Harry Potter and the Dark Lord's Servant

Chapter One - Summer Holidays

A man of nearly thirty-two walked down the bare hall of Aviar School of Sorcery, his black robes swaying in his motion. He ran his hand through his light brown hair and sighed. He was joined by a glum-faced young boy that followed him halfway down the hall. The boy was nearly fifteen with black eyes and darkish red hair. He wore a long-sleeved skateboard shirt and a pair of blue jeans. "What's wrong with you?" the man asked him. The boy looked at him weirdly.

"As if you don't know how I feel," the boy said, rolling his eyes. "You've been like a father to me for, like, 7 years and you've learned nothing about me. Come on, Professor Dawsey." Mike Dawsey sighed and went down the rest of the hallway, the boy still following. Dawsey really had expected something different from someone like him. He went into the first door on the left, the Teachers Lounge. The boy followed him inside. He had been used to seeing the white-walled Teachers Lounge with its smell of coffee and floor cleaner. "It's a wonder they don't have the whole school looking this clean."

"Damien, you know students aren't allowed to be in here," Dawsey said.

"During the school year, they aren't," Damien interrupted, sitting down on the couch behind him. "And anyway, I've done this for years. Why are you just getting on me?" Dawsey let out a sigh and sat down on the couch next to him.

"It's just I don't want you carrying these habits away with you..." Dawsey just realized he had said too much. Damien turned to him in interest.

"What? Away. Away where?" Damien said. Professor Dawsey sighed again, seemingly not wanting to break the news to him. Damien nudged him in the arm a few times trying to get him to say it.

"Well, you know that school up in northern England that I've told you about."

"You mean Hoglumps?"

"Hogwarts!" Dawsey said quickly. Damien looked at him weirdly.

"Okay, okay. Hogwarts. What about it?"

"Well...I sent out a transfer form to them. For you."

"Wait, wait, wait. Hold up. You sent out a transfer to a school without my consent." Dawsey nodded. Damien looked at him with anger and surprise. "So, did I get in?" Dawsey gulped.

"Well...yes!" Dawsey said and smiled.

"I hate you!" Damien said and punched Dawsey in the arm. "Why Hogwarts, though? Across the ocean? And in England? I thought I was doomed to live in Sunbury, Pennsylvania."

"It's one of the best schools in history," Dawsey said. "A friend of mine went there. The Auror."

"You mean that old guy that came here last year for that assembly? That guy that gave me an extra hour of sleep in the middle of the day?" Dawsey eyed him for a second. "It's true! I swear I slept through that whole thing on, what was it, 'The Joys of Aurorship."

"It was very educational, if you listened to it," Dawsey said.

"It was also very boring!"

"Just go up and start packing up the hurricane accident you call your room," Dawsey said.

"Whatever you say, Professor," Damien said, getting up, "But if that school is anything like that assembly I'm going to be getting a lot more sleep."

"Go! Now!" Dawsey said, pointing to the door.

"Jeez, just warning ya!" Damien said, leaving the room. Dawsey took out his wand and conjured himself up a cup of coffee at just the right temperature.

"So you told him," came a voice from the other end of the room as he took a sip of his coffee.

"Yes, I told him, Sarah," Dawsey said. Sarah came and stood next to him. Her deep brown eyes didn't surpass her silky voice and brown long hair. Dawsey raised an eyebrow and sighed.

"Why do act like you regret it, then, Mike?" Sarah asked, sitting next to him.

"I don't know. I just hate to see him go," Mike replied.

"Why? All he is a stress provider." Mike turned to her. "Anyway, it was the right thing to do. You're practically his father." Mike took another sip of his coffee.

"Oh yeah, the great stress provider," Mike said, trying to let the coffee soothe him. "And I'm not practically his father. I'm hypothetically his father."

"You shouldn't think that way, you know," Sarah said, pulling out her wand and conjuring herself up a cup of coffee herself.

"Like I'll ever hear him consider me his real father," Mike said.

