I do not own Harry Potter. I do own at least 3 TV's
Chapter 25 The Staff of Slytherin
After he returned to Hogwarts Harry spent the remainder of the day in lessons. Catching up with homework and spending quality time with Hermione. They sat in the Common room working on Antient Ruins, Hermione reading ahead of the course work so she could spend more time helping Harry catch up and Harry revising the basics he missed last year. They were simply sitting enjoying one another's company when Ron came over again.
"You know Hermione." Ron started. "You might think it's all well and good being Potters girl right now, but what kind of future do you really think you will have together?"
"What do you mean Ronald?" Hermione demanded. "I know Harry and I have a future."
"But you don't." Ron persisted. "Look, I'm not saying that Harry is going to do you wrong, he probably won't, but you just don't understand how society works. It's not your fault, its different in the Muggle World."
"What the hell are you going on about Weasley?" Harry snapped.
"Do you really think you will be allowed a Muggle borne wife Potter? You're a Lord of a Noble and Antient house. When you come of age there will be betrothal requests coming at you left and right that's if you aren't already betrothed that is." Ron explained. "There is no way that the Wizenagamont will allow you to marry Muggle."
"That's preposterous!" Hermione exclaimed. "Harrys father married a Muggle borne."
"And look what happened there." Ron pointed out. "They were killed and they wound up with Harry. A half-blood hair to one of our oldest and noblest of houses." He continued. "The pure blood supremacists where up in arms about that. All kinds of protests about the match knowing Harry would be half blood."
"Really?" Harry scoffed. "Who objected?"
"Well, according to Percy, the Malfoys objected, so did the Blacks, the LeStranges and even the Peverell's." Ron pressed on. "There is no way in hell that they will make it easy for you to, and I swear to god this isn't my point of view, and you know that, sully your blood line anymore."
Harry sat in silence, his mouth open completely agog.
"So you see Hermione," Ron said, softening his voice and reaching for her hand. "You really don't have a future with House Potter. But you and me? If you will have me, we can make a go of it. Nobody cares about the Weasleys."
The whole common room was watching now most wondering if Hermione would fall for this bold move. Hermione took Ron's hand and stood up with him. Harry, turned away tears in his eyes.
Ron couldn't believe his luck. He lightly pulled Hermione towards him, she allowed it. She looked him in the eye and gave him a shy smile. He reached out to embrace her. She put her hands on his shoulders, he put his hands around her waist. She leaned into his ear to whisper.
"Oh Ronald." She whispered huskily. She brought her knee up and connected with his groin with force. "That has got to be the biggest crock of shit I have ever heard!"
Ron's eyes bulged in surprise and pain, his knees buckled and he slumped to his knees. The common room burst into applause and laughter. She turned back to Harry, who despite the tears in his eyes was laughing along with everyone else.
Hermione turned back to Harry and pulled him to his feet.
"I Love you, you idiot." Hermione said and pulled him into a passionate kiss. The common room burst into rapturous applause and a few cat calls.
"Get a room!" Fred Weasley called out.
"Or at least a broom cubberd!" George added.
Hermione broke the kiss.
"You know George, that's probably one of the best idea you have ever had." Hermione said with a lusty smile. "Come on Harry. I know a spot on the third floor." She took Harrys hand and led him out of the portrate hole to more wolf wishtles and cattel calls.
The weather on the North Sea was, to say the least, blustery. Waves crashed against rocks against the North East coast line about 15 miles north of Newcastle. A small rowing boat magically glided along the coast line to a cave. The boat came to a stop. There were two figures on the boat wearing black robes. One figure with long greasier hair the other pale skinned, balled headed.
"The cave?" Voldemort asked.
"That's right Master." Snape nodded. "But I do not believe it would be wise to take the boat in. If I have interoperated the texts correctly then the only thing that will be able to pass thru the mouth of the cave will be Slytherins blood."
"Very well Severus." Voldemort nodded. He took his wand from the depths of his robes cast a spell on his feet silently. Then he hitched up the hem of his robe and stepped into the sea. To Snapes surprise Voldemort did not sink into the water, nor did he swim towards the cave. Instead, the Dark Lord walked on the surface of the sea. Snape followed Voldemort with his eyes until his Master reached the mouth of the cave.
Once he reached the mouth of the cave, Voldemort stopped and allowed his senses to feel the frigid September air around him. He could feel the magic coming from the cave. A dark presence from deep inside, but hear at the mouth of the cave there was only a simple shield. He took a deep breath and walked thru the barrier.
