Harry Potter's New Life

8) Returning

When the train stopped, Harry immediately hopped off and loaded into the carriage with the others.

"Mr. Potter, I must inform you that teaching is not an easy task, especially when you have some rebellious students. I'm sure the Fifth and younger years will respect you, it's the Seventh and your fellow Sixth years I'm worried about.

"I'm not worried about Seventh year behavior wise, but skill wise. You know the Patronus and a few others but you have a busy summer ahead of you. But the Sixth years... well I know your fellow Gryffindors will respect you, probably Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw as well, but Slytherins, you'll have your work cut out for you," McGonagall said.

"Aw, he'll be fine! Won't ya Harry?"

"Er, yeah, yeah. I'll be okay."

"Just remember if ever you should have trouble, come to me. If it's in the middle of class, send your owl. I'll come no matter what," she encouraged.

"And anyone who misbehaves in your class will answer to me and Fang. Speakin' o' which--" Hagrid pointed out the stopped carriage door.

Harry opened the door and Fang knocked him over. Hedwig let out a screech of annoyance as her cage rolled on the ground. Harry let her out and she flew to the Owlery. He watched her go and then turned back to Hagrid and McGonagall.

"I think it's best to go into my hut now." He nodded, whistled to Fang who was nudging Harry's hand, and walked away.

"Professor," Harry began as they walked toward the doors, "can I tell Ron and Hermione about this?"

"I'm sure you can tell them, but you may not."

When they got inside, Harry instinctively started toward Gryffindor tower. He stopped short and was just about to ask McGonagall when she said, "I don't know the password, Potter. The Fat Lady hasn't come up with one yet. Anyways, you can't sleep up there."

"Why not?"

"You-Know-Who knows about everything you do. If you go up there you're alone and a perfect target. You'll be sleeping in my dorm. Come now, I'm hungry!"

Harry followed her curiously to her door. She uttered the password, "MPWG".

"What does that stand for?" he asked.

"Malfoy, Potter, Weasley, Granger. My trusted trouble-makers," she said with a smirk. "What're you hungry for, Potter?" she asked, leading him to the kitchen.

"Um, it doesn't matter to me."

"How about pumpkin juice and pumpkin pastries. I feel a craving for pumpkin."

"Sounds good to me."

"Okay, you can set your things by the couch. In fact, it's late enough to just pull it out. That'll be your bed. That's mine behind that door." She pointed to a door only five feet from Harry's bed.

"Thanks."

"Oh, and the password is LJ&HP-- Lily, James, and Harry Potter." She looked at Harry's puzzled expression and gave further explanation. "I loved your parents, Potter. And then when they died and you were left, I thought it only fitting to have something to remember them by.

"Now, don't use the password unless there's an emergency, just knock. Good night."

"Night Professor."

9) He's Back

"Professor?" Harry asked, looking up from the book he was studying.

"Hmm?" answered McGonagall.

"May I go out and practice Quidditch? I know I was banned, but..."

"Yes you may, Umbridge isn't here to make you stop playing on the team, now is she? Madam Hooch arrived just this morning, but I'm sure she'll take you out."

"Thanks."

Harry walked down to Madam Hooch's office, where she was busy polishing a brand-new broom. He knocked and walked in.

"Some lucky student will get to ride this new Riot," she said without looking up.

"A Riot?"

She looked up. "Oh! I didn't know you were here yet Harry!"

"I've been here about a week," he said, cocking an eyebrow.

"Yes, well a Riot is a fairly old model. One the oldest models, in fact. I learned to ride on these things."

"Is it fast?"

"Well, no. It's rather slow, actually."

"And you're going to let a student ride it? Was it cheap?"

Madam Hooch's yellow eyes bored into him. "Well, do you remember Mr. Longbottom's first ride? I wish I had had this then. And yes, it was cheap." She was silent for a moment and then asked, "What is it that you want?"

"Er, I was just wondering if you could take me out flying."

"Sure, on one condition."

"What's that?"

"You ride this!" She held the broom out to him.

"Can't I use my Firebolt?"

"No."

Harry hoped no one would see him on the broom. The color was polished deep green, that he didn't mind, but its speed was so embarrassing! It was like riding a turtle compared to his broom. It's a good thing Malfoy's not here he thought.

