Harry got into his place in line. It was a week away from Christmas break, and the day Gryffindor's season really started. A week prior, Hufflepuff had barely edged out Ravenclaw thanks to a timely catch of the snitch by Cedric Diggory, who had let the snitch slip out of his hands earlier in the match. Now, it was Gryffindor versus Slytherin.
"KEEPER OLIVER WOOD!" Lee Jordan was announcing as they flew out in formation. "KEEPERS ANGELINA JOHNSON, ALICIA SPINNET, AND KATIE BELL!" The girls did their announcement routine. "THE DYNAMIC BEATER DUO FRED AND GEORGE WEASLEY!" The twins flew in front of the Gryffindor stands to rile up the supporters. "AND FINALLY, HE NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION BUT I'LL GIVE IT ANYWAYS! YOU KNOW HIM, YOU LOVE HIM, IT'S HAAAAAAARY POTTER!"
Harry took a lap around the stadium, saluting to both the enthusiastically cheering Gryffindors and the booing Slytherins.
He remembered the words of an upper year Ravenclaw a few days earlier. "It's a shame Gryffindor/Slytherin is so early. It's always the perfect game to end on."
He also remembered his teammates' advice. "You play nice for a moment, and we lose," Angelina said.
"Watch your head," the twins had advised. "Slytherin is nasty on the pitch."
But mostly, he remembered Wood. "Last year, we were told that if we played our best, we could have a shot." He shook his head. "Not this year. Nobody is ever willing to take the game to this team. Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, the basilisks last month, nobody is willing to be as aggressive as they are. Nobody except Gryffindor. No matter how outmatched we are, Gryffindor always gives as good as we get. And if we do what all those teams are willing to do, we will absolutely flatten these fools."
The twins started cheering in the back of the locker room. "Fred, George, same instructions as last year. We are not following the same game plan as everyone else. Don't defend, attack. Put them on the back foot. I saw you do it last month, last year, do it again."
"Yes sir!" Fred said. Both brothers snapped into a salute.
"Angelina, Katie, Alicia, feel free to double team whoever has the ball. Harry, join in if you see the opportunity."
Alicia cracked her knuckles. "I have a score to settle with Montague."
"Harry, like I said. Feel free to help push Chasers around. Lead Flint on wild goose chases. If you dupe him and make him look silly, he'll get mad, and mad people don't think rationally. Everyone, trust Fred and George to keep you safe but pay attention to the bludgers regardless."
Wood paused to take a breath. "Listen. We have the best bloody Beater duo in the school, Chasers that worked their arses off this summer, a Seeker with a lot of promise, and a damn good Keeper. We are the best team in this school, and we deserve to win. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise."
The crowd was roudier than it had been for any previous game at Hogwarts that year. Flitwick was stationed in one of the Slytherin stands and Sprout watched over the Gryffindors. The giant Gryffindor flags and banner of Harry's face were all back, along with red and gold streamers in everyone's hands. Slytherin had banners and streamers too. Students used sonorous to shout insults across the pitch while teachers did their best to hunt down perpetrators. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw settled in for the show.
Warmups couldn't pass fast enough for Harry. "If you can watch when this is done," Wood said after he called the team in. Either Harry did his job really well or you didn't do enough."
After what felt like forever, Harry was finally lined up against Terence Higgs. Flint grinned, and Harry grinned back. If Higgs thought he was going to push a first year around, then Harry had some surprises in store for him.
First the Snitch was released, then the other three balls were thrown up and the whistle was blown. Adrian Pucey of Slytherin was first to the Quaffle. Harry dived at him at the same time George sent a bludger in from the side. Pucey was forced to pull back quickly, and Angelina ripped the ball out of his grasp and passed it to Alicia.
"AND WE'RE OFF! GRYFFINDOR MAKING IT CLEAR FROM THE FIRST WHISTLE WHAT SORT OF GAME THE MERLIN DAMNED-"
"LEE!"
"SORRY PROFESSOR. I MEANT MERLIN DARNED SNAKES ARE IN FOR!"
Harry grinned. He hadn't excericised in two days to bottle up his anger and energy. Now was his chance to release it. Montague was closing in on Angelina's left as she raced for the hoops. Harry dropped in between them and pushed Montague off to the side. The furious Slytherin captain pushed Harry back with his superior size, but the damage had been done. Angelina lined up the shot, took it, and scored.
