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Chapter Fourteen: Evil Shining Through.

Ginny stepped in front of Harry, taking the curse before Harry could even gain his own bearings. A horrific scream rang out in front of Harry's ears and Harry pulled his wand pointing it towards Bellatrix.

"Reducto!" screamed Harry, sending a jet of light flying towards Bellatrix's head. This broke the dark witch's concentration and Ginny was kneeling in the snow, sweating profusely. "Ginny, what were you thinking taking a Cruciatus Curse for me? That was a foolish act and you could have put yourself back in St. Mungos."

"Oh, I'd suppose it would be better for you to be driven insane," said Ginny in an irritated voice.

Bellatrix looked at her foes with a predatory smirk. This should be a little more fun then she could have ever realized.

"Incidere!" cried Bellatrix, sending a spell that tore the flesh of a victim clearly off the bone in a very painful matter.

"Protego," muttered Harry, putting a shield around himself and Ginny, preventing them from getting destroyed by this nasty dark curse.

"Harry, we need to get a way out of here," suggested Ginny.

Harry knew that but he could not reach for his Portus-Amulet and leave Ginny defenseless against the crazy woman before him. The Boy-Who-Lived looked at a pile of snow, getting an idea.

"Expello!" cried Harry, banishing the pile of snow towards Bellatrix. Bellatrix screamed, trapped in a coffin of snow. "I think it's safe to say that Bellatrix Lestrange has been put on ice for the time being."

Ginny laughed out loud at the bad pun from her friend but the light moment quickly vanished as the snow quickly melted, leaving a very ticked off Bellatrix Lestrange, drenched in cold water, looking positively murderous.

"So, you foolish brats want to play games," said Bellatrix coldly. "Punctum!"

Razor sharp needles flew at Harry and Ginny but Harry had the presence of mind to pull Ginny out of the way and the two of the needles hit the side of his arm.

"Harry!" screamed Ginny in horror and for good reason, as not only was Harry hurt and bleeding from the needles puncturing his arm but he was starting to not be able to hold his Metamorphmagus transformation due to using magic to defend himself and Ginny.

Harry realized this too, as he knew if he had that other part of his magic that Dumbledore had not blocked, he could had sustained his abilities while doing magic but right now, he could only due partial transformations without using any spell casting.

"Time to wrap this up," said Bellatrix with glee. "Desumo Funis!"

A rope shot out of the end of Bellatrix's wand, wrapping around Harry. Harry felt himself being electrocuted through the rope.

"Diffindo," said Ginny, finding her voice, cutting the rope from Harry. Harry found himself laid out and panting in the snow.

"Expello!" yelled Bellatrix, banishing Ginny into the side of a building with malice. Ginny hit the building, looking groggy.

Bellatrix walked up to Harry who was groggy, with his hair sticking up more than usual due to being the victim of a short electrical shock. Lestrange pulled up the fringe of Harry's hair, revealing his lightning bolt scar. She backed off slightly, in shock of what she saw.

"You!" screamed Bellatrix in anger recognizing the one who defeated her Master years ago. "Crucio!"

Harry screamed in pain, attempting to shut it out but Bellatrix poured it on for a little bit until she heard something. The Dementors were coming and Bellatrix decided she did not want to come back to Azkaban right now after all the trouble she expended at getting out of the desolate place.

"So, I must be departing right now, Harry Potter," said Bellatrix her eyes dancing with madness. "But as a parting gift, I have two words for your little girlfriend."

Bellatrix stood by the doors in front of the building Ginny was banished in front of her, her wand raised in the air, grinning sadistically.

"Avada Ked..." began Bellatrix but Harry looked at the doors, getting a quick idea on how to stop Bellatrix from casting the Killing Curse.

"Alohomora!" cried Harry putting his wand at the doors, causing them to spring open, whacking Bellatrix in the side, causing her to skid on the ground.

