Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down
-
The year 1996 (a/n: I think that's right.)
~
Dinner had proceeded as usual, or at least what was now considered usual. The Great Hall no longer held the cheerful faces of students who were trying to forget that they still had a three foot report due to Snape first thing tomorrow. Now the all sat gloomily eating their food with the occasional cough here and there.
This is how it had been since last year.
The year before had changed everyone. The war had started in March, right here in good old Hogwarts, the one place everyone thought to be safe. It turns out that nothing could stop Voldemort on his quest for world domination.
Well, almost nothing.
The students had created their own alliance in this time of desperate measures. All the houses joined together in the fight. Even some Slytherins joined in not caring about their stupid house pride.
The losses were great, but Hogwarts managed to keep holding out against the dark creatures under Voldemort's command. But they knew it wouldn't last long.
And so the trio set out, and somehow prevailed in saving the school. Two came back bloodied and beaten, dragging a limp third carefully.
Voldemort still lived, but left what was left of the once great school alone grinning like the devil. He had gotten what he wanted.
The Potter boy was tainted.
Since then Hogwarts had been rebuilt by careful instructions of Professor Dumbledore. The war was still at large, and slowly but surely the light was losing ground, but there were still children to teach, even if the number was slowly diminishing.
The light still had hope in Harry Potter, unfortunately Harry Potter had lost hope in himself.
And so the dinner slowly came to an end and the tables were magically cleared. The solemn students made their way back to their dorms to finish their homework. A few spoke about unimportant things just trying to get conversation going. To some the silence was as frightening as the war of the light and the dark.
No one noticed that their supposed 'savior' was not at the dinner. Well, no one except his two best friends who were getting quite worried.
"It's pitch black out there, you don't think he's still laying in the rain?" Hermione asked fearfully looking out a window as the climbed to the Gryffindor tower. Ron shook his head.
"As spacey as Harry had become, I do not think he is stupid enough to stay out at night with-" He shuddered at the thought of the monster who had changed their lives so drastically the year before. Hermione put her hand on Ron's shoulder trying to comfort him.
"I agree, but still, if he isn't back by curfew I'm telling Professor McGonagall." Ron nodded and they came to a stop in front of the Fat Lady. "Green Jello"
The two entered the common room to start their homework. When their nerves started racking when the curfew came and went without a sign of Harry. Hermione stood up from her piles of books and Ron followed. They could feel that there was something wrong happening, and Harry was a part of it.
~`~
1977 (aprox)
~
Harry sat lounging in the Gryffindor Common room. He had finished his homework with great ease. It seemed that the curriculum had changed a lot in 19 years. Their work was at his fifth year level, so there wasn't much of a challenge.
This brought back thoughts to his travel in time. He was going to have to return soon to a time when the world is slowly being taken over by darkness. It wasn't exactly something he looked forward to.
Here he had both his parents, and happiness all around. Everything was still carefree. If only they knew that the new dark lord was such a large threat perhaps they would be able to prepare ahead of time and stop him before the darkness became too much.
Stop it!
Harry shouldn't think of such things. He was trying to enjoy himself as much as possible in the time he still had with happiness. Harry felt the presence of his hand rubbing his upper left arm. He stopped thinking so hard and opened his eyes startled to see another pair staring back at his own. He jumped a foot in the air and tumbled over the back of the sofa. How that was possible, Harry had no idea.
Laughter filled the common room at the sight of Harry sprawled behind the sofa, his legs propped up against the back of it, and his hand with wand ready. He blushed and got up to plop back down on the sofa where Lily and her friend Arabella were laughing.
"Don't do that! I nearly died of a heart attack thinking you were a death ea-" Harry stopped and blinked once. "Never mind." Lily looked at his confused, but decided to not pursue the matter.
Suddenly a bucket of green sludge tipped itself over Lily and Harry also splattering a couple of Gryffindors who were sitting nearby. Lily's head snapped towards the marauders sitting in the corner who were trying hard not to laugh. Needless to say they were failing at it.
