Burnt Genes

Chapter 10

The Not World

It has been an odd few weeks for Harry. Dumbledore hadn't sent anymore notes, and nobody was questioning why he was refusing to go to potions. Some of his friends offered to bunk with him but he made sure they didn't, and that minimal fuss was kicked up over his boycotting of said lessons.

Harry had been surprised to see Snape in the Slytherin common room when he got back from the Ministry. He was screaming at his friends while some older Slytherin's laughed, and had stuck Ginny upside down to a wall. However, he hadn't returned since Harry shattered his spine with a bone braking curse, (after sneaking up on his). They should probably hide books on curses like that.

Snape had tried to get Harry expelled, but a few well-placed threats here and there from Harry, even from a few other ancient family heirs, and the majority of Slytherin House decided to pretend that they saw nothing.

In the end, when Amelia Bones visited to take statements, no evidence surfaced, and the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement advised those brave morons who sided with Snape that it would be in their best interest to retract their statements.

They retracted quickly enough when they realised that they were playing hardball with some people in very powerful positions, and in the end, Snape dropped any potential charges. However, when Molly Weasley, Ginny's mother found out what Snape did she pressed forward with charges against him.

Dumbledore tried to stop her and get the charges dropped, but all that seemed to do is truly open her eyes. However, Amelia was happy to help the Weasleys out and they pushed for dismissal, but Dumbledore managed to prevent it. It was quite the amusing little game, and had garnered some interest.

However, Snape never was fired, but he did get a huge fine for assault on a student. Harry has to wonder how these morons just walk right into traps that aren't even set.

Harry tried not to laugh as he sat at the Slytherin table with Ginny and Tracey either side of him eating breakfast on a nice Saturday morning. They were laughing-about with some more of their friends when the halls volume started getting quieter.

They looked around to see Amelia Bones and a cohort of men and women not in Dumbledore's pants. The hall quietened as Dumbledore rose, McGonagall right behind him, the old man worried, and McGonagall supressing her victorious grin.

"We've gone through this, Amelia," the old man said with a smile. "Severus is not losing his job, nor is he going to jail. He has done nothing to warrant such punishments."

"I'm sorry Albus, that isn't your choice anymore," she said smiling as she confused him. She handed his an envelope. "That is an order for your suspension, pending an investigation. Also, Albus Dumbledore you are under arrest for abusing your position as Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to groom young heirs into your own personal bank accounts and soldiers.

"If you do wish to say anything in your defence, it can and shall be used against you in a court of law. You are entitled to an attorney of your choice. However, if you can't afford your own, we shall supply you with one. I am also obliged to inform you that we have frozen your accounts under the knowledge that you had stolen from Lily Potter, undermining James Potter's belief in you. Take his wand and cuff him."

Dumbledore was so shocked that his wands were taken before he could react, and his hands cuffed behind his back so he can't teleport away. Amelia smiled as she looked at the stunned expressions on most of the students faces before looking to McGonagall.

"Professor McGonagall," she said as she handed her another letter. "This is your orders to take over as permanent Headmistress," she said before following her aurors with the old-Head-teacher muttering about being back soon enough.

"OK, students," McGonagall said with a small smile that she tried not to make too big as she turned to Snape, he looked to be pooping bricks. "Professor Flitwick," she said, her eyes not leaving Snapes. "Please escort Mr. Snape to retrieve his personal effects and escort him off school property. And Severus, if you so much as look at our school funny in the near future, I'll have you arrested."

Snape didn't even try to argue or beg as he stood. He just glared at her before turning to stare at Harry, furious. "I'll get you for this Potter!" he spat out in contempt.

"Don't let the doors hit you on your way out, you greasy haired filth," he hissed out in reply. "I know what you did, and I will get you!" he said, shocking Snape before the grease ball was 'escorted' from the hall at wand point, the small professor enjoying himself very much.

"OK now, now that is sorted, why don't you finish your breakfasts," McGonagall said with a tight lipped smile as she retook her seat and the students started chatting among themselves, discussing what just happened.

Harry felt surprised Ron didn't stand up to scream hate for McGonagall and praise for Dumbledore. Though, even he should be aware that McGonagall will give him detentions, or even suspend him and his mum with be furious.

"You used and tricked my dad into helping you get rid of Snape didn't you?" Draco asked, but he looked more impressed than annoyed. "I like that. Snape's a terrible teacher, but telling that to dad and having him care are two different things."

