Chapter Twenty-One
Dora smiled at her reflection as she shifted her hair from dark blue to forest green; ordinarily, Dora wouldn't have cared a bit about her appearance due to the fact that she could change it whenever she so chose.
The reason for her sudden appreciation for her appearance was the same reason that Dora's face seemed to be locked in a permanent smile, and her heart seemed to constantly flutter whenever he was near her: Beastboy.
It had taken Dora far longer to hook Beastboy due to the fact that the boy didn't seem to care that Dora could change her appearance but rather seemed interested in getting to know Dora, not who others thought she should be; whether he knew it or not, that one simple distinction had made Dora fall even harder for the green-skinned boy.
For the first few months, Dora seemed to constantly be about to rip her hair out as none of her careful and subtle seduction attempts seemed to get through Beastboy's thick head; she would steal food off of his plate on the days when the two would dine together, only for Beastboy to laugh it off, much to Dora's annoyance. Other times, she would pretend to trip over something so that Beastboy would catch her, allowing Dora to snuggle closer to the Boy, yet even this was laughed off, and Dora was beginning to wonder if Beastboy was really this thick or if he was simply playing with her.
Finally, deciding that if she wanted things to go further, she would have to do it herself, Dora had invited Beastboy to view the stars after dinner; the two of them had enjoyed a quiet night huddled under a blanket, and Dora had swallowed her fear as she gently placed her hand over Beastboy's.
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:Flashback:
"Dora?" Beastboy asked in surprise as he looked down at her hand for a moment before looking back into her eyes, "What are you doing?"
"You're so stupid, you know that?" Dora said with a grimace before lunging forward and pouncing on Beastboy's lips with her own; Dora felt Beastboy tense with shock for a moment before his hands slid gently down her arms and slowly pushed her away.
"Dora," Beastboy said in an awkward voice, "You know that we can't…."
"Why?" Dora pouted as she crossed her arms over her chest,
"You're a student," Beastboy stated as if it were obvious, "I'm a teacher's aide. It's not right, and you know that."
"I'm only a student for another few months!" Dora retorted as tears began to run down her cheeks at the rejection.
"It doesn't matter how much longer you have!" Beastboy retorted as he stood up and glared down at the poor girl, "All that matters is that you are a student, NOW. And this is not something that we can do, no matter how much we…."
As Beastboy's voice cut out, Dora looked up at him and saw that he was biting his lip anxiously as though he had said too much; hope flared up in Dora's chest at seeing that, and she latched onto it for all she was worth.
"No matter how much we…. What?" Dora asked in a small voice as she, too, rose to her feet and stared at the clearly uncomfortable boy.
"I…. I like you, Dora! Okay?!" Beastboy snapped before spinning away from her and looking over the tower to stare at the grounds below, "You're funny and beautiful, and you have an amazing love for classic Rock-n-Roll that I find awesome!"
Dora was frozen in place at the words and, for a moment, was left trying to remember how to breathe.
Taking a shaky breath, Beastboy slowly turned back to the frozen Dora; taking in her shocked look, Beastboy chuckled softly before taking a small step forward.
"Is that so shocking?" Beastboy asked in a shy voice as he shuffled his bare feet across the stone floor of the tower,
"A little bit, yeah!" Dora cried as she finally found her voice, "I've been trying to get you to notice me as more than just a friend for months! And the whole time, you already did!" Storming over to the nervous shapeshifter, Dora began to punch him in the arm as she continued to rant at him,
"Why. Are. You. So. Aggravating!" Dora growled, emphasizing each word with a punch.
"Wha? Ow! Dora! Quit it!" Beastboy howled as he raised his hands and tried to escape Dora's crazed swings.
"You like me and yet refuse me when I try to kiss you!" Dora cried angrily as she tried to hit Beastboy again, only for the boy to duck out of the way and grab her wrists to keep her from throwing any more punches.
"Because it's wrong, Dora!" Beastboy retorted, "You said that you want to become an Auror after school, which is basically a magical cop, right?"
"Yeah, so?" Dora asked as she continued to try and free her arms from Beastboy's grip,
"How good would your chances of being accepted if it got out that you were dating one of the teaching staff?" Beastboy demanded, causing Dora to freeze as the truth of his words hit her like physical blows.
"I like you a lot, Dora," Beastboy said softly, causing Dora to smile, "But I can't let you ruin your future for me. So, maybe it would be better if we don't hang out again for a while."
Before Dora could register what Beastboy had said, the green boy had strode past her and down the tower stairs; by the time Dora realized what had just happened, Beastboy was gone, and Dora spent the rest of the night crying alone atop the tower.
:End Flashback:
After that night, Beastboy seemed to go out of his way to avoid contact with Dora, and when he couldn't avoid her, he treated her with cold indifference that hurt worse than if he had screamed at her; after more than a month of this, Dora couldn't take it anymore and confronted Beastboy one day after class.
:Flashback:
"What do you want, Ms. Tonks?" Beastboy asked in the same cold tone that he had adopted for over a month now,
"I want my friend back," Dora replied heatedly, "The guy I would watch movies with in Gryffindor's common room! Who I'd joke around with and who I thought I could be myself around!"
"I want that too," Beastboy replied in a small voice, "But we both know how we feel about each other would make it impossible for us to just 'be friends.' And I can't allow anything more to come from our relationship. I'm sorry."
"So let's forget about the fact that we both want to jump each other's bones and just go back to being friends!"
"Dora!" Beastboy cried, looking around for potential listeners as he blushed, making Dora's chest hot.
"Oh, grow up!" Dora laughed, "You fight super-villains, and yet you get embarrassed by some dirty talk? Pathetic."
