Butterfly 25 - LM/HP
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Right... When I updated New Divide last week, someone mentioned they would have liked a summary… So, ima do one for Butterfly at least...
Last time: Harry is in 2nd year now. They celebrated Hermione’s birthday early, and Ron gate-crashed the party. Harry and Draco kidnapped Theo from his father, and Harry was tortured a little. Theaodore is now waiting for punishment from the ministry, and Terrance has started Hogwarts. The Weasley Twins flew their father’s car to Hogwarts, and were caught by Snape. Harry has Voldemort for a Defence Professor, who also happened to have kidnapped him over the summer via Gilderoy Lockhart’s house elf. Evan is very happy with himself for meeting Voldemort, and explained to Harry who he was, etc. Harry stole the diary from Lucius, and Ginny bled on it...
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Words: 1,764
Chapter 25
September 3rd 1992.
They were on their way to their first Defence Against the Dark Arts class. Harry hadn’t seen the Weasley twins since the night before, but that wasn’t surprising since none of his classes so far were with the Gryffindors and the Weasley twins were actually two years ahead of him. He hadn’t heard any rumours about them being expelled at any rate, so he decided not to worry. Instead, he’d worry about taking lessons with Professor Lockhart.
They hadn’t had the best first meeting. Over the summer, Lockhart’s house elf had kidnapped Harry from Malfoy Manor and brought him to a book-signing in Diagon Alley. Gilderoy had flaunted him in front of the press and the crowd, and, it appeared to Harry at least, threatened Evan and Lucius a little when they arrived to take him home. He could understand why though, after Evan had explained it to him. But that didn’t excuse the fact that Lord Voldemort had kidnapped him from his friend’s home, somewhere he was meant to be safe, without any difficulty. Harry wasn’t exactly excited by the prospect of spending an entire year with Voldemort. He hadn’t yet decided on his loyalties, but he knew he didn’t want to oppose the Dark Lord. But… did he want to spend an entire year being tested for loyalties or skills he had yet to develop?
Harry looked up as someone cleared their throat. At his side, Draco gave him a soft nudge and chuckled lightly. “Looks like someone has a fan club,” the blond whispered.
Standing in front of him, red cheeked and holding a Muggle camera, a mousy-haired boy said, “hi. You’re Harry Potter.”
“Hello,” Harry answered politely, his gaze flicking between the camera and the boy’s plain face.
“I’m C-Colin Creevey,” the boy stuttered. He held his camera out from his chest, and grinned. “Can I have a picture? So I can prove I met you?” Harry watched him blankly for a moment, and then turned to stare at Draco imploringly.
Instead of helping, as Harry had hoped, Draco grinned widely and slung one arm around Harry’s shoulders. “I can take it, and then Harry you could sign it!”
As was the way with Harry’s unfortunate luck, Ronald Weasley chose that moment to appear in the courtyard. “Signed photos? Who’s giving out signed photos?” Ron’s voice was loud and scathing and it echoed across the courtyard. People’s heads turned to watch as the redhead bounded up to Harry and threw an arm around him from the opposite side to Draco. “Take a picture the, Creevey,” he demanded.
“I’m not giving out signed photos!” Harry hissed, shoving both Ron and Draco away from him. He fixed them both with a glare, and narrowed his eyes on Colin. “Go away. I’m not taking a photo wi-.”
Harry froze mid-sentence. The diary in his pocket was practically humming, and Harry felt the dark magic that surrounded it thrum in time with his heartbeat. He looked up, wide eyed and excited, searching for a Death Eater or the Dark Lord himself, but all he could see was Professor Lockhart unhurriedly making his way towards their group. Harry took in the golden hair and the perfectly chiselled features and sighed, wondering what the man really looked like.
“Potter, what’s this about signed photos?” The blond man asked, grinning widely enough to bare his teeth.
Harry waited until he couldn’t feel the pulse of the Horcrux anymore and then he answered. “Just a misunderstand, Professor. I’m not giving out signed photos.”
“At least without charging, I’d hope not.” Harry’s head jerked as he raised his eyes to meet his professors. “Don’t look so shocked, Potter. I was in Slytherin after all.”
“Yes, well, I’m a Ravenclaw. And I’m not giving out signed photos, regardless of whether I charge for them or not.”
“You heard him, boy. Leave.” Colin Creevey let out a soft squeak, and practically ran in the opposite direction to the Professor. Ron’s face had paled so much that his freckles were almost as dark a red as his hair. He gulped, looked after Colin, and swallowed heavily. “Leave.”
“I can’t,” Ron said. “I’m going the same way as you.”
Lockhart pointed ahead of him, and Ron started walking. A hand fell onto Harry’s shoulder and squeezed, and the brunette held his tongue as the man started leading him towards the Defence classroom.
They walked in silence, with Draco trailing a little bit behind them and Ron jogging ahead of them. Lockhart released him when they were about to enter the classroom, but stopped Harry from finding a seat by placing his hand lightly on Harry’s back. “Have you had a chance to read over your textbooks yet? I would recommend you do so at the first available opportunity, Mr Potter. You never know what you might learn.”