Inside the cave the water lapped up to a pebble beach. Following the invisible trail of magic he approached the rear wall of the cave. Carved into the rock was a curved script.
'ssssssssshshhsh shhhssssshshsh ssssssssheeesh' in front of his very eyes the parseltoung translated into English.
'Pass only those of the mighty serpents blood.' Voldemort considered this for a moment before conjuring a silver knife. He sliced the tip of the knife to the palm of his hand. He slit open his palm and staired at the dark red blood pool and it occurred to him, this was the first time he had bled since getting his body back. He placed his palm on the rock face in front of him. The rock shimmered and disappeared revealing a much larger cave.
This new chamber was clearly wand made. The walls where smooth and the ceiling raised into a dome and despite the sea just yards away the chamber was completely dry. In the very centre of the chamber stood a dais made from a green marble. A silver serpent was wrapped around the dais, its head reasting on the top, the mouth closed.
Voldemort held his hand then lit his wand. He walked cautiously towards the dais, taking in the rest of the barren chamber. He began to climb the steps of the dais when he was close to the top step the silver serpent raised his head.
"Who disturbssssss my sssssslumber?" It hissed.
"I am Lord Voldemort. Last living hair to the grate Salazar Slytherin." Voldemort declared.
"That isssss not your true name Half Blood!" The Serpent said dispassionately. "Do not lie to Hadissssss Half Blood. Hadissssss alwaysssss knowssssss."
"My mortal name was Thomas Morvolio Riddle." Voldemort admitted. "Son of Merope Gaunt."
"Yessssss." The Serpent responded. "I can smell your mothers' shame. Lowering herself to writhe under a filthy muggle."
"I am more than my mother." Voldemort said defensively.
The serpents tong flicked out over Voldemort's hand.
"A half-blood that much is ssssertan." The Serpant said. "But thissssss issssss not you firsssssst body."
"No." Voldemort confirmed. "This is not."
"Tell me…" The Serpant commanded.
Voldemort explained the dark rituals he performed on himself to ensure he could not be killed. He told the serpent about the profusely involving the Potters, how he tried to kill the baby Potter and how the course rebounded and turned him into a wraith and how he retreated to Albania to recover. How he bided his time for circumstances to be right to regain a body.
"Tell me about thissssss ssssspell."
"The Spell I took from my family's library." Voldemort told the serpent.
"Yessssss, I know the sssssspell." The Serpant admitted. "It is a sssssspell that my Massssster created. You truly are a SSSSSSlytherin."
The Serpent opened it's mouth wide and Voldemort reached inside and pulled the seven foot staff with an emerald set at the top.
Voldemort felt the staff magic run thru him. He felt the evil within it and he felt good. He strode out of the chamber, back into the cave and walked out onto the water to his boat.
"Congratulations Master." Snape said as he watched Voldemort approach the boat and climbed back on bored.
"The Power!" Voldemort said. "I can feel it Severus. The pure magic in this staff, its connected to the whole world. I can feel the evil in this world Severus. And the evil feels good."
Without warning Voldemort's eyes darted out to sea where he could see a muggle container ship, The Bonga, passing by the Horizon.
"Bombarda Maxima!" Voldemort cast, pointing the staff at the ship's hull. There was a thunder crack and the hull of the ship exploded and it began takeing on water. The ship went down with a loss of 100 souls. Voldemort took a deep breath and aimed the staff over the top of the sinking vessel again.
"MISSMORDORE!" he screamed and the Dark Mark lit up the night's sky.
The Ministry was in chaos. The Dark Mark sighted again this time over the ocean was inconceivable.
Amelia Bones was being briefed by Kingsley Shackbolt.
"The ship went down incredibly fast. The Navy and the Coast Guard are investigating naturally."
"What about the Dark Mark?" Bones asked." what do they make of it?"
"They are confused. " Shackelbolt confirmed." according to the muggle scientists this just shouldn't be possible."
"they would be right. That Mark has been burning for three hours and can be seen ten miles inland." Bones said.
"The Minister has just arrived." Shackelbolt warned. "He is demanding to know what's going on."
"damn it." Bones cursed. "all right. Shack, get back out there. Have some Unspeakable run a trace on the Magical signature. Want to know what spells were used. You had better take an obliviator with you in case the Mughles give you shit."