"JAMES!" Lily screamed. Suddenly all the Gryffindor common room took cover under their tables and chairs looking warily at the scene being played out in the middle of the room. Lily stood up her usually perfect fiery red hair (and practically every other part of her body) now a glistening green sticking to her sour face and occasionally dripping the mysterious substance to the floor.
The Marauders stopped laughing, and Harry started to, ignoring the fact that he too was covered head to toe in the green muck. Lily made her way across the room in record breaking time dove and tackled Sirius and James at the same time making their arms flail out madly for something to grab hold of, and those things were Peter and Remus. Chairs flipped over and the sound of hand hitting face echoed throughout the room.
Finally Lily emerged from the pile rubbing her knuckles, and eventually marching her way upstairs to her dormitory, eyes glinting dangerously. Harry stood up and walked over to the Marauders, to help them up, which was the signal for the rest of the common room to come out of hiding.
"Well, that was rather stupid of you." Harry stated smiling at their already bruising faces. They just continued to gape at the staircase Lily had just disappeared into. Realizing he wasn't going to get a response anytime soon, he started walking back to his seat. Just then he noticed the squelching coming from his shoes and remembered he was covered goo.
How could I have forgotten?
And quickly transferred the goo over to James with a wave of his hand and a smile on his face.
-
Harry knew that it was happening. He was getting too comfortable in this new, easier time, and he knew that he would have to leave it soon. As he plopped himself down on his comfortable bed he began to run through his mind all that had happened in the past few days, trying to find if there were any clues to the lesson he was supposed to learn. He couldn't think of anything that would be of great importance. He had studied with his mother, played jokes with the marauders, and gone to class.
Nothing out of the ordinary.
Or at least in this time. Harry's mind wandered back to the solemn castle, and lack of anything to be joyful over. He shuddered. How could he have left them there? Hoe could he have left his friends in a time of need. He might not be the perfect boy that the wizarding world all loved, he may have a few dark secrets, but he still could help! What if while he had been gone Hogwarts had been attacked? His friends and classmates tortured, dead, dying, and he had not been there to help in the least bit.
Harry closed his eyes trying in a vain attempt to calm himself. The lump in his throat remained. Suddenly the door crashed open and Harry rolled off his bed underneath it in a split second, wand already swept off the bedside table and in his hand. He saw four pair of sneakers and the ends of four black robes.
"Terry?" asked a familiar voice. Sirius.
"I told you he was not up here!" squeaked Peter. Harry couldn't help but scowl.
"I could have sworn I saw him walk up the stairs a few minutes ago." James said. Harry swore at his instincts and rolled out from under the bed. All four of the intruders jumped a foot in the air when they saw him.
"What were you doing under there Terry, collecting dust bunnies?! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" claimed Sirius clutching his chest. Harry smirked and stood up dusting himself off.
"Sorry, reflex. So, what did you want?" The four glanced at each other at his answer. Finally James answered him.
"uh.nothing really. Just wondering if you wanted to help us hex all of the Slytherin's food to make them grow bunny ears and a cotton tail." Harry grinned and told them sure, while walking with them out of their dorm.
When they were halfway to the kitchen Harry hissed his right hand grasped his upper left arm. He stiffened and fell writhing to the floor. The marauders stopped abruptly and quickly Remus knelt beside him trying to find out whats wrong.
"Sirius! Get Madam Caller!" Remus yelled now trying to restrain Harry with James helping. Peter just stood staring at them.
"Peter!" cried James roughly keeping Harry from clawing at his left arm. Peter jerked to attention. "Get a teacher, NOW!" As Peter scrambled off, Harry managed to tear his robe around his forearm. James yet again tried to pull back the powerful arm.
Suddenly Remus stopped restraining Harry as he gaped at the patch of black coloured skin that was turning a bright red with Harry's antics. James was just about to scold Remus for letting go before he noticed the patch on Harry's arm too.
It was the dark mark.
Terry Porter was a Death Eater.
-----
A/N: Ta Da! Another short chapter. Couldn't help myself. I went on vacation, came back and couldn't write for a bit. Sorry bout that! Well here it is! Thank you my reviewers, I will write a customized thanks next time!
Disclaimer: You know the drill. If Its HP I don't own it.
