Chapter 24: Twenty-Four: Legends
Silence filled the room as the Headmaster of Hogwarts appeared to be trying to outstare the Department of Magical Law Enforcement Director. He looked between the woman and the Arrest Warrant on his desk. Then gave Kingsley Shacklebolt a betrayed look. The Heads of the Houses all appeared to be stunned.
"I beg your pardon, Madam Bones," Albus Dumbledore stared at parchment on the desk.
"You have spent too many years playing mind games with everyone else, I am not sure if you even know what is good anymore," Bones told him, "You have already put someone in hospital. I wonder what makes Harry Black so unique that you have manipulated his whole life, so he sees you as his saviour, are you just getting old or too up yourself?"
"Everything I have done is for the Greater Good. I have protected and nurtured our world, hiding it from the increasing Muggle presence," Dumbledore replied calmly as if discussing Transfiguration or Sunday lunch. The herbology teacher looked at the man in horror; she had begun to see cracks in the last few years but had ignored them. Professor Flitwick was trying hard not to smile; he disliked Dumbledore for always defending Snape and continually promoting the Gryffindors though he bore no ill will towards Minerva. Professor McGonagall had somewhat expected this, especially after all the talks with Harry and some of the things she had learned.
"Surely this is a mistake; Albus Dumbledore is the Leader of the Light. He defeated Grindelwald. If he is arrested now, the Dark Lord will move on Hogwarts," not surprisingly, it was Severus Snape that defended the Headteacher. He had the most to lose if the old man lost his position.
"I am beginning wonder about all those so-called feats he performed," Bones suggested mildly making the Headmaster bristle, "However, as we at the Ministry are fair, the Headmaster's trial will be honest and open so that he will be found innocent or guilty on his own merits."
"The Ministry is not fair or open; you have got Death Eaters and dissidents working there, not to mention that fool Fudge," Snape sneered before he could think about what he was saying. Rufus stared hard at the former Death Eater; he believed like Alastor Moody 'a good Death Eater, was a locked-up Death Eater' or preferably dead, he thought morbidly.
"You would do well to keep your mouth closed. I know all about your activities even if Dumbledore vouched for you. Though that avouchment is looking shady now," Scrimgeour growled.
"You do not know the full story. Harry is the key to the downfall of Voldemort," Dumbledore tried one last time.
"I do not see how a mere child will be the downfall of the greatest dark lord that has lived," Scrimgeour responded, looking at the elderly Headmaster sceptically.
"Well then, I believe that it is time we parted ways. Voldemort is powerful, and I am needed. I will be of no use if I am locked away," Dumbledore spoke as if he was having a normal everyday conversation. Proudfoot moved forward as if knowing what the man was going to do. Fawkes squawked at an unasked question from the Headmaster, turning away from the man he had bonded with. Dumbledore merely sighed, shaking his head with disappointment before holding on to Snape's arm.
Thunder rang through the school as what appeared to be lightning flashed outside of the windows, blinding all those in the Headmaster's office. When they had blinked spots out of their eyes, the former Headmaster and Potions Master were gone. In the corner, Fawkes cried silent tears for losing the man he once called a friend.
"Well, I will not say that was unexpected," Kingsley spoke aloud. Then, Proudfoot performed some spells around the desk.
"He is gone, not on the grounds at all," the man told his boss, who sighed.
"We had better get back and start handing out notices for the arrest of Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape," Amelia was worried; he was still a danger and a powerful enemy. She looked at the Board of Governor's group, "are you alright for us to go?"
"We will be fine; we just need to sort out a temporary Headmaster or -mistress until the end of the year," Marchbanks told the woman with a smile. The Law Enforcement personnel left, leaving the three teachers and the Board of Governors. "Over the summer we will decide on a more permanent solution to the Head's position."
"Surely Minerva will be Headmistress as she is the most senior," Pomona Sprout suggested.
"We were planning to speak to Minerva before the new term. Were you happy being Deputy as well as Gryffindor Head of House?" Marchbanks asked the transfiguration teacher.
"To be perfectly honest, I felt like I was running the school for Albus most of the time," she told the group.
"We were going to ask you to step down as Deputy because you have had less time for your lions lately. Look at what has happened in Harry Black's case," the elderly governor explained to Minerva, who looked ashamed, but could disagree with the woman.
"Who would you want as Head?" Flitwick asked, surprised they did not want Minerva, who had been the longest-serving teacher.
"You!" Cyrus Greengrass said.
"Me? Are you sure?"
"Frankly, the school needs a shakeup; a ghost teaching History, Divination is practically useless, and there are many lessons that should be taught, but are not," Cyrus explained bluntly.
"We have been collaborating closely with the Duke of Anglia to establish a junior school for younger witches and wizards to integrate into our world; we would like whoever gets the post to cooperate closely with them, especially regarding new Muggle-Born students introducing them to Magic then whoever takes over in a permanent position."
"Are you sure Minerva would not be ideal for the position?" Flitwick looked at his friend anxiously.
"Filius, I have become too detached from my own students. I think you would do a better job," She gently nudged him in the right direction.
"All right, I will do it, but what about someone taking my position as Head of House and a Deputy?" He agreed.
"Well, we looked through all the resumes and Septima Vector would make a good Head for Ravenclaw, while Aurora Sinistra would make a wonderful Deputy Head," Marchbanks suggested.
"Yes, we will have to speak to them, but they are good choices."
"We had better transfer Hogwarts wards to you," Minerva suggested, fearful that Dumbledore may come back. So, Minerva performed the rites, transferring the Wards from Dumbledore to Flitwick. She had been taught them when she became Deputy Headmistress if something had happened to the old wizard.
"There is going to be a lot of changes, but I rather do them for the next school year," Marchbanks spoke up, "I would like to do a review of all the subjects and teachers; we have been hearing a lot of negative stuff about Potions. First, however, we must get Hogwarts a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher and Potions teacher."
"Yes, Albus was teaching Defence while we looked for a new teacher," Flitwick commented.
"I have a suggestion for Potion Mistress, Narcissa Black," Minerva put forward to the surprise of the group. "She is very talented, and I have seen her working with her sister a lot in the Hospital Ward."
"That is a clever idea, can you contact her? I will speak to the Minister about providing an Auror. I am going to assign an independent group to go over Hogwarts from Financials to subjects; I think Hogwarts needs an overhaul."
"Yes, Harry Black has been teaching Wizarding Etiquette to his brother and most of the younger Muggle-borns," Minerva put forward. The Board of Governors settled in as Flitwick banished Dumbledore's chair and conjured one of his own to take a seat behind the desk. The talk was far and wide, discussing differences that might help Hogwarts become the premier European school again.
The yule holidays were rapidly ending; the last night before the five young people were due to catch the Hogwarts Express back to the school on Sunday. They were sat around the fireplace with the five adults close by. Harry was listening closely to what they were saying.
