Harry Potter and the Emerald Sceptre

~~~~ Chapter 9 ~~~~

Consultations

Harry sat bolt upright in the compartment so suddenly that had Katie still been resting in his lap, she would have been propelled across the compartment. Ginny and Hermione had returned; so had Luna and Neville. Katie was sitting next to him; her head had been resting on his shoulder. The other five were sitting across from them. Harry's scar was stinging; he clasped it with a hand. The others all looked at him in surprise and fright.

"Harry, are you OK?" asked Hermione, looking worried.

"Was it your scar?" asked Neville.

"Yes, I'm OK; I just had a nightmare, that's all."

"Don't lie Harry," said Hermione. "It was a vision wasn't it?"

"Yes," confessed Harry.

"I'll get Lupin," said Hermione; she got up and left. She returned momentarily with Remus.

"Are you OK, Harry?" asked Remus.

"Near enough," replied Harry.

"Hermione said that you had had another vision," said Remus. "Do you want to tell me about it?"

"Voldemort was wondering why all the Death Eaters left."

"Why did they leave?" asked Remus.

"I activated the Dark Mark. Voldemort knows this; he is coming here to meet me." They all gasped.

"You activated the Dark Mark? How?" asked Hermione.

"I touched it," replied Harry.

"Dumbledore must be told," said Remus gravely.

"Already done it," said Harry. "I'm to see him tonight." Lupin nodded. He didn't say anything, but Harry could tell that he was worried, and with good reason. Harry had proved that he had more in common with Voldemort than he ever dared imagine, even in his most pessimistic moments.

The remainder of the journey passed very slowly for Harry. The others kept throwing concerned glances at him. Harry tried to ignore these. 'It was to be expected,' Harry reasoned. 'They had, after all, just survived a Death Eater attack and Voldemort had announced his intention to come to Hogwarts.' Most worrying of all was Katie. She hadn't said a word since they had had left what had become the Medical Carriage. Her eyes were still glazed and she had her thumb in her mouth. She was shivering and gazing blankly over at the opposite wall. She didn't even blink when Harry snapped his fingers in front of her eyes. When Harry left to check on the Dursleys family, he gently let Katie come to rest on the seat. She was lying on her side, still not having moved. He draped his cloak over her and excused himself. Hermione pulled rank and insisted that be accompanied. Luna volunteered. Actually, Harry was grateful for her company.

Luna hardly said a word as she walked.

"The prefects have done a good job clearing this mess up," said Harry in an attempt to make conversation.

"Indeed they have," replied Luna vaguely. "Still, all this commotion would have scared away the Yunganaks."

Harry was going to ask what a Yunganak was but then decided that he really didn't care. Also, the chances of them actually existing was remote, so they continued in silence.

After making sure that the Dursleys were all right and comfortable, Harry went back into the medical carriage.

"Harry, is everything OK?" asked Narcissa, as she fastened a bandage to a young girl's arm.

"Can I have a word with you?" asked Harry.

"Sure."

"In private?"

"OK, come on." Harry excused himself from Luna and led her into the corner.

"What is it?"

"I'm worried about Katie."

"What's wrong? It is her head?"

"No, Draco...Draco...he tried to..."

"What did he do?" asked Narcissa.

"The bastard was going to rape her," stuttered Harry, having difficulty getting the words out.

"He what?" she gasped.

"He just grabbed her and...forced himself on her. His hand went down her jeans...and..." Harry felt the rage building up in him. His threat had been real. If he got his hands on Malfoy he would throttle the little bastard. He would tear him limb from limb. He found himself imagining all sorts of ways to hurt Draco. He went so far into his fantasy that he didn't even hear Narcissa's response.

"Pardon?" asked Harry, coming back down to earth.

"How is she?" repeated Narcissa.

"How would you be?" growled Harry. He immediately regretted it. "Sorry, I just feel so much anger towards him. I think she is in shock. She hasn't said a word; she doesn't respond to her name and she just stares blankly at the wall. She's shivering as well.

"It does sound like PTS," said Narcissa thoughtfully.

"What has PMS got to do with this? That would hardly make her act like this would it?"

"No, Harry. PTS -- Post Traumatic Stress disorder. It is a heightened state of shock following an emotional trauma. It is common among rape victims, hostages and car crash victims."

"So what can you do about it?"

"Not a lot," sighed Narcissa. "Just keep her warm and talk to her. She has to find her own way out of it. Here, take a blanket and keep her warm; I'll check on her after I'm done with these three, OK?" Harry took the blanket that Narcissa offered and tucked it under his arm.

"OK. How are they treating you?"

"A little apprehensive, but no more than I deserve. Well, I'd better get back to it." She returned to her casualty, while Harry turned to leave. As Harry passed, he saw Charles Miller giving orders once more.

"Miller," said Harry.

"What?" replied the Head Boy. He seemed a little bitter, probably still mad about losing control.

"Katie is...unavailable for patrols. You will need to cover for her."

"OK, is that all?" asked the Head Boy with a glare.

"For now. Oh, by the way, well done."

"For what?" he asked

"You survived, we all did, and so did they. Nil-Nil, home draw, one point in the bag."

Harry checked with the Dursleys twice more before they arrived at Hogsmeade. Ron, Hermione and Ginny kept leaving to patrol the carriages every so often, leaving Harry taking care of Katie in the custody of Luna and Neville. 'Me and my big mouth' thought Harry. 'This is exactly what I don't want; to be watched everywhere I go.' Harry scolded himself for thinking about his own ego when Katie was lying there like this. 'When I find Malfoy...' thought Harry.

"What is wrong with her?" asked Hermione when she returned; Neville and Luna had gone for a drink, leaving just the two of them and Katie.

"Shock, Post Traumatic Stress, according to Narcissa," replied Harry.

"From what?"