"AND THAT'S FIRST POINTS TO GRYFFINDOR THANKS TO A SCREEN BY POTTER AND EXCELLENT SHOT BY JOHNSON!" The Gryffindor stands erupted with taunts and cheers.
As Slytherin recovered the Quaffle, Harry suddenly took off close to the ground around the perimeter of the pitch. Higgs followed as fast as he could, thinking Harry had spotted the snitch.
In reality, Harry had done no such thing. He slowed down slightly so that Higgs could catch up. Cheers from the silver and green along with Lee's unenthusiastic announcing told him Slytherin had tied the game.
Harry reached out like the snitch was just out of reach. "WHAT'S THIS? HAS POTTER FOUND THE SNITCH!" In desperation, Higgs grabbed Harry's broom, and Harry slammed him into the base of the guest stands. Shocked gasps went off around the stadium as Higgs rolled off his broom.
Hooch blew her whistle. "Penalty! Both sides!"
A raging Higgs held his bloody nose as he mounted his broom. "That's a ten minute suspension by the rules!" he argued.
Hooch shook her head. "Retaliatory foul. You started the engagement, he gets no suspension. Be warned, I'm watching the both of you."
Angelina made her penalty as Higgs got his nose healed, but Montague was too aggressive, telegraphed his actions, and got his blocked.
"AND ROUGHHOUSING BY BOTH SIDES LEADS TO A 20-10 GRYFFINDOR LEAD!"
For the next fifteen minutes the game was a whirl of barely controlled play. Alicia was hit without the Quaffle, which led to a ten minute suspension for Nick Yaxley. Fred and George used the time to mercilessly hound Slytherin players whenever they got the Quaffle. Both Pucey and Montague were tagged on the hips as they lined up to shoot. Pucey needed a timeout, which gave Gryffindor three penalties. Bletchley stopped only Alicia's. By the time Yaxley came back the score was 60-20 to Gryffindor. The Slytherin stands were nearly silent.
Next as Montague was going in to score, Alicia and Angelina dropped down on either side of him to grab the Quaffle. This left a Slytherin Chaser open, but Fred and George sent coordinated bludgers at both Flint and Pucey to keep them maneuvering.
Harry dropped right in on Montague's flight path, thirty meters ahead. Montague had plenty of time to dive or climb but with the speed and his struggle to keep the Quaffle he never saw Harry. Right before impact, Harry discreetly turned and stuck out his elbow so it would drive into Montague's gut. With a crash, they collided. Harry, who had braced himself, felt a collision to his head but stayed on the broom. The unsuspecting Montague fell off his broom. Screams rent the pitch, but Hooch caught him with a spell and sent him gently on the ground. Pucey recovered his broom.
"I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE!" IN A SACRIFICIAL MANEUVER POTTER KNOCKS MONTAGUE FROM HIS BROOM! IS THIS A PENALTY? WHAT ARE THE RULES?" Hooch once again blew her whistle for a medical check.
Angelina and Alicia both checked on Harry. "Did you hit your head?"
Harry waved them off. "Yes, but I'm fine."
"I'm having Wood send you to get checked for a concussion," Angelina said firmly. She flew off to meet Wood as he was flying over.
"Really, I'm fine."
Six Slytherins were crowding Hooch as Pompfrey rushed out to Montague, laying on the grass of the pitch. "Eject him!" one was shouting.
"He tried to kill Graham!" Bletchley yelled.
Hooch cast a sonorous on her whistle and then blew it hard enough the entire Slytherin team, as well as Alicia, Harry, and now Fred nearby. "I will be given space or I will suspend all six of you!" The Slytherin players reluctantly packed up. Hooch pointed at Harry. "He was still as the collision occurred. Montague had time to avoid the collision and didn't." She made the signal for no penalty.
"AND NO PENALTY IS GIVEN!" Lee sounded both shocked and delighted. "I FOR ONE THINK IT WAS PERFECTLY DESERV-"
"YOU WILL REMAIN IMPARTIAL LEE!"
"SORRY PROFESSOR."
