Hy! So, i Know I told you that I would wait for my beta to catch up before posting an other chapter. However, she's so far behind that at this rate the next one will be next year :/

So, I decided to post this one, again without beta. I hope there isn't to many mistakes! I'm really trying to improve my English so... be nice? The firsts chapters are being corrected (I think we are at the fourth or something, my god so much work to correct all that!).

Please please pretty please review! (on something else that my grammar, I understood that I wasn't good at it, 5/5, please people)

Also, thanks for the reviews! and 200 follows! Damn, I didn't expected that! I'm sooo happy! Love on you all!

~LadyBraken

Warning: as usual, you know

Disclaimer: As if I owned Hp. In my dreams, maybe?

Chap 18

Two days before the classes started, almost every student went back to the castle. Of course, they all used the train, as apparently it was too complicated to organise appartages without someone getting hurt.

As they all arrived in their everyday clothing, Harry could see that wizards had no taste in clothes whatsoever, and it explained a lot of things about Dumbledore's robes. Well, even if the old man was considered an eccentric among the wizards. He didn't make any new apparition since the mirror of Erised, and Harry was glad for it. He hadn't tried to go into the restricted section again, he had to be very, very careful with that.

Draco was sitting on Harry's bed, showing him his Christmas presents while the two boy were eating the chocolates he had bought.

"Family dinners are sooo boring, but very important, you see? It is the moment you show to the rest of the family who is your heir, and what position and character said heir may have, meaning how he will preserve the future of the family."

"Seems more political than 'family' to me."

"Same thing, when you're a Lord." Shrugged Draco.

Harry smirked at that. He didn't even dare imagine the pressure on those child's shoulders. Like for him, but for different reasons, everything they did, said, even think was watched, changed, judged.

Harry noticed that he was letting his hair grow, probably to mimic him. At least, he had stop combing them backward.

"Is there a lot of people in your family?" Harry asked.

He knew a lot about the Blacks, but as the Malfoys came from France, he didn't have a lot of documents on them.

"Well yes. Not on my mother's side, but my father has a very extended family. Not everybody is coming, tho."

"Why that?"

"Well, not everybody agreed with my father's choices during and after the war. You see, things in France are a bit different from here. They had one of the strongest force of resistance against the Dark Lord, and they were marked a lot by Grindelwald. A lot of my father's cousins had to hide for years because of that. And they don't quite like England for some reason."

"I didn't know people were so divided inside the pureblood families..."

"Well, they are until it comes to the families founds." Laugh the heir Malfoy.

"Fun, it doesn't surprise me somehow!"

Harry picked a white chocolate from the box – his favourite.

"I guess you passed your holidays your nose into some book?"

"Why do you say that like it was a bad thing?"

Draco nodded with a smirk. "Bloody Raven..." He muttered.

Harry made a little vexed grimace before enjoying a new chocolate.

"In fact, I think Harry is a kind of mix of all the house." Said Blaise, sitting on Draco's bed in front of them. Harry raised an eyebrow, curious, inviting his friend to continue.

"Well, you have the thirst of knowledge of a Raven, the mind and cunning of a Slytherin, the courage of a Gryffindor and the social abilities and hard work of the Hufflepuffs."

Harry laughed. "Looks like you had a good deal of trouble with me, Lord Zambini."

"Look like there is always trouble around you, Lord Potter. Not that I'm complaining. Things are much more interesting since you handle them."

"I don't handle anything. We do."

Snape had taken advantage of his last days of freedom to see his old friend Lucius Malfoy.

The two men were both sitting in the living room of Malfoy Manor, a glass of fine alcohol in hand.

"Where's the lovely Madame Malfoy?" Asked Snape.

Malfoy smiled. "She went to claim the right to see her sister."

The potion teacher sighed. Even twelve years later, Narcissa continued to appear at the door of Azkaban to ask to see her sister. It had become a joke in the family.

"I see."

Normally, the discussion between the two should have been lively, full of sarcasm and games, a habit they had kept from the meetings of Death Eater, which reminded them of the days when they were the masters of the world.

Lucius snapped his tongue, forcing Snape to look up.

"Come on, Severus, old man, I know something is bothering you."

Severus shook his head. "Severus."

The man did not reply to his friend's injunction.

"It's young Potter, isn't it?"

He did not answer, but the expression on his face was an assent.

"Is he... Is he like our Lord?" Snape knew to see when his friend was scared, years on the battlefield with him had taught him. A scared Lucius could actually cause more destruction on their own side than anything.

"Not really ... I do not know, that's the problem, Lucius, nobody knows ... Dumbledore is as lost as I am ..."

Severus did not know what he could say, he was not even sure what he was thinking.

"Lucius, have you read what happened to Margeline Blossom?"

"The woman of the ministry? ... Yes, I was there when it happened, a vision ... of the most disturbing, I assure you. I was told that she was temporarily interned in St Mungos. A woman so upright and dignified is a great loss. "

Snape hesitated. But he had to know.

"Lucius, I think we have an appointment at St Mungos."