"Sh… Shut up!" Beastboy retorted, making Dora burst into laughter; using the element of surprise, Dora shot forward and grabbed the front of Beastboy's shirt before pulling him close so that only he could hear her words.
"Make no mistake, Garfield Logan, I have not abandoned my quest to claim you for my own," Dora said in a husky voice that made Beastboy blush, made worse by the fact that she had called him by his real name.
"And I am willing to wait until I leave Hogwarts if that's what you want, but in the end, you will be mine!" Dora concluded her speech by giving Beastboy a small peck on the cheek, leaving the green boy blushing and stammering as Dora released his shirt and stepped back.
"So, are we friends again?" Dora asked as she grinned mischievously at Beastboy, who was trying to regain control of himself.
"Yeah, friends…" Beastboy replied with an embarrassed grin as he held out his hand to Dora, who took it in her own and shook it before pulling him closer to her so he could hear her whisper to him,
"For now, anyway."
:End Flashback:
Since that day, Dora had gone out of her way to flirt with Beastboy at least once a day, and to her surprise, Beastboy even began to flirt back so that it became almost a daily game to see who could make the other turn crimson first.
When it finally came time for her to take her N.E.W.T.S., Dora was understandably terrified, but Beastboy helped her remember that this was what she had been training and studying for since she was eleven. At the end of her exams, Dora felt she had done quite well and fully expected an acceptance letter into the Auror Academy to be in her future.
As Dora winked at her reflection, the door to her common room opened, and in strode a few of her roommates, who immediately stopped their gossiping upon seeing Dora admiring her reflection.
"Hey, Tonksie…" Rachel Dukes called out in a knowing voice, causing Dora to turn to the blonde girl,
"Wotcher, Rachel, Sarah, Amara," Dora said simply as she looked at the three girls who had disrupted her day, "Alright?"
"Alright," the three girls chirped as one before Rachel detached herself from the group and sat in the chair next to Dora.
"So, when are you going to tell us who he is?" Rachel asked with a giggle,
"Who?" Dora asked, feigning confusion and making the girls giggle even more,
"Who indeed!" Amara laughed, causing Dora to glare into the mirror at the brunette's reflection, "The boy who's been causing you to spend more time in front of the mirror than in all the years that we've known you!"
"Oh please," Dora bluffed, rolling her eyes for emphasis; but her bluff was seen through almost instantly by the three girls, who began to giggle again.
"Dora, you can't hide it from us!" Sarah said with a warm smile, and Dora couldn't help but smile back at the redhead's excitement, "You've turned down every boy in Hogwarts, and now, all of a sudden, you've been positively bubbly!"
"I have NOT been bubbly!" Dora exclaimed, offended by the very idea that any boy, even Beastboy, could make her act like one of her brain-dead roommates.
"So you admit there's a boy!" Rachel squealed, "Who is he? Is he older? Younger?"
"Even if there were," Dora said hotly, "Why would I tell you?"
"Dora, you've turned down every boy who's asked you out for the last three years," Amara said delicately, "We're just curious about what makes this one different?"
"Well, for starters," Dora growled, "He's not a male chauvinistic pig who wants me to transform into their favorite actress for supermodel! He doesn't care that I can change my appearance. He sees me for me! Which is something that no one else has ever done."
"Wow…" Sarah sighed happily as she slowly lowered herself onto her bed, "No wonder you're so entranced by him."
"Yeah…" Amara and Rachel sighed in unison with dreamy looks on their faces that made Dora want to throw up.
"Oh, go away!" Dora cried in annoyance as she rose to leave, "Bunch of gossip obsessed mad men, the lot of ya!"
"Oh, don't be embarrassed, Dora!" Rachel called out after Dora's back, "We're just happy that our little Tonksie has finally found someone!"
"Plus, now that they're not chasing you, there are more boys for the rest of us!" Amara added, causing the room to descend into giggles.
As Dora exited the dorm, even her abilities couldn't stop the bright-red blush that covered her face and neck, causing her roommates to shriek with laughter as they rolled around; Dora knew that they meant no offense by their actions, but that didn't stop her from shaking her head at how her love life seemed to be the only interesting thing going on at Hogwarts. Dora was just glad that there was only a month left of school, and then she would have the whole summer to spend with Beastboy before she began her Auror training.
XXXX
The Potions room was as quiet as a tomb as Snape strode up and down the rows, looking for anything that might give him an excuse to punish someone; since the pranking incident earlier in the year, Snape seemed even more vengeful and would often take any excuse given to punish someone. Of course, it didn't help matters that the rumor was that Harry Potter was leaving Hogwarts at the end of the year, and Headmaster Dumbledore was holding Professor Snape partially responsible. This rumor was exacerbated by Harry's refusal to admit or deny that he was, in fact, leaving Hogwarts, something that caused the rumor mill to practically explode.
Today, the Gryffindors and Slytherins were working on a potion for boils, though everyone knew that the potion was a waste of time; the first years would be taking their exams the following week, and so most of their classes (potions included) were just having them do busy work.
As Snape strode down Harry's row, he began his attack, per usual; his first target turned out to be Hermione, was had already finished her potion and was now reading quietly from her book.
"Miss Granger!" Snape snapped, causing Hermione to jump slightly,
"Yes, sir?" Hermione replied in a soft voice,
"Why are you not working on your potion?" Snape asked with a raised brow, "That's the assignment that you were given, is it not?"
"Yes sir," Hermione replied, "But, you see…."
"What?" Snape demanded, "Out with it, you silly girl!"
"I'm already finished with my potion, sir," Hermione replied, "So, I thought I'd do some reading while I wait for class to end."