"-We have word that Lucius Malfoy is the doghouse with Voldieshorts, Geoffrey Knott has taken over the Dark Alliance," Sirius was saying.
"Do you think Theo will be safe?" Draco looked at the five adults in the room.
"I am sure he will, my dragon. Geoffrey is too busy at the minute to look at his son," Narcissa told him, earning a snigger from the other four teens. Draco's face glowed red as he lightly punched Neville.
"Any news on Dumbledore or Snape?" Ted asked.
"Gone to the wind, Amelia has issued an arrest warrant to all local Auror offices, but there is not much to do. We are hoping the Turkey club is contacted, but they are very loyal to Dumbledore," Remus explained, the teens' jaws dropping. They had never seen him mock anyone before.
"Time for your bed," Hermione told her brother as she spotted him yawning.
"Aww, c'mon can't I stay up," he stuttered as he yawned again.
"Come on, I will tell you a bedtime story," Hermione's eyes twinkled with mischief.
"I'm eleven, not three," Cepheus rolled his eyes.
"But you will love The Legend of the Míreanna Draíochta," Hermione told him.
"Oh, I love the story about Arthur and his three magical items," Draco told them enthusiastically. Hermione looked at him with disbelief.
"You know about Arthur?"
"He was not a muggle! He was known as the Warrior-Wizard in our world; he was a legend." Draco led Hermione and Cepheus up to the rooms discussing the difference between the muggle and magical. Harry shrugged and followed Neville upstairs after saying goodnight to his dad and the rest. Once they were all changed, they settled into Ceph's room.
"Can you tell us the story of Arthur?" Ceph asked Draco. Besides his brother, the dark-haired boy had a bit of a hero-worship thing going on with Draco. Draco looked startled, but Hermione just nodded.
"Before the Wizards Council, before Britain was divided by Magical and Mundane, King Arthur ruled over the kingdoms of Gwynedd and Dumnonia; better known as Wales, Cornwall, and Devon, respectively. The Saxons ruled over the other kingdoms of England but respected Arthur. From his castle in Caerleon, he traded with the other realms with relative peace. However, there a black spot on the horizon," Draco warmed up to his storytelling, and his voice was silky smooth to the ears.
"Arthur and Merlin were dealing with the other realms to create something like the Wizard Council, with representatives of each kingdom to make up a magical council. But Medraut, Arthur's half-brother, had turned to the dark arts searching for the lost books of De 'Agnon. He wanted Arthur to rule over all of England instead of letting non-magical king's rule, but Arthur ignored him."
"What happened? Did they fight?" Ceph looked wide-eyed at the blond.
"Medraut built an army, and several battles were fought gaining ground until he was at the very foothills of Caerleon, ready to besiege the castle- "
"Did he take the castle?" Ceph interrupted, excited. Hermione and Harry grinned over the boys' head.
"No, Merlin took his Magical Staff Draoidheachd and split it into three parts. He crafted the Elder Wand, one of the most powerful wands known to all kind from the wood. From the handle, Merlin fashioned the Cloak of Invulnerability, which was incorporated into Arthur's armour. Finally, he took the Power stone and had the goblins forge a great sword known as Excalibur."
"Some say Gryffindor's sword is the original Excalibur," Hermione spoke up.
"Pah, no way Gryffindor would own something that powerful, he probably saw paintings of Excalibur and had the goblins forge him one similar," Malfoy scoffed, derisive of their House founder.
"That large ruby could be the Power stone," Hermione argued back, ready to launch herself into a debate with the blond.
"Eh, hem, you can debate this later, but can you please finish the story," Harry had noticed Ceph was laid back now, and his eyes were drooping.
"There was one last great battle on the shores of the River Usk, the Battle of Camlann, they called it. The rivers ran red with blood as brother met brother," Draco spoke dramatically, standing now. The others rolled their eyes, but a sleepy Ceph could not take his eyes off Draco as he took up his wand and a broomstick, wielding it like a sword. "Arthur rode out to meet with Medraut, fighting him in single combat. They say the battle lasted for several days; Arthur's army had defeated Medraut's, but the two generals remained locked in battle- "
"Did Arthur die?" Ceph asked in whispered tones. They all watched as Draco recreated a sword fight with an invisible opponent.
"On the eighth day, the magic that held everyone else at bay dropped. Medraut was dead, but Arthur barely remained alive. Taken to Caerleon, he charged the Peverell brothers to look after the sword, the wand and cloak. Soon after, he passed away, and his body was taken to what was is the River Severn and sent to the sea."
"What happened to the Magic items?"
"No one knows, obviously the Peverell's were a real family, but whether the Míreanna Draíochta is real is another question," Draco answered.
"Come on, bed now," Hermione told them all sternly as Ceph looked set to ask another question. They all said goodnight except for Harry and Hermione, who went to his bedroom.
"How are you feeling? About going back tomorrow?" Harry asked as they sat on his bed.
"Nervous, but I have seen the therapist since November, which has helped a lot," Hermione answered honestly, "But I want you to promise you will try not to beat him up."
"I will try. He should have been locked up until his trial, not let loose. I got a letter from Angelina over the holidays; Ron will not be returning to the Quidditch Team; some third year called Reece Silverman will be taking the Keeper position," Harry explained.
"What about Ginny?"
"She does not want to play, so when we return, they are going to try for Seeker positions, but Angelina has asked me to oversee them now that Umbitch is gone," Harry returned.
"I think we will be fine; we just need to stay away from Ronald. He is bound to say something stupid before his Trial at Easter," Hermione commented. "Do you know why it took that long for a Trial to take place?"
"Apparently, one of the wealthy families have been working with Weasel and his Mother. Dad thinks a few pockets have been lined to keep the Trial date as late as possible." Hermione just made a noise, then disappeared into the bathroom is to get ready for bed. She had moved several of her clothes and stuff into Harry's room. Harry flushed once again when he remembered the talk by Remus and his dad. Not their finest hour.
"Go do your teeth," Hermione demanded as she emerged from the bathroom.
"Yes, honey," Harry replied obediently, and soon the pair was tucked up in bed.
Downstairs
Meanwhile, once the children had gone upstairs, Remus got up, closing the door firmly, then muttered a spell, purple spell fire racing around the room.
"Do you remember the necklace we found through Kreacher?" Remus asked, taking a seat next to Narcissa, taking her hand.
"Yes, the Horcrux?" Andromeda shuddered at the thought of the vile magic.
"Well, we think we found a way of destroying it," Remus said, "We also think there are several more out there,"
"What? You said one was enough, and we know at least two more were made, one indirectly," Ted added. The adults looked grim as they remember Harry was a Horcrux; the boy, himself, seemed to have forgotten. Or at least did not give any indication he remembered their conversation.
"We know of the Riddle Diary, which was destroyed, and the locket in the vaults below," Remus explained, "Do you remember we thought there might be five or seven of them? We are now almost sure it is seven of them."