"Well, we were just attacked, Hermione in case you didn't notice," snapped Harry. She sighed then turned on her heel. "Sorry, Hermione. I'm just very tightly wound at the moment. She..." Harry trailed off. He found the words too painful to say. Hermione stopped and came back inside.

"It's OK, Harry, I know this is hard for you. What happened to her; was it the whack on the head?" Harry shook his head.

"Malfoy..." Harry checked that there was no one outside listening and lowered his voice. "Sexually assaulted her."

"HE WHAT?"

"Shhhh! Don't tell anyone, not Ron, not anyone. The last thing she needs is for everybody to know. They say it is the hardest thing for a woman to go through. It is extremely hard to recover from something when everyone insists on bringing it up in every conversation. Believe me I know, people trying to discuss something this painful does not help you recover. Hermione, promise me you won't tell anyone."

"I promise," she said as she sank into a seat. "Jesus Christ, I never thought Malfoy could do anything like that."

"Well he can; and now he has to face the consequences."

"What consequences?"

"Me."

"Harry, I can imagine how you feel, but we can't have you running off on a vendetta."

"I know, I know, I'm too important, blah, blah, blah."

It was getting dark when they entered the mountains of the north. The shadows they cast didn't help. The lights came on in the train. From experience, Harry knew that this meant they were half an hour from Hogsmeade station. Harry informed the Dursleys of their arrival time. Then he went to find Lupin. He found him in the prefect's carriages, having tea with Narcissa.

"Potter, how many times have I got to tell you that this is off limits to you," said Miller angrily when he entered. He still had not gotten over Harry's little mutiny earlier. Harry wondered how much of the fighting had actually involved Miller; he didn't seem to have a scratch on him.

"Sorry, Charlie, I just need a word with Lupin before we arrive." He marched to the far end of the carriage where his new teacher and an old one sat sipping tea.

"What is it, Harry?" Remus asked.

"When we get there, I need you to keep everyone on the train for a few minutes while I move the Dursleys up to the Castle. I would ask Katie but she isn't in a fit state to do much. They must not be seen, so can you keep all doors locked until they are in the boats. They are in the first car so if you keep everyone onboard we should be able to slip past."

"Sure Harry, how long do you need?"

"Five minutes should be enough"

"No problem."

"Oh and by the way, should I take Katie with me or will a house elf take her to the hospital wing. I don't really want to leave her alone."

"I agree with not leaving her alone," said Narcissa thoughtfully. "She can't take the coaches in her state, and leaving her on the train is not good, in case she wakes up. I will take her when we arrive. For now keep her warm and I'll take her straight to the hospital wing when the train stops. OK?"

"Thanks." He left. He spent the last twenty minutes or so with the Dursleys. After a quick trip to the compartment he had inhabited for most of the journey, where he collected Katie; he returned to the compartment behind the mirror. The Dursleys talked about what America was going to be like, what car they would have and all that Florida had to offer. This bored Harry but that couldn't be helped; he needed to be here. He sat with Katie's comatose head on his lap. She was wrapped in his cloak and the blanket that Narcissa had given him. Here eyes were now closed, her thumb remained in her mouth, and she didn't respond to any stimuli. When Narcissa had checked on her, she had shone her wand in her eyes. The pupils didn't even dilate; she just stared unseeingly into space.

"Right," said Harry when they were five minutes away. "In five minutes we will arrive at Hogsmeade Station. We will get off and take the boat across the lake to the castle. Hogwarts at night is said to be one of the most, forgive the pun, enchanting sights in the Wizarding World. However, since you are dead and must not be seen, I must put a charm on you to make you almost invisible. You will feel as though I have put an ice cube down the back of your coat but the feeling will pass in a second. OK?" All three looked very nervous. The idea of magic being used on them was something they had obviously not expected and were somewhat apprehensive about it. One at a time Harry put the Disillusionment Charm on the Dursley family. Harry could no longer see them because of the darkness. One could see a faint outline in broad daylight but at night they were totally invisible. Lupin's voice could be heard, courtesy of the Sonorus Charm.

"WE WILL SHORTLY BE ARRIVING IN HOGSMEADE. PREFECTS PLEASE RETURN TO THEIR COMPARTMENTS. AFTER WE STOP, COULD ALL STUDENTS PLEASE REMAIN IN THER COMPARTMENTS UNTIL TOLD TO DISEMBARK BY A PREFECT. ALL LUGGAGE IS TO BE LEFT ON BOARD AND WILL BE BROUGHT UP TO THE SCHOOL LATER. FIRST YEARS WILL BE SHOWN WHERE TO GO BY A MEMBER OF STAFF. THANK YOU."

The train pulled into the station.

"Everyone ready?" asked Harry. He heard three calls of 'yes' from behind him. After taking one last glance at Katie who was lying unchanged beneath the blanket, he opened the door and jumped down onto the platform. He waited while the Dursleys jumped down behind him. Harry levitated their suitcase out of the compartment, and once it was on the platform, threw the invisibility cloak over it. He did one final check to make sure that no evidence of their being there was left and, finding nothing, he walked towards the front of the train past the locomotive.

"Come on; keep up. We only have three minutes until the rest of the school will get off," said Harry urgently. He had taken three steps when suddenly a door opened behind him on his left, to the carriage behind the Prefect's car, to reveal a fifth year Slytherin girl. Harry and the Dursleys froze. Since they weren't moving they were invisible to the girl.

"Oi," shouted Harry. "You were told to stay on the train until told to leave, go back inside until the platform has been secured." The girl glared at him but retreated when he raised his wand. He continued on past the train, and passed Hagrid who greeted him warmly.

"'Allo 'Arry. 'Ows it goin'?"

"Hagrid, I have to rush. I'll come and see you tomorrow, but I have to get to the hospital wing," lied Harry. "The rest of the school will be off in about five minutes." Hagrid nodded; he looked a bit put out, but Harry couldn't help that; he had to get them up to the castle ASAP. Harry continued on, and judging by the sound of running feet, the Dursleys were close behind. They arrived at the boats.