Lord Malfoy raised an eyebrow gently, casting a doubtful glance at the professor, but the expression on his face, or rather the absence of expression, prevented him from making a comment.

Passing the clouds of doctors and nurses with the name of Malfoy had been easy. The two men were now following Dr. Moos in the white corridors of the hospital. The doctor finally stopped in front of a room.

"The aurors think of a curse that would have touched her by accident, but the thesis of an imperium is not ruled out. She does not remember anything, but her faculties are nearly all returned to her. Go gently on her."

"Thank you, doctor Moos." Politely answered Lucius.

Margeline Blossom was sitting outside the window of her hospital room. She did not turn around to watch them enter. Lucius and Severus sat down on chairs that they found along the walls and brought them closer to the old woman. He waited in silence that she agreed to speak.

She ended by turning her head and glancing at them. "I have already told everything to the Aurors, gentlemen, whatever you seek you will learn nothing more."

Snape already wanted to punch her in the teeth.

Then the old woman looked up at the professor, and turned a little pale. "I remember you, you were with this child, he had… eyes ..."

She opened her mouth several times, then closed it to say nothing. "I do not remember anything." Her pupils were dilated to extreme. "But I'll heal. I just know it."

The two men exchanged a glance.

The day before the restart of the classes, Harry and his accomplices met in the the Chamber. Draco had to wave to the others during the meal to warn them. It had not been hard to catch their looks since he was only waiting for that. The two Weasley brothers stamped with excitement.

Harry came last, his hands full of those little notebooks that followed him everywhere. He put the whole thing on the high table before greeting his friends.

"Everyone has a good holiday?"

The Slytherins nodded.

"Well you see everything was fine ..."

"And then a little snake settled ..."

"And we realized that our brother was an ass."

Harry laughed softly. "I ate with them at the banquet and Ron saw fit to insult me."

Neville had a hiccough. "But does he never stops?"

"You'd have to deal with that at some point," Blaise murmured.

Harry raised his hands as a sign of appeasement. "We're not there yet, I'm pretty sure it will be better one day."

He noted that Neville had not answered his first question.

"Well, I did a lot of work, and I found a way for us to communicate without speaking directly to each other. I enchanted these different notebooks. When we write inside, the words will appear in all the others, and disappear every time the notebook is closed. " In saying this, he distributed the artefacts to each of them.

"It's genius ..." exclaimed Cho.

"No, just a few runes, third year spells and a few hours of reflection. And I must say that Fred and George's notes helped me a lot."

"But Harry there's er.. a problem," Fred remarked. "There's no way one of these little objects will not fall into the wrong hands - professors or students."

"Especially yours, Weasley, I heard you both were again caught by Flich!"

Draco's rematch gave him two middle fingers, which he returned.

"Just use passwords."

Everyone turned to Daphne.

"Well, it's a well-known technique, because it works. In the context of these notebooks, before writing, each one writes a common password that one will have chosen. "

"Mhm but someone can find the password or force one of us to write it." Draco remarked.

"In this case, in addition to the password, we do not refer to each other by nicknames, and the most crucial information will also receive code names."

They all nodded. George and Fred smile mischievously.

"What?"

"We will have to choose nicknames..."

Draco and Daphne exchanged a look that was screaming ' oh Merlin no...'

"But who will decide the nicknames?"

"I suggest everyone except the one who is going to wear it. It's funnier that way." Harry said with a mocking smile.

"Okay, but we start with you, Harry." Malfoy replied immediately. Harry accepted with a dramatic nod.

"How would you like to name me, my friends?"

They all took a concentrated expression.

"Mhm Snake?" Proposed Blaise.

"No, no, too obvious ..." pointed Neville.

"Golden? Potpot? The Boy Who Did not Want To Die?"

"Ha ha, very funny, but that does not really help us, Fred."

Harry watched them chat with an amused smile.

"Raven!" Draco exclaimed, almost getting up from his seat.

Harry clapped his hands. "Perfect!"

"But ... why Raven?" Cho asked with an intrigued look. The others exchanged a glance.

"Tell me, Cho, when was the last time you saw Harry somewhere without a book?"

Realization flashed into the girl's eyes. "But why are you in Slytherin, then?" To that, Harry only rose his hands, showing the room around him.

"Oh."

"And for Draco?" Asked Daphne with a devilish grin, making said boy roll his eyes.

"Dragon would be much much too obvious ..."

"Indeed, as much give his name directly!"

"Exactly..."

All turned to Harry. "Well, if we all have nicknames that lead to anything but ourselves, from the point of view of the teachers, it would seem too foolish to give Dragon to Draco. That with which he could defend himself, as Slytherin and considered as intelligent. Plus, I'm sure it brushes your ego quite well..."

"C'mon, I'm not that vain!"

A doubtful silence answered to him.

"Ok, next! Mhm, Daphne?"

The young girl stiffened while the others started debating.

"It must be something pretty, which imposes ..."

"Mhm yes clearly.

"I thought of Laurel ..." Harry suggested. The girl smiled at him, satisfied. "I like this! My I know why Laurel?"

