists while examining them. They were devoid of any bruises, which was weird considering what Professor Dumbledore just said.
"I see that you are puzzled. I made the ropes myself, and I am quite confident that I can make them so they would not hurt you."
"On another note, I would like to discuss those nightmares you are having. It seems that you are not the only one who is having rough nights. Not that… brutal though."
Harry's mind was drained, and it could not no longer process clearly what the headmaster was saying.
"From what I've been told, sleep would not help things right now, rather it would make things worse, so please bear with me so we can quickly find a solution."
Harry shook his head, trying to reassemble his mind. Dumbledore was right, the nightmares were recurrent, and appeared every single time he slept. It had become unbearable. His sanity depended on it.
"I…" His throat hurt. It was difficult for him to talk, and his voice was hoarse.
Albus waved his wand once again, and a small vial filled with a green liquid floated towards the young Potter. "Here, something for your sore throat."
Harry quickly gulped it down. Not without wincing at the awful taste of the mixture.
"Thank you." His voice was back to normal, and his throat did not hurt anymore. "So, what do you want to know, Professor?" Harry did not want to lose time, he felt as if he was losing way too much of it nowadays.
"As much as you can tell me."
Harry did not hesitate anymore. He doubted that the Neville from this universe was having the same nightmares, but he still described them from the beginning. He told the headmaster his suspicions about the origins of his dream without mentioning his revelation about Snape, but the latter did not interrupt him a single time. His face was pensive, and the magic around him was still.
Wait a minute… How do I know that?
As he had unconsciously learned to do, Harry's mind started multitasking. Part of it was still focusing on explaining the nightmares, while the other wondered how he was able to see magic clearly. He then understood that he did not really see it. He was feeling it, but in a different way than usual. It was not something he had to focus on, he just knew the magic had gone still. Usually to feel magic around him, Harry had to focus really hard on it, and was then not able to do lots of things at the same time.
"I see…" Dumbledore said after the young Potter was done talking. "It seems that your nightmares, and Neville's are not the same. However, they seem to be originating from the same source."
"But Neville did not get caught!" Harry protested vehemently. His nightmares came because of Voldemort's Horcrux and happened only after the latter had been resurrected. Something that was not meant to have happened here.
"Indeed." His blue eyes became even more serious than they already were. "It can only mean one thing. Lord Voldemort is back."
"How?" Harry was in disbelief. "The snake I sent didn't see him. And he did not get Neville's blood."
"You seem to forget something you were the one to tell me. It's not The-Boy-Who-Lived's blood that he needed, the potion needed one of his enemy's blood forcibly taken. He could have easily got it from any Auror. Or someone who hates him, which is not that rare."
"As for the snake, there could be lots of reasons. Maybe our Voldemorts do not really look like each other, which I doubt. Or Voldemort could have simply hidden himself until he was sure Neville would be the one to appear with the Portkey. You have to remember that he was not in a state where he could do anything he wanted. His state was reduced to something akin to a lamb."
"I am sorry to announce it to you like that, Mister Potter but sending you back to your home will have to be placed in second place in our priority list. The first being Voldemort's comeback. You are still welcome to stay in Hogwarts for the school year until we find a way back for you."
Harry did not mind since he doubted they would ever find a way to send him back. Only Chaos could help him with that.
"Now about the contents of your nightmares. Unfortunately, I think you are right about their provenance and about what they mean."
"However, unlike what you might think, they are not useless. The fact that you can see the memories of each and every of Voldemort's Horcrux "creation", you might be able to find something about their appearance and location."
"It will be immensely helpful for when you go back to your own world, but they could also help us with our own Horcrux hunts."
Harry knew he was right, but he could not help being a little depressed by what the headmaster was suggesting.
"Professor,the nightmares, aren't exactly welcoming."
"I know that what I am asking is not easy my boy but trust me when I tell you that if I could cure you from this predicament I would already have done so. But I am not able to. What I am asking you is to take advantage of that misfortune to turn it into what could be a great fortune."