The Gryffindor stands were a scene of raucous delight. The staff, guest, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff stands didn't know how to react. Harry could see that Sirius had both his eyebrows raised. The Slytherin stands were near rioting.
The students in silver and green were throwing or casting items onto the pitch. Drinks, streamers, even a conjured sofa and a table were being thrown down into the grass. Flitwick was escorting two students away but it was doing little good.
Dumbledore stood up, and suddenly the world seemed to be in slow motion for several seconds. "WE WILL HAVE ORDER!" he shouted "OR THE MATCH WILL BE CANCELED!"
That stopped the worst of the rioting, though a Gryffindor and another Slytherin had to be escorted out. The objects on the pitch were vanished by Hooch as Pomfrey continued evaluating Montague. Most "normal" injuries could be fixed within a thirty minute recess, but the brain is trickier.
"I don't know of any rookie that's made as big a splash as you have," Wood told Harry. "That was really toeing the line."
"Worth it though," Harry said with satisfaction as he watched Montague be levitated off the pitch to be renovated in the hospital ward.
"Just… don't do it again this year. Ok?"
"Ok."
"A REMINDER TO ANY WHO DON'T KNOW! SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT GREAT BRITAIN HAVE NO BACKUP SQUAD! TEAMS CAN EITHER PLAY A MAN DOWN OR FORFEIT! AND IT LOOKS LIKE FLINT ELECTS TO KEEP PLAYING!" There were cheers from the Slytherin stands.
They didn't last long. To call the rest of the match a contest would be an insult to the meaning of the word. Slytherin, a Chaser down and constantly under pressure, could hardly score. Gryffindor was already one hundred sixty points up when Harry caught the snitch. Gryffindor won 370-60.
"AN ABSOLUTE BLOWOUT BY GRYFFINDOR! THE DEFENDING CHAMPS ARE SENT REELING! AND ONCE AGAIN, WHAT ABOUT THE PLAY OF HARRY POTTER!"
Line Break
"I haven't been able to see you enough," Dumbledore said. He and Harry were eating lunch in Dumbledore's office.
"It's been weird," Harry agreed. "When are you going to admonish me for the game? It's already been three days."
Dumbledore sighed. "Your maneuver, while legal, was less than sportsmanly. The last time I witnessed it was in '78 in a Cannons versus Tornadoes match."
The entire school had been abuzz about it. He was Hero again in Gryffindor, enemy number one to Slytherin, and Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff afforded him even more respect for the gutsy move.
"Montague made a full recovery the next day," Harry said. "And I was fine."
"If your skull is as thick as your father's could be I have no worries," Dumbledore said dryly. In fact, he had been worried for several minutes. "I would just advise you on making unnecessary enemies."
Harry shrugged. "Slytherin hated me anyway. Half of their fathers served Voldemort."
"I remember when Slytherin was not as it is now. The more people push its members onto a certain path, the more they feel it is the only road available."
"The sorting hat said something similar," Harry recalled.
"These children are not their parents, and their parents were not always as they are now. I remember when Lucius, Bellatrix, Narcissa, Augustus, Corban, Rabastan, and all the rest were younger than you are now. Do you think they entered Hogwarts with dreams of murder and pillage?"
Harry shook his head.
"You would do well to remember that. On that note, I feel I must congratulate you on your victory." With Slytherin out of the way, Gryffindor was now heavily favored to win the Hogwarts Quidditch Cup. The winners of each school then played for the Ameteur British Cup, with a bye going to whoever has the greatest win margin. More often than not, Hogwarts produced the winner.
"Thanks Grandfather," Harry said. "I didn't expect to be here this year."
"Your father won the British Cup his fifth and sixth years," Dumbledore reminded him.
"And the Cannons, Arrows, and Bats all scouted him but he wanted to be an Auror," Harry said. "I remember."
"You have the benefit of an established team, something your father didn't have in his first few years."
"Next year is probably our best chance," Harry said as he finished up his lunch. "But that doesn't mean we can do it now."
"I imagine you are taking your last class off?" Harry nodded. He had only one more class; Transfiguration, before winter break. "Then we shall practice your elemental magic further."
