Chapter 12
Harry knew the reaction of his parents, especially his father, would be a very very excited one. But he didn’t prepare for a bright red howler to be dropped in front of him the morning after he sent them the letter. It was a Sunday and since a lot of clubs were starting early the Great Hall was full with almost all the students.
“Ooo, Harry got a howler.” Millicent teased.
Blaise sat next to him and groaned at the envelope. “Goodness, what have you done now?”
“I don’t know.” Harry replied shyly.
“Well open it before it explodes and tells everyone from Scotland to the Netherlands!” Draco stressed, picking up the envelope before Harry got too.
The howler jumped out of Dracos hands and twisted from side to side as if trying to contain itself from opening. Then it ripped open and James Potter’s excited voice filled the Great Hall.
"HARRY JAMES POTTER I HAVE NEVER BEEN BLOODY PROUDER THAN I AM AT THIS MOMENT! YOU GOT SEEKER!! I CAN’T BELIEVE MY SON IS THE YOUNGEST QUIDDITCH PLAYER OF THE CENTURY! YOU DID BETTER THAN ME!! I DON’T EVEN CARE IF YOU’RE GOING TO BE PLAYING AGAINST GRYFFINDOR I’M GONNA BE THERE AND SO IS SIRIUS-“
“AND ME!”
“AND PETE AND I CAN’T FUCKING-“
“Language!” Lily scolded over his dads enthusiasm. His friends and everyone else in the Hall was laughing and Harry was hiding his red face in his hands.
“We’re all very proud of you, Harry. Padfoot and your father cried when they got the letter-“
“Not true!”
“The tears streaming down both your faces would say something different.”
“Pete! Defend me!”
“Sorry mate, can’t lie with Lily there, you two were sobbing in each others arms.”
“The blasphemy!” James cried out.
Lily laughed loudly. “Darling, you are so weird- wait, is this a howler?”
The howler didn’t speak for a moment.
“Shit, Moony will have my head for this.” James muttered.
“How do you turn this thing off?”
“How did you turn this thing on?”
“I thought it was one of those muggle birthday cards where you talk into it!” James whined.
Harry heard his mother huff. “You bought a muggle birthday card from Diagon Alley?”
“The shop looked touristy, okay?”
“Remind me why I married you again?”
“Flower, you know I’m just as confused as you are.”
“The howler is still on.” Peter deadpanned.
“Shit-“ Lily muttered before the howler ripped itself to shred and fell gracefully into Harrys bowl of porridge.
Everyone roared with laughter and Harry started laughing himself, not even feeling embarrassed about his families enthusiastic response. Draco was holding his stomach and Tracey laughed so hard orange juice came out of her nose. Harry looked to the teachers table and made eye contact with Remus who was wiping away his tears from chuckling.
“Have I told you I love your family?” Goyle giggled.
Harry sighed. “That was… definitely a card.”
“Mr Potter.” A voice snipped behind them. Harry turned quickly and saw it was Professor Snape.
“Oh, good morning Professor." He said happily, not even nervous around his scary teacher.
Snape raised an eyebrow in slight amusement. “I came to congratulate you for making the quidditch team. Mr Flint is usually very tough when it comes to choosing his players.”
“Thank you, Professor.”
The Professor eyed Harry narrowly before looking to the rest of the table and clearing his throat. “Be in the Common Room at 10 ‘o’ clock, we have various matters to… discuss.” Before turning on his heel and walking to the staff table, his cloak behind him like a cape.
“I will understand his long pauses before finishing the sentence.” Blaise said.
Draco snorted. “Imagine him ordering a drink.” He cleared his throat and mocked the professors voice perfectly. “I’ll have a Butterbeer with extra… cream, please.”
Tracey laughed so hard that orange juice came out of her nose a second time.
After that morning, the rest of the day went perfectly. Professor Flitwick gave the Slytherins 20 points for Harry and Pansy’s ‘delightful demonstration of the softening charm’ which the only did well because they wanted to beat the two rude Ravenclaws who were sitting in front of them.
In Herbology, Professor Sprout was teaching them about the man-eating tree and how to defeat one. Draco, Crabbe and Goyle were mucking around but Sprout misheard and gave Ron, Dean and Seamus detention instead who were angrily whispering for the Slytherins to shut up. Draco’s winning smirk made a show and he walked like he had a God complex all the way to lunch where the school was feeding them American burgers. Which was now Harry’s favourite food.
Next class, Professor McGonagall didn’t give them any homework after the large amount of notes she got them to write down about transfiguration formulas. The formula was something about transfiguration being directly influenced by bodyweight, viciousness, wand power, concentration and the wizard/witches own self-confidence. Harry had grinned knowingly to his friends, knowing what they knew about his abilities.
Astrology was last, they didn’t have potions or DADA today, where they waited till the dusk hit and with telescopes, the students watched for which star showed up first. Millicent and Crabbe earned Slytherin 10 points for pointing out it was a star from the Aquarius zodiac. The group on their own had earned their house 30 points in one day and Harry could positively say it was one of the best days ever.
He only hoped that whatever Professor Snape had to say was more positive than negative.
“What d’you think this Snake Conclave thing will be ‘bout?” Goyle asked with a mouthful of beef stew.