"In you get," said Harry.

"In those?" asked Aunt Petunia, timidly.

"Unless you'd rather swim? There is a giant squid in there you know. Think of it as a right of passage," said Harry. Muttering to herself she climbed into the boat followed by her husband and son. Miraculously, all three Dursleys fitted into one boat. Harry removed his father's cloak from the trunk and sat on it. He tapped the boat with his wand and it began to move slowly it began to move across the calm waves. Harry levitated the trunk with himself on top of it and followed the boat.

"Harry, where is the castle?" asked Dudley. He turned to see his cousin riding his suitcase which was hovering a foot above the surface of the water. He squeaked in shock. The others turned and gasped.

"You'll see it just around the next bend," replied Harry calmly. He really wished he had a still Muggle camera. The look on their faces was priceless and to make matters even better, Uncle Vernon couldn't do anything to stop him. A minute or so later they did go around the bend and the castle loomed up before them. Lights were on in every window, the orange glow shone from every window. The stars were out and the sky was clear. The castle was silhouetted against the beautiful night's sky. The moon was a few days past half moon and was high and clear in the sky over the castle. There was no other word to describe the view before them. It was magical.

"Wow," gasped the three Dursleys simultaneously.

"Most Muggles can't see it," Harry informed them. "It is enchanted so that they just see a ruin. Dumbledore has lowered the anti-Muggle wards for you."

The castle sat atop a cliff, silhouetted against the moon and the clear nights sky. The stars could be seen, the night was quiet, there was no wind and the water was calm. Harry looked over his shoulder to see the rest of the first years climbing into boats, half a mile or so behind them. They were so far away that Harry decided to remove the Disillusionment charm. The boat and trunk entered the tunnel and stopped at the little dock. They all climbed off. Winky was there to greet them, dressed in a Hogwarts tea towel.

"Winky has been ordered to take the Dursley family up to their new living quarters," squeaked the elf. "Harry Potter, can Winky have the trunk please?" Harry set it down and Winky levitated it. The elf levitated the trunk with a snap of her fingers and began to march up the stairs. Harry gestured for the Dursleys to followed her and fell into step behind them. He couldn't go first, mainly because he didn't know where the staff's living quarters were.

Winky led them up the main stairs to the fifth floor and east along a long passageway to a painting of Florence Nightingale. The house elf paused before the painting and turned to face Uncle Vernon

"Rhododendron," said Winky. "That is password to door," she told Harry and the Dursleys.

"What does that mean?" asked Dudley.

"If you say the Password then the door will open," replied Harry. "Well go on then."

"Rhododendron," said Uncle Vernon nervously. The painting swung open to reveal a staircase. The Dursleys jumped back in horror while Harry struggled not to laugh. They followed Winky up the stairs; they passed a door that bore the placard, N. S. Black, then another F. T. Sinestra, then R. M. Vector. The heads of house had their living quarters attached to their offices, so Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Sprout and Flitwick weren't here. Sybil Trelawney always stayed in her tower and so did not have a room here either. The last one said R. K. Hooch. They reached the top of the stair. There were no more doors, just a painting of a unicorn.

"Open up," squeaked Winky, the painting obediently swung open. Winky lead them through to the room. It was just like the Gryffindor Dormitories. There were two king-size beds, a fireplace, and an en-suite bathroom and shower room.

"The password is 'open up'. Professor Dumbledore will let you change it to whatever you want," squeaked Winky. "Just tell Winky what sir wants and Winky will change it for you."

"Mercedes," said Uncle Vernon without a pause for thought. It appeared that he had chosen his new car already. Winky bowed and then shot off to change the password.

"Hem, hem," Harry turned to see Dumbledore standing in the doorway. "Good evening Mr. Dursley, or should I say Mr. Squires, as you are now officially known as," smiled the Headmaster. "The feast is about to begin, I have set up a tent for you made out of the same material as an Invisibility cloak. You may join us without being seen, though I must request that that I be allowed to replace those charms on you until you are back here tonight. You will have breakfast served in here tomorrow." They nodded, probably because they knew that it would do no good to argue.

Dumbledore reapplied the spells, then he lead the four of them back down to the Great Hall. Harry showed the Dursleys to their seats. They were once again shocked and in awe of the beauty and scale of the school. Having spent five years in the castle, the novelty had worn off for Harry but every now and again the school had a surprise for him. The hall had been given a bit of a makeover. The stained glass windows had been changed and were now bigger, so they allowed more light in. The four tables were covered in long white tablecloths and the red flags which symbolised a Gryffindor victory last year in the house cup were gone and replaced by large white flags bearing the Hogwarts crest. The hall had also been cleaned and the ceiling made even clearer than it was outside. The hovering candles, which would normally give off a soft orange glow, had been replaced with large crystals which floated around many feet above the floor, orbiting around a giant chandelier suspended from the middle of the ceiling. These gave off a bright white light making the room brighter and gave it a happier feel. The new décor, although a big change, was a subtle reminder of the schools policy: inter-house co-operation. No decorations betrayed any sign that one house was better than any other. The place looked cleaner, newer and more formal than before, another sign of the changing times. Hogwarts was getting ready for hard times. The old ways of fun and happiness were gone; a new hard-line approach was here.

Harry went back into the courtyard to await the arrival of the coaches that carried students all the way around the lake; a one and a half mile journey. While he waited he was joined by Narcissa.

"Evening," she greeted.

"Alright?" replied Harry. "How did you get here? You were on the train."

"Portkey straight to my office. It's a simple getaway trick. Before you ask, I left Katie in the hospital wing. She is fine."

"Thank you," said Harry. "Look, I want to thank you for what you did today. I can't imagine what it must be like to do that to your own sister and son. I just want you to know that I appreciate that and I want to apologise for the whole knife to throat thing; I got a bit carried away."