This wasn't Harry's first opportunity to do so since the Voldemort attack. He could safely cast the fire spear nine times out of ten. He did so again to show Dumbledore.
"Good. Now watch." Dumbledore cast a whip of fire, swinging it around the room over Harry's head. Fawkes preened in delight.
"One of the Hitwizards used that," Harry said. "Voldemort caught the other end and flung him into the ceiling."
"His family gave the order to stop supplying his potions last week. He passed away in his coma three days ago," Dumbledore said.
"Oh. That's sad." Eleven year old Harry couldn't think of what else to say.
"He died for you," Dumbledore said. "Don't forget it."
"How many people have died for me now?" Harry asked. "Seven?"
"Yes. You have seven lives to make up for. Start with this spell." Dumbledore felt his shoulders sag. This was a lot of pressure to place on a preteen, and not what he had planned to do when Harry was a baby. But Voldemort's attempt on his life had changed everything. To his credit, Harry shouldered the burden without pause.
Sirius had informed Dumbledore that Cyprus Greengrass may approach him with a betrothal proposal, the linchpin in an agreement that would see Harry finally be proclaimed the next Lord Black. Dumbledore didn't think Lord Greengrass would do so. He knew Dumbledore well enough to know it would be futile. Harry could make his own decisions later. But it was a prime example of what would await Harry in a few short years.
With great power comes great pressure. Luckily, Harry hadn't cracked yet.
Line Break
"You want Harry to have the cloak?" Sirius asked dubiously.
Dumbledore had managed to make time in his packed schedule to meet Sirius in a private dining room in an exclusive diner in Magnolia Lane. Dumbledore found the excessively expensive theme distasteful, but it was a place to talk without the cameras.
He nodded. "I feel it's time."
"You do realize what we did with that cloak at Hogwarts right? Harry knows Hogwarts even better than we did."
"I know."
"You're giving a pass to free reign of the castle," Sirius said.
"I know."
"Why?" Sirius looked exasperated.
"We can hardly pretend that Harry is normal," Dumbledore said, taking a bite of his very expensive steak. It was worth every galleon. "And it is his birthright."
Sirius stroked his days old stubble. "I pull it out of storage every now and then. Every time I think 'this is the time I see it's finally faded.' But it always works. You said you had the cloak when James and Lily died because you asked to study it. It's not a normal cloak with an unusually long lifespan is it?"
Dumbledore felt his wand in its holster. Death's Cloak was not normal by any standards. It hid somebody's soul from detection. Homenum revelio or any ward that detected the soul would be fooled by it, as well as the eyes. "No, it isn't normal," he admitted.
"What is it?" Sirius pressed.
"It is the birthright of the Potters for as long as they can remember," Dumbledore said. "If anything more leaks out, forces would seek to rip it away."
"Fine then," Sirius said with a hint of anger. "Keep your secrets."
Dumbledore regretted the necessity of hiding the truth of the Deathly Hallows from Sirius, but he hadn't lied. If anyone ever suspected Harry possessed one inevitably somebody would attempt a theft. "And as for passing the cloak down to Harry?"
"I'll think about it." Dumbledore could tell from Sirius's demeanor he would do it.
"Thank you."
Line Break
The four youngest Weasley boys arrived via Floo. "Whoa," Ron said.
Grimmauld Place had been decked out for Christmas to a comical degree. Lights in the shape of Merlin, muggle's Santa, fairies and Christmas trees floated above their heads. Grimmauld Place was never dark right now, even in the dimmest hour of the night. Holly was stung up along every wall, snowflakes occasionally floated down, disappearing on contact, and the Christmas tree in the sitting room was twelve feet tall.
"Presents are under the tree," Sirius said. "And I'm not your parents. Open them whenever."
The Weasleys hurried off to do just that. Arthur and Molly were visiting their second oldest, Charlie, in Romania with Ginny. Percy, Fred, George, and Ron were all in Hogwarts from the break but Sirius had invited them over for Christmas.
"Nice," Fred and George said in unison. They now had brooms to match Harry.
"I only had Dornheart," Ron said in wonder. His present was a miniature set of the entire Cannons team. The models flew around the room on their brooms, shouting Cannon slogans.
"This is a limited edition version," Percy said. He held a copy of Sticks to Glory, a History of the British Ministry.