"What do you know that Snape did that would actually worry him more than getting fired?" Tracey asked, curious.

Harry looked at her with a sad smile. "He sent Voldemort after my dad and me because he wanted my mother. The mere thought disgusts me. Someday, I'm going to visit him in Azkaban, just to torment him."

"Whoa, cold man," Blaze said shaking his head. "But then, I would want to do the same myself. Filthy idiot doesn't even deserve an ugly wife, and certainly not a cool or hot one."

"That reminds me of something. How many wives can a person have?" he asked out of curiosity. "And how could one poor guy cope? I read while doing some research for some… private projects that the whole multiple wife thing is actually accepted in the magical world, but looking over records, the last recorded was just over one hundred and ten years ago."

"Probably because girls don't want to share," Tracey said with a smirk. "But as long as I get plenty of cuddles," she said teasing him, giggling with the other girls while he blushed.

"A man can actually have as many wives as contractual, or I suppose if they want him and don't mind sharing," Draco said suddenly shrugging. "Well, that's how it used to be anyway. It's complicated. Sometimes a pureblooded man would end up with two or more marriage contacts for political gain, or for power. They never really married for love until recently, but many families still make up one contract. Its more about having strong pureblood kids, and making strong family connections."

"Hmm…" Harry mumbled, shrugging. "Wow, sounds like that's a whole lot of hassle. Amusing, but hassle. The book I got was just about magical contracts and it mentions marriage a lot, but doesn't go into all of the finer details. That's why when you mentioned a wife I wanted to ask you guys. I kept forgetting. You guys study all of this crap. I'm just a little concerned after reading all of that that Dumbledore has been…-."

"Trying to contract you to someone?" Ginny asked looking concerned for him. "He might have, but," she grimaced. "He would have probably done that with me, right? But I haven't heard anything about something like that. Dad wouldn't agree to it anyway."

"There are more ways than for family heads to agree and sign the contract," Daphne piped in thoughtfully. "But with that they have to be in a similar age bracket and there has to be a valid reason for going over the heads, well head… like forcing the last of a line to have… kids… as to make sure a bloodline doesn't disappear…" she trailed to a stop, smiling sheepishly as Harry gave her a look. "Don't worry though Harry, I'm not sure that's a good enough reason since you're still so young and have plenty of time to choose a girl in the future to have kids with and stuff."

"I've heard that in the past, they've even contracted muggle-girls against their knowledge and practically forced them," Theo said shuddering. "That's just insane. I feel for you man, but I doubt that Dumbledore would have done anything like that if you haven't heard about it yet with all these investigations going on."

"Anyway," Daphne said with a smirk. "You're the top of the food chain as eligible heirs go, just like Draco. You're the heir… no… you're the head of an ancient family. Dumbledore couldn't put you under another heads control, even if he were to marry you to me, my family is equal to yours, it would make no difference. In fact, it would make you the head of my family once father steps down as I only have a younger sister, and no brothers."

"And he wouldn't want to try marrying you to someone like Susan Bones," Pansy piped in helpfully. "He has probably known for years that Amelia Bones doesn't like him. That would put them in a better position to stand by you, and save you from him. Nor could he marry you to me… my dad would try to control or corrupt you, which wouldn't work and you would probably just over power my family, making more allies by force. Not that my dad couldn't use the humility."

"I doubt Dumbledore would have…" Tracey began but trailed off in thought. "Umm… well, if he did I'm pretty sure he's trying to undo it all or it'll make you too powerful politically to fight beyond this point."

Harry sighed sadly and slumped in his seat. "If I ever get the chance I'm going to punt that old man in the nuts!" he said which caused the boys to grimace and the girls, Daphne included to giggle and blush.

"It could be worse," Pansy said with a smile as she leant over the table, patting his hand in a reassuring manner. He just looked at her in doubt. "You could have been sorted into Gryffindor where that annoying ginger would be chatting your ears off about how great kissing Dumbledore's rear end is."

Harry laughed, rolling his eyes before sighing. "Its… well, all of this Magical Lore stuff kind of creeps me out, and I have some friends back home who would be quite… displeased if I have any kind of marriage contract on my head… or contract full-stop."

"Don't worry too much about it, just go with the flow," Draco said with an understanding shrug. "I have to deal with my mother and father actively searching for a wife to contract me too for when I finish Hogwarts. At least if Dumbledore's trying to… well whatever, you and the girls family can mutually contest it, which will mean that as long as you can counter Dumbledore's arguments in favour, the contracts will be void."