"No need to apologise; I did what I had to do. I just hope it is worth it," sighed Narcissa.

"Are you all right?"

"I've been better. It has been one hell of a day."

"I know; with luck there will never be another like it."

"You cold?"

"A bit, I've got my cloak. Got your lessons planned?" asked Harry.

"Pretty much. The hard part is dropping the old name. As your companions showed, to many I am still a Malfoy."

"You'll be fine; just try and be impartial."

"Words of wisdom?" asked Narcissa raising an eyebrow.

"You'd better believe it," grinned Harry. "I have seen enough Defence teachers in my time to know what is needed. I myself happen to be the only one in five years that has not left, died, been obliviated or been kissed by a Dementor after one year. You reckon you can beat my record?"

"I've been told about your little master class," laughed Narcissa. "I'll give it a go."

"Here they come," said Harry as he caught sight of the coaches drawing nearer up the hill. "Into the belly of the beast you go."

"And out the monster's arse," she muttered under her breath, though Harry managed to hear it.

"Just be yourself," said Harry.

The Thestrals looked as vile as ever as they dragged the coaches into the courtyard. Harry found himself wishing that he could not see them, like the rest of the school. They all wished that they could see them. 'How ironic,' thought Harry. He spotted his friends immediately. The Weasley hair was a give away. They climbed out of the carriage accompanied by Luna and Neville."

"Wish me luck," muttered Narcissa. She raised her voice. "Come on in please and hurry up. Anyone in need of medical attention take the first left and Madame Pomfrey will see to you; everyone else into the Great Hall. The feast and the sorting will start as soon as everyone is inside." Many students didn't know who she was and complied without question, especially lower years. Those who did recognise her stood motionless, glaring at Narcissa. Some even had their wands out. She just looked calmly back at them. "Whether you like me or not is irrelevant. I am the new teacher and you will do what I tell you to. Now please go into the Great Hall; dinner is about to be served." Some took a few paces forward; some including Zacharias Smith, Ron and most of the DA, didn't. Many of them shot glances at Harry looking for some clue as to what to do. Harry slowly nodded.

"Do as you are told," said Harry. He received some quizzical glances, but they slowly started towards the hall. One of the first to pass them was Pansy Parkinson.

"Traitor," she muttered as she passed. It happened in an eye blink. Narcissa span around and waved her wand. Pansy was lifted of her feet and suspended upside down in mid air, with her robes up around her head, revealing her underwear and her flabby legs.

"Oh, turn her the right way up. That is just repulsive; we'll all have nightmares," said Harry with a small smile. The others stood frozen, not truly believing what they were seeing. Narcissa did as requested but did not put her down.

"Miss Parkinson, we all chose our own paths in life. Your father chose to follow the Dark Lord; you also may chose to follow him; that is your choice. I have chosen to side with what I believe to be right. You may disagree with my choice, but you do not question it to my face; is that understood? If I catch you recruiting my students for your little Death Eater fan club, you will find yourself bobbing around as a goldfish for a week; is that understood?" Pansy was red with rage and mumbling under her breath. Harry discerned only one word and it began with 'F'. "Five points from Slytherin for language, Parkinson," said Narcissa. "Now, inside before it doubles." She released the spell and Pansy fell to the ground. Narcissa turned and walked towards the hall. She paused in the hallway. "That goes for the rest of you as well." There was a stamped of feet as the students desperately tried to get inside, fearing what might happen to them if they refused. That left only Harry, and the lump on the floor that was Pansy, out in the hallway. Harry, for reasons he did not know, felt the need to talk to her.

"Staying to gloat, Potter?" she spat as he approached.

"No," he replied flatly.

"Then sod off; I am not in the mood for your cheap quips."

"Just answer me one thing. Are you joining up for yourself or because of your father? Is it his decision or yours, or even Malfoy's?"

"That is my business," growled Pansy brushing mud off of her robes.

"As you wish, now go inside before the sorting begins." She climbed to her feet, throwing off the hand Harry offered to help her. His first attempt at inter-house co-operation - well, civil inter-house communication, had failed.

He followed Pansy into the Great Hall. As he passed students on his way to the Gryffindor table near to the door where the seventh years sat, he caught snippets of conversation.

"Did you see what happened, how cool is that?"

"I wouldn't cross her if I were you."

"She's a Malfoy; I'm surprised she didn't kill her on the spot."

"Do you believe that she has switched sides?"

"What is Potter doing trusting her?"

"Do you reckon she'll teach us that?"

It seemed, from what Harry heard, that she was getting mixed opinions. Harry took a seat between Neville and Ginny.

"Well, she seems friendly," commented Hermione sarcastically, gesturing to the new Defence Professor. "Have you read the books she set?"

"That was just a publicity stunt to try and gain support," said Harry. "Everyone, including you, is judging her by her former name and so she needed a quick way in. She now has it. Whether she is popular or not, she has publicly declared support for us and shown everyone that she knows what she is doing. The books are a little extreme, but in light of our situation, don't you think it wise to know at least the basics of what could be thrown at you? You said it yourself this summer. OWLs are answers to textbook scenarios and safe environments. NEWTs are about what really happens in the real world, where anything goes. Incidentally, do you think Dumbledore will reprimand her for that little display?"

"Doubt it," replied Ron. "He let the fake Mad-Eye put an Unforgivable Curse on students. He won't worry about a levitation charm."

"Fred and George were set a similar book when they were in sixth," said Ginny reverting to the original topic of conversation. "Though I doubt they ever opened them. Actually, they did; that was the year we thought we had Mad-Eye. Anyway, Basic Dark Arts books aren't unusual when teaching Advanced Defence; you have to know what you are up against. Anyhow did you know McGonagall had a book out? I saw it on Ron's list."

"No, she never mentioned it, but then it was only released a year ago," replied Hermione. "Still, it's a cracking read; she really knows her stuff."