"There's one for you Harry," Ron said.
"I'll open it when the others get here," Harry said. His main present was already opened and hidden in his room; the cloak Sirius had mentioned so many times.
Hermione and her parents arrive via a special port key that could pierce the wards. All three stumbled but didn't fall. "That was the oddest sensation," a woman that could only be Hermione's mother said.
"When do you learn to make that?" Hermione's father asked her.
"Unfortunately portkey creation is a regulated act and the information is restricted," Sirius said. "Believe me, I've looked."
"Dan," the man said, shaking hands with Sirius. "My wife Emma and daughter Hermione."
Emma was amazed at the floating lights but maintained the presence of mind to speak. "Thank you so much for inviting us to your home."
Sirius waved it away. "This place is too empty most of the time anyways."
"I want to show you something Hermione," Harry said, leading her up the stairs to his room.
In his room, he carefully brought his father's, no his now, cloak out from under his bed.
"Wow," Hermione said, touching the silky fabric. "I've read about these."
"This one's special," Harry said. "Sirius said the Potters have had it for hundreds of years."
"You purebloods are so lucky," Hermione said. "You get all the special things."
"I'm not technically a pureblood," Harry reminded her. "Want to try it?"
Hermione looked delighted. "Can I really?"
Harry tossed the cloak over her head. A few adjustments and she was entirely hidden. Harry turned around, searching for a sign of her location, and jumped when something poked the back of his neck.
Hermione took it off, laughing. Harry mock growled and stole the cloak back. When Hermione made a dash for the door, Harry closed and locked it, going invisible under the cloak. "Harry, you can't do magic outside of school!"
"Much residual magic. They can't tell it's me." Harry moved locations as Hermione pinpointed his voice.
"Can I do it too?"
Harry took off the cloak right in front of her. "Boo."
Hermione gave a little shriek and took a step back. Harry laughed. "Spoiled brat." He could tell she wasn't really mad.
"Go ahead. You're safe here."
Hermione unlocked the door and paused for a moment. There was no sign the Ministry detected her. "You really are lucky," she said a little wistfully.
Downstairs, Dumbledore, McGonagall, Neville, and his grandmother had all arrived. "There's a present from Sirius and I for you under the tree," Harry told Hermione.
"Do I need to wait?" she asked.
He shook his head. "Most of them have been opened already."
With the Hogwarts library at her disposal Harry thought it best to think of something else than a book for Hermione. He settled on an enchantment detector; a none too cheap instrument. "Use it in Hogwarts and you'll find all kinds of things," he told Hermione.
She gave him a big hug. "Thank you!"
Dumbledore was listening with an amused expression to something the twins were saying. "That's the Headmaster," Hermione told her parents. "He's one of the greatest wizards alive. The woman over there is Professor McGonagall and the short man is Professor Flitwick."
"Didn't you mention in your letters that Dumbledore raised Harry?" Dan asked his daughter.
Harry nodded. "After my parents were killed. Sirius helped a lot. He's my godfather, which is a big deal in the wizarding world."
"I bet you know some extra magic then," Dan said.
"Oh I've picked up a few tricks the others haven't," Harry said modestly.
Hermione huffed. "Don't even try, humbleness doesn't work on you." She turned to her parents. "Harry's years ahead of the rest of us. He's been teaching me some too."
"I hope you've been safe about it," her mom said sharply.
"Of course mom."
Harry wandered off to chat with Ron and the twins. Maybe Hermione was right. Maybe he was past modesty.
Line Break
The ancestral home of House Greengrass was impressive indeed. In the early 1700's the Greengrasses had seen Gringotts repossess the home the family had lived in since the days of the four kingdoms. Gringotts had in turn sold it to a group of investors based in Germany, who had turned the estate into a high profile hotel. Centuries of Greengasses had lived and died with the outrage of strangers living in their home, but Cyprus had put an end to that when Harry was little. The estate had been bought back, and turned back from a hotel to a manor of ridiculous proportions.
"Some of my earliest memories are moving here," Daphne told Harry as they watched the numbers in the air. A massive clock of colored fire counted down to new years. The Greengrasses held a New Years party at their mansion every year, and this year Sirius and Harry had received an invite. Harry assumed that his actions against Quirrell (really Voldemort) and subsequent boost in fame were to thank.