"Mhm, Laurel flowers are thought to represent ambition, as well as success and renown. And they are rather pretty." he added with a wink, making her rise a unimpressed eyebrow.

"Now now, calm down Casanova. Let's do Cedric's one." The girls said with an icy-tone, but a warm smile.

Harry narrowed his eyes.

"Mhm Cedric Cedric Cedric ... No, I don't see."

"Puppy." Cho decided." No one would make the connection between the two, and then it's true that your puppy eyes are your fatal weapon, love ..."

Cedric burst into a frank laugh, which echoed across the room. "Well, well, go to Puppy then!"

Draco glared at Harry, who shrugged. He had never specified that nicknames should be taken seriously or anything like that.

Then everyone looked at Neville. "Kitten." They said almost in a heart.

The boy flushed a little, then stretched his arms in front of him, blushing. Harry nodded. Definitely a kitten.

"And us?"

"You have to give totally different names, so you do not suspect that you are twins ..."

"And nothing related to the orange colour." Confirmed Draco.

"George will be Pepper and Fred Bubble." Harry decided.

"Why?"

"No particular reason, and it's even better that way." The boy replied, his eyes shining as he was slightly amused, making the two brothers laugh.

"Well, now that the practical arrangements have been settled, we have to talk about several things." The boy continued. "First: Dumbledore has gone crazy."

His companions watched him, partly dumbfounded, the Slytherins slightly amused.

"It's not news, Harry." Pointed Draco with a smirk. "But tell us what reminded you of this fact, we are dying of impatience!"

"Well, some of you don't know all of the story, so I'm going to tell all the tale. As we were reminded at the beginning of the year, part of the castle is forbidden access. Of course, as it was strictly forbidden, we went. I opened the right -or wrong door depending on how you see it, and found myself face to face with a Cerberus. "

Harry had to pause to wait until the cries of indignation of his comrades stopped.

"After some research, I was able to obtain information from Hagrid: The Cerberus was hiding something, a secret between Albus Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel, we did not know who was the second, and I doubt that our very dear headmaster would explains us why he sees fit to put the lives of his pupils in danger by introducing a Cerberus within the walls of the castle, especially as it has required him to lift some magical protections of the building ... "

"Wait, you mean if the troll could go in..." winced Draco. Clearly, the memory of the monster was still fresh in his mind.

"That's because there was no more defenses as Dumbledore lift them, probably, yes. Luckily, a few firsts year were here to protect that damn castle... Anyway, I did some research during the holidays, and as I did not find anything for Flamel, except for the fact that he is alchemist and have very bad tastes in friendship, I began to study alchemy. I've noted stuff on that if you want to study the basis, it's not very complicated. And I found it: what's hidden in the castle is the philosopher's stone. "

"What's the philo... -thing stone?" asked Neville shyly.

"It is a powerful artefact that can give you eternal life, among other things. Really, nothing to worry about!" Harry didn't roll his eyes, but what he thought about it was very clear.

Draco had looked gloomy, and stared at him. With his misguided manner and ego, it was easy to forget that he was raised to be a politic animal and was one of the most intelligent students in his promotion. Harry wondered how far he had understood what was going on under their noses. The others did not finish the silence and followed Harry's gaze.

"It's a trap, is not it?" Murmured Draco.

Harry nodded.

"I have left many false indications of the presence of a Dark Wizard in the castle, assuring me that it goes back to the headmaster. He did not react, which means he expected it. "

"What do you mean by several clues?"

"This must remain in professional secrecy, I fear."

"Who?"

Harry turned to his friend. He knew that this moment was going to be complicated to digest for him. "One of the teachers, a Dark Wizard of some sort, I don't really know. Someone inside the castle."

Harry stood up to take his hand. Physical contact was quite rare among the Slytherins, but everybody had gradually got used to Harry's eccentricity, always taking people's hands. Not that anyone complained, he seemed so untouchable that it felt like a miracle every time.

Keeping his hand on the young man's, Harry turned to the others gravely, his eyes sparkling mysteriously. "I think Dumbledore has set a trap for someone to try to take the stone, and that someone is probably very, very desperate and dangerous. My guess is an unknown Death Eater, hidden. Anyway, there's no need to panic for the moment: if Dumbledore is in the castle, the stone is safe, and so are we. But, and it's a very big but (no pun intended) the old man cannot do everything at the same time, and he put himself in something quite suicidal, or suicidal if his own life was in danger, I think it's more of our own here. I'm telling you all this so that you're careful. I personally watch over the stone, for obvious reasons given the context, and I would like you to help me. "

"How sure are you, Harry?"

Neville's voice no longer trembled, but he clasped his hands so tightly on the edges of the chair that his knuckles were white.

"I'd say I watched a lot of what was going on in the castle, and maybe I surprised a quarrel between Quirell and Snape, maybe." Harry replied, with a slight laugh.

He gave them a look that carried all the questions.

"I'm in."

Harry grinned proudly at Neville, while the others looked at him as if he had confessed to killing his grandmother. "Thank you, Neville, it's very brave of you."