"Already finished?" Snape drawled before striding forward and looking down into her cauldron with a sneer, "We'll see about that!"
For a moment, Snape looked at her potion while the class held its breath in expectation; finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Snape turned back to Hermione with an ugly glare that made the poor girl shrink into her seat.
"Ten points from Gryffindor for cheating, Miss Granger!" Professor Snape spat, causing Hermione's mouth to drop open comically.
"Cheating?!" Hermione cried in outrage, "Professor, I would never!"
"This potion is perfect, Miss Granger!" Snape sneered back, "Absolutely perfect! And there is no way that a first-year such as yourself could have created something so flawless."
"So you're punishing her because she got it right?" Ron cried indignantly, "How does that make sense?!"
"Silence!" Snape roared, his voice echoing in the silent dungeon, "That's another five points from Gryffindor, Mr. Weasley, for talking back to a professor!"
Without another word, Snape stepped away, leaving behind a teary-eyed Hermione and a glaring Ron as the Potions Professor sought out his next victim; unfortunately, the next student to catch his eye was Neville Longbottom, who had somehow managed to set his potion on fire.
"Longbottom!" Snape snarled as he stormed over, waving his wand to put out the flames that were bursting out of the top of the poor boy's cauldron, "Can you do nothing right, idiot boy!"
"I'm s-sorry, p-p-professor," Neville stuttered as he looked at the burnt ruin that had once been his cauldron, "I don't know how it happened…."
"Probably due to the fact that you are an idiot who has no place near a potions laboratory!" Snape snarled, causing the poor boy to look at his lap as tears ran down his cheeks, "Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr. Longbottom! And a detention tonight! Perhaps a few hours of cleaning cauldrons will teach you to take better care of instructions."
Turning his back to the crying boy, Snape began to prowl again for someone to punish; as he strode close to his godson's cauldron, Snape couldn't help but smile at the bubbling potion that lay inside.
"Finally, someone who actually knows what he's doing!" Snape called out, bringing attention to Draco's desk, "I'm glad to see that someone is paying attention to what I'm teaching, at least! Twenty points to Slytherin, and well done, Draco!"
Draco beamed happily at the praise as the Slytherins around him clapped and cheered; the Gryffindors, however, glared at the Malfoy heir with pure hatred, and Ron accidentally broke his quill from gripping it too hard.
As Snape opened his mouth to praise Draco more, he was suddenly silenced by the sound of smacking lips, followed by the sound of satisfaction one receives from a yummy meal.
Spinning around, it took Snape only a moment to find who was responsible for the noise; Harry Potter was sitting at his desk, with his hood up, and was dipping what looked like chicken into his cauldron before tossing it into his mouth and eliciting a satisfied moan each time.
Approaching the boy's desk, Snape felt his eyebrows rise nearly to his hairline as he saw the cauldron's contents were not pale grey as it was supposed to be, but in fact, was a dark, dark, murky brown.
"Mr. Potter," Snape hissed, "What is that in your cauldron?"
"Barbecue sauce," Harry replied as he dipped another piece of chicken into the concoction before popping the meat into his mouth.
"…. And why do you have barbecue sauce in your cauldron?" Snape asked, too bewildered to offer his usual sneer.
"I figured that you were going to yell at me for something, no matter what I do, so I might as well have chicken nuggets." Then, turning to Ron, who was trying (and losing) not to laugh, Harry offered one of said nuggets, "Want one, Ron?"
For approximately fifteen seconds, the potions classroom was silent, then it suddenly erupted in laughter as every Gryffindor gave in to the sheer silliness of what Harry was doing; the Slytherins looked like they were disgusted by the Gryffindor's behavior as the students roared with laughter.
"Twenty-five points from Gryffindor!" Snape snarled as Ron took the offered nugget and took a bite, nodding at Harry in delight at the food, "And you can join Longbottom in detention tonight!"
With a wave of his wand, Snape caused Harry's barbecue sauce to disappear, eliciting a groan of despair from the boy,
"Oy! How do you expect me to enjoy my chicken nuggets without barbecue sauce!" Harry complained, causing more laughter from the students, which caused Snape's face to turn an ugly purple as though someone was strangling him.
"There is no eating in my classroom!" Snape snarled, gripping the front of Harry's desk and leaning over so that he was almost nose-to-nose with Harry, who merely smirked at the irate professor.
"Careful, Snape," Harry said softly, his gaze fixed on the wood of his desk, "You remember what happened the last time you challenged me. I'd hate to have to continue that particular discussion."
As Harry finished speaking, he raised his head to look at Snape, and the potions professor felt his blood freeze in his veins; the boy's green eyes had been replaced by a pair of blood-red ones, and the boy's smile was not one of warmth, but rather, one that promised pain and blood.
Unable to stop himself, Snape took an involuntary step back, causing whispers to break out in the classroom, and a few students tried to lean over their desks to see Harry's face and see what had so scared their professor; but, with his hood up, no one could see Harry's face, leading to more whispers.
"Are you alright, professor?" Harry asked with a cruel smile as he leaned his head against his right hand, "You look like you've seen a ghost. Should we get Madam Pomfrey?"
"Class dismissed," Snape hissed as he struggled to regain his composure and made his way to his desk, "All of you, get out of here! Now!"
As the class slowly began to empty, Snape watched warily as Harry put his things away; when Harry was finally finished, he strode to the door and looked back one last time at Snape, and the potions professor was horrified as he watched Harry's red eyes slowly transform back into their violent green.
"See you later, professor," Harry said in a creepy voice that strongly resembled a certain clown from Gotham City, "For detention, I mean."