Bellatrix looked at Harry with hatred before disappearing with a crack. Harry walked over to his friend, leaning against the side of the building, looking rather terrified as the Dementors came closer. No doubt as the Dementors came closer, Ginny had to relieve the shadowed memories, inconclusive of her time under the possession of Tom Riddle's diary.

"Ginny, we're using the Portus-Amulet," said Harry, pulling it out. He hoped that the thing would work this time. He tapped his wand to it, grabbing Ginny's hand before pulling them towards the Slytherin library.

Harry and Ginny were teleported to the top of the bookshelf.

"I think the Portus-Amulet is starting to recover slightly from when Tom had it," said Harry shaking his head. "At least the target was not that far off."

"Yes, now we just got to get down," said Ginny weakly but Harry scooped Ginny up in his arms, before he guided them both down from the book self. He gently set Ginny on the ground, before he looked at her with a concerned expression.

"Are you alright Ginny?" asked Harry.

"You're the one who got put under the Cruciatus Curse, Harry," said Ginny.

"You did too," said Harry.

"You got your arm punctured with needles," said Ginny. "Surely you are in more pain."

"You got banished into a side of the building and nearly got hit with a killing curse," said Harry. "When I get my hands on Lestrange..."

"Harry please don't do anything you're going to regret," said Ginny with a pleading look in her eyes.

"I don't think I'll regret it, I think it will be Bellatrix Lestrange who will be wishing she decided to break out of Azkaban," said Harry.

Ginny looked at her friend with worry. She did not want him to do something that would get him killed but Ginny did not want Harry to be upset with her pushing the issue.

Dumbledore was walking to his office, just returning from a meeting with Minister Fudge. It seemed the fool was still attempting to push through his anti-werewolf legislation. Dumbledore did not want to alienate the Werewolves, as he felt they were too valuable of a tool not to manipulative. Their blood was useful for many dangerous and highly complex dark magical rituals combined with the Elixir of Life from the Philosopher's Stone, which Dumbledore needed to maintain his hundred and fifty nine year old body along with the fact to keep his magical powers from disintegrating completely.

Dumbledore needed to steal the blood from Lupin unknowingly soon as the skin on his hand was beginning to decompose slightly along with some of the skin on the right side of his face. He had to use glamour charms to hide his condition, as the skin was beginning to turn a sickly gray color, hanging onto his bones in places by a few strands of flesh. The rituals required every three years were to sustain this primitive form at this age was becoming rather bothersome but once the item binding his essence was broken, it would return him to his true form from his previous life.

Dumbledore broken out of his thoughts, seeing his gargoyle had been covered with toilet paper again. That was the third time that happened this month. Someone was attempting to play games with Dumbledore but the Headmaster was at a loss of who would do that. After all, he was the greatest wizard the world would ever seen and he could destroy anyone who gets in his way with a few spells, even in his current state.

"Incendio!" screamed Dumbledore angrily, burning the Toilet paper to a crisp before vanishing it wordlessly. When he got his hands the person who was doing this, he would make them wish they had never been born.

Harry and Ginny were talking with Daphne, Theodore, and Hermione at dinner that night. It was the last day before the Holidays and Ginny, Theodore, and Daphne were going home to visit family but Hermione was staying at Hogwarts over the Holidays.

"Did you hear earlier today, Bellatrix Lestrange attempted to attack a teenage boy and a girl in Hogsmeade?" asked Daphne. "The funny part is that there was no causalities and Bellatrix appeared to get knocked around a little bit by the boy before someone called the Dementors."

"No kidding," said Harry mildly. He knew this as the two Bellatrix attacked was Harry and Ginny.

"Yes, Harry, it seemed very strange someone could knock around one of the most dangerous servants of Voldemort and a teenager at that," said Hermione with an accusing look. "It almost sounds like something you would do, Harry."

"Don't be silly Hermione, Harry wouldn't have had time to go into Hogsmeade, he was with me all day," said Ginny.