Cedric stood up. "I'm in too."

"Love, it's dangerous ..." Cho murmured, obviously a little panicked by the turn of events.

Cedric kept his eyes fixed on Harry. "Cho, I will not force you to follow me, I have no rights over you. Do what you think is best, but if I appreciate Harry in the highest degree, my loyalty goes to Hogwarts. Now, Hogwarts is attacked by someone who comes from the outside. As a student, as a friend, I am with you, Harry."

It was so adorable that Harry could not help but take him in his arms, ignoring the pain. Cedric gently returned, not really believing what was happening. Harry quickly broke the hug, as the pain began to rise.

He was beginning to feel his handicap for what it was. He refused to give the right to the marks of this dog of a Muggle uncle to stop him from living as he wished.

"That was very cute, Puppy!" He said with a smile.

And thanks Merlin for the invention of bandages, he thought.

"And we cannot hug?"

"It depends if you're with us ..." Harry replied with a mocking smile.

"We?"

"Breaking the rules?"

"And go on a thrilling adventure with one the most gifted wizard that had ever walk on this school's floor?"

"To stop a villain?"

"Not our type..."

"But you can convince us, I'm sure!"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "I will try, but you insist so much that I do not feel safe anymore ... I think you will have to make more efforts to deserve my affection, my friends." Harry replied, taking an innocent expression.

"Okay, okay, but it's because it's for you, no relation to glory, duty, adventure, all that."

Harry only hummed.

He turned to Daphne, who nodded eagerly. "Hogwarts is a neutral zone. Any intrusions should be punished properly." Said she, in a cold voice, which spoke volumes about the punishment she thought proper. Blaise contented himself with shaking his head to signify his assent.

"Sure, I'm with you on it, Harry." Draco finally said, after a hesitation which must have given rise to many calculations. Of course, Harry did not blame him. To oppose a Dark Wizard was to run the risk of opposing an ally of his father, and the thus his family.

Eventually, everyone turned to Cho, who looked at them as if they had lose their minds. Then she made her decision.

"I will help you, and I will ask some of the girls to patrol and listen."

"It goes without saying that all this remains between us." Concluded Harry. "Now, the next thing is to find a way to communicate with all the school, minus the teachers, and that's sort of complicated. I mean, I could do other, bigger notebooks and put them in the different common rooms, but only four persons could communicate at the same time..."

Fred and George exchanged a knowing look.

"Well, we'd like to introduce one of our friends ..."

"A perfect Lumos of the first shot! 10 points for Slytherin thanks to you, Mr Potter."

Harry smiled politely at Professor Quirell, who turned to give advice to other students.

"Luckily, you're not in the same house as Granger, otherwise we would not have a chance." Murmured Daphne as a dim light appeared at the end of her wand.

"I doubt it. Did you see how she looks at him?" Draco answered, waving his wand in vain.

"No, no Draco, look, you have to move more flexibly. That's better." Harry told him before turning to Granger, who was shattering his gaze. He hid a smile. This girl obviously hated to be surpassed, and took very badly her defeat.

A little shout of joy brought him back to his comrades, when Draco finally succeeded and his wand lit up.

The young man watched his comrades try to do the spell in turn with an expression of self-satisfaction and disdain. Harry coughed a little, Draco seemed to forget that at least three students had managed to cast this spell before him, including one, himself, even before going into class.

Well, if it pleased him.

Harry finally took pity on the poor, weak light that appeared at the end of Granger's wand and approached her. He watched her movement for a moment, before taking her arm. The girl, totally concentrated on her work, jumped but did not resist, although her eyes were furious. Harry stood behind her, placed a hand on her back to make her straighten.

"Now, your movement must make a loop much more round when you say the spell." He said softly.

She pulled her arm away with a sudden gesture. "This is not what is written in the manual." She said dryly.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Your magic is in your head and in your wand, not in a book."

She pinched her lips, but did what he had advised her, and her wand bloomed with a soft bluish light.

"I could teach you a lot of other things, you know."

She did not lift her head, her eyes still fixed on her own wand.

"If only you were not so attached to authority ..." he murmured. He gently pressed his shoulder before joining Draco, who was watching the scene discreetly.

"She will come." The boy confirmed, his green eyes lighting slightly.

Draco did not doubt it for a second. You had to be stupid to refuse such an offer, especially coming from Harry.

Quirrell had not missed a crumb of it either.

Harry was sitting at one of the tables in the Hufflepuff common room, surrounded by Fred and George. His presence had become habitual, so no one looked at him suspiciously. A notebook was opened before them, a ready-made quill placed in its inkwell. The three boys drank a hot chocolate, waiting for their guest.

A few yards away, on the other side of the room, Cho and Cedric were seated opposite each other, with two notebooks placed in front of them.

After a few minutes of patience, the person they all waited for arrived at last.

Lee Jordan shook hands with everyone and sat down with a big smile on his lips, tacking a drink from a house elf passing by.

Harry watched the boy attentively. His skin was slightly lighter than Blaise's, and his hair was gathered in dreadlocks that reached him at the temples. His eyes were laughing and his Gryffindor scarf neglected on his shoulders.