“Maybe who to push off the Astronomy Tower first?” Blaise teased.
“I have a few suggestions.” Pansy sang.
The gang laughed.
“But seriously, maybe Snape just wants to get us all together after the holidays.”
Draco snorted. “He’d much rather we all stayed on holidays, Snape doesn’t even like kids.”
Tracey frowned. “He likes us.”
“That’s because we’re in his house, he doesn’t much like half-bloods and mudbloods.” Draco stated plainly.
“Fair enough.” Millicent shrugged,
Harry shook away the uncomfortable feeling and smiled tightly to Blaise. “Mate, pass the bread please.”
The prefects were rounding everyone up and leading them to the portrait where the seven years magicked it open with a silent spell and pushed the younger students in quickly, the clock ticking loudly as it went one minute past 10.
Snape was standing at the front of the room with his back to the couches. The fireplace was lit and radiated warmth through the room, it looked like it should be cold but in all the times Harry had been here, he had never shivered from the temperature once. The group of 8 sat on the couches and Pansy sat happily on Draco who groaned in annoyance but put his hand around her waist and his chin on her shoulder anyway. Harry felt a bitter feeling fill him but shook that away and looked to the front where Snape was pacing, waiting for silence.
Once the room quieted down, the professor raised an eyebrow and opened his arms, everyone noticed he had a copy of the daily prophet in one of his hands. He then opened it and cleared his throat before clearly reading one of the articles.
“Believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown, Gringotts goblins, while acknowledging the breach, insist nothing was taken. The vault in question had, in fact, been emptied the very same day. "But we're not telling you what was in there, so keep your noses out if you know what's good for you", said a Gringotts spokesgoblin this afternoon. Gringotts now need to readdress their security system. Goblin security specialists are combing the land for a better breed of security dragon to replace the now deemed useless existing ones. They are even going as far as examining Muggle security systems. Gringotts need to get another security system in place before any more breaches occur. Wizards, witches all over the country are scratching their heads wondering how safe their money is in the so-called safest wizard bank. Head goblins are urging the wizarding community for calm.”
Snape snapped the prophet crisply in half and crossed his arms slowly, looking expectedly at his students.
“This was written on the 12th of September, 1991.” He said slowly. “On that same day, the Hogwarts groundkeeper, Rubeus Hagrid retrieved an item in a secret vault for Headmaster Dumbledore.”
A 6th year girl raised her hand before talking. “What has this got to do with us, sir?”
“Why do you think I’m bringing this up?” He asked the group. No one answered.
Snape’s expression darkened. “I am urging you to be careful.”
Harry made confused eye contact with Blaise and the other boy was frowning as well.
Snape sighed as if he was dealing with stupid children - which he technically was. “This has something to do with dark magic.”
One of the older students barked with laughter. “No offence sir, but you out of all our teachers should know all of us deal with dark magic.”
“This article sounds like a dark thief whose very good at their craft.” Someone added.
“Weren’t you listening? Nothing was taken.”
“Then what has Hagrid got to do with any of this?”
“What d’you mean?”
“Snape just said Hagrid retrieved something from Gringotts for Dumbles on the same day of this robbery.”
“So… Hagrid’s the thief?”
“Hagrid wouldn’t know his arse from his elbow.”
“That doesn’t mean he’s not the thief.”
“No, but it does mean he’s not smart enough to steal something from the most secure bank in the world.”
“Enough!” Snape snapped, stopping the conversation between the students.
“Hagrid has nothing to do with this except he’s a suspect of securing the item the thief had tried to take.”
Blaise frowned and whispered to Harry. “So, Hagrid took the thing before the thief could.”
“I think so.” Harry whispered back.
“This is so cool!” Pansy breathed.
Snape cleared his throat overly loud to get everyones attention. “What I was initially saying, this is a time of dark magic, darker than what I encourage, I fear it will come to Hogwarts.” He said darkly and seriously. No one said a word and looked fearfully to their friends.
“This was not a meeting to create fear, just making sure you all understand what is… happening.”
“We won’t be in danger if Dumbledore is here, right? He is the only person every dark wizard has ever been scared of.” Someone stated.
“Dumbledore is a bastard.” Snape snapped harshly, making everyone surprised.
“If we are ever in danger, I have more faith in the students sitting before from me than anyone else to keep Hogwarts safe.”
Harry puffed up his chest, feeling like those words were said to him. Maybe they were.
“What do you think was attempted to be stolen, sir?” A fifth year asked.
Snape’s lips lifted in amusement. “Something worth stealing.”
“Don’t start speaking in riddles, Professor.” The student groaned.
“No one knows what it is, Rosier.” His friend muttered.
Blaise sat up straighter. “Why are we talking about this article now? It came out in September and it’s now January.”
A group of older boys laughed and one hooted. Snape glared at them and crossed his arms again. “If you are so… smart, Mr Zabini. Why do you think I’m mentioning this now.”
Harry looked at his friend and saw the realisation hit him, making Blaise’s dark eyes widen and his hand coming to cover his mouth.
“What is it?” Harry asked after Blaise didn’t talk for a moment.
“Professor Snape thinks the thief is in Hogwarts.” Blaise said tonelessly, keeping his eyes on the professor. “They’ve come for what is hidden here.”