Harry was once again reminded that he was not facing his Dumbledore. The latter had his issues, but he tried his utmost to give Harry happiness. And in a sense this Dumbledore did the same, except for the fact that he did it for Neville.
"Won't a Dreamless potion do the trick?" Harry asked.
"From what I understood, your nightmares are not real nightmares. They are most likely visions sent by the Horcrux inside you, and while the reason for it to act that way are still unclear, I know for sure that the potion will not work. You are welcome to try it." With a slight wave of his wand, a vial floated towards Harry who took it with a huge amount of effort and pain.
Harry slowly started to realize something. If he was in Hogwarts after the incident with Madam Pomfrey, it meant that they heard it all.
They must think I'm a freak…
As if he was reading his mind, which by the way was not possible since his mind protection was intact, Albus Dumbledore talked about them.
"The Potters are really worried for you. They think that you are still traumatized by the event back in your home. Which would not have been surprising at all to be honest." He sent him some sort of proud look that made Harry uneasy. "I did not contradict them even though I suspected it was something different."
"Unlike me, they still have no idea that Neville is having nightmares. And I think it would be better for them to not know about it either. They are brilliant wizards; they could find out about the Horcrux and the fact that their godson is, for the time being, bound to die for Voldemort to be able to die." Dumbledore told him with an expression that showed that what he just said was something Harry would definitely agree with.
"Why? You are not thinking of letting him die, aren't you?" Harry's blood turned ice cold, his Dumbledore shed tears when he heard about his Horcrux, and in the same situation, this Dumbledore was trying to make sure Neville's godparents were not informed. Harry knew he might be overreacting a bit. But it was not fair. Neville was a good bloke; they both had the same burden on their shoulders. In Harry's case, even without a real family he was well surrounded whereas Neville who had godparents and his grandmother lacked two things Harry had. Albus Dumbledore, and Chaos.
Sure, Albus Dumbledore existed and was pretty close with him, but from what Harry just witnessed, this man was not the same as his headmaster. There was something that Harry could not place, a glint in his eyes that did not sit well with Harry. He did not feel as if he was evil or that he hated Neville, it just seemed that Neville was at most the second of his preoccupations, and Harry did not know what was the first.
It could come from many things. Harry in his universe, had no attachment point in the Wizarding World, except for Sirius. So maybe his Albus Dumbledore had made him a priority over the rest. Or maybe it was because he felt guilty for placing him with the Dursleys. Whatever it was, it had turned out for the best for him.
"You seem to be misunderstanding me." Dumbledore said in a sad voice. "Of course, I would love to have a way to destroy the Horcrux. However, for now the only way I gathered was for the host to die. While you learned about it, it may have helped you to improve, I do think you would have preferred to live without never hearing about it in the first place."
It was true. He still remembered his first reaction upon learning about it, he had almost given up everything, his life included. If not for Chaos who said he had a solution, he may have committed the worst.
"As for why I would not inform his family, it is quite simple. I want Neville to be able to live without any worry in the world. At least when he is still a mere child." Harry was reminded of his own Dumbledore, maybe he had judged the man a little too harshly, he had the same reasoning. "Imagine that they learn about all of it, how would they react? They would start to overprotect him to the point of even removing him from Hogwarts, maybe even the country."
Harry could not imagine it. That was something he had never experienced himself. However, during the events in his second and third years, he remembered that some parents were removing their kids from Hogwarts because of the Heir of Slytherin and the Dementors. For Neville it could be worse, since if his path was the same, his life had been in danger because of Voldemort at least once per year, if not more. For Harry it did not really matter as long as he survived, he had no real place to go back to. The Dursleys not being the most charming people played a big role in that.
Harry realized that even if their lives started the same way, their conditions were different. Neville had people to come back to, he had a real family. Harry had less to lose in that aspect. In that aspect of his life, he was more like Voldemort than Neville, and the thought scared him as much as it did back then. Dumbledore could have been right, speaking about the right choices, but the Horcrux inside him made him think otherwise.
