Ultimatum Revised

Ultimatum Revised

By Matt Coggins

September 1st, 1990

"Is it true?" the pale boy said. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you is it?"

"Yes," said Harry. He was looking at the other boys. Both of them were thickset and looked extremely mean. Standing on either side of the pale boy, they looked like bodyguards.

"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

Ron Weasley gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. Harry turned to him.

"Back off!" he hissed.

"Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."

Malfoy turned to Harry. "You'll soon find that some wizarding families are better than others, Harry. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."

Malfoy held out his hand to shake Harry's. Part of Harry wanted to refuse Malfoy's offer and punch him for calling Ron poor. Then there was the other side, the side that wanted to take Malfoy's hand and shake it with pride.

So he went with the other side, and all hell broke loose.

"Harry," Ron gasped. "What are you-..."

"I'd shut it if I were you, Weasel-pee," Malfoy sneered. "Potter's on our side now."

Harry gladly smiled.

May 20th, 1990

"Harry, look at the Prophet!"

Harry slid down the Slytherin table at stopped next to Malfoy. He read aloud:

"Hogwarts student Neville Longbottom was killed by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named himself.

"Says witness Hermione Granger, 'Neville gave up a good fight, but Voldemort killed him behind his back. It was horrible.'

"You-Know-Who obtained a mysterious rock last night known as the Sorcerer's Stone, giving him immortality.

"The Dark Lord has risen once more."

Harry looked up at his fellow Slytherins.

"Now that Voldemort is back, do you think he's hiring Death Eaters?"

May 25th, 1994

"Hurry," yelled Ron. "He's gaining on us!"

"Avada Kadavra!" Harry chanted, pointing his wand at Hermione Granger, Loona Lovegood, and Ginny Weasley. They all fell to the ground, dead.

"Petrificus Totalus!" Harry yelled, flicking his wrist at Ron. "I've saved you for last, Weasley!"

"Harry, please!" Ron pled. "Please, don't kill me! I know you're just doing your job, but please!

"I thought, at first, that you'd be a Gryffindor, but I guess I was wrong. I also thought that you were my friend, that day on the train, but I was, again, wrong.

"Harry, I know all about your family! Didn't anyone tell you that Voldemort is the reason you never saw your parents! He killed them, when you were a baby!"

Harry was taken aback by all this. He had been Voldemort's most faithful servant, but if he knew this...

"If you don't believe me, listen!" Ron took a glass object out of his pocket and threw it on the ground. A loud voice echoed through the room:

"THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD APPROACHES, BORN TO THOSE WHO HAVE THRICE DEFIED HIM, BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES, AND THE DARK LORD WILL MARK HIM AS HIS EQUAL, BUT HE WILL HAVE POWER THE DARK LORD KNOWS NOT, AND EITHER MUST DIE AT THE HAND OF THE OTHER FOR NEITHER CAN LIVE WHILE THE OTHER SURVIVES. THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD WILL BE BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES!"

"That means me!" Harry gasped.

"Yes, Harry!" said Ron. "You're the boy who lived."

Harry threw off his cloak and cats Diffindo on it. "Why I even trusted him..." he muttered.

"Ron, I'm sorry about all of this. I should have just refused Malfoy that day. I'm sorry about your sister and girlfriend."

"What? Oh, yeah. That's not them, watch. Aparecium!"

Ron's spell hit the girls, which turned out to be Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. Harry laughed.

May 26th, 1994

Ex-Death Eater Kills Death Eaters

a Daily Prophet exclusive by Reeta Skeeter

Harry Potter killed now-former-Death Eaters Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe, and Gregory Goyle, which clears him of all charges for being a Death Eater himself.

Umbridge Out of Office

Written by Bob Rodgers, with illustrations by George Vila, and Pictures from Kenny Forman

Dolores Jane Umbridge was voted out of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and Albus Dumbledore took her place as headmaster.

Dumbledore also did something never done before: he moved a student between houses by request. Who was the student? We're not sure yet, but we do know he was taken out of Slytherin and put into Gryffindor.

The End

6/27/04