"So, you have three, Diary, Locket, and Harry? What are the others?" Andromeda asked.
"Well, we believe that the Locket once belonged to Slytherin, and in the course of our research, we discovered Riddle is obsessed with the Founders, so Narcissa began looking into any Founders' items that might still exist today,"
"After lots of digging, I discovered Hepzibah Smith owned the Hufflepuff Cup until she was killed in 1946, after visiting Borgin and Burkes. Her house-elf claimed to have done it, but Borgin and Burkes had a Tom Riddle on the books," Narcissa explained, "We do not currently have a known location of it. The next one is the Lost Diadem of Ravenclaw.
"I managed to get into Hogwarts last week and spoke to Helena Ravenclaw; she told me she was jealous of her mother, so stole the Diadem and fled to Albania where she hid it. Tom Riddle worked it out and found the Diadem."
"You know where it is?" Andromeda looked at her sister in surprise.
"Riddle bought it back to Hogwarts and 'defiled' it, as Helena says. Remus and I found it in the Room of Requirement, Harry once told us about," Narcissa.
"So, you have two in your possession with two destroyed, that leaves three remaining, including Harry," Ted summarised.
"We think the last Founders item is Gryffindor's Chest Armour, which was stolen from the Wizarding Museum in Parsley Hay more than four decades ago. We assume Riddle hid it," Remus told them.
"What about the last one?"
"Narcissa and Sirius seem to think this might be Nagini, Riddle's Snake," Remus replied, rolling his eyes.
"He is far too protective of that snake, and it definitely not a normal snake," Narcissa insisted.
"So now that we know roughly what they are, what are our next steps?" Ted now asked.
"We have to find the locations of the Chest Armour and the cup, Nagini we can leave until last," Sirius answered.
"How do you destroy them?"
"We think Fiendfyre or the Sword of Gryffindor, we are going to approach Flitwick about borrowing the sword of Gryffindor," Remus explained.
"What about Harry?" Andromeda asked, concerned. Like all the adults, she had a soft spot for the dark-haired boy. Remus and Sirius shared a look with each other.
"We think we have found an ancient druidic spell, but I need to travel abroad to the Library at Alexandria to check some things with a friend," Remus answered, ever the academic. Narcissa smiled fondly at him.
"I hope we can help the boy, but if we get rid of these things, will that destroy Riddle?" Andromeda asked.
"No, but it will weaken him. However, we are going to help Harry. With the potion Narcissa created and some strengthening exercises, Harry's leg will be better. Then we work on his combat skills; Flitwick has already given us permission to train him," Sirius explained.
"Good, now we had better follow the kids to bed if we are going to see them off in the morning," Andromeda replied and smoothed out her robes. The others all followed her out of the room.
Harry knew he had been stared at since he returned to the magical world at age eleven, but this seemed to be ten times worse. He leant on his cane in the entrance hall, waiting for his friends to arrive. They had all arrived back this afternoon and were reorientating with their dorms before they met for dinner. Harry was shaken from his musings as Riley Monahan came down the stairs. The boy was all alone and friendless; the teen had barely thought about him since the sorting but could feel the waves of anger and sadness rolling off the tween.
"Hello, Riley," Harry spoke up. The boy looked up, glaring at the Gryffindor teen. Harry must not have noticed him with the other first years; he would have to ask Hermione about him later.
"What do you want?" Riley snarled back. Harry Black was the epitome of Riley's self-hatred now. His father had written expressing his deep sadness that he had become a Gryffindor, hinting of torture's he would endure when Riley returned for the summer.
"I am just saying hello," Harry replied with surprise. He had not expected the level of venom the child had for him.
"Well, do not! I do not like you, I do not like the stupid Gryffindors, and stupid Dumbledore would not let me change houses," Riley ranted, not realising how much he had revealed to Harry as he barged past him into the Great Hall. Hermione kissed his cheek as he wondered about what the boy had just revealed.
"Hey," she greeted him.
"Was the little bug bothering you?" Ron asked as if the last several months had not happened, and he was best friends with Harry.
"Not that I am going to answer you, but why do you call him a bug?" Harry asked the tall redhead, gritting his teeth. Hermione grabbed his hand, weaving her fingers through his locking his arm in place.
"He should be called a snake. He has not been participating in any Gryffindor event and always seems to mumble about stupid Gryffindors. I am sure he should have been sorted into Slytherin," Ron finished.
"You have been watching him closely?"
"Never sure if he might have sabotaged us," Ron replied, then cheerfully walked off to the Gryffindor table.
"Urgh, I do not know how you put up with him after all he has done," Draco said dramatically.
"I will probably ignore him, but I was interested to hear what he had to say about Riley," Harry replied.
"I think his father was a Slytherin," Hermione interjected discussing Riley again.
"Monahan is one of the Greater House, wealthy but not like other houses such as Higgs or Fawley." At this Harry looked over at his ally Sullivan Fawley, the Hufflepuff was laughing at something his friend had said. Harry turned to his group of friends.
"I have not noticed him among the first years. Is he that much of a loner?" Harry asked his future wife.
"He has a corner in the Common Room, rarely leaves the dorms if he can help it," Hermione frowned.
"His father pushes him a lot," Harry responded.
"How do you know that?" Neville asked as they took seats at the table. Draco and Theo had gone off to Slytherin table for the first meal back at school.
"Derrin Monahan is not a nice man, Narcissa and Remus had Draco, and I look over files with all known Death Eaters whether they used an excuse or not at the end of the last war," Harry responded. He then looked up, noticing a changed line up at the Teachers' table. Professor Flitwick now sat on a raised chair in the centre, utterly different from Dumbledore's throne-like chair. Now Sinistra was at his right with McGonagall beyond the Arithmancy teacher. New to the teachers were Narcissa Black (which was a surprise) and Auror Proudfoot. Flitwick clapped, the noise resonating out to the hall, silencing the chatter.
"Welcome back to a new term, as you may have noticed there are several additional teachers as well as some other changes," Flitwick welcomed everyone back to the school, "as you may have seen sadly, Professor Dumbledore has left us, so I have become the new Headmaster, Professor Sinistra is the new Deputy Head while Professor Vector will be the new head of Ravenclaw. I would like to introduce Professor Black, who shall be taking over as the Potions Mistress. Professor Proudfoot has been leant to us by the Ministry until the end of the year to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts. Madam Hooch shall be taking on Head of Slytherin duties until the end of the year,"
"Wow, that's a significant change," Hermione suggested nudging Cepheus to eat more greens.
"What's that stuff you have there?" Seamus asked, sitting just beyond Neville. He pointed to a vial of purple liquid next to Harry's arm.
"Oh, that is for my leg. Professor Black created it to help strengthen my leg," Harry explained.
"Are you sure it's not poison?" Ron asked through a mouthful of food, "After all, a snake made it."