Harry sighed in relief. "Well, that's better than having no say just because Dumbledore wanted to use me to get more power than he already has, or had. But there are more things I need to learn. This world went from amusing to… 'dam, why the hell do I have to know all this boring rubbish'. Can't we all just get along?"

"It's not that easy mate," Theo said smirking. "Now that you're out of Dumbledore's grasp, and people will notice, you'll get all sorts of weird invitations to parties, and celebrations, and they're all boring. Then on top of that you have to remember which fork is for your fish starter and which is for whatever else you have, and believe me, there are lots of different forks to learn."

"But don't worry," Draco said laughing. "We get forced to go to these things too, so we'll be bored together."

"Don't forget, Draco," Pansy interrupted, looking smug. "He'll have to pick out loads of different dress robes for different occasions."

"Of course you don't have to go," Daphne said actually looking sympathetic, which made him hopeful. "But they could take it as a slight on their family. Then if you wanted their support in upcoming… affairs or whatever, they would refuse."

"They're just about support and alliance's, and stuff like that disguised as social gatherings," Tracey said with a smile. "Then there are other things too. Since you're the head of your family, you'll have to deal with council meetings, but our dads have started taking us to learn too, so you won't be alone. That's pretty easy stuff, and if you can't make it for a vote you can send another family member or a trusted friend and ally on the council to vote in your stead… well if you're both voting the same.

"My older brother would normally be heir, but, well he never wanted to, and there was this huge fight so dad made me heir instead. I guess I don't mind, but a lot of this stuff losses my interest the moment I hear about it."

Harry sighed as he stretched his muscles. "I guess I have a load of stuff to study. I wonder whether Doctor Strange will help me learn some of this stuff over the Christmas break?" he asked himself thoughtfully, wondering whether the Doctor cared to learn this stuff himself.

"Who's Doctor Strange?" Ginny asked, startling him.

He looked to her and shrugged sheepishly. "Oh, he's just this sorcerer I know from back home in the States," he said with a sheepish shrug. Though he wonders whether they would know what he meant if he told them he's THE Sorcerer Supreme.

Harry sighed as he stood up stretching. "Well, I guess I'll just have to go with the flow and hope for the best but be prepared for the worse, anyway. I have some stuff to umm… do," he said as he quickly rushed off out of the hall.

Harry really doesn't have anything to do – well not anything important enough to rush off but all of this talk about creepy magical lore and what will be expected of him now he's free from Dumbledore and everyone knows it. He just wants away from all of that right now.

It was quite easy to sneak out of the castle and find a secluded spot. He looked around to make sure nobody was watching before he blazed blue and shot into the sky, unaware that he had just missed a girl turning around the near corner, her eyes widening in awe.

She watched as he floated a hundred metres up, the breeze of the air ruffling his black combat trousers, and black shirt with only three buttons done-up, sleeves open, and rolled up just below his elbows, with his white trainers looking near blue. He is glowing azure-blue, a mist-like energy blowing seductively around him.

He just seemed to float in the daylight, like a beacon, resting, relaxing in an element that comforts him, and frees his thoughts. She just watched, a small smile coming to her lips as she took a few deep breaths as she floated up slowly, little rippling sparks arching through her fingers, legs, arms and body, her robe bellowing gently in the wind.

She isn't used to trying to use her special ability like this, and cried out as she went to fall just as she was near Harry. He looked down, reflex grabbing her hand and pulling her up where she scrambled to hold onto him tightly. Sparks of transparent lights fizzled in her dark brown eyes for a moment showing her many different things that made her feel dizzy.

"You're a mutant," Harry said in surprise to the girl. She's older than him, second year he thinks, Ravenclaw with Eastern Asian features.

"Y-yeah, please don't drop me!" she agreed and begged holding onto him tighter, her legs wrapping around his waist to make sure.

He couldn't help but laugh. "I'm a lot stronger than I look," he told her cheekily.

"Y-yeah, I can feel that," she said, and she really could feel his muscles through his shirt. "Wow, I knew you were like me, but wow… you can fly and you're strong," she said as she watched his blue aura. It was really quite a beautiful colour. "I'm… well I'm not really sure what to call what I can do, but I can see things… umm… look into the world… augh. Its hard to explain, but its like I'm a seer, but not at the same time. I can see into the world, past, present, and future, but…

"Umm… for the past and present it takes a lot of concentration," she said with a sheepish smile. "And I don't always get very good results when looking into the past, or see a time I want too, especially if the person I'm trying to see is dead. I can control seeing the present quite well, and seeing into the future is complicated in that I barely have any control. I can only see up to several minutes, and I see loads of different possibilities at the same time, like the most likely outcomes, in the blink of an eye, but… it's funny that I can remember them all so well.