-Hugh McDougal (no, it's not my real name)
-
The year 1996 (a/n: I think that's right.)
~
Dinner had proceeded as usual, or at least what was now considered usual. The Great Hall no longer held the cheerful faces of students who were trying to forget that they still had a three foot report due to Snape first thing tomorrow. Now the all sat gloomily eating their food with the occasional cough here and there.
This is how it had been since last year.
The year before had changed everyone. The war had started in March, right here in good old Hogwarts, the one place everyone thought to be safe. It turns out that nothing could stop Voldemort on his quest for world domination.
Well, almost nothing.
The students had created their own alliance in this time of desperate measures. All the houses joined together in the fight. Even some Slytherins joined in not caring about their stupid house pride.
The losses were great, but Hogwarts managed to keep holding out against the dark creatures under Voldemort's command. But they knew it wouldn't last long.
And so the trio set out, and somehow prevailed in saving the school. Two came back bloodied and beaten, dragging a limp third carefully.
Voldemort still lived, but left what was left of the once great school alone grinning like the devil. He had gotten what he wanted.
The Potter boy was tainted.
Since then Hogwarts had been rebuilt by careful instructions of Professor Dumbledore. The war was still at large, and slowly but surely the light was losing ground, but there were still children to teach, even if the number was slowly diminishing.
The light still had hope in Harry Potter, unfortunately Harry Potter had lost hope in himself.
And so the dinner slowly came to an end and the tables were magically cleared. The solemn students made their way back to their dorms to finish their homework. A few spoke about unimportant things just trying to get conversation going. To some the silence was as frightening as the war of the light and the dark.
No one noticed that their supposed 'savior' was not at the dinner. Well, no one except his two best friends who were getting quite worried.
"It's pitch black out there, you don't think he's still laying in the rain?" Hermione asked fearfully looking out a window as the climbed to the Gryffindor tower. Ron shook his head.
"As spacey as Harry had become, I do not think he is stupid enough to stay out at night with-" He shuddered at the thought of the monster who had changed their lives so drastically the year before. Hermione put her hand on Ron's shoulder trying to comfort him.
"I agree, but still, if he isn't back by curfew I'm telling Professor McGonagall." Ron nodded and they came to a stop in front of the Fat Lady. "Green Jello"
The two entered the common room to start their homework. When their nerves started racking when the curfew came and went without a sign of Harry. Hermione stood up from her piles of books and Ron followed. They could feel that there was something wrong happening, and Harry was a part of it.
~`~
1977 (aprox)
~
Harry sat lounging in the Gryffindor Common room. He had finished his homework with great ease. It seemed that the curriculum had changed a lot in 19 years. Their work was at his fifth year level, so there wasn't much of a challenge.
This brought back thoughts to his travel in time. He was going to have to return soon to a time when the world is slowly being taken over by darkness. It wasn't exactly something he looked forward to.
Here he had both his parents, and happiness all around. Everything was still carefree. If only they knew that the new dark lord was such a large threat perhaps they would be able to prepare ahead of time and stop him before the darkness became too much.
Stop it!
Harry shouldn't think of such things. He was trying to enjoy himself as much as possible in the time he still had with happiness. Harry felt the presence of his hand rubbing his upper left arm. He stopped thinking so hard and opened his eyes startled to see another pair staring back at his own. He jumped a foot in the air and tumbled over the back of the sofa. How that was possible, Harry had no idea.
Laughter filled the common room at the sight of Harry sprawled behind the sofa, his legs propped up against the back of it, and his hand with wand ready. He blushed and got up to plop back down on the sofa where Lily and her friend Arabella were laughing.
"Don't do that! I nearly died of a heart attack thinking you were a death ea-" Harry stopped and blinked once. "Never mind." Lily looked at his confused, but decided to not pursue the matter.
Suddenly a bucket of green sludge tipped itself over Lily and Harry also splattering a couple of Gryffindors who were sitting nearby. Lily's head snapped towards the marauders sitting in the corner who were trying hard not to laugh. Needless to say they were failing at it.