He was directed to do a series of turns, flips, twists, all in which seemed to be in slow motion. He looked down once and what he saw shocked him so that he almost fell off the broom.

Madam Hooch was lying on the ground, motionless. Harry's scar was pricking the closer he got to her.

"Madam Hooch? Are you alright?" He bent over her and put his ear to her chest. She was still breathing, but had been hit with a very powerful stunning spell. Harry's scar began to sear and felt as if his head would explode.

"Better leave this to McGonagall," he whispered to himself.

"I'm a-afraid you w-won't be going a-anywhere," a voice from the bushes stammered.

"Wormtail!" Harry cried as he began to back up.

"It's no use running, Potter. Do you notice where you are?" a cold voice hissed.

"Voldemort," Harry breathed. His head was on fire now. Harry looked behind him, a wall. In front of him stood Voldemort and Wormtail. Between them lay Hooch and at Harry's side, the Riot.

He bent down and picked up the broom, slowly with his eyes kept on Voldemort. He flicked his wand out.

"How did you get into Hogwarts grounds?" he questioned.

"I walked," Voldemort replied, keeping his eyes on the wand.

Harry slowly mounted the broom. "Really? Not on a broom? Can't you fly?"

"No, I can't fly! I don't remember how to ride a broom! I walked!" he hissed.

"Oh, good!" And with that Harry kicked off the ground. His scar burned badly but began to lesson as he ascended above the clouds. A red ray shot up, barely missing him. He hurried to go faster towards the door. He spotted an open window and jumped through it. He let the broom keep going and watched it drop right in front of the Whomping Willow. There, he thought, they'll think I went into the Willow. He turned and looked around, finding he was in a corridor. He ran down it and finally found McGonagall's passage. "MPWG!" he whispered frantically. He ran straight to her back room, whispered, "LJ&HP!" and then ran in.

"Potter! What is it?"

"V-Voldemort is here, on the grounds, near the Whomping Willow! Madam Hooch has been stunned!"

"Oh God! I'll go over the little buzzer." She ran to an intercom that Harry had never even known the school had and began to speak hurriedly with the volume way down. "Staff, You-Know-Who has invaded the grounds. Keep all windows shut, lights off, and report to Dumbledore's office immediately."

"What about Hagrid?"

"He'll follow the rules except the last one. This little thing goes over to his hut. He knows of the danger," she said quickly, ushering him down the corridor.

There were only a few people at Hogwarts, as Harry examined. Flitwick, Madam Pomfrey, Filch and Mrs. Norris, Peeves, and a few ghosts that decided to come back early. They all huddled together, except for Harry, who had his wand out and clutched it, standing by the door. Then a screech split through the night like a knife, making Harry's head sear.

"Damn you Harry Potter! Show yourself!" Voldemort screeched again.

"Master, maybe he was mangled by the tree and caught in the branches somewhere! Yes?"

"No! Just go find the portkey Wormtail!"

Harry watched them stalk off and touch a small sapling and they were gone. He turned around and watched as everyone piled out. He wrote a note on a piece of paper, whispered, "Wingardium Leviosa!" and sent the paper to Hagrid. He watched the sapling get cut down and burned where it once stood.

"The bastard set up an illegal portkey! I can't believe it!" Harry muttered to himself as he walked outside to where Madam Hooch was laying. "Is she okay?"

"She'll have to be taken to St. Mungo's. I don't know what she was hit with exactly, so let us take her." Madam Pomfrey said.

"So, what hit her?" McGonagall questioned the nurse.

"We-ell," the nurse spoke with a drawl on her E's and everything that sounded like an E. "She-e was hit with a Cruce-eo and three-e stunnin' spe-els." Harry tried not to laugh. "They see-emed to come from a powe-erfull force. Did you see-e what happe-ened?"

"Er, no. I was flying on a broom and when I came down, she was lying there, so I checked her and... and..."

"We-ell? Who caused the-e spe-els?"

"Voldemort and Peter Pettigrew."

The nurse didn't flinch. "Volde-emort? Ugh!"

"Wait, before you leave, why do you use his name? I thought Dumbledore and I were the only ones."

"I knew him personally."

"Who are you?" Harry asked, fear rising. Was she a Death Eater?

"I'm Melinda Riddle, Tom Riddle is my father."