Hermione just nodded, the fact Harry was with Ginny all day confirmed her suspicions even more. They went together but Hermione barely held her tongue. The stress with the time turner was starting to overwhelm her but she refused to give up her extra class load. Trelawney kept predicting her death daily and the fear that Harry would get himself killed by either Lestrange or Black was becoming more and more prominent. Adding to Hagrid's troubles with the Ministry of Magic, which Harry did not know of all of it due to his current heavy workload with helping Ginny doing her work, doing his work, and Flint's torture sessions disguised as Quidditch practice. It was really amazing Hermione did not snap under the pressure from all she was keeping in.

Dumbledore cautiously opened the Werewolf's office door. He needed to be careful, even if Lupin kept his mind due to the Wolfsbane Potion and was not a snarling beast wanting to kill, Dumbledore could ill afford to be seen.

He looked up and the wolf appeared to be curled up, half asleep. Dumbledore needed to act quickly, as Werewolves tended to have heightened senses.

"Alacritas Glacialis," muttered Dumbledore, putting the wolf in suspended animation for a period of two hours.

Dumbledore looked around, putting silencing charms on the door.

"Incedio," said Dumbledore, burning an area of fur off. "Diffindo."

A simple cutting hex was all that required to open up a cut on the werewolf which was good, as Dumbledore needed the beast alive for other purposes and all the other curses to open flesh up had some kind of silver elements in them. Dumbledore used his wand to siphon the blood as it dripped out into six separate glass vials. Enough for ninety years worth of rituals to sustain this form but even Dumbledore doubted he needed to do the rituals for that long. He already had a contingency plan in place, as apparently his original plan of manipulating Harry into killing Voldemort while Harry sacrificed himself and than using the power that a sacrifice of a savior would give him to be able to touch the artifact despite his condition. Dumbledore still held out hope he could find a way to get Potter under his thumb, but it was not his only plan anymore.

Dumbledore vanished all the excess blood before healing Lupin. The Headmaster quickly walked out, as if he was not there. The wolf would not know a thing as Dumbledore congratulated himself on yet another clever plan.

Christmas day came rather quickly. Harry found himself buried in Christmas gifts from head to toe. It seemed like every student in the first and second year had sent him something along with his friends.

"Damn, Potter, you're popular," said Blaise Zabini the only other Slytherin third year beside Harry who decided to stay. Zabini was rather an enigma in the Slytherin house, choosing not to side with either Harry or Malfoy. He instead preferred to be neutral in all house disputes.

"I've noticed," said Harry, struggling to move all of the presents so he had room to sit on his bed as Zabini left the dormitory to do whatever he did in his spare time.

Harry ripped open his gifts, taking hours to do so. Most of the gifts fell under two categories. The majority of the gifts fell into two categories, sweets or books teaching Advanced Forms of Magic. It seemed they knew what Harry enjoyed and Harry felt pleased. He had but one gift left, buried under the pile. It appeared to be shaped like a broomstick and Harry could not think of who sent it to him.

Harry ripped the paper open, looking at the broom closely. What he saw, floored him?

"I...this is..." stuttered Harry in a loss for words, as he turned over the broom. It was what Harry thought it was. The best broom there ever was, a Firebolt.

Questions entered Harry's mind. Who would get him such an extravagant gift? Harry had been going over buying a Firebolt after the Christmas Holidays. Something was not quite right here, especially when Harry fished through the wrapping paper, finding no card at all to indicate who sent it. Surely, if they did not have evil intentions in mind, they would let Harry know who it was that sent it.

Harry decided to put the Firebolt with the rest of his gifts but he was stopped when three of the younger Slytherin students who had decided to stay over for the Holidays decided to pay him a visit.

"Hi, Harry," said the three students. "Merry Christmas."

"Isabelle, Marie, Johnny, Merry Christmas," said Harry acknowledging three of the students of the many students in the first two years who looked up to him.

Isabelle was a second year, and perhaps one of Ginny's closest friends in the Slytherin house in Ginny's own year. Marie and Johnny were first years. The three of them rather amused Harry, especially Isabelle who was quite hyperactive streak.