Without another word, Harry exited the classroom, closing the door softly behind him; alone, Snape's mind raced as he downed a calming draught to settle himself. Ever since confronting Quirrell in the chamber of the stone, Harry had changed; the changes had been subtle, but Snape had found himself noticing them more and more as the end of the school year came closer.
Something had changed about the boy, and though Snape couldn't put his finger on what had changed about the boy, he knew that it scared him. As Snape finally regained control of himself, he realized that the only other person he had seen those red eyes on was Harry's older sister, Raven. But, where Raven's eyes had scared Snape, Harry's had terrified the professor; it was like looking at a monster just waiting for the pretext to snap and rip Snape (or anyone else) to shreds.
With a ragged breath, Snape slowly rose to his feet and began to make his way to the Headmaster's office; Dumbledore would need to be told of this newest development regarding his golden boy.
XXXX
Raven narrowed her eyes as she stared across the Great Hall at her little brother, who was currently laughing at some joke told to him by one of the Weasley twins, though which one was anyone's guess at this distance.
Harry was hiding something from her, of that she had no doubt; ever since waking up in the Hospital Wing, Harry had been acting different than how he usually behaved. During training, Raven and the other Titans began to grow concerned at how aggressive Harry had become, transforming his tentacles into weapons, which he would then use like a master to completely obliterate the practice dummies that they used. The fact that Harry could transform his tentacles into weapons and had kept it hidden from Raven and the other Titans had earned Harry a long tirade from Raven; Harry had assured the Titans that he wasn't keeping anything else secret, but it was almost universally agreed that the boy was lying.
That was another thing that hurt Raven; Harry never used to lie to her, never used to behave like he was better than anyone else; Beastboy had tried to joke away Harry's behavior, saying that Harry was just 'going through puberty,' but Raven knew in her heart that something had fundamentally changed with her little brother and she was desperate to find out what it was.
Robin had almost immediately agreed with Raven when she told the others that something was off with Harry, saying that he had made his own observations regarding the little boy he viewed as an adoptive brother. After much arguing, it was agreed that the Titans would take alternating shifts in keeping an eye on Harry at all times; needless to say, the results were not good.
Starfire had told the Titans of multiple occasions where the boy seemed to simply disappear for an hour or two, and even Robin seemed unable to locate Harry during these disappearances. During those times when Harry's location WAS known, the Titans were shocked at what they saw; at times, it seemed like Harry was his usual happy, jokester self, but at other times it was as if they were seeing a completely different person. This new Harry was an arrogant bully who had been confronted by Raven and the other Titans on more than one occasion for his behavior. Yet, every confrontation had ended with Harry acting like he couldn't care less about what he was doing.
It was thanks to a bug that Robin had hidden in Dumbledore's office that Raven and the other Titans were able to listen in on a meeting between Snape and Dumbledore two days prior; it was during this meeting that the potions professor had confessed to being afraid when he saw that Harry was sporting blood-red eyes and giving off a feeling similar to a predator staring down prey. Raven had felt her blood freeze in her veins at the words, which was immediately made worse when Dumbledore stated that the reason behind Harry's new attitude needed to be found immediately so as to protect the boy from whatever was troubling him.
The Titans had immediately sojourned to a nearby empty office to confer on what they had heard, and Raven had nearly gone catatonic; having finally figured out what was wrong, Raven felt like she could have slapped herself for not realizing it sooner. Harry and Raven shared blood, meaning that Harry had a demonic side to him, just as she did; Raven had hoped that Harry's demonic side had burned itself out during the fight between Harry and Quirrell, but current events were clearly showing that that was not the case. The greater danger was that of Trigon realizing that another mortal shared his blood and could therefore be used as a doorway back to earth, just as he had once used Raven. The more the Titans talked about it, the more it explained Harry's current behavior; his demonic nature was no doubt growing stronger due to Harry not having been trained on how to fight against such seductive power, and power like that would no doubt be very seducing for an eleven-year-old. Beastboy had recommended knocking Harry out then and there and taking the kid to Dr. Fate or someone who could seal Harry's demonic side away, but Raven and Robin had argued against that particular approach.
Without knowing how much stronger Harry had become, they had no way of ensuring that they could successfully capture Harry without injuring civilians or the castle itself.
So, with no other options available to them, Robin had sent a message to Batman and the Justice League. They had agreed that Harry should not be confronted at Hogwarts due to the risk of destruction to the castle and harm to the people currently staying there. To that end, the League had decided to set a trap for Harry when the Titans returned to Jump City; the moment the portkey returned Harry and the Titans to the tower, Harry would find himself bound in a special ritualistic circle that would keep Harry frozen in place while the League's Sorceror's tried to seal Harry's demonic side. It wasn't a perfect plan, and Raven felt ashamed of herself for even agreeing to it, knowing the pain that her little brother was about to be in; but, to keep Harry safe and out of Trigon's hands, Raven was prepared to make any choice.
As Raven looked out across the Great Hall at her little brother, she couldn't help but feel like a traitor; here she was, pretending to be happy, when all the while, she was planning on capturing her brother with magic the moment they got home.
Looking down at the Potter house ring on her finger, Raven felt even worse, if that were possible; it had been nearly two months since Raven had become head of House Potter, and not knowing where to even begin figuring out what her new duties to House Potter were, Raven had asked Nymphadora Tonks if she would be willing to write a letter to her mother, Andromeda Tonks, formerly Andromeda Black.
This strange request was due to the fact that Raven still remembered the woman she had once called 'Aunt Andi;' what's more, Raven knew that James and Lily trusted her, and if they did, then so did Raven.
The meeting hadn't gone as well as Raven would have liked, at least at first, but she was happy with the outcome all the same.