Harry shook his head; it was not the right time to think about it.
"I'm sorry Professor, it was not my intention to be disrespectful."
"Of course, do not fret." Dumbledore smiled kindly. "Everybody can have opinions, and to make a decision, it is better to have them collide. That makes them more interesting."
"Now that we are done with this," He made another wave with his wand, and Harry felt as if a bubble had just exploded. "I believe there are people eagerly waiting for you to wake up."
"Professor, before you leave." Harry called the headmaster who was in front of the infirmary doors. "Do you have any idea how to make sure I do not disturb the Potters when I sleep?"
"I am sure they would want to know when something similar happens. They care about you."
"Please professor. I'm already imposing myself on their house…"
"You can ask them, since they are already here." The moment he finished his sentence, James, and Lily Potter, passed through the door, followed closely by Madam Pomfrey.
Harry did not want to see them. He did not want to look at their eyes and find disgust and fear. However, he had no excuses to put forward. Nor did he have any way to delay what was to come. Sighing deeply, he steeled his resolve and tried to not have any useless hope.
"Good morning!" He said with a somewhat forced smile.
And then it happened. They were giving him the look. He knew it well, he had been glared at like that by numerous people, they thought he was crazy.
"Harry…" James started, and Harry did not want to hear the rest. He was already thinking about a place to stay around Hogwarts. "It's midnight."
For the first time since he woke up, he looked out the window. It was pitch black outside.
"Oh…" He said, and all the stress he had accumulated during this short span of time quickly left his body.
James and Lily started to laugh quietly. Harry did not know if it was because he was dead tired, but he quickly followed suit.
ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ
Lily was concerned. The newest addition to their household looked as if he had not gotten any sleep at all. The dark circles under his eyes were so pronounced that it looked like he was punched and had gotten two black eyes. He did not eat much, and he was never quite there. Whenever they went on a picnic, she tried to talk with him but the most she had gotten was some humming. His eyes looked glassy and the only time she saw him get a reaction was a few weeks ago when his gaze was fixed on Daphne Greengrass. Of course, it must have been because she reminded him of his friend back home, but she still teased him about it.
Now that she thought about it, it must have been difficult to adapt to his new environment. The people surrounding him are supposed to be dead or non-existent in his universe. The only exceptions being Daphne Greengrass and Neville.
Adding to that the circumstances of his arrival in this universe, which by the way was still something that felt unreal to her, his state was understandable. She had seen him doze off a few times and violently wake up the second after he did. She knew something was off, but when she approached the subject with him, he merely brushed it aside, saying he was just a little homesick. However, she did not stop here. She suspected that his nightmares were connected to his kidnapping, and to what Voldemort did to him in the graveyard.
That was the reason why she called Poppy. She could have called any other mediwizard, but she needed someone she could trust, and since Poppy already knew about him, it was the best solution.
However, she did not expect Harry to get an anxiety attack. According to Poppy, the trigger was the word "nightmares". The moment she said the word, symptoms started to appear, and not long after, Harry fainted, and they immediately contacted Dumbledore who told them to bring him to Hogwarts. Which she did, James dropped the kids at Sirius' place and followed after her.
From there, it kept getting worse. Harry started to sweat profusely, and his body moved erratically as if he was trying to free himself from binds. It broke Lily's heart, he must be having nightmares of his kidnapping. Nobody should have to go through something like this, especially a kid. Seeing him like this, reminded her that it could have happened to Neville too, and once again she felt thankful towards Harry.
I'm a mess. She told herself. She had always been some sort of emotional roller coaster, going through multiple emotions in a single moment. Her mind was fast like that. It helped her with school and everything that needed a good brain, but whenever it was about feelings, she was lost.
