00.00am
Chapter 24: 00.00am
Albus Dumbledore’s Pov
The year is almost at a close with three weeks left to go until the summer holidays begin. That is a problem...
The boy is yet to venture into the trapdoor on the third-floor corridor or confront Quirrell, and Albus cannot let it continue. It is essential for the future of the Wixen and muggle world alike that Harry confronts Voldemort. Albus must test his theory that has been ongoing since the night the Potters were killed; he must know for certain the parameters of Harry’s blood protection and begin to explore the connections between Tom Riddle and the boy.
There is no one else to save the world from the dangers that are slowly creeping towards them... so Albus has to be the one to take the burden of a safe future upon his shoulders, even if it means using a child.
Albus knows that it is perhaps cruel to forge a child into a weapon... but on the other hand he knows and understands that Harry potter is destined for this. He knows that Harry stopped being a child worthy of peace the moment the lightning bolt scar was carved into his forehead.
So... he must find a way to lead Quirrell and by extension Tom down the trapdoor with Harry in tow.
Perhaps a lure... bait. Yes, that could work.
Quirrell and Voldemort already have incentive to go through the trapdoor after the philosopher's stone, all Albus has to do is give them an opening. Harry on the other hand, he needs something more...
It could also serve as a way for Albus to test the bounds of Harry’s loyalty. It will be helpful to know if there are any of noble Gryffindors traits in the boy... Albus’s life would be significantly simpler if the boy proved to be less Slytherin than he appears.
One of the friends Harry spends so much of his time with will work well or maybe one of the familiars.
But how to will albus get a hold of any of them?
“Perhaps a compulsion is in order.” He muses to the portraits on the wall of his office. “It worked so well with Harry and the mirror of Erised, as much as I despise the dark arts I cannot deny their usefulness in the right hands.”
“Are you sure you are a Gryffindor Albus?” Phineas nigellas mutters smugly from his place on the stone wall. “With each passing year it seems like you become more Slytherin than me.”
Albus waves a hand dismissively. “I do not do this for selfish reasons Phineas, it is all for the greater good. I assure you my intentions are noble as Godric himself.” He smiles at the cruel old portrait, kindly.
Phineas scoffs. “Keep telling yourself that, headmaster.”
Albus ignores him and sets his mind to forming a plan, by this time tomorrow Harry will go through the challenges he has had his staff set under the trap door, and he will face Voldemort for the second time.
~~~
“I actually managed to transfigure my match stick into a needle! I couldn’t believe it. I don’t think McGonagall could either, she stood and stared at me for like a whole five seconds without saying a word and then she awarded me ten points and walked away.” Neville rambles excitedly, he seems absolutely ecstatic about his progression in spell casting. After Harry and Luna spoke to him on Saturday about his tangled magic Neville has clearly improved leaps and bounds, whilst his magic is still abit twisted up it is much better. Harry doesn’t know if Neville will ever be able to truly except his family magic... but at least he’s trying to, and that makes all the difference.
So, Harry smiles at the other boy, feeling just a little bit proud. “That's great Neville! Keep it up and you’ll shock all the teachers, even Snape.”
At That Neville does a full body shudder. “No. I don’t think I'll ever be good at potions, not with Snape as a teacher. I honestly don’t know how you do it Harry, whenever I'm in his classes I spend the whole lesson trembling.” Neville says with a sigh and a shake of his head.
Harry shrugs. “I’m a Slytherin, he’s biased. He does much less of the scary vampire, I'm going to insult you within an inch of your life and murder you in your sleep with a potions knife, act. When he’s teaching us.” Harry has witnessed the dour professor berating students and spreading a healthy dose of terror among the other houses (Mainly Gryffindors) and he’s heard rumours about the way Snape conducts most of his classes. Harry has never had any problems with Snape, infact the professor is his favourite teacher. But he knows that its mostly due to him being in Slytherin house. He dreads to think what his potions lessons would have been like if he had sorted Gryffindor.