"No, Ronald, it is not poison," Harry replied, gripping the table. Trying his absolute best not to punch the redhead in the face. He knew the boy would get his just desserts at Easter.
"Just ignore him; you know what your dad said," Hermione whispered, calming him down. But then Harry looked at his younger brother.
"Why are you not down with the other first years?" Harry asked gently.
"I like being up here, especially being close to you two," he answered.
"We love having you up here, but you should spend time with children your own age," Harry replied.
"You are starting to sound like dad," Ceph quipped.
"Old and slobbery," Harry returned with laughter.
"You wait. If you misbehave, I am telling Sirius that."
"Yes, Ma'am, I will be good," Harry looked at his fiancée with puppy-dog eyes getting a swat from her. As dinner progressed into dessert, Harry decided to practice a little bit of empathy. He closed his eyes, letting out his gift until one feeling directed him towards a Hufflepuff girl, Rose Zeller, if he remembers correctly, a first year. Harry got the feelings of nervousness, guilt, and fear someone would discover her secret. He tuned in a little more to see her aura had a dark ring around it; he got dirt, hair, and wilderness images. Had she been a werewolf before Christmas? The teen was quite sure she had not been.
"I am just going to see Dennis." Harry told the rest as he pushed his plate aside. Harry had noticed Dennis sitting with Rose on the Hufflepuff table. Harry took Ceph over to the pair where they sat down. Rose was a dark-haired girl with a round face, she looked up at him with awe.
"Hey Ceph, Harry," Dennis greeted them.
"How are you both?" Harry asked, "did you have a nice Yule?"
"It was great," Dennis went off telling them about his Christmas, but Harry had notice Rose flinch when he mentioned Yule. If the teen remembered correctly, she was a muggle-born not knowing about magic until she received the letter from Hogwarts.
"Hello," he greeted the girl quietly. Dennis was still going on about his Christmas with Ceph and some other Hufflepuff firsties.
"Don't you usually sit with the Gryffindors?" she asked, then realised how rude that might be.
"Usually, but I have come to sit with Dennis. Ceph needs to make some friends his own age," he confided in her.
"I don't have many friends," she answered, looking down. "I think Dennis is my only friend."
"Well, I am sure we can get you some friends," he answered. "Now how was your Christmas?"
"Good," she squeaked, dropping the spoon she had been holding. The girl looked at him wide-eyed, realising what he had said or rather what he had not said.
"It is nothing to be ashamed of," Harry told her, casually peeling an orange, "Remus Lupin, our former teacher, has lived with it for a long time, and you know about Colin, right?"
"But if-if I tell people, I will be disliked even more. I will never get a job," she lowered her voice, adding, "I know what werewolf prejudice is like from Professor Binn's lessons."
"Firstly, I am your friend, and I will not dislike you. Secondly, have you seen the repeal to the werewolf act that has been suggested?" Harry asked, getting a shake of the head. "How did you expect to do monthly changes? Have you told any teachers?"
"No, not yet" she spoke quietly.
"When dinner is finished, we will speak to Professor Sprout. She might be green fingered but she is very loyal," the girl laughed at his joke. Harry began to have a conversation with the eleven-year-olds in the immediate vicinity. All were eager to tell him about their Christmas's and how they had told their parents about Hogwarts and the great Harry Black. Inwardly he groaned, but it was to be expected from eleven-year-olds. As the dessert disappeared, Flitwick stood up.
"I hope you are all ready for lessons tomorrow before you go to bed. I would like to inform you we will be doing a Mentor program; the fifth through seventh years will be mentoring first through the third years. Thank you, sleep well." Flitwick clapped and got down off his chair. Professor McGonagall and Sprout walked down the hall beside Flitwick when Harry touched Rose's shoulder.
"Professor, a moment of your time," Harry said politely. The pair stopped with Flitwick, who smiled at Harry. The boy looked at Rose and indicated for her to speak. She whispered something quietly.
"I did not hear you, Miss Zeller."
"I, erm, was bitten at Christmas," She told the three teachers; hearing a gasp, she rushed ahead. "I was out before New Year's with a Muggle friend when a rabid dog attacked my friend. I managed to save her from being bitten or scratched but was bitten myself in the process, though it ran off. Being a witch, I recognised a werewolf from our books."
"Oh, you poor dear," Sprout bustled over and hugged the Hufflepuff firstie.
"Are you positive?" McGonagall asked.
"Yes, I'm pretty sure I was bitten," Cary looked down at her feet.
"Do not worry, Child," Sprout assured her. " We will help you through this, I am glad Lord Rendlesham bought it to us. Ten points to Gryffindor."
"R-really? You will not expel me?" she stuttered. Flitwick laughed.
"I am sorry, Miss Zeller, I should not laugh. Some might like you to be expelled, but we will look after you; I will speak to the Governors and see if I can arrange a haven like Colin," Flitwick told her.
"Thank you, Professors," Cary said quietly.
"Come on, I will take you back to the Common Room," Harry told the girl seeing his friends waiting at the door for them.
"Thank you, Lord Rendlesham. Miss Zeller, we shall arrange to meet in a few days," The Headmaster told the girl. Rose skipped off to meet Dennis.
"You are always in the thick of things, Mister Black?"
"I cannot help it, Sir," Harry answered truthfully.
"I take it Miss Granger will be joining you in the Marriage suite?" the half-goblin asked tactfully. Hermione had joined the three teachers and Harry as Flitwick asked his question.
"Yes, Sir, now that we are properly betrothed," Flitwick had not failed to see the ring on Hermione's finger. Harry gave the other teen a loving look.
"While you are still underage, I am dubious, but I cannot stop you. However, I will ask that you be careful and take things slowly." Hermione blushed to her roots as the Headmaster's implications were known. Harry stammered his goodbye before the pair left. Flitwick had a good laugh with McGonagall and Sprout when all the teens had disappeared.
Chapter 25: Twenty-Five: A Snake in Lion's Clothing
January ended with a drizzle as the rain washed the month away. Professor Proudfoot was a great Defence Against the Dark Art's teacher. Everybody loved him; his lessons usually complimented the Defence Club, which was allowed to run as Proudfoot taught it with a guest every week. Though Harry was still banned from Quidditch this year (Professor Flitwick said he would reinstate him next year), he was still just as busy. He had etiquette classes with Narcissa every Saturday, then with Hermione taught the younger years about the Wizarding world.
"I am sorry I have not got to speak to you sooner, Mr Black, Lord Rendlesham, but taking over as Headmaster is a bit more hectic than I thought," Professor Flitwick admitted to the two teenagers from behind his desk. The headmaster's office had changed entirely, now it felt almost light and airy. All the curiosities and odd items had disappeared, making the space seem more open. Of course, an extensive collection of books remained, but these were on charms and other innocent books compared to Dumbledore's books on Dark Art's.