"Relax. You have a month left with him. Make it a good one. Do something special for his birthday."

"He'll only get mad at me for making such a big deal about it." Mike sat back, took a big gulp of his coffee sat back and relaxed. Sarah brushed off his shoulder and took a sip of her own coffee.

*****

Harry sat on the end of his bed writing furiously on the piece of parchment in front of him, his jet black hair covering his face. Ron sat on his own bed holding his head up with his hand popping Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans into his mouth. Ron, who seemed to no longer want this boredom to go on, got up and nudged Harry.

"Come on, Harry," Ron said, "We've got a month left until school. I think that's enough time to finish McGonagall's essay." Harry looked up to see Ron's pleading face.

"I guess you're right," Harry said, putting the parchment away. " I still need to practice some on my Quidditch skills."

"That's the ticket!" Ron said, smiling. Harry got up and picked up his Firebolt racing broom. Ron grinned and led Harry out the door and down the stairs. Harry now was used to Ginny peaking out her door and turning scarlet, Percy telling them to walk quietly from out of his room, and Fred and George's room letting out loud BANGs every time they used the stairs.

When they got downstairs, they found Mrs. Weasley conjuring up sandwiches. Ron "shhh"ed Harry behind him and tried to tiptoe to the back door. As soon as he touched the doorknob, Mrs. Weasley turned to them.

"Ronald Weasley! Trying to sneak outside behind my back." Mrs. Weasley told him. "Why if Harry wasn't here, I'd give you a wallop right now."

"Mum, I'm 15. You wouldn't wallop me if I'm that old." Mrs. Weasley gasped.

"And if you ever want to see 16, you'll have to get through me first! I put you in this world and I can take you out!" Mrs. Weasley barked. Fred and George sniggered from the edge of the stairs as Ron turned crimson in the face. "That goes for the both of you, too. I've heard the noises from you're room and if I find one thing in your room that had anything to do with Wizard Weasley Wheezes, you both with be de-gnoming the yard until further notice." Fred and George frowned.

"Now, Harry," she said in a sweeter tone, "Would you like a sandwich?"

"Yes, ma'am," Harry said, looking bewildered.

"Such manners," Mrs. Weasley complimented. Ron nudged Harry, to which he shrugged. "Your aunt and uncle should be proud of you." Like his aunt and uncle would ever be proud of him. They wouldn't be proud of him to save their lives. They are more ashamed of him than imaginable. And all because he's a wizard. Those Muggles would care if he was named Prime Minister, he'd still be a nothing.

They all sat down and ate their sandwiches in silence. When they finished, they made it outside to practice Quidditch. First, Harry shot off into the air on his broom. Ron started to throw stones into the air for Harry to catch. He caught all of them. After about an hour of this, Harry came down. Ron mounted himself on the broom and took off. Harry threw some stones into the air and, surprisingly, Ron caught most of them. For hours they stayed out there, each taking turns on the Firebolt. Sunset neared and they knew they had to go in.

"Looks like you've gotten better," Harry said, seeing Ron come down.

"I learn from the best," Ron said, smiling. They both went back up to the house and went upstairs to Ron's room. "Ah, I can't wait to get back to Hogwarts."

"I can't either," Harry said sitting on his bed. Suddenly, Mr. Weasley cam in looking bewildered.

"Harry, can you explain something to me?" Harry chuckled.

"Of course, Mr. Weasley," Harry replied.

"Well, I just picked up a carton of 'I Can't Believe It's Not Butter."

"Yeah...so," Harry said.

"Well, if it's not butter, then what is it?"

"It is butter," Harry said.

"No, no. The title says it's not butter. It can't be butter." Harry sighed.

"Looks like another long explanation," Harry said to Ron. "I'll see you later, Ron."

"See ya," Ron said, as Harry exited the room with Mr. Weasley. Ron lay back on his bed and let out a sigh. "I guess some things never change." And suddenly he felt rather tired, closing his eyes and falling into a short sleep.