"If I'm touching someone, I can see their past or immediate future, instead of mine," she added in thought. "Or if I touch something that belongs to a person I can see vague images, imprints I suppose."

"Wow, that must be annoying to deal with," he said actually impressed she can deal with all of that, and it looks like she hasn't had any help.

"Yeah, it can be sometimes," she agreed. "If I concentrate hard enough I can even predict what a person is going to say, or… well what they would like to say but don't, but I don't like doing that much. It feels too much like reading someone's private thoughts. I feel like I'm intruding. I don't want to be like Dumbledore or Snape, but at least I can protect my mind from them."

Harry couldn't help but laugh while she blushed at admitting that. "Then what's the deal with the flying?" he asked her, curious to learn more.

"I'm not really sure," she said sheepishly. "I think it's just another aspect of my psychic abilities. It's like. I guess the only way I can describe it is that its psychokinetic power. Well, that's what I think, but I can't be completely certain. I've never tried floating up that high before, but I saw that in every attempt you caught me, except for two where in one I fell and broke my legs and another I floated long enough for you to help me."

He smiled at that shaking his head. "So… if you're a mutant there must be more here. At least a few, do your parents even know?"

"I… I haven't told anyone about my powers. I wasn't sure I wanted to tell you," she said impishly. "Before you came here, I just thought it was some freaky magical power and I didn't want Dumbledore finding out. I had met him once when I was younger, and he reminded me of a creepy Santa and freaked me out. I never actually thought I was right about him until I concentrated on him and his past when I got my powers," she finished off shuddering a little while Harry looked amused.

She was blushing as she sighed. "It was actually seeing what he had done with you that made me realise I was right… well, that he was a creep, not the Santa bit."

"I wouldn't look too far into my past if I were you," he said with a smile. "My life has been pretty good since I was taken in by Professor Xavier to the Institute for Gifted Children."

"Mutant Academy?" she asked surprised and blushing while he laughed. "Umm, sorry Harry, I can't help it sometimes," she said, embarrassed as she 'read' what he wanted to call the institute.

"Hey, no problem," he replied with a grin. "But, err, what is your name. I know you're a second year, but I'm sorry that I can't know everyone's names like they can know mine."

She couldn't keep the giggle in. "I'm Cho Chang, at your service," she said smiling. She would have probably mock bowed or curtsied if she wasn't afraid of falling to her doom, no matter how much she knows he will NEVER drop her.

He just rolled his eyes. "Well Cho, can you use your nifty talent to find other magical mutants?"

"Oh, Hermione Granger has a power," she said shocking him. She shrugged. "You both hang out together so I found out too. I only paid such attention because I was curious about you like other girls. I'm glad I did, it was so nice sharing my secret with someone I know won't try to use me for my gift."

Harry shrugged sheepishly. "Hey, I'll be happy to help you anyway I can, and I'll use my talents for you too. So I have to know, what is Hermione's power?"

"Umm… making something from nothing," she said confusing him. She rolled her eyes. "It's like transfiguration, but on a whole new level! I don't think she realises what it is, but in my opinion, her power is powerful. I don't think she can use it on living things, and I can't be certain about any limitations but… I think she could possibly make things that… well defy logic."

"Hermione, and a power that can defy logic," he said laughing. "I'm sure she'll enjoy that being the way she is. So what about others?" he asked while she was giggling.

"I'm not sure," she said apologetically. "I haven't really looked much, but I think there's something odd with Ginny Weasley. I only know that because she's your friend, but I haven't tried too hard. I'll try harder from now on."

"Umm, thanks, Cho," he replied smiling. "You'll be helping any magical mutants with this. I'll contact Professor X, and hopefully we can help any magical mutant learn to control their non-magical abilities."

She sighed in relief as they floated down to the ground. She could feel herself still hanging onto him as he stood effortlessly. "T-thanks," she said lowering her feet back to the grass. "I'm glad you're here. It will be nice getting to know you, and will be fun notifying all of the other mutants. If there are many more-…"

Harry smirked as he thought about it. "I'm sure we'll become great friends," he said forgetting about all of his previous woes.

To Be Continued…