Shackelbolt nodded his understanding and left. Bones took a deep steadying breath before going out to the Minister.
" Director Bones. What are you doing with all these people? The over time will be killing our budget? " Fudge demanded.
"Minister, a muggle vessel has sank in the North Sea. The Dark Mark is shining above it. I have called every one is to run this down."
"How far out?" Fudge asked.
"I don't understand." Bones replied.
"How far out to sea did this occur?"
"About 13 miles." Bones told him.
"I see. I see." Fudge nodded. "And this vessel, was it British?"
"No." Bones said checking her notes. "The ship was built in the far East and owned by a Russian shipping company."
"right then." Fudge said with a smile. "You can send every one home. The vessel sank in international waters. It is not in our jurisdiction."
"you have to be joking." Bones declared. "they can see the Dark Mark all the way in Amble! Just who in the hells jurisdiction is it?"
"That's for the IWC to decide. My office has allready made a report. Send these people home Amelia. You can't afford to pay them." Fudge ordered and left.
"Fucking ass hole." Bones said.
"What shall we do?" Tonks asked.
"Fuck him" Bones declared. "If the IWC are getting involved then they are going to get all the help we can muster. I won't have any one telling us we can't run an investigation."
"Yes Ma'am." Tonks agreed. "Speaking of investigation, I followed Madam Umbridge yesterday and she took a file from her office down to Borgen and Berks and left it with them."
"Potters file?" Bones asked.
"That's right Boss." Tonks confirmed.
"All right. Get it written up. I don't want any mistakes on this. I promised Lord Potter and Dumbledore."
"Report is allready been filed with shack." Tonks told her.
"excellent." Bones smiled. "Right, I want you to start running down all the known death eaters. Let's see if we can account for their ware bouts tonight."
Tonks saluted and returned to her desk. Bones strode back into her office trying to make sense of the intelligence she had from the seen.
Harry was exhausted. He had been awake half the night. The pain in his scare was almost blinding, and it had been going on for hours. Hermione found Harry slumped on one of the couches in the common room. His eyes unfocused and his skin burning hot.
"Harry?" Hermione asked gently.
"This is my fault." Harry whispered, fresh tears falling from his blood shot eyes.
"What's your fault?" Hermione asked.
"I told Snape to lead Voldemort to that bloody staff." Harry told her. "Shitting hell, I ordered him to do it."
"What the hell has happened?" Hermione asked confused.
Harry didn't really know what had happened. But he did know Voldemort was extatically glad, and had recently felt the thrill of a recent kill.
"Harry. It's not your fault." Hermione soothed. "you're burning up." She stood up and pulled Harry to his feet. "Come on. We need to get to Dumbledore and Snape."
They made their way to the Headmasters study. The Gargoyle moved aside before they even reached it revealing the spiral stair case. Hermione led Harry by the elbow to the door of the office and opened the door after knocking.
They entered the room and they found Dumbledore and Snape sat by the fire. The Potions Master drinking a large glass of whisky, his face ashen. Dumbledore genteelly patting his leg.
"I was wondering if we would be seeing you this morning Mr Potter. Miss Granger, you are of course always welcome. Please allow me to draw you a chair." Dumbledore greeted them. He drew his wand and drew the outline of two squishy armchairs he baid them to sit down and then stared at Harry. "How long has this been going on Mr Potter?"
"Hours." Harry said. "I haven't slept."
"I found him on the couch by the fire." Hermione said.
"Ah yes. Did you know it was I, in my fourth year, that moved that couch to its current location?" Dumbledore said. "It was always a favourite place of mine to sit and think. May I?" He held his wand up and cast some diagnostic spells. In the meantime, Fawkes swooped down from his perch and began sinning in Harrys ear.
"Mr Potter your temperature is dangerously high." Dumbledore told them and summand a calming draft. "Drink this." He handed Harry the potion. "Now, I believe you are here because you wish to know what happened last night?"
"Yes Sir." Harry said, and then turned to Snape. "I hope you are ok Professor Snape."
"I am quite well Potter, thank you." Snape said.
Snape then told them what he saw the previous night.
"So, what happens next?" Hermione asked.
"I need to know about this bloody staff." Harry said. "You can bet your arse Voldemort will know how to use his."
"That is something we can work on together Harry." Dumbledore said. "I will contact Olivander post haste he is the foremost authority of wands and staffs in the country."
"I think we need to get back to Merlin's Tor as well Harry." Hermione said.