Harry knew that he was one of Fred and George's best friends, which already placed him in high esteem. The boy commented on the Quidditch games. He had guts and charisma.

He smiled at him.

"I think Fred and George put you in confidence - to a certain extent. You can call me Harry, but during our activities, it will be Raven."

The boy nodded. "Call me Lee then. River, during our activities, as you say."

Harry's smile widened.

"How much do you know about these activities?"

"The Eye needs my services, and you are here to give me details."

"Indeed." Harry confirmed, as Fred noted everything in his notebook so that everyone could follow the conversation.

"It seems you want to give a voice to the eye ..."

"Indeed."

"So, I'm the man you need." Lee said resolutely.

"I do not doubt that. What is your idea?"

"A radio. You know, I'm a half-blood, so I'm very conscious of the differences in technology and space between the different classes of wizards in school. But radio exists in both worlds and is used by everyone! "

Harry waited to answer that Fred had noted everything and that these comrades gave their opinion.

"Dragon says it's a very good idea, especially since a radio does not ask for any elite or regular physique presence from everyone. Laurel adds that you can combine this by doing a set of questions answers with your Idea of books in the common rooms. "

"Well, Lee, your proposal is going to be put to a vote, after which we will give you more information." Harry said, motioning to George to cast the vote and taking out his own notebook.

Harry watched the dots appear on the blank page of the notebook. He was very proud of this enchantment, which had taken him a lot of time and effort, but which for the time being worked very well.

Satisfied, he closed the notebook and turned his attention back to Lee.

"Your proposal has been accepted. As you have a glimpse of the Muggle world, you know what democracy is: that's how we operate."

He slipped a notebook which he had prepared expressly for the young man. "This is a means of communication between the members of the eye who have a particular function, and for now only for the members of the eye. Open this evening and you will receive instructions on its use. ,Keep the secret about your activity or whatever is related to the eye. If you talk, we'll know, and it would be a shame. "

There was no threat in the young boy's voice, yet Lee suddenly found it hard to swallow. Probably the memory of what had happened to Nott. Yet the child's face lit up with a charming smile as his eyes sparkled with sympathy. "Welcome among us, River."

In the Gryffindor common room, Neville closed his notebook. He had settled in a corner of the room so as not to be disturbed by the curiosity of Ron and his friends, but not too far away not to appear suspicious. He had learned the lesson that Harry had given him.

He was glad that other Gryffindors were joining them. It made him feel like he was betraying his house, although if he had really had to make a choice, he would have followed Harry in any case.

Neville looked at the window of the tower, ignoring the other Gryffindors who were stirring around him. Unlike most of his comrades, Neville was shy and withdrawn. This made him an ideal victim, and he soon realized it.

He jumped when we coughed beside him. Hermione looked at him with that look.

"You're in touch with Harry, aren't you?"

"No!"

She was obviously not impressed by his liar qualities.

He sighed. When Hermione wanted something, it was often useless to try to resist.

She sat down in front of him. "I just want to talk to him." she says.

Neville nodded. Many people wanted to talk to Harry Potter, but he had the feeling that this person was expected.

"I'll pass the message." He finally said.

Hermione looked satisfied and pulled out a parchment to continue advancing in her homework, her bushy hairs falling all over her face.

"So, Granger, we're hanging around with snakes? Is it because you do not know how to have real friends?"

Ron stood in front of them, his hands in his pockets, a mocking grimace on his face. Neville looked away immediately. Again.

"And you, Ron, have nothing better to do than bother us? You'd better work, Neville's toad will get better grades than you if you keep going like that." Hermione answered, raising her eyes. But from where he was, Neville could see that she was repressing her tears.

Ron had turned red with anger. "You're a big mouth, now, tell me! Is it your little snake friends who taught you that, you serve them tea when they go to their Death Eater meetings, right?" Sputtered the redhead.

Neville shook his fists.

"Why are you doing this?"

Ron, looked at him, surprised that the weak Neville had even dared to speak. "Because I know what he is!"

There was no need to ask Ron who was the 'he'. The poor boy was only insulting Harry behind his back, without ever daring to face it. It was almost an obsession.

"Saint Potter cannot protect you here, Granger."

"I do not need the protection of anyone, Weasley!" Exclaimed the girl, rising. "Why do you think I need it? Because I'm a girl, because I'm a Mudblood? You think you're so much above me, Weasley?"

His voice rose in the treble and torrents of tears ran down his cheeks. She wiped them with her sleeve. "I'm stronger than you! I'm smarter than you!"

All eyes were turned towards them. She screamed in frustration before rushing out of the common room, bumping Ron's shoulder as she passed.

Not knowing what to do, Neville opened his notebook and noted the situation inside. When he saw Ron go out in a horn in pursuit of Hermione, he congratulated himself on his reflex, and stood up.

Potter could protect them everywhere in that castle, he was pretty sure of that.