Isabelle spotted the one thing Harry had been preparing to hide.

"Harry, that's...that's..." said Isabelle.

"It's a Firebolt," said Johnny helpfully.

"Yes, thank you," said Isabelle excitedly. "The best broom, the most wicked creation ever created, the most awesome..."

"Izzy, Izzy, calm down and quick staring at Harry's broomstick," said Marie shaking her head in amusement.

"I would never do anything like that, Ginny wouldn’t be too happy with me for doing something like that, as that would be her job before long," said Isabelle with a wicked grin.

Harry looked confused at this but Johnny and Marie exchanged one of those, "I can't believe she said that" looks.

"Isabelle Elizabeth Martinez, I can't believe you said something that vulgar," said Marie. "Corrupting poor innocent Harry over there."

"Marie Amanda Azura," said Isabelle in a singsong voice. "Jonathan Preston Michaels, Harry James Potter, isn't it nice now we know everyone's full names?"

"Izzy, you're..." said Marie before throwing her hands up in the air in defeat.

"Beautiful, brilliant, fun loving, smart, cool, wicked," said Isabelle helpfully or at least what she thought was helpful.

"No, you're a pain," said Marie.

"Yes, I would have to agree about that fact," said Johnny nodding his head.

"Harry, I'm not a pain, am I," said Isabelle.

"Look a deluxe box of chocolate frogs," said Harry, averting the subject. "And for the record, Ginny and I are just friends, nothing going on between us."

"Right, and I'm Draco Malfoy's mistress," said Isabelle sarcastically before shuddering at the very thought. "And actually I do know that, but you forgot to add the word, yet, to the end of your sentence."

"Isabelle, did you take your medication yet today?" asked Johnny shaking his head.

"I'm not on any medication," said Isabelle. "Why, do you think I'm crazy or something?"

"All in favor of this fact, raise their hands," said Marie, as Johnny and Marie raised their hands into the air. "All abstaining in voting due to not wanting to hurt any feelings, raise their hand."

Harry raised his hand quickly before putting it down. Isabelle glared at everyone in the room before deciding to change the subject.

"Okay, let's get back on the subject of something a bit more pleasant than my looming insanity," said Isabelle. "Seriously Harry, a Firebolt, even through the person riding the broom matters not the broom, you have more to work with now and be more proficient at catching the snitch."

"So obsessed with Quidditch, it's a wonder why you don't try out for the team, Isabelle," said Marie.

"I tried this year actually," said Isabelle sadly. "Flint gave me a dirty look when I actually bothered to show up to tryouts. He asked me why I wasn't learning cooking spells instead of wasting his time so I could make him a sandwich. I would have hexed him if Snape hadn’t been sitting in the stands observing. I know I can fly better than those gorillas Flint has for chasers right now."

"This would be a lot easier if someone who did not keep the pure blooded supremacists on the team would be captain," said Harry shaking his head. "If only Flint actually graduates this year, maybe someone could take his place that would actually make the team more relying on talent and less on brute voice."

"Harry, maybe it would be a good idea if you were Quidditch Captain," said Johnny.

"Me, Quidditch Captain," said Harry in disbelief. The thought of it was ludicrous yet rather appealing. It definitely was better than Harry's overwhelming fear that he would be prefect during his fifth year and would have to sell out to be an authority figure.

"Yes, you, I mean the Slytherin Team, despite winning the last eight years, have been made a mockery out of by the school," said Marie. "Harry, you do have a good eye for potential."

"Yes and I could actually be on the team," said Isabelle bouncing up and down in excitement.

"You're scary sometimes, you know that," said Marie shaking her head. "I still haven't figured out what you did to Pansy Parkinson."

"Yeah, what exactly did you do to her that made her whimper every time someone came up behind her," said Johnny.