"Thank you, Miss Granger," said an icy voice behind them. Professor McGonagall was peering over Harry's shoulder. I need a word with Miss Weasley. If you will excuse us." They exchanged puzzled looks amongst themselves as Ginny got up and followed her out. Harry could see them in the corner talking. He took a chance to look over at the Slytherin table. With Malfoy off with Voldemort and Crabbe and Nott still on the train, there were only six sixth year Slytherins; Bulstrode, Zabini, Parkinson and MacDougal were the girls and Gleeson and Goyle were the boys. 'This year might not be so bad,' thought Harry. He looked back over to Ginny. She looked quite pale and even scared while talking to McGonagall. Then Professor Sinestra came in through the door.

"They're here, Minerva," she called as she took her seat. McGonagall looked up. She nodded, said a final few words to Ginny and then left. Ginny sat back down.

"What was that all about?" asked Ron.

"Nothing," said Ginny quickly - too quickly. Harry knew she didn't want to talk about it, so he let it go.

"Hey, Herm," whispered Ron. "Do we take the new lot upstairs or do the fifth year prefects?"

"Weren't you paying attention during the meeting?" replied Hermione in a tone one normally heard from Professor McGonagall.

"Yes, I was, just not at that moment. I was a little distracted by the Death Eaters outside."

"They didn't appear for a good two minutes after Katie told you about the patrols and arrangements."

"OK, I switched off. Happy? Now please tell me what I'm expected to do."

"Ginny and Colin will take the first years to their dorms. You are just patrolling at night this year, unless there is a special occasion when the Head Boy may need you to help more often. You will receive your timetable at breakfast tomorrow."

"Right, OK."

"Shhhh!" interrupted Ginny as the first years entered the room. The gaggle of tiny first years followed McGonagall down the aisle, grouping together at the front. Harry gave Mark an encouraging wink as he passed. The group looked absolutely terrified. Harry wasn't surprised; he remembered what his Sorting had been like. He was so scared that a test was involved. Fred and George had told Ron that he had to wrestle a troll. Harry wondered what other urban legends the first years had heard on the train. Suddenly the Sorting Hat's words popped into his mind.

You would have done well in Slytherin!

Harry quickly thrust the image out of his mind.

McGonagall placed the hat on the stool where it performed another mellow piece foretelling of the hardships to come and how they must all unite in order to survive. When it finished and the half-hearted applause died down, Professor McGonagall untied a scroll and cleared her throat.

"When I call your name, come forth. I will place the Sorting Hat on your head and you will be sorted into your house," said Professor McGonagall.

"Antoinette, Sarah." A small girl with short brown hair tied up in a bun gingerly stepped forward. She sat on the stool and McGonagall put the hat on her head.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the Sorting Hat after a moment's contemplation. Sarah sighed with relief and moved over to the Hufflepuff table, the occupants of which were clapping enthusiastically.

"Bushnell, Andrew," said McGonagall. Andrew promptly became the first new Slytherin. In the next minute, Simon and Sean Clarke became Ravenclaws and Valerie Edwards became another Hufflepuff.

"Evans, Mark," called McGonagall. Harry turned to look at the corner where the invisible tent was. He would have loved to see the look on Dudley's face when he found out that Mark was a wizard.

"GRYFFINDOR!" called the Sorting Hat. Mark got up and walked towards the Gryffindor table, taking his seat near Harry.

The rest of the sorting lasted nearly ten minutes. Gryffindor had received four boys and five girls. They looked as timid as Harry himself had done. What amused Harry was that he quickly noticed the 'Hermione' of the group. Kiera Hannigan. She was quite short compared to the others. She had her hair tied back into a plait and had a biro behind one ear. She was clearly Muggle-born and was immediately chatting to a second year named Darren McDonald. Harry could already hear them talking about lessons and it had been less than ten minutes since she had taken her seat. She was definitely Mini-Hermione. If she mentioned Hogwarts: A History, Harry would have laughed himself to death. Then Dumbledore stood up, cutting short Harry's search for a Mini-Ron and a Mini-Harry.

"Before we begin, do we have any staff announcements?" he asked as he looked along the Staff table. Madam Hooch and Professor McGonagall had their hands raised.

"Rolanda?" said Dumbledore

Madam Hooch stood up and raised her voice. "Flying lessons for first years will take place on Thursday week, after lesson five, in the courtyard at the east end of the castle. Please be advised that first years are not, repeat not, allowed brooms. Any first years in possession of a broom, hand it to me after the feast. I will owl it home for you and you will be allowed to bring it next year. Quidditch tryouts for teams will we next weekend, and new team captains will be advised before that date. Thank you." She sat back down.

"Thank you Madam Hooch. Minerva?" said Dumbledore. Professor McGonagall stood.

"Can I see all sixth years and seventh years in my classroom tomorrow at eleven, please and can I see Harry Potter after the feast, thank you." She sat and Dumbledore once again rose to speak.

"Welcome to all of our newcomers, welcome back to all our veterans. As I am sure that you are aware, since last July and the return of Lord Voldemort..." there were gasps all around the hall at the mention of his name. "There has been a heightened need for caution and security. The incident on the train today should have alerted you to the danger we now face. Thankfully, no one died in the incident. Three of our numbers are in Hospital at the moment, Miss Cho Chang, Mr Terry Boot and Miss Kathryn Bell; our new Head Girl.

I hope this incident has removed any doubt from your minds as to the severity of the situation. This is not something that is happening to someone else, thousands of miles away; it is happening to you and just as the Sorting Hat has just said, we will unite or we will fall. Your security and the security of every person in the country, magical or Muggle is our top priority. For this reason, please note that the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds to all students; that includes you Mr. Potter." Harry looked up, shocked. He had only been in the forest a few times - OK five times, and all with good reason - since he had been at Hogwarts. OK, Dumbledore did have a point, but did he have to embarrass him in front of everyone in the school?