Harry talked through his notebook about radio's modalities when Neville's message appeared. He sighed, told the non-Slytherins to stay where they were and left the common room. He knew perfectly well that Hermione would be headed for them, so they would probably meet at the second floor or stairs, as she would take the best-known passages to go faster.

He stepped out of the common room with an assured step. He was getting tired of Mr. Ron Weasley's prank. He was joined a little further by Draco and Daphne, who were coming back from the library and intercepting the message. Without taking the time to slow down or to explain further what was going on, they continued all three. They met Blaise, who was waiting for them, leaning against a wall, his arms crossed.

"There's no prefect in this corner, Fred and George occupy Flinch at the Gryffindor tower. But MacGonagall might be around here" He informed them, walking with them.

"Very well, thank you for the deformation, Blaise. Do not attack, we'll use McGonagall for it." Harry replied.

He felt a form of anger that was familiar to him growing in his stomach, but this time mingled with something else.

Power's rush.

Behind the windows a storm was rumbling.

They finally met a Hermione even more dishevelled than usual where Harry had planned.

"Harry!" She exclaimed, running towards the little band of Slytherins.

Her eyes were red and her mouth pinched. Harry did not like to see her like that. Before he had time to say a word, Ron appeared at the end of the corridor, the wand out.

Immediately, all the Slytherins had their wands in their hands, however obstinately pointed to the ground. None of them attempted to advance or provoke a fight. Ron approached them. He was obviously struggling against his own cowardice, but his anger outweighed him enough to push him closer and closer. He finally stopped within two feets of Harry, aiming at him (or at least tempting to aim at him, considering how his hand trembled.)

"Let her go, Potter." He snarled.

Harry narrowed his eyes. So, Ron thought he was a kind of white knight saving a damsel in distress, and in that scene, he himself was the dragon . He probably told himself that he would be acclaimed after that, the Gryffindor who opposed these frightful serpents to save a poor Muggle-born!

He really, really struggled not to roll his eyes.

"I would point out to you that she came to us of her own free will and does not seem to want to leave, but you, on the othe hand, are chasing a girl in the corridors with the wand out and now pointing towards my face, while I am disarmed. " With these words, Harry raised his hands with a cocky smile, showing that he had no wand.

"Hermione, come with me." Ron finally told him to follow him.

"No!" Exclaimed the girl, who was beginning to panic.

Neville arrived discreetly behind Ron, and stood there. Harry gave him a wink to encourage him to stay.

"See, Weasley? When someone say no, you're supposed to let said someone alone, you know?"

But Ron's eyes didn't quit Hermione. "Come with me, Hermione." He repeated with less conviction.

"What's happening here?"

When McGonagall's voice rang through the corridor, Ron tried to hide his wand, but it was too late, it was too obviously pointed at Harry.

"Mr. Weasley, can I know why you point your wand at one of your comrades while using magic in the corridors is strictly prohibited, let alone against other students?"

It was terrible to see this woman angry. Ron blushed, turned pale, then bowed his head. "It was he who provoked me, Madame!" He whined.

"It's a lie!"

With her emotion in check, Hermione stepped proudly toward the teacher.

"You're lying, Ron!" simply said Neville. Said boy turned, mouth ajar.

"Ron insulted me and followed me into the corridors! He threatened Harry for no reason!"

"You..."

Ron took a step towards the girl, and to everyone's surprise, Draco stood in front of Hermione.

"That's enough, Mr. Weasley! A detention every night of this week should be enough to teach you how to behave properly." She said dryly.

Oh yes, Harry thought, an angry McGonagall was largely worth Snape.

"Mr. Potter, I dare hope you're not hurt."

"Do not worry, madam, he did not have time to cast a single spell."

Not that it would have changed anything.

She nodded, satisfied. "Follow me, for you, I advise you to go back to your dorm, the curfew is in a few minutes."

All the other students waited until she was out of sight before relaxing.

Harry turned to Granger, who had dried his tears and regained consistency. "Thank you." She whispered.

"But of what? It does not seem to me that we did anything ... We walked in the corridors and we stumbled upon you, that's all."

Harry gave her a wink and left, all the other Slytherins following him, leaving Hermione and Neville, who did not know what to do with themselves.

In his mind, Harry was counting.

Three ... two ... one ... zero.

"Harry!"

The young boy turned around, putting his green hypnotizing eyes on Hermione.

"I wanted to talk to you ..." she said before blushing.

"Mhm, it seems to me that the Hufflepuff common room is open for everyone, no? Oh, I remember, tomorrow is a day of celebration for them! But really, what day is not the Hufflepuff party day, it is leading me to believe that these people make an orgy of constant food and drink. "

And on those words, he left.

Everything was black around him. Harry had not realized that he had fallen asleep. It simply floated in nothing.

He felt distressed, but fought this feeling. Fear was useless.

After a few moments, the decayed bathroom was restored. He was again facing the mirror. Facing Him.

"What are you?"

His voice resonated dangerously against the broken panes.

There was an echo far behind him.

Voldemort's face was so pale that it was translucent. His red eyes, with the pupils split, fixed the boy. Once again, Harry wasn't scared. He knew too much to be. He knew himself too much to be.