"No worries, Professor, I cannot imagine how hard it is running a school," Draco said smoothly while sitting next to his Head of House, Rolanda Hooch. Surprisingly, she had become quite welcomed into Slytherin House; she was fair with them all. He looked over at Harry, giving him a disapproving look as the teen wandered around the office. Minerva McGonagall smiled indulgently at Harry.
"Yes, well, the reason I bought you here was to see how you are doing as well as to let you know I have lifted the ban on Quidditch," the small Professor told them.
"What?" Draco's jaw dropped. Harry would have sniggered at how common Draco acted if he were not busy examining some artefacts Professor Flitwick kept in his office. Instead, ignoring the hat, he stared at Gryffindor's Sword encased in a display case. As he stared, the name Godric Gryffindor shifted, first into Runes then into the name Excalibur. It lasted about ten seconds before it reverted to Gryffindor. Harry gasped aloud.
"Yes, I was appalled by Dumbledore's decision to maintain your lifetime ban, so you shall be playing Quidditch. I have spoken to the Team Captains, and they are willing to take you back without quibble," Flitwick responded incorrectly, responding to Harry's gasp. The boy blinked, then gathered himself before returning to his seat.
"Thank you, Professor; I love being on a broom," the dark-haired teen admitted honestly.
"James was exactly the same, as was Sirius," Flitwick admitted remembering the two brilliant students.
"How was Rose's first transformation?" Harry asked the new Headmaster.
"By all accounts, it went well; I am surprised Mr Lupin did not tell you; he was working with Rose and Colin," Flitwick admitted.
"I, erm, have not sent him any letters recently," Harry blushed, knowing he had been distracted by Hermione.
"Ah, young love," the small man said, sighing. They continued to talk for a bit longer before the half-goblin looked at his watch. "Well, I will not keep you from Hogsmeade much longer; Madam Puddifoot's needs the business."
"Thank you, Professor," The two teens thanked the man leaving the two Head's in the office. Once they reached the bottom of the stairs, Draco pulled the brunette aside into an empty classroom.
"What was that about?" Draco demanded.
"What?" Harry tried to appear innocent.
"The gasp? I knew it had nothing to do with Quidditch," Draco demanded.
"I do not know if I believe it myself, but when I looked at Gryffindor's sword, the name changed first to runes, then to Excalibur, before reverting back to Gryffindor," Harry explained reluctantly. Most people thought he was crazy, so what was one more thing.
"What!" Draco said again, his mouth dropping.
"You are right; I probably imagined it after your story during the Christmas break," Harry misinterpreted Draco's look.
"No, there have been people for years claiming Gryffindor's Sword was really the lost sword of Arthur. One legend says the sword will reveal itself when a leader is needed in Britain; another suggests King Arthur will return."
"Tall Tales," Harry scoffed, but it got him thinking.
"Maybe, maybe not, but will you let me do research on the sword to find out anything about it," Draco looked at his quasi-brother.
"OK, but do not say anything to anyone. I really do not want Hermione harping on at me for believing in legends and myths," Harry gave the other boy a wry grin, "Now, I want to see my girlfriend as it's valentines weekend."
"OK, lover boy," Draco laughed, and the two walked down to the main entrance together, talking and joking. Draco said goodbye and went off down to the Dungeons.
Hermione had woken up to a large bouquet of flowers, then had proceeded to snog the living daylights out of Harry. They slept in the same bed together, but it was all relatively chaste and proper. Harry was taken Professor Flitwick's warning about them being too young to heart. As she approached Harry at the bottom of the stairs in the main entrance, Riley Monahan shoved past the older teen.
"How has Riley been?" Hermione asked, sighing. She had watched the boy several times over the last month, and he was conflicted. She could clearly see how he watched the other firsties having a fun time and wanted to join in but was held back by his dad's training.
"Still ignoring me, he hates that I was chosen to be his mentor for the program," Harry returned as they walked down to the carriages for Hogsmeade. They were planning a romantic date, as Valentine's Day fell on a Wednesday.
"Harry," Hermione hesitated, "did you have anything to do with becoming Riley's mentor?"
"I did," Harry blew out some air, "I asked Professor McGonagall specifically because I think Riley needs a strong hand guiding him. I can see his Aura; he could be a great light wizard."
"But what about his father?" Hermione asked.
"I do not know, maybe we can get him away from the boy, but he is a bit like Draco at that age," Harry answered.
"Do not let Draco hear you say that" Hermione giggled.
"Say what?" the boy in question popped up behind them.
"That you are an arrogant twit," Harry quipped.
"You forgot handsome," Draco pretended to preen as the other two just laughed at him.
"How are you finding your mum teaching Potions?" Hermione asked.
"She is a damn sight better than Snape. I am learning stuff," Harry responded before Draco could as they reached the carriages. Draco followed them inside.
"He was my godfather, but yes, it is a bit more pleasant now without having to be pushed to sabotage your potions," Draco grinned at the other boy.
"Where is your better half? Did he not fancy going on a date with you?" Harry's smile got even wider as he teased his cousin.
"He is doing some makeup Herbology for Sprout, did not do well enough on the recent homework. He will meet up with me later, I suppose," Draco replied, ignoring the other boy. After a quick ride in which the three chatted about everything, they were soon stood in Hogsmeade. After seeing off Draco, they wandered down Hogsmeade main street. Harry visibly noticed an increased Auror presence.
"Are they worried about the recent breakouts?" Harry was looking at a team of two Aurors in red robes.
"I suppose, but I am sure Voldieshorts has them on a tight leash," Hermione replied. Harry looked at the love of his life and cracked up.
"Voldieshorts?" he asked between laughter.
"I hate using You Know Who, and Voldemort makes me shudder," Hermione replied, shuddering to prove her point, "so, I heard your dad use it and decided to adopt it."
"So, what is the plan for today?" Harry asked, guffawing, knowing his girlfriend would have planned their 'date' down to a T.
"Do you want to go to Madam Puddifoot's?" Hermione asked as they passed the Tea shop. Harry could see the place looked cramped, and the décor was a little tacky.
"Er, if you want to," Harry swallowed his pride, but Hermione merely laughed at him.
"Do not worry, I am not going to force- "She was cut off as someone hailed them.
"Hi Harry, how are you?" Cho Chang asked, a blush creeping up her face. She was holding hands with a boy Harry did not know.
"I am good thanks, are you heading inside?" Harry gestured towards the teashop. He felt Hermione's hand tighten on his, taking note of Cho shifting glances between the pair.
"Oh, yes, it is so romantic. I love valentine's day," the vapid girl gushed. Harry wondered how he could ever have liked her. He had noticed all she seemed to talk about was Quidditch, boys, makeup, and clothing.
"Well, have a good time," Harry smiled, leading Hermione up the road, who once again burst into laughter.
"Oh, it's so romantic," Hermione simpered like Cho, "She is such a barbie doll; she was clearly trying to flirt with you."