An arm hugged her from the side. James was standing next to her, his eyes fixed on the poor boy. His face did not give anything away, but she knew him too well, he was disappointed. And she knew why since she also felt disappointed. But not towards Harry, they were disappointed with themselves. How could they not see it coming? They should have done it sooner.
When Dumbledore arrived, they explained what happened in detail. They started with how he had been since the beginning. The headmaster looked pensive through it all, nothing else could be read from his expression. When they were done, Lily asked him if Harry was like this because of the 'incident' with Voldemort. Once again, he looked pensive, but it lasted less time. He had taken a serious expression and nodded gravely.
Harry was still moving erratically in his bed, but this time, his mouth started to move too, and noises started to come out. At first it was just unintelligible moans but after a moment he started to repeat the same thing over and over. It was a simple word; "No". His tone was so heartbreaking that Lily rushed to his side to take his hand between hers and tried to soothe him the best she could.
It looked like it had worked for a few seconds before she heard the most tearing scream she had ever heard in her life. It was not particularly loud, but the pain behind it was almost palpable. Tears started to form in her eyes. She rubbed his hand even more trying to ease his pain, she wanted to take it away from him so he would never cry like that again, even if it meant being hurt in his place.
That was when her mind acted on its own once again. She was sure Poppy had administered him a Dreamless potion. So how was he suffering from a nightmare once again? However, she had to put that thought in the back of her mind right now, because Harry was not screaming anymore, but it was even worse. He was sobbing. Tears were flowing through his closed eyes.
She felt powerless. All she could do was cry with him, rub his hand, and wipe his tears. She was devastated.
After a few moments, Albus advised them to get some rest. He said that they did not know when Harry would get up and that he would contact them the moment he did. Weirdly enough, he also managed to get Poppy out of her 'lair'.
The moment they received Dumbledore's Patronus, Lily sprung out on her feet and almost ran in the direction of the infirmary. She did not even bother listening to what he had said. The only reason he could have contacted them was because Harry had woken up anyway.
When she saw his forced smile, she almost melted. He was the spitting image of James. However, despite not knowing him too much, she knew James. The smile looked awfully like James' usual forced smile.
"Good morning!"
"Harry… It's midnight."
He looked outside with a baffled expression on his face. It looked so awfully normal for someone who just lived through something horrible that the contrast was funny.
That was when she started to laugh, quickly followed by James and a moment later by Harry himself.
At least he's smiling now.
ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ
Chaos felt relieved. His protege managed to somehow not only survive his predicament but at the same time gain something that usually only came with time and dedication, in a way that even he had not considered.
The mere fact that the Potter boy emerged intact from the Horcrux attack was already a great achievement in itself. But being able to harvest the ability to finally be able to break through the immovable wall that was wandless Magic was something even bigger. Harry did not know it, but at the rate things were going, it would not be long until he would finally be able to achieve wandless Magic. The boy was already able to perform wandless Magic while staying perfectly still, so the rest would come naturally.
There was a reason why Chaos had shown him Myrddin's meditation memory first. Meditation was the key to wandless Magic. Meditation allows one to forge one's mind, and by the same time one's Magic. The first step was to be able to move his Magic through his body without any effort. Harry managed to master it pretty quickly and was now proficient in that skill. So much that he could almost do it effortlessly while doing other things at the same time.
And that was exactly what was needed. The ability to move his Magic effortlessly. The ability to multitask while using Magic. It might sound stupid, but the main reason wands and incantations existed were because of the inability of most wizards to do it. The wands being foci in themselves and the incantations being there for wizards to not forget about the spells they were casting it was all about keeping the focus.
Of course, there were wizards who could cast without incantations quite quickly, but none of them could do it without a wand. The reason being that training to cast fast and wordlessly does not require much, only practice while performing wandless Magic requires much more.
Magic and mind were intrinsically linked. Without the mind, Magic could not be used, and without Magic, the mind is limited. Usually to train the mind, Myrddin's way is the one to go by. Meditating until the mind is strong enough to withstand the weight of Magic. It is usually a tedious and very long process. In Myrddin's case, a genius, it took a whole year. In Harry's case, who had almost not made any advancement for a whole year, he almost reached it after only a few weeks of his mind being forcefully tempered by the visions.