"I agree." Harry said. "but when? I don't have any time. theirs school, homework, The Wizenagamont and now staff magic."
"I know Harry. I think we need help." Hermione said. "Look, we know Sirius and Remus would help us. And I do think the Weasley Twins, properly supervised mind you, would be an asset their as well."
"Do you think they will help?" Harry asked.
"Yes Harry, I do." Hermione smiled. "I can ask them to pass anything interesting on to me, and then I can review their findings. If it's right then I can brief you."
"Let's not forget you also have the whole Order of a Phoenix at your disposal" Dumbledore reminded him.
"All right." Harry said. "The twins are already looking into something for me. Professor Dumbledore, you know the order better than I do, can you find a small task force to begin cataloguing that library."
"Of course, Harry." Dumbledore began. Then as he was about to suggest names a paragon falcon swooped in thru the open window and dropped a scroll on Dumbledore's lap. The Headmaster read the scroll and frowned.
"What is the matter Albus?" Snape asked.
"Fudge." Dumbledore said handing Snape the scroll. "He believes that the ship Voldemort sank is not the responsibility of the British Ministry of Magic."
"What?" Harry demanded. "There was a Dark Mark!"
"It would appear," Snape began rolling up the scroll, "That our Minister is still unwilling to believe Voldemort has returned. The ship went down in international waters and was owned by a foran company so isn't his responsibility."
"useless fucking sack of shit!" Harry swore.
"Out of the mouths of babes." Snape muttered.
"Quite." Dumbledore nodded. "As such the Minister has referred the case the International Confederation of Wizards."
"What dose that mean?" Hermione asked.
"It means Miss Granger," Snape began, "That Fudge is making it impossible for this case to be investigated. You see the IWC dose have a small Aurore force, but there are only two for the whole of Europe. This case file will join the stack of hundreds of others. Perhaps they will get to it in the next few months, but that is unlikely. Ither way The Dark Lord will continue to go un-noticed and our government will continue to go un-prepared for what is to come."
"Not necessarily." Dumbledore mused. "As the Supreme Mugwump I will not allow this to go un-answered. But first thing is first. Harry, you are excused from your morning classes as are you Miss Granger." The Headmaster continued. He summoned a key and a potion vile. "This is a dreamless sleep potion Harry. It is not normally recommended for children to use these, but you have clearly had a distressing evening. This Miss Granger is the key to the Head boy and Head girl suit for Gryffindor. It contains a small common room and privet bed chambers for a Head Girl and Boy. You will escort Mr Potter to the Head Suite, administer the potion and see to it he gets some proper rest. I will send a House elf with some lunch for you."
"Thank you, Sir." Hermione said with a shy smile picking up the key and pocketing it then grabbing the potion vile. "Come on Harry." Hermione led Harry from the Headmasters study.
Dumbledore stood from his seat by the fire and returned to his desk.
"This corruption will not stand Severus." Dumbledore said. "Go and get some rest. I already cancelled your classes for today."
"Thank you Albus." Snape nodded. "I will speak to you later."
Dumbledore pulled a sheet of parchment from a desk draw and began to write as Snape left the room.
Hermione led Harry to the Head Suite located behind a portrait of Godric Gryffindor in the Gryffindor common room. She helped him to the Head Boy's bedroom. She handed him the dreamless sleep potion and watched him drink it down. Then helped him lie down. She climbed into the bed after him. He looked at her questioningly.
"A cuddle will help you sleep Harry." She said softly. Harry just nodded and made room for her to climb into the bed behind him. He felt her settle down and allowed himself to relax into her embrace. Harry was asleep before his head hit the pillow.
Authors notes:
We come once again to the bottom of the file where I bitch and moan and ask you to feed my sizeable ego with your praise and adulation. (I LOVE THAT SH*T) FEED ME MORE!
But seriously, thank you to every one who has liked and faverited the story so far. I do love it when the old email goes off all the time. And also thank you to every one who has left reviews.
Lucy Maud Montogmery: Love the pen name. Polyjuice whores as a concept isn't something I came up with. But I do find it to be an interesting plot devise.
Pteaset: Thank you. I'm glad your enjoying it.
Guest: Thank you for making me feel like crap. I am Dislexic, it all looks the same to me!
i am still looking for a beta reader. if any one is intrested drop me a line
Hope you are all happy, safe and healthy. Please leave me a constructive review. What you like, what you didn't like, not what I didn't spell right.