"A new curfew is in effect," continued the Headmaster. "All students are to be in their dormitories before nine o'clock. Hogsmeade trips for Third Years and above are to be supervised by members of staff and I reserve the right to cancel them at any time without prior notice. There is to be no magic in the corridors and any student using dark magic in this school will be punished most severely; not only by the school but also by the Ministry of Magic. We have lost two students today who have elected to follow Voldemort instead of us. That is their choice and I cannot stop them. I only hope that they see the error of their ways before the Aurors catch them.

On a lighter note, any student wishing to study Duelling and extra curricular Defence Against Dark Arts, there will be a new club starting this term, taught by our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Black," he gestured to Narcissa, "and Harry Potter of the sixth year." Harry caught his breath; the DA was being expanded and he was required to teach them. He wasn't sure that he was ready for this. He glanced at Hermione whose idea it had been to form the DA. She smiled at him and gave him an encouraging nod.

Dumbledore continued. "May I introduce our new Head Boy and Head Girl, Charles Miller and Kathryn Bell; Miss Bell is unable to join us, as she is in the hospital wing, but Mr. Miller is here, stand up and let yourself be seen...there we go. Lessons will resume on Thursday, which means you have another day to acclimatise yourself to school life. I recommend you use this time wisely and study. First years are advised to locate their classrooms for Thursday's lessons. And lastly, before we eat I would like to pay thanks. I think we can all agree that, were it not for the efforts of the prefects and a select group of students who last year took matters into their own hands and started a small student militia, many of you would not be here right now. I would like to personally thank each and every one of those students who put their lives on the line to help others. Now, without further ado, let the feast begin," finished Dumbledore.

The plates before them filled themselves with freshly cooked food. Harry helped himself to roast pork, sausages, gravy and several potatoes. Conversation was quite sparse during the meal. Having experienced what they had, no one really felt like talking except Kiera, who, contrary to everyone else, wouldn't shut up. After the feast, Ginny and Colin Creevey, the new Gryffindor prefects, led the first years up to Gryffindor Tower. Harry waited for the hall to clear before slipping into the Dursley's tent.

"Finished?" he asked.

"Absolutely, I'm stuffed," said Dudley contentedly. "If you have this much every day, how come you are so skinny?"

"It's called exercise. The classrooms are about a mile apart so you have to be quite fit to run that far. I'm exaggerating, but it is quite far. OK, wait here; I have to see McGonagall then I'll take you back to your room.

"Harry," asked Aunt Petunia. "What did he mean by 'that includes you Mr. Potter'. Are you a troublemaker?"

"No, I just have ended up in there five times in five years. Once in my first, second and third years and twice in fifth. We went in there for a lesson once, but that was authorised."

"I think I am going to have to have a chat with your teachers," said Aunt Petunia thoughtfully.

"You dare," said Harry, suddenly going red. 'So this is what it felt like on parent's evening,' thought Harry. Before he could dig himself in deeper, he left and ran over to McGonagall.

"I thought you had forgotten, Potter," said McGonagall coldly.

"You know me, I always turn up, Professor," grinned Harry.

"I hope so, Harry, I do," sighed McGonagall. If Harry didn't know better he might have thought she cared. "The reason that I wanted to speak to you is that I have been trying to decide who is going to be the new Quidditch captain. The next most senior person is Miss Bell but she had decided, wisely in my opinion, that she would be too wrapped up with Head Girl duties and her NEWT studies to captain the team. She will still play but the captaincy goes to the next most senior person; that would be you." Harry's heart did a do-se-do at that. Captain - wow. He had always wanted that. Captain Harry Potter, that had a certain ring to it. But come to think of it, he knew very little about tactics. Seekers just sit around on top waiting for the snitch, and then catch it. As far as tactics for the others were concerned, Harry didn't have a clue. It was sad but true. He paused for a few seconds, relishing the thought before doing what he knew he had to do.

"That's very kind, Professor," began Harry. "But I know next to nothing about tactics. I just catch the snitch. I really wouldn't know where to begin. Try Ron, he has grown up with the game; he knows it inside out. He would be a better captain than me." Harry could see the disappointment in her eyes, but that was nothing compared to how he felt. He knew it was the right thing to do, but it still hurt.

"Very well," said McGonagall. "I will take your recommendation into account. You may go now, Potter."

"What is tomorrow's meeting about, Professor?" asked Harry.

"I don't want to spoil the surprise; now, return to your dormitories before I deduct house points!" she turned and left. Harry smiled to himself. He hadn't really expected an answer but it never hurt to try. He led the Dursleys up to their living quarters. He returned to Gryffindor Tower to find a party underway. Harry didn't actually know the new password but luckily for him, he arrived just as Colin Creevey was leaving. No one wanted to sleep; they were all chatting, greeting each other. They all had several months of anecdotes to tell each other. Mark came running up to him.

"Harry, I just heard all about you. What you did to You-Know-Who. Wow, Harry, why didn't you tell me? You are a hero."

"Mark, listen most of that stuff is exaggerated. And I am not a hero; I escaped by luck, that's all, not skill or power, simple luck, and one more thing. Never, ever, in my presence call him 'You-Know-Who'. You have never heard of him and should not be afraid to speak his name. Voldemort; it is just a word. Try and get your friends to say it as well."

"OK, Harry,"

"Potter," called a third year whom Harry had never spoken to. "When is this Duelling club?"

"I don't know; I'll have to ask Dumbledore." 'Damn,' thought Harry 'Dumbledore, I was supposed to go to his office, after the feast'. "In fact," he said to the third year, "I will go and find out now." He left the common room after finding out the password, Pancreas, and ran towards Dumbledore's office. He arrived at the gargoyle before remembering that he didn't know what the password for this was either. He was saved the embarrassment of having to guess when the gargoyle jumped out of the way and Professor Black stepped out.

"Harry what are you doing out so late? You were supposed to have been in your dormitory five minutes ago," she asked.