Now that Albus Dumbledore told him to try and find clues within them, Harry would have more time to train his mind to its absolute best. The pain would be hard to bear, but the harvest would be far better than his suffering.
Chaos was excited. He felt that he would soon be able to contact Harry. And when it happens, the fun will start once again.
ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ
Dolores Umbridge hated kids. She absolutely loathed them, but for the Minister she could make an exception. She would become the next Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts. She did not know why but the Minister had asked her this favour. He also asked her to keep an eye on the boy-who-lived, Neville Longbottom.
She had always hated that boy, not that she had ever met him before, but his tendency to always be on the front page of the newspaper was getting on her nerves. She was going to discipline him whatever it took.
The reason did not matter to her, not only because he was the one who asked, but also because he had promised to give her the position of headmaster at Hogwarts. And while she hated kids, she absolutely loved fame and power, and the position would give her both.
According to Fudge, she would get the position for sure, because there were no other applicants besides her. He had made sure of it.
She was already gloating about what she was about to do. Cornelius had given her free rein about the contents of her curriculum. She had never been that good in D.A.D.A. but according to her it was only because the teaching methods were wrong, she would show them how it was supposed to be done.
ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ
Narcissa Malfoy was content. That was the best word to describe her life until now. She had a good husband, an adorable son, and she was not lacking anything material. She had abandoned her friends a long time ago, and she had no aspiration to get new friends. There were still the wives of her husband's friends, but they were just acquaintances, to be honest she did not like any of them. They were all leeches, trying to butter her up because of her names. Black, before her marriage and Malfoy now.
She had the same problem back in Hogwarts, most of the people who approached her, did so because of her family. And she had always hated it. She still used it to her advantage though, because that was what she had learned to do since she was a kid. However, it was false to say that she had no friends in Hogwarts because she did. Her friends came from different houses though and were kept a secret from everyone because Narcissa was not stupid enough to incur the wrath of her family.
Veena Crawford was in Ravenclaw, two years below her. Lily Evans was in Gryffindor, a year below her. And Rachel Dawn was also two years below her.
It was an odd combination which started during her fifth year at Hogwarts. She was in the library, alone as per usual, when she met the three girls. Apparently, Lily Evans had started tutoring the two others in Potion, and without understanding how it happened, she got dragged in. From that day onwards, they became best friends. At least until she got married. It was then that she had cut her ties with them, not even bothering to invite them or even caring what they would think. She could not afford to have non-pureblood friends anymore. She had later heard during the war how, at three different times, the three of them had died, but she did not shed any tears for them. Narcissa sighed, it was no use to dwell on the past. The three of them died, and she was alive, it was all that mattered right now.
It would be a lie if she said she did not feel any twinge of regret when she heard her son talk about Harry Potter, it would also be a lie to say that she did not want to know him more. She had never done it though, the best she could do was smile at him during the World Cup, because deep down she was a coward, and she knew it very well. She was not ashamed of that, because of her cowardice, she was still alive today.
Narcissa was drawn out of her reverie by her husband who just came back home from wherever he was.
"He is coming tonight." He said in an anxious voice. "Make sure that everything is perfect."
She raised an eyebrow. It was rare to see her husband in that state. They had received the Minister home a few times, and even then, Lucius was never this nervous. It was definitely odd.
"Who is coming?"
"The Dark Lord."
Narcissa's world crumbled, but her face did not show anything, she merely nodded and called an elf. Because this was what she had to do to survive in this cruel world.
ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ
Tada!
Okay, I won't promise anything since it seems I can't keep any of them, but know that the more reviews I get, the more motivated I am. And the more motivated I am, the quicker the chapter will come... (INSEE statistics, not from me I swear.)
So don't forget to
R
E
v
I
E
W
!
And see you soon,
Doc.