:Flashback:
"Hello, Mrs. Tonks," Raven said respectfully as the woman entered her quarters and quickly looked around; even without knowing her, Raven would have instantly known that she was a Black. Andromeda Tonks was tall and lithe, with a patrician beauty and aristocratic bearing that were typical characteristics of the House of Black. However, unlike most of those in her house, Andromeda lacked the crazed look that many of her family shared and had made House Black infamous. Instead, Andromeda's appearance was gentler and kinder, with light brown hair that reached her shoulders and wide-kind eyes that made those who met her instantly trust her. She wore a soft green robe under a dark blue cloak, and Raven immediately felt underdressed in her blue jeans and black blouse.
"I made tea!" Raven said, rushing forward to show the table she had painstakingly set up in preparation for the meeting, "If you'd like some, that is…."
"Tea sounds lovely, thank you," Andromeda sniffed as she shrugged herself out of her coat and placed it on the nearby hook; without another word, Andromeda made her way over to the table and took her place as Raven nervously began to pour the tea and set the table.
"I'm sure you're wondering why I asked to meet with you," Raven said quickly, trying to dispel the awkward silence that had sprung up.
"The thought had occurred to me, Lady Potter," Andromeda replied with a raised brow,
"Please don't call me that," Raven said miserably,
"Then what would you like me to call you?" Andromeda asked, causing a moment of silence.
"You could call me, little bird," Raven said softly, "Like you used to…."
Andromeda's eyes softened momentarily as she gazed at the young woman who had once been like a niece to her; a moment later, that softness disappeared as Andromeda regained her stoic appearance.
"I used to call my niece that," Andromeda said softly, though her words seemed to echo, "My niece, who I loved with all my heart and who was supposed to be raised by me if anything should happen to her parents. My niece, who I thought was dead for nearly a decade, who never even thought of reaching out to let me know she was alive! Was one letter too much to ask for?! Too much trouble!" By the end, Andromeda was nearly hissing with rage, and Raven recoiled from the words like they were physical blows.
"I'm so sorry, Aunt Andi…." Raven whispered as she stared down at her teacup; teardrops were running down Raven's cheeks as she raised her head to look at the elder woman, shame evident in the young girl's eyes.
"When I lost Lily and James…. When I lost Mom and Dad, and then Dumbledore told me that Harry was dead too, I just…. I thought I had lost everyone that I cared about, my true family, so I ran away like a coward. And I am so sorry for that! I wish I had come back to you and Uncle Ted!"
By the end, Raven was softly crying, and Andromeda couldn't help herself anymore; slowly rising to her feet, Andromeda made her way over to the crying teen and gathered her in her arms before gently rocking the girl like she used to do so long ago.
"It's okay, little bird," Andromeda told the crying girl as she held her tight, "I'm just glad to see you and Harry again. Your uncle and I thought we lost you! Did Dumbledore truly tell you that Harry died with your parents?"
"Yes," Raven croaked, "I came to Hogwarts when I awoke, and he told me they were all gone!"
"That lying, manipulative bastard!" Andromeda hissed as she squeezed Raven tighter, "I should have known that he would do something as vile as this!"
"Mom and Dad trusted him, so I thought I could as well," Raven replied as she pulled away from Andromeda and wiped her eyes.
"Yes, unfortunately, your parents were a bit naive about who to put their trust in," Andromeda said softly,
"Like Sirius," Raven added, causing Andromeda to flinch as though struck,
"Indeed," Andromeda said sadly before retaking her seat, "I must say, it's good to see you again, Raven."
"It's good to see you again, too, Aunt Andi," Raven replied with a genuine smile as she refilled both of their cups,
"Now, as much as I enjoy having tea with my favorite niece, perhaps we could begin with, why am I here?"
"I'm your only niece," Raven laughed, causing Andromeda to smirk a bit, "And, as to why you're here, it's because I need your help, Aunt Andi. I need someone I can trust without question and who knows how to navigate the Wizengamot. As you can imagine, that list is short on names.
"And you trust me, do you?" Andromeda asked in surprise, "Someone you have not seen in over a decade?"
"With my life," Raven stated with so much conviction that it left Andromeda momentarily breathless.
"Very well, then," Andromeda smiled, "What can I do for you?"
"Is Uncle Ted still a lawyer?" Raven asked quickly, causing Andromeda to go silent with confusion for a few seconds.
"Well, yes," Andromeda replied, "He has his own practice now. Why?"
"Because I need a lawyer who is loyal only to me and to House Potter," Raven stated, "And I need someone that I trust to act as my proxy until Harry is old enough to take over."
"You mean to abdicate your seat in the Wizengamot in favor of your brother?" Andromeda asked in surprise,
"Yes," Raven nodded, "It is Harry's seat, not mine, and as such, will go to him when he reaches his age of majority. In the meantime, I need someone who knows the laws and practices of the Wizengamot and can teach them to Harry. Unfortunately, I cannot do either of those things, you understand?"
"I do," Andromeda nodded, "But that still doesn't explain what I am doing here…"
"You're here because I want that person to be you, Aunt Andi," Raven cried with amusement at the surprise that quickly came across Andromeda's face.
"Me?!" Andromeda cried,
"Yes, you!" Raven laughed, "You know how the Wizengamot works, seeing as how you were raised to be one of the next heirs of House Black. I want you to stand as Proxy for House Potter and to teach Harry until he's old enough to take control of the House."
"I'm honored," Andromeda replied in a small voice, "But, surely there are others more worthy of such a role."
"None that I trust not to spy on me and my House for Dumbledore," Raven spat back, causing Andromeda to nod in understanding.