Neville stifles a burst of laughter, immediately looking around nervously like he expects professor Snape to jump out the walls. “Merlin Harry, don’t say that, what if he hears you.” He mutters nervously under his breath.
“Even if he does, I'll just use my status as one of his Slytherins to get you out of trouble.” Harry grins. “Oh, and next year if you want, I don’t mind giving you a few potions lessons.”
Neville’s eyes widen in surprise. “You would do that for me?”
“Yeah of course.” Secure allies, Harry hears Hermione's words echo in his head. “Were allies right? Friends?”
Neville looks taken aback for a moment, then he smiles a little shyly. “Yeah. It’s cool having a Slytherin on my side, you’re nowhere near as bad as everyone says.”
Harry smirks. “No?”
“Nope.” Neville shakes his head. “Your nice. And you helped me. You haven’t, like... tried to blast me off of the face of the earth with dark arts or cursed my bloodline.” Neville shrugs sheepishly.
Harry laughs in disbelief. “People actually think that?”
“Some of them.” Neville shrugs again. “But I don’t think so.”
“Well... thanks, Neville. I’m glad to have you on my side as well.”
Neville beams. “Cool! I have to go now. I’m meeting professor sprout, she’s going to let me in greenhouse three! But I'll see you later, nice speaking to you Harry.”
“Bye Neville.” Harry says, waving as he walks away.
He had run into Neville on his way back to the Slytherin common room, and thought it was a good opportunity to catch up. Harry can’t wait to tell the others that they have managed to secure a Gryffindor ally.
Harry pushes of the wall and continues is journey to the dungeons.
~~~
The common room is busy when Harry walks in. It's a Friday, so classes are finished for the week, the younger Slytherins are talking with friends or playing games, while the older students are all looking stressed peering at textbooks, and trying to get in as much revision as possible before their O.W.L.S and N.E.W.T.S start next week.
He glances around the large room, spotting his friends sitting together on cushions, in one of the corners near the glass wall that looks into the depths of the black lake. All the sofas are taken by older students, they get priority, so the younger years have to make do, with cushions or poofs when the common room is this busy.
Luna is sitting cross legged and placing various crystals around her cushion in a circle, frowning slightly. Blaise is sprawled out lazily, his back leaning against Freya and petting a sleepy looking Solace who is perched on his stomach. Hermione with her legs drawn up, arms crossed resting on her knees, staring avidly at a thick book that sits propped open on the floor Infront of her. George is rested on his stomach dragging a piece of string across the floor while his ginger kitten Lila chases after it happily. Fred is leaning against the glass window twirling his wand between his fingers looking bored.
Fred catches sight of him first, waving at him. “What took you so long, mate?”
“I ran into Neville.” Harry says plopping down next to Hermione on her cushion.
“Oh?” Hermione says with interest. “How did it go?”
“He’s our ally, for sure. I kind of slotted the question into our conversation, and he confirmed that he is. I told him I was his Ally/friend too and he seemed happy about it.” Harry shrugs, but he’s also feeling a pleasant sense of achievement. They are getting somewhere.
Hermione shuts her book a smile appearing on her face. “Our first Ally, and a Gryffindor no less. Well done, Harry.” The she adds looking at Luna. “You as well Luna, if you hadn’t gone with Harry on Saturday, he probably would have sent Neville running for the hills.” She looks back at Harry. “You’re terrible at talking to people that aren't us.”
“I’m not that bad.” He huffs, when Luna giggles.
“You kind of are.” George laughs.
“You get this look on your face like you would either like the ground to swallow you whole-” Fred begins.
“-or for the person Infront of you to disappear.” George says, sitting up and scooping Lila into his lap, eyes alight with amusement.
They’re not wrong, Harry is self-aware enough to admit that to himself. People are difficult to deal with they always have been. He feels like he has to be on guard through any conversations that aren’t with the five people sitting near him now. Like one wrong word and they’re going to decide he’s evil. Plus, it always feels like he’s being watched, every movement observed, he never knows if the people speaking to him have another agender. He’s probably just pointlessly paranoid but he can’t change the way his brain works.