"JAMES!" Lily screamed. Suddenly all the Gryffindor common room took cover under their tables and chairs looking warily at the scene being played out in the middle of the room. Lily stood up her usually perfect fiery red hair (and practically every other part of her body) now a glistening green sticking to her sour face and occasionally dripping the mysterious substance to the floor.
The Marauders stopped laughing, and Harry started to, ignoring the fact that he too was covered head to toe in the green muck. Lily made her way across the room in record breaking time dove and tackled Sirius and James at the same time making their arms flail out madly for something to grab hold of, and those things were Peter and Remus. Chairs flipped over and the sound of hand hitting face echoed throughout the room.
Finally Lily emerged from the pile rubbing her knuckles, and eventually marching her way upstairs to her dormitory, eyes glinting dangerously. Harry stood up and walked over to the Marauders, to help them up, which was the signal for the rest of the common room to come out of hiding.
"Well, that was rather stupid of you." Harry stated smiling at their already bruising faces. They just continued to gape at the staircase Lily had just disappeared into. Realizing he wasn't going to get a response anytime soon, he started walking back to his seat. Just then he noticed the squelching coming from his shoes and remembered he was covered goo.
How could I have forgotten?
And quickly transferred the goo over to James with a wave of his hand and a smile on his face.
-
Harry knew that it was happening. He was getting too comfortable in this new, easier time, and he knew that he would have to leave it soon. As he plopped himself down on his comfortable bed he began to run through his mind all that had happened in the past few days, trying to find if there were any clues to the lesson he was supposed to learn. He couldn't think of anything that would be of great importance. He had studied with his mother, played jokes with the marauders, and gone to class.
Nothing out of the ordinary.
Or at least in this time. Harry's mind wandered back to the solemn castle, and lack of anything to be joyful over. He shuddered. How could he have left them there? Hoe could he have left his friends in a time of need. He might not be the perfect boy that the wizarding world all loved, he may have a few dark secrets, but he still could help! What if while he had been gone Hogwarts had been attacked? His friends and classmates tortured, dead, dying, and he had not been there to help in the least bit.
Harry closed his eyes trying in a vain attempt to calm himself. The lump in his throat remained. Suddenly the door crashed open and Harry rolled off his bed underneath it in a split second, wand already swept off the bedside table and in his hand. He saw four pair of sneakers and the ends of four black robes.
"Terry?" asked a familiar voice. Sirius.
"I told you he was not up here!" squeaked Peter. Harry couldn't help but scowl.
"I could have sworn I saw him walk up the stairs a few minutes ago." James said. Harry swore at his instincts and rolled out from under the bed. All four of the intruders jumped a foot in the air when they saw him.
"What were you doing under there Terry, collecting dust bunnies?! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" claimed Sirius clutching his chest. Harry smirked and stood up dusting himself off.
"Sorry, reflex. So, what did you want?" The four glanced at each other at his answer. Finally James answered him.
"uh.nothing really. Just wondering if you wanted to help us hex all of the Slytherin's food to make them grow bunny ears and a cotton tail." Harry grinned and told them sure, while walking with them out of their dorm.
When they were halfway to the kitchen Harry hissed his right hand grasped his upper left arm. He stiffened and fell writhing to the floor. The marauders stopped abruptly and quickly Remus knelt beside him trying to find out whats wrong.
"Sirius! Get Madam Caller!" Remus yelled now trying to restrain Harry with James helping. Peter just stood staring at them.
"Peter!" cried James roughly keeping Harry from clawing at his left arm. Peter jerked to attention. "Get a teacher, NOW!" As Peter scrambled off, Harry managed to tear his robe around his forearm. James yet again tried to pull back the powerful arm.
Suddenly Remus stopped restraining Harry as he gaped at the patch of black coloured skin that was turning a bright red with Harry's antics. James was just about to scold Remus for letting go before he noticed the patch on Harry's arm too.
It was the dark mark.
Terry Porter was a Death Eater.
-----
A/N: Ta Da! Another short chapter. Couldn't help myself. I went on vacation, came back and couldn't write for a bit. Sorry bout that! Well here it is! Thank you my reviewers, I will write a customized thanks next time!
Disclaimer: You know the drill. If Its HP I don't own it.
-Hugh McDougal (no, it's not my real name)