"Professor Dumbledore sent for me," replied Harry.

"Then don't let me detain you," said Narcissa as she walked off toward the staff quarters. Harry ascended the stairs and knocked on the door.

"Come in," came Dumbledore's voice. Harry opened the door and entered the room. It looked the same as when he had last seen it, except that the instruments that he had broken in a fit of rage last July, were nowhere to be seen. The Headmaster saw behind his desk, his eyes devoid of their characteristic twinkle. "Please have a seat, Harry." Harry sat. "I think we need to talk." The old man surveyed Harry and then sighed. He gave the impression of having dreaded this confrontation, and was now mustering the courage to go through with it. "Harry, I am aware of what happened between you and Bellatrix in the Ministry last year." Harry's face fell. "Did the curse work?" Harry felt guilty. When his anger had subsided last summer, he knew he had done wrong and that Dumbledore would eventually find out. He had dreaded this moment. He hated the look of disappointment in the Headmaster's eyes. There was no point in lying; Dumbledore was proficient at Legimency and would know if he even tried.

"For a second yes, but then it wore off. She told me that righteous anger would not hurt her for long; I have to want to cause pain," replied Harry, staring at his feet and feeling very guilty.

"The fact that you used 'righteous anger,' as she put it, does not excuse the fact that you used an Unforgivable Curse. I have let it go up until now because I believed it to be a one off. We all lose control at one time or another, but the wisest of us learn from our mistakes and never repeat it. When you accepted the hand, again I let it go because I believed that I would have done the same, and because the spell was used to give you a hand not to make you more powerful than anyone else. Today you activated the Dark Mark. The Mark itself is in its very essence evil. Why did you choose to activate it?"

"Well I knew that if we were to fight then there would be many injuries maybe even deaths. I needed to get them away from the train. Since only Voldemort can summon them, then I needed them to think that he had called for them. You told me he had given me some of his power and that my blood flows through his veins after his rebirth party, so I thought that I could activate the Mark and it worked."

"You have used three very Dark spells with good intention at heart, Harry..."

"But sir," Harry cut him off. "You said yourself that it is our choices that define who we are; that means that nothing is inherently evil. The spell that gave me back my hand, that was considered a Dark spell but used in the right way it does so much good."

"An interesting point Harry, but there are flaws in your theory. Yes, most magic is neutral; the evil of it comes from the context in which it is used. That is how we define the Unforgivable Curses. They cannot be used for good. Pain, death and control cannot be used for anything but evil. Not even control. If it is used for a good purpose, why not do it yourself? If you make someone else do something they don't want to do then you take away their rightful freedom; it must be for an evil purpose. In fact, that is only half of the definition. An Unforgivable cannot be used for good and must be powered by pure hatred, nothing else. But I digress."

"Then why is Cruciatus an Unforgivable. Today I saw Narcissa use it to resuscitate Terry Boot."

"The Cruciatus Curse is not a true Unforgivable. The original three Unforgivables were the Killing Curse, the Imperious Charm and...another one that I think it is wisest you do not know of. Cruciatus is not by definition an Unforgivable; but when Voldemort first rose, it was used so much that it was upgraded to the status of an Unforgivable Curse. The other Curse was reduced in status. It is illegal but doesn't carry a life sentence in Azkaban. It has died out as no one uses it anymore.

"So you are saying that aside from those three, no four curses, all other magic can be used for good, and so should not be restricted?" said Harry.

"That is a view that some take," said Dumbledore. "Harry, you are entering the real world now and you will soon find that not everything is black and white. We have to compromise and the world we live in is many shades of grey. You are familiar with the phrase, a means to an end? You must lean to understand the balance of what is wrong and right, which brings me to my next point. You are coming into the fullness of your powers now; everyone's powers start to grow at your age. You don't need a wand for some spells, and others you can manage without a wand, though you have not tried. You may not be the most academically able student here but you have more raw power than even Tom or I had at your age."

"Some of it he gave me," said Harry

"True Harry, he gave you power and you have just explained that it is neutral power. Wood fuels fire whether it is used for arson or for cooking. Whether your power is used for good or evil is up to you. My point is that you are very powerful, just like some of those spells you mentioned. You could be a saviour or plague of this world, depending on the context of your work. Voldemort knows this. He will try to lure you towards the Dark Side. Once you start down that path, fuelling your magic on hatred, there is little anyone can do to bring you back. You would forever be his slave. As I have said before, 'With great power comes great responsibility'. You have to decide what you wish to do."

"I will never join him; he killed my parents, Sirius, Cedric," began Harry clenching his fists.

"You see, Harry? Your anger is ever so close to boiling over. Because of your power, you are a very tempting target for him. He has already made three attempts to get you in just over a month. The park: he wanted you then, and to remove the witnesses. The Shopping Centre: he wanted hostages to lure you to him, and the train was an even more blatant attempt to get you. It is your power and your hatred that he wants. If you are to face him for the side of good, then you must not attack in anger or hatred. You must use love."

"I am supposed to love him?" asked Harry, "Are we talking kiss of death here?"

"No, Harry. You must learn to channel your emotions and use them to power your magic, to fuel your power with love. Magic exists throughout us. We summon it up at times to do spells. You could consider emotion as a key to unlocking a spell; that, combined with belief. When you are angry you can do spells you may not be able to in a normal state of mind. You could use the same spell on me right now that you used on Bellatrix and I wouldn't feel a thing because your emotions right now are not as strong as they were at the time. Anger is so easy to get at, so easy to use, but you must avoid the temptation to use anger. You must be able to channel your love into your magic. This is harder to do; it will seem that you are not progressing very quickly, and so this is why so many take the Dark Path. It is far easier to channel hatred, much quicker to gain power. Do you remember what I said about choosing between what is quick and easy and what is hard and right? Anger will never be as strong as love, and in the end you will attain more power through the light side."

"How am I supposed to let go of hatred? I can never forgive him for taking Sirius or Cedric."