"I don't know how four people can live in a house that large," Harry said. "It's basically a palace."
"Oh we don't live in all of it," Daphne said. "We occupy one wing, the house elves have their quarters, and Father runs his experimental potions lab in the rest of the house."
Daphne's nine-year-old sister Astoria was shooting off fireworks under the supervision of her father. They exploded into constellations, bright colors, and Chinese New Year dragons.
"Does it scare you to have a potions lab in your house? What if something explodes?"
Daphne shook her head. "Father had tight restrictions, and we have our protections." Somehow she linked her arm with Harry's without his noticing.
Dumbledore was casting something with a crowd around him now. He had told Harry that he received an invite every year but this was his first time accepting.
Out of Dumbledore's wand shot entire scenes made out of light. A dragon flew across the sky, before being confronted by a mounted knight. As the knight stabbed his sword into the dragon, the scene transformed into Merlin and Morgana dueling. Finally the lights became four warlocks raising a castle out of the ground. Harry realized it was the Founders constructing Hogwarts. Dumbledore bowed to the applause as the spectacle faded.
"Someday I'm going to do that," Harry said. He and Daphne were slightly apart from the main crowd gathered in the center of the massive gardens.
"I can't wait to see it," Daphne said. She yawned and rested her head on Harry's shoulder. It was almost midnight.
Harry couldn't figure Daphne out. They were on friendly enough terms, but certainly not friends. Despite this, this was the second time she was acting this close. It didn't make any sense.
Harry led Daphne over to a bench with armrests shaped like basilisks and sat down. "What do you want to accomplish this year?"
"Get O's on all my exams," she said. "Avoid Draco and Blaise. Both families want an alliance with House Greengrass." Harry knew what sort of alliance she meant.
"Seems early for them to be worried about that."
"Their parents are instructing them, no doubt," Daphne said. "Neither are very good at flirting yet. The only silver lining is how much it annoys Pansy."
Daphne's best friend Tracey Davis walked over. "I couldn't find you in the dark," she said, walking over. Daphne lifted her head off Harry's shoulder but left their arms linked. Tracey sat down on her other side.
"Want a drink?" Daphne accepted one of the glasses her friend was holding. Tracey looked over at Harry. "Sorry, I only have two hands."
"Don't worry, I'm not thirsty anyways." Tracey acted like most people of similar ages did around Harry. She was trying to stay normal but didn't really know how to act around somebody so famous. She shivered slightly in her black dress. Harry cast a warming charm on her.
"Thanks," she said. "But I can do it myself too."
Harry didn't see Daphne frown at her friend. "Sorry. I was just trying to help."
"It's fine," Tracey said.
Together the trio watched the clock count down. Seven minutes. Five minutes. Three. As it came nearer and nearer to zero, people started to prepare. Harry grabbed champagne from a passing waiter to make a toast. Sirius had said it was ok to have one glass. Couples prepared to kiss, the few kids grabbed magical poppers.
When the count hit zero everyone shouted "Happy new years!" More fireworks went off and the clock transformed into a massive 1992 hanging in the sky.
Harry raised a toast with Tracey and Daphne. "To another successful year." After that he untangled his arm from Daphne and politely walked off to see if he could find Ron.
He found Ron talking to Susan Bones, his blush almost entirely hidden by the darkness. "I've barely seen you all evening," he told Harry.
Harry shrugged. "I've been distracted."
"Mentally preparing for the next match?" Ron jokes.
Harry gave a small smile. Good old Ron, always able to bring the conversation back to Quidditch. "Nah, I'll just have Fred and George take care of Hufflepuff."
"I hope you're not planning on pulling any more stunts against my team like you did against Montague," Susan said.
Harry shook his head. "One time thing. Gotta do something special for Slytherin, you know?"
"I feel sorry for Ravenclaw," Susan said. "Slytherin is going to take all their anger out on them in the next match."
"And then they gotta play us," Harry said. "Poor team doesn't get a break.
"Hufflepuff could surprise you," she said. "Somebody will beat you eventually."
"Not this year," Ron said confidently. "Harry's right Fred and George are better than any other Beater pair we'll face."