"You know who I am."

"And I asked what you are."

Harry could not help himself, his words flowed from his mouth against his will. He felt no danger.

"You're not really him." He added.

"Clever."

The echo was stronger and stronger. "Your face is different."

"I do not need to reassure you anymore, boy."

He sighed. "I am what you call the Voice. I have very little energy left, my boy, I have to rest."

"That's why I hear you less often. That's why your face is like that."

It was not a question, and it did not need an answer.

"So why did you have more energy before?"

"You let me feed on them, it was the only way to survive."

The echo was now more than that. Like a cry under the water, choked.

Harry did not have time to feel anything. The energy of the voice wavered every second that passed.

"He's crazy, isn't he?"

No trace of his face stirred, but an unfathomable wave overwhelmed Harry. He did not feel pain.

"Harry."

The boy raised his head, to plunge his eyes into the blood-red eyes. "What you see, I see, what you hear, I hear, what you feel, I feel."

If you die, I die.

"He does not know." Murmured the child.

"He's going to try to kill you. At one time or another. "

Harry understood. And the Voice knew he understood.

"We are blurring, you and I." stated the voice.

The cries came closer.

"What is it?" The child asked, as everything around him began to collapse to the beat of his heart.

"Something you want to forget." Replied the voice, without any intonation.

"Harry!"

Harry woke up leaping. He was covered in sweat, and he felt exhausted. He took a few seconds to calm his breath and adjust his gaze. Draco looked at him, looking worried, sitting on Harry's bed.

"You were talking in a parselmouth in your sleep ... you looked sick and you convulsed ..."

Harry watched Draco, whose pointed face was half-lit by the rays of the moon. He really looked worried. The blonde's gaze passed for a moment on the bandages Harry was wearing for the night, but he quickly turned his eyes away to plant them in the two wells of green magic. He had never seen Harry's eyes overflowing with so much power.

Harry read it in his mind, and closed his eyes. He slowly regained control of his magic, and when he opened them, everything was normal again.

"Don't worry Draco, it was just a nightmare."

The boy nodded, but he was no more reassured.

"Are you sure you're okay? You need something?"

"I'm fine. Go back to bed, mate." Said the boy sweetly.

"But your scar is bleeding!"

Harry sighed. This boy was far too observant for his own good.

"Come on, Draco. Leave me now."

Harry's tone admitted of no reply.

Draco was unconvinced, but he obeyed. Harry cast a Tempus. It was four in the morning. He took his clothes for the next day and headed to the shower.

Harry dropped his pyjamas and bandages on the floor and let the cold water run down his face, chasing away the sweat and tightness of his muscles. He sighed.

He knew the voice wanted to help him. Finally, it wanted to help itself, which fortunatly meant that Harry had to survive.

He felt once again used. Even what was in his head wanted only its own survival. It irritated him. It frustrated him.

He was better than that.

He hit the wall with his fist, sending a discharge of pain through his arm. The child calmed his breath, closing his eyes, his head against the wall. He should not let his emotions be harmful to him. No, he had to use them, and use the situation to his advantage. The voice would do anything to make him stronger, to ensure its own survival. Good. Had his own guarantee for a long- if not quite peaceful- life. He could not change it anyway.

Calm down, harry calm down. Think of small flowers. Kittens. That's it kittens. It serves no purpose, it's cute.

That morning he had gone to the greenhouse, and he really did not want to cross the gardens by that cold. Trembling, he managed not to skip that class, if only to keep his status of good student.

The tacit rule was that he was in duet with Neville during herbology classes. Simply because they were complementary: if Neville had a real knowledge of magic plants, Harry was much safer with his hands, and they could more or less avoid catastrophes.

That day, it was rather less than more.

Professor Sprout had arrived with a look far to happy for Harry to feel safe.

"Well, well, children!" She shout while tapping the edge of her work plan to attract attention. "Today we are going to learn how to replenish Chinese Chomping Cabbage!"

Neville raised his hand. "Yes Mr. Longbottom?"

"Madam, the cabbage, they do not really bite?"

"Of course they do, Mr. Longbottom." She said in a cheerful tone

"But ... is not it dangerous, is it?"

Draco really did not seem very happy to have to deal with cabbages that might bite him. It seemed natural that it was the opposite.

"It's not dangerous if you do not give them your fingers to eat!" The professor exclaimed with a little laugh.

Harry and Neville exchanged a look that spoke volumes about what they thought about the mental state of their teacher.

The professor gave them instructions. Harry began to gently take the cabbage by the sides, wherever there was no bucket full of fangs ready to devour his hands, and lifted the plant gently.

Neville's task was to cut the roots that hung between the plant and the potting soil. But his smiles trembled with terror, and he could not see the foul green fangs of the cabbage. He held out the enormous pair of scissors and succeeded in cutting the roots, and a bit of Harry's arm in the process arm.

His eyes widened as the other boy released the cabbage in surprise, a stream of blood flowing down his brad and tapering the ground, the smell making the other cabbages even more aggressive. It hur like hell.