"Very well, then," Andromeda replied respectfully, "Then I'll obtain the necessary paperwork from the Goblins, and we can link up with Ted in a few days to make his firm your official solicitor."
Raven nodded her head happily at that and had just taken a sip of her tea when Andromeda decided to go for the kill,
"So, any cute boys in your life?"
The following five minutes consisted of Raven trying to breathe as she hacked up tea, and Andromeda laughed.
:End Flashback:
The rest of the meeting had simply been Raven and Andromeda swapping stories of what their lives had been like since their last meeting; a few days later, Andromeda had returned with her husband, Ted Tonks, and the three of them had hammered out a general agreement that would make Ted's firm the official one for House Potter, while at the same time making Andromeda proxy of House Potter until Harry turned seventeen. However, all critical decisions had to be brought before Raven before they could be voted on.
In the month and a half since being made proxy, Andromeda seemed to act like a woman possessed; she had long-time loans owed to House Potter returned, she had restrictions that had been placed on House Potter by other houses lifted, and had several Potter properties that had been illegally scooped up by other parties returned, along with a sizeable amount of gold as recompense.
So lost in thought, Raven missed the young man who climbed on top of the Gryffindor table and only spotted him when he clapped his hands, causing his table to go silent,
"My fellow Gryffindors," Oliver Wood said in a strange voice, "It's time!"
Raven couldn't help but smile as Harry, along with all the members of the Gryffindor house team, seemed to rise as one and begin to make their way out of the Great Hall; as they walked out, those seated at Gryffindor's table all began to rhythmically pound their fists on the table in excitement at the upcoming game.
Not to be outdone, Slytherin house began to do the same, but adding hisses to their fists to try and drown out the Gryffindors; this had the opposite effect as Gryffindor started to pound harder so that the Great Hall sounded like a battlefield getting ready for war.
XXXX
A half-hour later found Raven and all the Titans seated amongst Gryffindor house as they eagerly awaited the start of the game; leaning over to Beastboy, Raven asked in a mock-whisper,
"So, what song is Harry coming out to this time?"
"He wouldn't say," Beastboy laughed back, "said he wanted it to be a surprise!"
"Uh huh," Raven said as she rolled her eyes, "My little brother always has to be so dramatic…."
"He gets it from you," Robin scoffed, earning a surprised look from Raven,
"From me?" Raven cried in surprise, "If anything, he gets it from you!"
"If you say so," Robin laughed back, causing Raven to grumble as she turned back to the field; the Slytherin and Gryffindor players had all come out and taken their positions, but just as Raven suspected, her little brother was missing.
"Hello and welcome to the Quidditch Cup!" Lee Jordan's voice roared out of the speakers around the stadium, "Today, we discover which team will win the Quidditch Cup! Will it be Gryffindor?! Or Slytherin!"
Both houses exploded with cheers as Lee Jordan called on them; before Lee could say anything else, music began to echo around the stadium, and Raven shook her head in annoyance as she realized what it was.
"Of all the songs to pick," Raven muttered, "THAT'S what he chose?"
"IT'S TIME TO PLAY THE GAME!
TIME TO PLAY THE GAME! HAHAHA.
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE GAME AND HOW YOU PLAY IT!
IT'S ALL ABOUT CONTROL AND IF YOU CAN TAKE IT!
ALL ABOUT YOUR DEBT AND IF YOU CAN PAY IT!
IT'S ALL ABOUT PAIN AND WHO'S GONNA MAKE IT."
As the music echoed around the stadium, made somehow louder by the screams of all those in the stands, Harry flew onto the field, standing, as usual, on his broomstick and performing the most insane spins, turns, and flips that he could think of. Zooming past where Raven and the other Titans were sitting, Harry flashed a brilliant smile as he performed a barrel roll which made Raven shake her head, even as she fought the smile that was threatening to come out.
"Thank you, Harry Potter!" When Harry finally took his place on the field, Lee Jordan said, "As always, you turn every game into a concert, and we love you for it!"
The crowd screamed their agreement, and Harry couldn't help but beam happily as he lowered himself into a sitting position on his broom.
The music continued to boom in the background as Madam Hooch took hold of the Quaffle and threw it into the air; Harry immediately shot straight into the air as the game commenced, coming to a stop a good fifty feet above the game, his eyes focused into slits as he looked for the Snitch, while at the same time listening to Lee Jordan's hilarious commentary.
"Captain Flint passes to Pucey; Pucey drops the Quaffle after receiving a bludger to the face, courtesy of one of the Weasley twins. Take that, ya snake!"
"Jordan!" Professor McGonagall's voice rang out, causing the stadium to echo with laughter,
"Sorry, professor," Lee laughed, "Angelina Johnson has the Quaffle; she throws it and… scores!"
The stadium erupted with cheers as the Gryffindor chaser circled the field happily, only to receive a bludger to the middle a moment later.
"Foul!" Lee screamed out as Professor McGonagall shook her fist at the Slytherin beater, "That's a foul, you loathsome creep!"
Gryffindor was given a free shot, which they made effortlessly, courtesy of Katie Bell, and the game resumed; high up in the sky, however, Harry was glaring at the Slytherin beater with anger.
"Okay, that's how you want to play?" Harry muttered to himself as his eyes tore across the field in search of one of the bludgers; when he finally located one, a smile spread across Harry's face as he began to fly toward it, "Then let's play."
After zooming past the bludger twice, Harry finally managed to coax the damn thing to chase after him, which is just what Harry wanted; flying straight at the back of the Slytherin beater that had attacked Angelina, Harry swerved at the last possible second, just as the beater turned around as though sensing that something was wrong. That sense was proven right a moment later when the beater received a bludger to the face that knocked the boy off of his broomstick and twenty feet to the ground beneath him, where he lay unconscious with what looked like a severely broken nose.