Harry ended up laughing as Susan and Ron engaged in a heated Quidditch debate. He didn't even know Susan Bones cared about Quidditch.
Line Break
Daily Prophet, Jan. 6 1992
BOY-WHO-LIVES SITS DOWN FOR FIRST EVER INTERVIEW
pg. 2-3
ANALYZING HARRY POTTER'S INTERVIEW
pg. 4
BOY-WHO-LIVED OR FUTURE DUMBLEDORE?
pg. 5
LIFE OF HARRY POTTER… SO FAR
pg. 6
P. Are you nervous at all?
H. Are you a secret Death Eater?
P. No.
H. Then no, I'm not nervous at all.
P. Ah, well then I suppose we might as well start at the beginning. Your parents are killed so Dumbledore and your godfather raise you themselves. What was it like growing up with figures like that in your life?
H. I never thought it was weird. Dumbledore is my Grandfather, and Sirius was with me whenever he couldn't be. Hogwarts was my home. That's just how I always remembered it.
P. When did you first start learning magic?
H. I was seven.
P. I don't know anyone else like you. Why did Dumbledore start so early?
H. He was worried about potential attacks from Death Eaters who avoided punishment.
P. And do you believe there are any who did so?
H. I've never believed that Lucius Malfoy, George Goyle, Perseus Parkinson, or any of their oldest supporters were forced to support Voldemort.
P. That's a dangerous name to throw around.
H. Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself.
P. An interesting view. But going back a bit, are you really accusing the majority of the Legacy Party of being pardoned criminals.
H. I am, and I think everyone knows it too.
P. That's a dangerous statement to make.
H. They can take it up with House Potter if they want.
P. Well you heard it here folks, from Harry Potter. Moving on, I've heard from more than a few folks that the protégé of Dumbledore is a future Quidditch star. What do you say to that?
H. I enjoy Quidditch. Everyone likes to win right? But I don't see myself pursuing Quidditch as a career.
P. Why not?
H. There's more that I want to do with magic.
P. What career do you see in your future then?
H. I'm not sure.
P. Well make sure to owl me if you ever consider journalism. I'm sure I could get you an internship.
H. I'll make sure to do that.
P. Finally, let's talk about what everyone really wants to know. What happened on November 3rd from your perspective?
H. I felt through the magic of Hogwarts that somebody had just been murdered. When I went out into the corridor to see what happened I got caught in a firefight. Through the actions of brave Hitwizards I survived.
P. We were told you had some involvement in that fight.
H. I landed a severing charm when Quirrell was distracted, cutting off his left hand.
P. Quite an accomplishment from somebody so young.
H. The extra preparation I've received kicked in.
P. Do you plan on entering the circuit once old enough?
H. Yes, I do. Cedric Diggory recently went further than most students at Hogwarts do. While his run was impressive I fully intend to go further than he did.
P. A bold statement, but I suppose we shouldn't call it unrealistic. Thank you for sitting down with me today.
H. Of course.
Interview by Percival Perkins
Line Break
Harry was utilizing his cloak. The main reason he was sneaking out after curfew was because he could, for the little thrill it gave. Some other time he'd grab a textbook and practice magic late at night, like he did before he started Hogwarts.
Harry made it to his old favorite abandoned classroom only needing to dodge one patrolling Prefect. To his surprise there was something unusual inside. It was a full length mirror with words he didn't recognize engraved on the top. Harry took off his cloak to touch it. But the mirror didn't act like a normal mirror.
Harry's reflection didn't reach out like Harry did. Instead he smirked. As Harry watched, his reflection grew several years older. His robes changed to become like the pictures he'd seen of military uniforms. Behind him was Voldemort's body, lying motionless on the ground. His wand tip glowed green. On his fingers were two rings, one with griffins and the other a raven.
"Well that's weird."
Another chapter done and dusted. Just a collection of scenes from Harry's year, sorry they aren't more interesting.
To clarify, Magnolia Lane is a place like Diagon Alley, but smaller. Wizards have places like that for shops and restaurants and other businesses scattered around.
I'm not going to show every single Quidditch match, just the important ones. If the pace of the story bores you, tell me and I'll speed it up a bit. Till next time.