"I am not asking you to, Harry. You must learn to disconnect your head from your heart to be able to channel love at those who your head hates."

"Can you teach me?" asked Harry.

"No, I am afraid I can't. Neither can Voldemort, though he would have you believe that he can. The only one who can is you. You have to choose which path to take. If the path forks then you must choose where to go. When the time is right, you will know what to do; you will know how to use you power to it's full extent."

"What about the door in the Department of Mysteries?" asked Harry.

"Behind that door, is a place where none have entered; a source of pure love. Only the pure of heart can enter it. You may have heard from Egyptian Mythology about your soul being weighed against the feather of truth when you die. If the heart is too heavy there is too much sin and the Devourer eats you. There is a similar principle here or so I understand from the Unspeakables. Some people have tried; none have succeeded in reaching the source. What lies beyond is not known. If you can channel your love and attain enough power then you will be ready to enter that place; you will be pure enough to be granted entry, to unleash the full potential of the powers which are yours, which have been given to you by myself and Tom and those powers which you may gain inside."

"You mean it is a portal to Heaven? And God will show me what to do?" asked Harry.

"What it truly is I cannot say, but yes, I suppose that that analogy can be used. Coming back to my original question, do you now see the danger in using Curses such as those? They may seem trivial, look but don't touch, but soon your curiosity will have you touching but not tasting and then so on until one day you will look in the mirror to see a Dark Lord staring back at you. You must stay on the straight and narrow Harry; do not be tempted to take the easy path as Tom did. It may interest you, or at least serve as a warning to you, to know that I once had this very conversation with Tom Riddle."

Harry froze. Dumbledore polished his glasses with his robes and replaced them on his nose before continuing. Harry was sure he saw a look of triumph in Dumbledore's eyes at Harry's reaction. The Headmaster continued.

"He came to me after sending a student through a window. He lost control after a joke about orphans and sent the boy flying through the air and through the glass of a second story window, breaking eight of his ribs and cracking his skull. He had a lot of raw power too and his temper, just like yours, was ever so close to the surface. This was in the time when Grindelwald was in power in Germany. Tom was part of a resistance group set up by Ethan Dippet; you remember Armando, here," he pointed to the picture on the wall, in which Armando Dippet bowed to him, "He was Ethan's son. Tom and myself both worked for this Order and had been on assignment for him with one other wizard. The third member of our group was killed. Tom used a curse, which I didn't even know about, in retaliation, one so powerful and so dark that it nearly killed the man; it left him paralysed from the neck down and totally incapable of Magic.

A few days later, back at school, I warned Tom about controlling his temper after he sent the boy through a window. He promised me that he would steer away from the Dark Arts and that he would control his temper. That was during his fifth year. Then during his seventh year, he opened the Chamber of Secrets, and you know what has happened since. He went from a situation similar to yours to the Dark Lord. Something happened which changed him. Maybe he discovered his ancestry and it gave him arrogance; I do not know but by the time he left he was very angry, always shouting, occasionally violent and very arrogant. This anger kept getting stronger and stronger, and during his travels he fell deeper into the Dark Arts, trying constantly to get more and more power until it killed him.

Tom Riddle died and the monster that you have fought time and time again took his body. This can all be traced back to his first use of the Dark Arts. There is an old wives' tale that says, 'if you give a mouse a biscuit he'll want a glass of milk'. I think you understand the point it tries to make. After you came back from the Chamber you were worried that you saw too many similarities between you and Voldemort; you were more right than you knew, and that I had the heart to tell you. Now you know everything.

Be very careful, Harry, or you could share in Tom Riddle's fate. You now have to choose whether you follow his path in darkness or if you wander into uncharted territory, namely the light." Harry felt physically sick at the idea that he himself could potentially be a Dark Lord, that the path of Evil was so close before him. He was expected to win, but to do that he must go through a door no one else could which he might not even be able to do. Harry's head began to spin.

"Yes sir, I'm sorry."

"Don't be, remember what I said to Percy Weasley. An error is not a mistake until you fail to correct it. If you go away with the intention of avoiding in anything even related to the Dark Arts and you stick to it, then you have corrected your error. Goodnight, Harry."

"Goodnight sir," said Harry rising from his chair. Then he suddenly remembered why he had come here. "Oh sir, before I forget, when is the Duelling Club to start?"

"Professor Black has arranged for you to use the hall for two hours from seven on Thursdays, starting next week. Is there anything else?"

"What has happened to Nott and Crabbe?"

"Harry, that I am afraid is not for you to know. You have done your part apprehending them; I must take it from here. Their fates rest with myself and Cornelius."

Harry nodded then he turned and left. It wasn't really any of his business. He only had three people to worry about. Voldemort, Bellatrix, Draco - all would die by his hand. NO! That was what he was not supposed to do. It hadn't taken ten seconds before he had started towards hatred. This was going to take a lot of work. He tried to concentrate on things he loved, his parents, Sirius, Ron and Hermione, Katie. Her face appeared in his mind. He decided to go and see her. He was just about to turn right towards the hospital wing when a voice called to him.

"Stop right there, Potter!" It was Argus Filch, the Caretaker. "We've finally got him, Mrs. Norris. He's been sneaking about since he arrived here and we've finally got him right where we want him. You're in for it this time, Potter."

"Not this time, Mr. Filch," replied Harry coolly. "I have been to see the Headmaster at his request and I am on my way back to Gryffindor Tower. You can check with him if you don't believe me, but have the courtesy not to drag me with you. Good night, Mr Filch, Mrs. Norris." He left before either could object. Harry jogged back to Gryffindor Tower knowing that he would probably be caught if he tried to get to the hospital wing. The party was still in full swing when he arrived at the common room. Harry had a lot to think about, so he gave the party a miss and headed straight upstairs to bed. He opened the door to his dormitory; however there was a problem: it was already occupied.

Lord Voldemort was sitting on Harry's bed.