"You what?" Harry looked at her, confused.
"She still has feelings for you. After Cedric, she tried to latch on to you," Hermione explained, looking at his blank face. "Clearly, you never noticed."
"I never noticed; I only had eyes for you," Harry answered honestly.
"You are really sweet," she snuggled into him, trying to get warmer on the cold Saturday. Snow had fallen the last few days, making it a beautiful but chilly day as they walked the Shrieking Shack path. Their breaths came out in little puffs of steam. Harry thought Hermione never looked more beautiful with rosy, red cheeks and her eyes alight.
"You look beautiful today," Harry commented. Hermione's smile widened as she took him in her arms and kissed the boy soundly. He loved kissing Hermione; though he felt uncomfortable with the oversized coats they were wearing; he could not get closer to her. He felt her tongue lick his lips, so he allowed her to venture inside, sharing their first French kiss. The kiss became a little more heated, so Harry took a step back, gently caressing Hermione's face.
"I love you," he told her innocently.
"I love you too. I do not know how I met such a sweet guy, even after what Dumbledore put you through. I am glad we were not potioned for long, could you imagine dating Ronald!" She turned away to look at the abandoned shack.
"Me too. I shudder at what he could have done to you while potioned," Harry reassured her. "Soon, you will be Lady Black, and we will forget about everything that's happened."
"Do you think we are moving a little quick, getting married?" Hermione asked.
"I know we are still young, but it is for your protection. However, I do not think I want to be with anyone else but you for the rest of my life," Harry told her sincerely. Then he tried to distract her, "now, what have you got planned for the rest of the day?"
"Well, I was thinking, especially with the articles in the paper recently, that you need to tell your side of the story," Hermione started chewing her lip, "that is why I have contacted Rita Skeeter for you to give an interview."
"You what?" Harry hated any publicity or attention, but now Hermione wanted him to give an interview to a well-known sensationalist.
"I think it will be right for you to be seen and the public to hear your story; Luna's father has agreed to publish a story at the Quibbler," Hermione ploughed on. Harry was just getting ready to respond when they heard several pops then Harry was hit by a Curse before he could react. Pain flooded his side as he collapsed to the ground.
"Wittle Baby Potter got blindsided; I thought you were better," a taunting voice was heard from the trees as Hermione tried to help the teen up. The pair looked up to see Bellatrix Lestrange enter the clearing with several other men, none wearing the usual white masks. Harry instantly recognised Derrin Monahan: his son looked so much like him. Rodolphus Lestrange was also sneering at the teen before them.
"Avada Kedavra," Monahan yelled before anyone could say anything. Instantly Harry knew he could not outrun the curse, so he conjured a rock, the only known defence against the Unforgivable Curses. The explosion when the green curse hit the rock was massive. Hermione and Harry were blown off their feet as the rock shattered into hundreds of pieces.
"You'll pay for that, Potter," Bellatrix shouted as the dust cleared, allowing the two teens to get to their feet. Bellatrix had white powder all over her but remained unharmed. Most likely a shield Charm, like Harry had used, but Derrin Monahan lay severely wounded, bleeding on the ground, turning the snow red. Harry grabbed the necklace he was wearing, muttering the spell Amelia had taught him the day after the Ball.
"Confringo," a new voice entered the fray, but not from any Aurors. Draco was on the path from Hogsmeade. One of the Death Eaters was on fire, trying desperately to put it out.
"Crucio," Bellatrix cried, but instead of hitting Harry, it hit Hermione. The bushy-haired witch screamed in pain, writhing on the ground as Harry remembered this was the Dark Witch's favourite curse. He used an old Anglian curse with a dark blue light, but Bellatrix simply dodged the spell, though dropping her own. Hermione now lay panting on the ground.
"Expulso," Harry fired at the ground, causing a shower of dirt hiding the pair from view as Draco continued to fight a couple of Death Eaters by himself. Harry wandlessly placed a shield around Hermione as he drew his other wand. His cane now lay forgotten on the ground as he faced off against Bellatrix, Rodolphus and another Death Eater.
"Oh, Baby Potter is ready to pway," Bellatrix taunted in her baby voice.
"Ignis Brynewelm," Harry snapped off once again, causing a wave of fire to erupt from his second wand. Rodolphus and two other Death Eaters got caught up in it, burning furiously. It also gave Draco a breather, who appeared shattered. Bellatrix cried out, using a spell to fire water over her husband, but the fire seemed to feed on the water. In little more than a minute, Rodolphus had collapsed to the ground a charred husk. Bellatrix turned back to Harry, her eyes blazing with hatred.
"You'll pay for that," she yelled as she fired the Death curse. Harry managed to roll to the side, jarring his injured thigh. Luckily, she had aimed at Harry and not Hermione, who still lay on the ground. Before Bellatrix could fire again, several more pops announced the arrival of a company of Aurors. The dark-haired woman yelled in frustration and disapparated away, leaving behind a charnel house. Five Death Eaters dead, three captured. Draco was leaning heavily against a tree.
"Are you alright?" Harry crawled over to his future wife, holding her hand. Tears tracked down her face.
"I do not want to come to Hogsmeade again," she grunted.
"Why is that?" Harry asked.
"Every time we come, we get injured," She answered. Neither knew who started it first, but the pair were soon laughing hysterically. A Healer attached to the Auror company pushed Harry aside to tend to Hermione while another started looking over Harry. Amelia approached them.
"How are you feeling?" she asked the pair of them.
"Could be better; my leg is killing me," Harry answered, sitting on the ground. He felt some liquid in his eye. Brushing it away, he realised it was blood. "Where the hell was the Aurors stationed in Hogsmeade?"
"That is what I would like to know," Amelia was angry.
"You have cut your head, Lord Rendlesham," the Healer told him, using a spell to sew up the skin.
"Can you tell me what happened?" Amelia asked, getting a glare from the Healer.
"- I wonder why she kept calling me Potter. She must know I am a Black by now," Harry finished telling the story of what had happened.
"She was driven half-mad in Azkaban; I doubt she got the Prophet or was told," Amelia suggested as she got all the names of the Death Eaters.
"I feel sorry for Riley; that was his dad I killed," Harry gestured towards the man who had bled out. Before he realised Harry had a bundle of brown hair hugging him as the other Healer complained about 'patients who would not stay still.'
"YOU did not kill Monahan, he attacked you, and you defended yourself," Hermione told him sternly.
"But I could have ducked out the way," Harry tried lamely. Hermione pulled his face towards her.
"Get it through your thick head; you did not kill Derrin Monahan," Hermione told him firmly.
"OK, Lady Rendlesham," Harry said with a grin, his humour returning.
"Good, I will remind you of that," Hermione replied saucily, winking, "Remember who wears the trousers in this relationship."
"She's a keeper," one of the Healers said as Harry's jaw dropped. He had never seen Hermione act like this. Maybe the curse had knocked her silly.