"Sorry!" Exclaimed Neville, horrified.

Harry smiled weakly, raising his hand against the wound to avoid losing too much blood. "It is not serious." He said, beckoning him to lower his voice.

He would not go into the hospitable wing.

He discreetly took out his wand and healed himself. His skin joined again, leaving only a pink line along his forearm, where the bandages had been cut. With another wand wave, he whispered a spell to clean the blood that masked the worktop, his clothes and the floor. If his beginning to study the Dark Arts had taught him one thing, it was not to leave blood behind him. Especially a blood as powerful as his.

Neville walked over to Harry, grabbing his wrist to see the wound that had healed. "How did you do that?" He asked, still not recovering from his emotions.

"I have a talent for healing spells." Harry explained. "I've always needed it, you know. I'll teach you that if you want to."

Harry lowered his sleeve before the teacher began to ask questions.

"I really want you to teach me, Harry ..." Neville muttered.

Harry nodded. But his mind was elsewhere. Lack of sleep, stress and loss of blood prevented him from concentrating.

The inevitable happened.

He had picked up the cabbage in his hands now, free of any black thread and tried to take it to its new pot, obviously against the will of the cabbage, which was probably feeling very well in the old one, if its furious clapping were of any indication.

The boys had to work together to keep the plant in place, but Harry eventually got his feet in a root that dragged from Draco's worktop (Harry would never have allowed such a mess in the presence of something Who could potentially devour his hand). The fall was quite spectacular, and he looked, without being able to do anything, the cabbage landing on Professor Sprout's hat. The woman did not realize it, and all her pupils watched with horror the cabbage chewing her hat slowly, visibly pleased with where it had landed.

Harry hardly stood up, dusted the earth, which had stirred all over him, and shrugged. After the hat, the cabbage would tackle the hair, which meant that there would be several years before it really touches Sprout. The other students eventually returned to their work while casting worried looks at the very happy plant.

Harry really liked the Hufflepuff common room. It was challenging, relaxed, still alive and inhabited, in such a way that there was no one to notice or judge what you were doing. Ironically, it was also one of the biggest bastions of gossip and rumours of all kinds. Harry, sitting in a corner, contented himself with listening to the various conversations with a distracted ear sipping a cup of tea.

A little smile ends up raising the corner of his lips when he has a mass of brown hair from the corner of the eye. Obviously, this was the first time Hermione had come here, and she seemed a little lost. Harry waved his hand to tell her to come, and she sat in front of him.

"You want some tea, chocolate?"

Lemon drop? My god kill me I start talking like Dumbledore.

"Tea, Thank you." Replied the young girl, politely. She was obviously nervous.

"We're not likely to hear us here, I mean, there's a lot of people!" She whispered.

"A lot of people mean fewer people to listen to or pay attention to, and if you stop behaving as if you were a spy of a Muggle movie, it would be better. You see, the secret is not to hide in a cloack of mystery, it only serves to attract attention. Come on, relax, no harm has been done. "

He served her a cup of tea, black, with fruit, one of his favourites. He could not restrain a smile of satisfaction before the head she did when she tasted it.

"So, tell me, Miss Granger, what is the honour of such an appointment?"

"You ... you said you could teach me."

"I said, but why this sudden change of attitude?"

"You know why." She said, glaring at him.

Harry sat up, satisfied. He preferred it when she did not allow herself to do so.

"Maybe, yes, but the real question is: what is most important to you: respect for the rules, or knowledge that would enable you to defend yourself?"

His gaze was lost with his cup of tea, her lips so pinched that they became a barely visible line.

"Hermione, why do you respect our teacher, and I imagine the rest of the system?"

She gave him a surprised look. "You do not respect them, are you?"

"CI certainly do so, as powerful wizards, as sources of knowledge, but I would not go and denounce my comrades, as you did at the last potion."

She blushed a little shame. "They broke the rules."

"You know Hermione, the rules of the school fall within the rules of the ministry. Dumbledore is approved by the ministry, or it goes the other way around, who knows. That same ministry that says you will not be able to have a high position in the public service because you were born a muggle. And the same ministry insists that the other students think that the Muggles still live in the 19th century. You do not owe anything to these people, Hermione. You owe nothing to anyone, so stop trying to prove that you have your place here. "

She sighed. "I know you're right, it's just that ..."

"Do not worry, if you're willing to take what they refuse to give you, then you can learn a lot of things here."

"Do you think I'm weak?"

"If I thought so, we would not have this conversation, Hermione."

"I see."

"I will not make you an insult to explain that treason is not an option, once you have accepted."

She held out her hand. He shook it without hesitation.

"I would have a personal question."

She frowned. "Go ahead..."

"How do your parents react to all this?"

She turned a little pale but did not lower her eyes. "At first, they did not believe it, but they did accept it in the end. It's a bit hard, because they do not understand half the things I write in my letters. After the Troll episode, they wanted to keep me from coming back, but I insisted. I don't know. "

Harry nodded. When she left, he opened his notebook, and simply noted "She is in."