Harry gave a nod and made his way further into the room, his eyebrows furrowed in thought. Evan had given him his books for Defence. Gilderoy’s entire collection. But his, apparently, had been a gift from the Dark Lord, signed, sealed and delivered he supposed. Signed, Harry thought, suddenly smiling. Voldemort must have written him a message or instructions of some sort, he decided, making a mental note to check after his classes ended for the day.
“I thought we’d start today with a little quiz,” Lockhart said once everyone was seated. He waved his wand, and a stack of parchment began to make its way around the classroom, dropping one sheet onto every desk until there were none left floating. “You have thirty minutes, start now.”
Unfortunately, the class was a mix of all Houses, as it was considered one of the most important subjects and Lockhart himself had insisted. The Gryffindors murmured loudly amongst themselves, while the Hufflepuffs gasped and looked close to tears as they read over the questions. The Slytherins looked rather pleased with themselves, writing down answers and glancing around the room suspiciously, soon to be copied by the Ravenclaws. But Harry Potter sat still and silent, his pen in his hand, and his eyes wide. He read over the page once again, and looked up to meet amused red eyes that watched him calmly from the teacher’s desk at the front of the room.
1. In what year did Lord Voldemort rise to power?
7. Name the group of people known to have followed the Dark Lord during the first war.
18. In your own words, explain at least one goal that the Dark Lord is fighting to achieve.
24. Lord Voldemort disappeared for ten years. Where did he go or what was he doing during this time?
Harry knew that many people would ignore the word ‘ten’ in question 24, and answer with a variation of, ‘he was destroyed by Harry Potter, he had no body, but I think he went to hell’. But he and many of the Slytherins, if not all of them, would know that Lockhart meant the disappearance between 1947 and 1957, during which Voldemort lay low after stealing two heirlooms from a descendant of Hufflepuff. Only Harry knew that the man had also used that time to turn those two items into Horcruxes.
He wrote down as much, glancing up at Lockhart wearily. This, undoubtedly, was a test as to how much Harry knew, rather than the rest of the class. But while knowing too much could turn out to be bad for his health, lying wouldn’t do him any good idea. Voldemort and Evan had been close; Evan had probably told Voldemort everything regarding how much Harry knew or still needed to learn.
When the half hour ended, and Lockhart manually collected the exam papers, the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs both looked rather shaken. The Professor tutted as he read over the first few papers. “No Mr Weasley,” he said sternly, frowning, “the Dark Lord’s followers were not named ‘those bloody bastards’, though it does have a nice ring to it. Ah! Fortunately for you all, only one person got the answer to number twenty-four correct. Mr Potter, please remain behind. Everyone else, dismissed.”
The students filed from the room, talking softly to one another, and Harry remained seated at his desk. He shook his head at Draco, who hovered in the doorway, and the blond nodded and walked away. Harry was alone with Lord Voldemort, once again, and he swallowed heavily then looked up to meet the blue-eyed stare with his own narrowed eyes.
“What is it you wished to talk to me about, my Lord?” He whispered, noticing with amusement that all of the portraits that were in the room last year had vanished.
“The answer you wrote down.” He started, steepling his fingers beneath his chin. “I trust you have not shared your knowledge with another.”
“Evan knows. He and Lucius told me about them years ago. Lucius, Evan and Bellatrix Lestrange are all in possession of one item each. Though I suppose Lucius’s is now in my custody. No one else knows.”
Red eyes glanced over him, resting momentarily on his scar, and then moving down to lock onto wide green eyes. “Good. You may leave, Harry.”
He didn’t need telling twice. Harry slipped from his seat, and reached down for his bag with the Ravenclaw crest stitched onto it and swung it over his shoulder. “Good day, Professor,” he said primly, slipping from the classroom.
Harry walked slowly down the corridor, his thighs trembling as nervousness finally came upon him and the adrenaline of the encounter wore off. Lord Voldemort! Lord Voldemort had seemed threatened by him, but why? Him, of all people. He was nothing! A huge rush of air escaped him as he breathed heavily, leaning back against the wall of the corridor and slipping his hand into his robe pocket. The diary was familiar in his grasp, vibrating with darkness and excitement and need.
“Calm down, will you?” Harry muttered to the book. “It’s not like he wants you back.”
Harry pushed off from the wall. The feel of the book in his hand had calmed him down somewhat, and he made his way towards his next class. The bell had already rung, and he was already outside of McGonagall’s door by the time he realised he hadn’t been given a note to excuse his tardiness. “Damn Lockhart,” Harry grumbled under his breath, nodding in time with Professor McGonagall’s lecture on time keeping.
“What kept you?” Hermione whispered, leaning towards him over her desk.
“Shove off,” he hissed back uncharitably.
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Well that was kinda pointless and short… I was gonna add the ‘Quidditch scene’ and Hermione’s actual birthday, but since I hadn’t updated in about 5 months, I figured a short chapter was better than a longer wait! :D
Words: 3,635
Chapter 26
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