The Slytherins cried foul and were given a free shot, which they promptly missed, thanks to Oliver Wood; a moment later, the Slytherin's replacement beater was brought out as the former one would not wake up.
"I've never seen Harry fly so viciously before…." Starfire said softly, causing a few others to nod at her,
"It's like watching a completely different person," Hermione added, "What's happened to him?"
No one replied to her question, though Robin and Raven shared a look, hoping that Harry wouldn't lose control before they got him back to Jump City and sealed his demon side.
"And Thompson blocks Bell's shot by throwing his own bat at her!" Lee screamed out, causing boos to ring out at the Slytherin beater, "That's a foul! Filthy cheating prick!"
"Jordan!" Professor McGonagall cried, "I will not warn you again!"
"Sorry, professor," Lee replied, "Only stating the facts as I see them."
The Gryffindor's second free throw was blocked by the Slytherin keeper. However, Alicia Johnson managed to get the Quaffle through the middle ring a moment later after stealing it from Marcus Flint.
The game got progressively more bloody as both teams pushed themselves and their brooms as hard as they could; the third time that one of the beaters launched the bludger at Harry, causing him to once again lose the Snitch, Harry had lost his temper and had grabbed the bludger with his own hand and threw it back at the beater, knocking the shocked boy off of his broom and to the ground far below. The Slytherins were awarded a penalty shot, which they scored, and the game resumed after the beater was woken up and placed back on his broom, muttering something about 'impossibly strong shrimps.'
As the game continued and Harry and the Slytherin Seeker flew about the stadium looking for the small gold ball, it began to rain, causing nearly everyone to curse as they pulled out umbrellas or jackets.
Harry had no such luxuries and soon found himself soaked to the bone as he tried vainly to spot the tiny gold ball in what was quickly becoming a deluge of water.
"This is ridiculous!" Terence Higgs, the Slytherin Seeker, called out as he flew next to Harry, "How do they expect us to see anything in this!"
"Beats me!" Harry shouted back, "I can barely see my own nose!"
"Happy hunting!" Higgs shouted before zooming away into the rain,
"Happy hunting!" Harry called back, though he was sure Higgs hadn't heard him through the storm's rage.
As the storm grew rapidly worse, Harry found himself flying around aimlessly as he grew increasingly frustrated with the Snitch's lack of capture; Harry couldn't hear Lee Jordan anymore, aside from the occasional shouts of "Goal!" Though who was winning at this point was anybody's guess.
Harry had just dodged a passing bludger when he saw it; trailing after the bludger and, trying desperately to survive the falling rain, was the golden Snitch.
"Finally!" Harry snarled as he whipped his broomstick around, "You're mine!"
Flying far more uncontrollably than he thought was wise, Harry dove through the pouring rain toward his target, narrowly missing passing players as they zipped about blindly in the storm.
Suddenly, the ground appeared out of nowhere, causing Harry's eyes to shoot wide in horror as he desperately tried to pull out of his dive; with growing horror, Harry realized that he wasn't going to be able to pull out in time, so with an angry shrug of indifference, Harry pushed his broom to go faster, reaching out his hand for the Snitch as he did so.
Just as Harry's fingers closed around the Snitch, the bludger it had been following made a sharp turn, veering off into the storm as Harry slammed into the wet ground at over thirty miles an hour, instantly losing consciousness.
When he awoke a day later, Harry would receive the lecture of a lifetime, not just from Raven and the Titans but also from the rest of Gryffindor's house and its head for his sheer stupidity shown. His latest act of idiocy had resulted in him shattering almost every bone in his body and sustaining internal bleeding.
Unwilling to have a party without the one responsible present, Gryffindor had waited for Harry to awake and be released by Madam Pomfrey before beginning the celebrations of winning the Quidditch Cup; Harry was just grateful that the party had started on a weekend as it seemed to just keep going without stop. People would celebrate until they fell asleep, only to awaken a few hours later and continue the celebrations; the twins had managed to procure enough food and butterbeer to feed all of Hogwarts, and Harry had managed to set up his laptop so that for two glorious days, Gryffindor house became the veritable party capital of Hogwarts. The cup itself had been placed in the center of the room for all to marvel at, and Harry had cheered himself hoarse when Oliver had handed it to Harry before lifting the small boy on his shoulders for everyone to cheer at; Harry had thought his mouth would break from how wide his smile was stretched as he raised the cup over his head.
Even other houses (albeit minus Slytherin, of course) had shown up, causing the other heads of house to reluctantly agree to lift the ban from other houses entering different house common rooms, thereby creating an even greater party as all of Hogwarts seemed to show up at Gryffindor House to celebrate the Slytherins downfall.
Only after two consecutive days of partying, Professor McGonagall finally appeared in the wee hours of the night, in her bathrobe, to order the other students to return to their dormitories as they all had class the next day.
As Harry slowly fell asleep, he smiled into his pillow; this had truly been the best year of his life, and winning the Quidditch Cup had just been the crowning moment in his life. Even if he didn't return next year, he could at least say he left one helluva lasting impression.
XXXX
A week later, Harry was standing inside an empty room posing in front of a dirty and cracked mirror; he had already finished the last of his exams which meant that he was free from coursework or studying until he received his results sometime the following week.
Eager to make use of his free time, Harry ran straight for the empty classroom where he trained his shapeshifting abilities; after months of hard work, he could now take on the shape of whoever he wanted for almost forty minutes, something that Harry was very proud of.