"I will find out about the Aurors and will let you know what the investigation finds out," Amelia added as they all started to head back to the castle.
14th February 1996
Dear Harry
How are you feeling? How's Hermione? The attack really frightened me, but Bellatrix is crazy. We are looking into how they knew you would be in Hogsmeade, but we think there may be someone in Hogwarts working for Voldemort, so please be careful at the school, even around the first years. I have spoken to Amelia; apparently, the Aurors in Hogsmeade were lured off elsewhere, so the attack was not quite impulsive. Someone has been watching you.
I was glad to hear that your tutoring lessons with the younger years are going well. Hopefully, they will better contribute to society now they know what to expect and deal with, especially with the older families. Narcissa has also passed on reports about your lessons; you seem to be picking up things well with her. But I would like to know about the detentions you got with Professor McGonagall last week; Narcissa said you were using some Weasley Products in the Great Hall. That is not an excellent example to the firsties (Great Work though, the old cat's a tough nut to crack). OK, OK, Amelia has just told me you better behave, or I will have to ground you until next year.
On to the big news, we had our second Wizengamot session of the year, where they finally voted on the repeal of the Werewolf Act. Thirty-six voted in favour, which means we won. So, this coming Friday, the amendments to the law will go into effect. That means Werewolves can freely get Wolfsbane from the Black Foundation. They can get jobs and not be automatically labelled criminals. While this is not a complete repeal of the Act, it is a step in the right direction.
On another note, your interview with Rita Skeeter has gone down well; I have heard the discussions about it while we were waiting for the Wizengamot session to start. Fame is a fickle thing, and the magical population seem just as erratic because they seem to be on your side now.
I best finish now, but before I go, I got a letter from Gringotts. They want to know if you are available as they have some information on the contract. Hopefully, it is a way out of it.
Your loving father,
P.S. Tell your brother to write back to me, please.
Riley Monahan stood at the bottom of the stairs looking at the Great Hall. It had been over a month now since his father's death, yet the school still expected him to work with the boy who killed his father. I will avenge him, Riley thought.
Ah, but are you really like your father? Are you indeed a murderer?A niggling voice asked.
Of course, I am. I have blue blood running through my veins, he retorted though a hint of doubt lingered in his mind. He shook his head, trying to ignore any doubts as he proceeded to stare at the noticeboard—the list of Mentors and Mentee's taunting him like they did every day.
"How does it feel to have a murderer as your mentor?" a cold voice spoke from behind him. Riley turned to find the fifth year Blaise Zabini watching him.
"I hate him."
"Oh yes, he killed your daddy, but a little traitor like you will just embrace him," Zabini continued to circle the boy watching him like a predator watches their prey until he was stopped by an unlikely source.
"Leave him alone, Zabini," Cepheus Black stepped up to the pair. Zabini thought the boy had balls of steel to confront him. No eleven-year-old got away with that.
"All you Gryffindor's are the same, bull right into to something without knowing the dangers," Zabini sneered. "Think about it, Monahan; your father was true to the right side."
"Is there a problem here?" Hermione Granger came up behind the boy observing Zabini.
"No!" the teen bit off, turning around to stalk off into the Great Hall. Riley glared at the pair, annoyed they had interrupted the older boy. He was quietly muttering about stupid Harry's when he passed the fifth year Gryffindor's. Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas seemed to be in deep conversation while Parvati Patel watched Dean dreamily, completely ignoring her boyfriend though few people seemed to notice. Riley huffed, taking a seat at the table. Perhaps he can get information and pass it on to the Dark Lord.
"Good morning," Harry chirped as he took a seat next to Riley. The eleven-year-old merely glared at the older teen,
"I hate you, Black!"
"There's too many Blacks around here," Draco whined as he sat opposite with Ceph by his side. Riley knew he could not get away, so he tried to focus on his dinner.
"Well, that is one way to be greeted," Harry commented as if he was speaking about the weather, helping himself to some Lasagne.
"You and the Mudblood will not win," Riley hissed, "The Blacks have turned traitor on the true lord. I shall kill you for my fathers' death."
"I would be very careful about what you say," Harry suggested, though his voice sounded dangerous. Dean and Seamus briefly looked up, then went back to their previous conversation. Neville, from Ceph's other side, watched the pair carefully.
"Dumbledore was a Mudblood lover too. You will all get what is coming to you," Riley spoke, ignoring Harry's warning.
"I told you not to threaten me. Voldemort is a half-blood himself. A filthy half-breed of Muggle and Wizard. But your death would not come at my hand, but at his," Harry spoke so quietly none of the others could hear. He whispered an incantation then grabbed Riley's hand.
Riley found himself no longer in Hogwarts but in the hall of a once-great house. The building now appeared ancient and unloved. A voice drew his attention to the front where a raised dais was standing. Lord Voldemort, the most powerful Dark Wizard in the world, looked at him.
"Welcome to my service, Riley Monahan. Your father was one of my best fighters and my greatest ally, but I do not tolerate failures easily. You shall suffer for your fathers' death," Voldemort purred evilly. With a 'Crucio,' the boy writhed in agony, feeling every bit of the curse sent by the evilest man in history. He had never felt so much pain in his life; even his own father just used stinging hexes on him. When Voldemort ended the curse, Riley looked up with golden brown eyes smouldering with fire.
"That is the kind of passion I want on my side, Hatred," Voldemort leaned forward, pressing a long white finger to the flesh of Riley's left arm. When the boy looked down, his skin was charred, but he had a Dark Mark now writhing on his arm. He swallowed the vomit down that threatened to overwhelm him. He was terrified but tried to hide it from his new Lord.
"Now it is time to celebrate; let us welcome our seven new recruits," Lucius Malfoy suggested as the music began to start from somewhere in the big ballroom. Riley looked around, seeing heavy draperies closed to the view outside though they appeared moth-eaten. Draco Black approached him with a smile.
"Welcome to the Brotherhood," the older teen handed him a goblet, then led him to a small group of other teens. "When do we have our initiation?"
"Tonight; Parvati, Cho and Justin are coming later. I really hope I get some action with Parvati tonight; she is getting bored with Finnegan," Dean answered though he looked uneasy about something. "We're also waiting on Weasley."
The vision or dream, or whatever it was, shifted so that he stood in the high street. Thick smoke plumed in the sky as one of the houses was on fire. Riley saw Dean flourish his wand performing a Crucius on a child. Beside him, Draco was now pushing aside the body of a young girl. Riley realised they were stood outside a building that had a sign for an orphanage on it. Sickened, he turned away from Draco to find Dean had taken a boy, probably a year or so younger than himself, and had pushed him up against the wall kissing him. Laughter drew his attention to Parvati, who, along with Blaise Zabini, was using a flame spell to set the orphanage alight. Riley heard the terrified screams of children coming from the building. The boy looked ready to vomit when Lord Voldemort arrived with Lucius Malfoy. Malfoy was holding up Theodore Nott. A second Death Eater was holding up some seventh year Slytherin.