“He’s not a people person.” Blaise rolls his eyes. “Neither am I. Luna Hermione and you two twin terrors can do all social work for us.”
“And what will you two do?” Fred asks with a raised eyebrow.
“We can take the credit.” Blaise smirks.
Fred scoffs in offence.
“We’ll all play to our strengths.” Hermione says diplomatically. “And to bring us back on topic - we now have a Gryffindor ally.” She rests a hand on Harry’s shoulder affectionately.
“And we have been speaking to Padma, she said she would consider studying with us.” Luna adds, placing another crystal on the ground a she begins to make a second circle.
“Next year we can work to make more connections. But for now, this is a great start.” Hermione concedes, looking pleased and excited.
“I reckon Neville could introduce us to some Hufflepuffs, he mentioned he’s friends with Susan bones and her aunt is the head of the DMLE.” Harry muses thoughtfully.
“Yes. Good idea.” Hermione says nodding enthusiastically.
“What about the Slytherins?” George asks. “I mean were kind of friendly with some of them, Gemma, flint, Pansy, daphne on occasion... but overall, we kind of keep to ourselves. Maybe we should make more attempts at befriending them.”
“Thats actually a good point, we should probably have done that from the beginning.” Blaise sighs.
“We don’t need to focus on all of this now, we still have three weeks to the end of term and anything we don’t manage this term we can continue next year.” Hermione says firmly.
“Does anyone want to play a game or something? I'm getting a headache from all this devious plotting.” Fred groans, rubbing his temples.
“Sure.” He mutters, smiling when Solace leaves is perch on Blaise to come and get some attention from Harry. Settling on his wrist and chirping up at Harry softly.
“As long as I don’t have to leave my circle I don’t mind playing.” Luna says.
“What is your circle by the way?” Fred asks curiously.
“Protection.” She says simply. “Something bad is coming, I can feel it. It's like a thundercloud in my head all shadows and noise.” She murmurs with a distant look in her eyes.
“Oh.” George states. “Thats not good.”
“Very ominous. Probably very bad.” Fred adds with a frown.
“Do you know what's coming?” Hermione asks anxiously, her eyes sharp.
Luna shakes her head. “I don’t know. I’m not sure if it even concerns us. It could be someone else. I had feelings like this before, one a week before my mother died, and another one before my favourite tree was uprooted by the wind.” She shrugs softly. “It might be something not that bad, but there's no harm be wary.” She places the last crystal completing her circle.
“Okay... Well, we’ll keep our guard up.” Harry says slowly, feeling suddenly very nervous. Luna’s feelings are never wrong. But it might not concern them so... maybe it will be fine? “But we can’t do anything about it anyway, until we know more.”
“We’ll just be careful and cautious until Luna’s feeling goes away.” Blaise says with a nod.
There are murmurs of assent around the group.
“But for now... let's play a game. Try to take our minds of potential doom that may not be for us.” Fred says, reaching for a pack of cards.
No one protests the distraction. And they settle into a game of new market, each of them attempting to push the worry away.
They play until Gemma comes to send Luna and Hermione back to their dorm before curfew. Not long after that they head up to their own dorm. Chatting for a little while longer before getting ready for bed.
Each of them falls into asleep, unaware of the doom that is merely two hours away.
~~~
Harry jerks awake, Selena is hissing frantically, poking him in the face with her snout. “Star! Wake up! Speaker quickly!”
“Wha’s the matter?” Dread settles in his gut, though he doesn’t entirely understand why through the haze of sleep.
“Your friend Star, the red headed one! Compulsions! He left the dorm not of his own free will. It must be The Headmaster or the possessed one, predators have found their prey, speaker.” She hisses desperately.
Harry stares at her frozen in shock. Doom has arrived... much sooner than any of them thought was possible. He looks at the clock, 00,00 am.