Right now, Harry had taken on the appearance of James Hetfield, the lead guitarist for Metallica, and was currently doing air guitar while humming 'enter sandman.'
So entranced in his own foolishness that Harry failed to realize that four individuals had found the empty classroom he used and were currently staring at him in shock as he pretended to be a rock star in front of the mirror.
"Harry…?" Starfire's voice said, causing Harry to freeze instantly, "Is that you?"
Slowly, Harry turned around until he was left facing the stunned Titans,
"Um… heh heh, hi guys…." Harry said awkwardly, "Fancy meeting you all here."
"Dude! You can shapeshift!" Beastboy cried in excitement, "Since when can you do that?!"
"Since my battle with Quirrell," Harry replied sheepishly as he slowly transformed back into himself, not noticing the look that the Titans shared.
"Why did you keep it from us?" Raven asked, "Something like this should not be kept a secret."
"According to who?" Harry snarked back, "Since when do I have to tell everyone about my abilities? Do you want me to tell you what kind of underwear I have on next?"
"Harry!" Starfire cried aghast, "That is no way to talk to your friends! We simply want to keep you safe."
"I don't need you to keep me safe!" Harry snapped, "Since Quirrell's defeat, my powers have doubled! I don't need anyone to keep me safe anymore!"
"That's enough!" Raven finally snapped, making Harry flinch involuntarily as Raven turned cold eyes on him, "You lied to all of us about your abilities for months; I thought there were no secrets between us?"
Harry said nothing in reply, simply stared at his feet in impotent fury, causing Harry to sigh in annoyance.
"I never thought you would lie to me, Harry," Raven said sadly, "Not after you promised me that you wouldn't. Therefore, you are banned from flying until we return to Jump City."
"What?!" Harry cried in dismay, "You can't take flying from me!"
"After how you've been behaving, I most certainly can!" Raven retorted, "Furthermore until we know the extent of your shapeshifting abilities, you are forbidden from using them!"
"That is such bull…." Harry began,
"Harry!" Robin cried, cutting the boy off, "You still want your friends to visit this summer? Then I'd watch what comes out of your mouth next!"
For a moment, Harry glared at Robin before rushing past the Titans and out of the room with only a quiet sob being trialing after him; left alone, the Titans looked at each other warily,
"It's getting worse," Robin stated, causing Raven to sigh with worry,
"I know. But we only have a few more weeks before we head home; he'll be fine."
"And if he's not?" Beastboy asked from where he was examining his reflection, "How do we know that Harry isn't hiding other tricks?"
"Once we seal his demon side, he'll be the same Harry that we know and love," Raven said quickly, though trying to convince the other Titans or herself was anyone's guess.
"I hope so," Robin replied softly, "Because Harry's too dangerous to be left alone,"
"What are you saying?" Starfire asked,
"Yes, what ARE you saying, Robin?" Raven asked coldly, "And choose your words carefully."
"I'm saying that if we can't fully seal Harry's demon side, then we might need to discuss other options," Robin said in a monotone voice,
"Such as?" Raven snarled, taking a threatening step forward, "What do you want to do? Lock him up in a dark box and throw away the key? Perhaps we should give him to Cadmus. Is that what you're saying?!"
Of course not!" Robin shouted, "I love Harry just as much as you do!"
"Doesn't seem like it if you're thinking about locking him up for something that isn't even his fault!" Raven shouted back, "He didn't choose this!"
"I know that!" Robin retorted, "But if you can't see the potential danger that Harry poses as Arcane, then you are a fool! Harry was already powerful before this, and now he can shapeshift? What else can he do!? What happens if this bad attitude of his gets worse and he decides to one day go kill someone?"
"Harry wouldn't do that!" Starfire cried in horror, "Harry is a good boy!"
"Yeah!" Beastboy added, "He's not a killer!"
"He's not now," Robin conceded, "But what happens if his demon side grows too powerful? I don't like it any better than the rest of you, but we need to at least be aware of the danger that Harry presents."
"How very Batman of you," Raven sneered, causing Robin to involuntarily flinch, "Your mentor would be proud of you, so easily turning on your allies, just like him."
"I may not like Batman's methods," Robin countered, "But there's a reason he's the best. It's because he plans for every eventuality!"
"Well, let me promise you of one eventuality," Raven hissed, "If you try and hurt my brother, I'll bury you!"
Before Robin could reply, Raven spun on her heel and stormed out of the room after Harry, leaving three very shaken Titans behind.
"Robin…?" Starfire asked in a small voice, "You wouldn't really lock little Harry away, would you?"
Robin said nothing, simply glared at Starfire for a moment before storming out and slamming the door shut behind him.
XXXX
Author's Note:
And that's it for Harry's first year; the next chapter will consist of Harry's last few days at Hogwarts and then his summer before I start the next arc. And yes, Harry's demon side will not take too kindly to being sealed, so it should be an exciting fight, lol.
To those wondering, "Harry Leaves Hogwarts" won 441 to 302; as requested, I will no longer be following the canon, and I hope that you all enjoy how the story goes in the future.
"The Game" is the property of the band Motorhead; as such, I claim no ownership over it.
I've had a number of people ask this, so I am addressing it.
"What are all of Harry's powers?"
1.)Enhanced Strength- Not super strength, but Harry will be significantly stronger than an ordinary man.
2.)Shapeshifting- The ability to transform into anyone Harry wants for a maximum of 45 minutes.
3.)Flight- Pretty obvious.
4.)Tentacle control- Tentacles can transform into any weapon except guns or bombs.
5.)Magic- Obviously.
Reviews are always welcome, and I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter; if not, tell me what I can do to improve it.