"Ah, my junior Death Eaters. Are you having fun, Master Black?" Voldemort sneered the last name.
"Yes, my Lord, this is the most fun I have had in ages," Draco replied, appearing giddy.
"Master Thomas, would you do me the honours of killing one of these blood traitors?" Voldemort asked.
"Certainly, my lord, Avada Kedavra," the Muggle-born intoned. With a flash of green light, the seventh year had died.
"Now, Master Black, Pack Leader, I offer you the chance to kill Mister Nott." Lucius Malfoy bowed to his son, offering Draco, his former boyfriend, to him.
"Please, no!" Theodore cried out. Riley saw the uncertainty in the blond teen's eyes but thought no one else did,
"My Lord, this is Pups first outing with us; perhaps he would be better suited to take the blood traitor's life," Draco suggested.
Then Riley came out of the vision, his stomach heaving. Riley gasped loudly, not able to look at the other fifth year students as he scrambled from the table though the boy knew people were staring at him as he ran from the Great Hall, finding the nearest toilet. He slammed into the first cubicle and immediately vomited up what little food he had eaten, his stomach heaving. As the boy began to dry heave, he heard the door swing open, then the sound of a muttered incantation.
"It is not a nice truth, is it?" a voice said, then offered him a wet cloth. Harry looked at Riley in sympathy as he wiped his face then his mouth. "But this is what your father did."
"Thank you," Riley replied shakily as he took the conjured water, "c-can I ask you a few questions?"
"Go ahead,"
"How did you do that?"
"I used an old Black spell to twist reality to make you see what service with Voldemort would really be like," Harry shrugged as if it was an everyday occurrence.
"Mal-Black?"
"My cousin is all huff and puff; he is very uncertain. He still has some loyalty to his father," Harry responded.
"How do you know this?" the boy asked.
"I am an Empath, so I can feel Auras. But I recently discovered I am well adept at Leglimency; while I am not as good yet, I can still read surface thoughts," Harry explained.
"Patel, Thomas, Chang and Finch-Fletchly?"
"Voldemort has several spies, even here in Hogwarts," the teen responded guardedly, "be careful who you trust."
"I'm sorry for treating you like shit; I loved my father even after everything he did to me," Riley sobbed as he came to the realisation that his father was not a nice man. Harry pulled the boy into a hug allowing him to air his emotions. Harry knew the vision would not wholly change the boy, but it would help him on the way to healing.
After the boy had cried himself out, Harry led him from the door to find Hermione, Draco, Neville, and Ceph with Mark.
"Are you alright?" Ceph asked the other boy, concerned. Riley looked almost panicked, but Harry just smiled at him.
"Riley's not feeling well. Do you boys' think you could take him back up to the dorm? I am sure he could do with some friends today," Harry suggested.
"Sure, we'd love to be friends," Mark Evan's said enthusiastically. He put a hand on the other boy's shoulder. Harry watched his little brother and neighbour lead the boy back up to the Gryffindor tower.
"What was that about?" Neville asked.
"I will tell you, but you have got to keep quiet. Let us go up to mine and Hermione's suite, then we can discuss it with a bit more privacy," Harry proposed. The other three nodded their consent, so Harry led them through the castle up to the sixth floor. Below the Gryffindor Tower was a painting of a Griffin watching over a valley. It watched them approach with very human-like eyes. Hermione stepped up to portrait, whispering a password. Though Hermione or Harry thought the two boys were trustworthy, they knew some 'spies' were in the castle.
Hermione led them into a comfortable sitting room decorated in red and gold; there was one door and a little kitchenette in the corner. Neville wondered where the door went, but Harry and Hermione quickly gave them a tour. Beyond the door was a corridor that led to an outside balcony. On one side of the hall was two doors with two separate rooms and the other side was a bathroom. He also found a study which had two desks and a back wall full of books. Neville grinned at Hermione when he saw the books.
"Wow, pretty nice set up you have here," Neville commented.
"I like it,"
"Too much red and Gold," Draco grumbled as they all took a seat in the lounge. A Black House elf popped in with tea and cakes.
"You have got one of the Black House Elves?" Neville asked, noticing it was Noj.
"He helps out as we do not trust any of the Hogwarts elves," Hermione responded.
"So, what was that with Riley?" Draco finally asked the question he, Hermione and Neville wanted to know.
"I gave him a vision of what the future could be like if he joined the Death Eaters," Harry explained casually. Neville and Draco's jaw dropped.
"How? I would like to know about what happened at Christmas as well," Neville asked.
"Well, Narcissa started us on Occlumency over the summer, but something was blocking me from fully Occluding," Harry told his story, "Sometime after Hermione's birthday, something just snapped, whether it was Dumbledore's binding I do not know."
"I thought they got rid of all the bindings?" Hermione asked; she knew part of the story but not everything.
"I thought they did too, but the Saturday after Hermione's birthday, I had a private lesson with Narcissa when suddenly I was not occluding, but in Narcissa's mind. I was somehow performing Leglimency. All the adults agree that I am a natural because of my Empath abilities, which seemed to have come into their own."
"So, you have fully come into your Empathic abilities?" Neville questioned.
"Yes, I can detect auras, which is how I know there are two vampires, and two werewolves now at the school. I also can detect peoples' moods," Harry shrugged.
"What did you do to Riley?" Draco eyed him carefully.
"I gave him a waking nightmare. Basically, I used Leglimency to warp his reality to show him what it would be like if he became a Death Eaters, using people I have been observing,"
"Observing? There are Death Eaters in Hogwarts?"
"I get a hint of people's minds every now and then, so I know Blaise Zabini has a network of spies throughout the school, including in Gryffindor. His 'handler' is Severus Snape," Harry revealed.
"Snape's a double-agent, though," Neville put forth. "He cannot do much now that he's gone."
"I think he is a triple agent; regardless of how he spun it, he still works for Voldemort. Though I think you are right, his usefulness is up now that he has gone from Hogwarts, at least as a spy," Harry considered, then added, "sorry Draco, but I gave Riley the impression you did not know whether you wanted to be a Death Eater or not."
"Speaking of Death Eaters, I contacted them. I have an audience with Voldemort soon," Draco divulged.
"Do you think he will believe you, especially after you have been friendly with Harry and changed your name?" Hermione questioned.
"I think so. My Occlumency is good, so he should not glean any knowledge I do not want, but I am planning to offer him something he cannot refuse,"
"What?"
"A way to get to Harry," Draco surprised the pair, but Harry already knew.
"We are going to trap him, reveal him to the Magical world," Harry added, seeing the surprise on their faces. They spent another half-hour discussing all sorts before Hermione kicked them to do some studying before bed (It was O.W. L's year, after all).