"She deserved it, she was attempting to spread rumors about Ginny that I’m not going to even dignify with a response," said Isabelle. "She wouldn’t shut up, with that grating annoying voice that makes you want to long for a dying cat in a hailstorm, I sort of had one of the those bursts of spontaneous accidental magic that spooked her. I'm not really quite sure what I did, although I hope it was rather traumatic for her."

"She deserved it," said Harry darkly. "It seems like Parkinson, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle are the only students under fourth year who seem to be the problem. I think she may be trying to impress Malfoy a little bit."

"They deserve each other," said Isabelle. "I mean, one's a bitch and then there's Pansy."

"I can't believe you said that," said Marie shaking her head. "Degrading female dogs everywhere by comparing Draco Malfoy to one of them. Kind of insulting if you ask me."

"Sorry, it was a temporary lapse of judgment," said Isabelle. "Won't ever happen, I promise."

Isabelle crossed her fingers behind her back, with a smirk on her face when she said that last sentence which caused the others to laugh. Harry's life was never dull, as he seemed to always befriend some of the more interesting and unique people in Hogwarts in addition to his constant brushes with death.

During the day, Harry spent a little time with his family. Raph seemed rather ready to get out of Hogwarts and return to New York to finish their business with the Foot but Master Splinter decided they should wait it out a few more months, making the Shredder think that they perished in the explosion. Harry thought this was a brilliant plan, as Saki would not expect an attack from an enemy that he thought to be dead. If all went right, they would make a trip back to New York to mount an all out assault on the Foot at the end of the school year.

That night at Christmas dinner, Harry along with the three younger year Slytherins, Hermione, and Zabini sat down at the Head table. As there were so few, Dumbledore decided it was a foolish idea to use the house tables. Harry did not feel joining Dumbledore for dinner would be in his best interests, but he scanned the food and the drinks for foreign potions or spells. Even on Christmas, Harry was not going to let anyone get the drop on him. In addition to Isabelle, Johnny, Marie, Hermione, Harry, and Zabini, Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Flitwick, and Snape along with Hagrid and Filch were seated at the table.

"Oh no, she's coming over," muttered Hermione in horror halfway through.

"Ah it's the infamous Professor Trelawney," said Isabelle getting a mischievous look on her face. "My older brother who was in Ravenclaw when he went here had Trelawney during her first year of teaching. She was a fraud then and she seems to be even more so."

"Ah, Sibyll," said Dumbledore with a calculating expression. "This is a pleasant surprise."

"Headmaster, I had foreseen myself leaving my tower to come and join you all for this meal," said Trelawney. "Who am I to mock the leanings of fate?"

Harry rolled his eyes. Was this woman for real?

"Do join us then," said Snape sneering. "Your company would be much...enjoyable."

"I think not Severus," said Trelawney looking horrified. "If I were to join there would be thirteen of us. The first to rise would be the first to die."

"We shall risk it then," said McGonagall dryly. "Do sit down, Sibyll before the food gets cold."

Trelawney reluctantly sat down before gazing upon Harry.

"Harry Potter, I must say it was surprising not to see you enrolled in my class," said Trelawney. "Surely you understand the importance of perfecting the noble art of Divination, as darkness looms everywhere, marking you and causing you to be threatened by great evil."

"Harry Potter, threatened by great evil, who would have thought something like that would happen," said Hermione sarcastically. "Oh wait, there was that time You-Know-Who tried to kill him. And that other time You-Know-Who tried to kill him. And the time after that, last year in the Chamber of Secrets. I think I may be missing one, but I'm not quite sure."

Harry privately thought that being friends with mostly Slytherins was starting to turn Hermione a bit moody and sarcastic.

"The darkness still marks you, my dear girl, growing ever stronger and through the..."started Trelawney before Isabelle sighed and stood up. "My dear, you stood up at a table for thirteen, you shall die!"

Isabelle sat back down, rolling her eyes before exchanging looks with Hermione, Harry, Johnny, and Marie. They were going to have fun pulling a prank to screw with the Divination Professor's head.

"Thirteen are dining once again," said Trelawney. "The next person to rise will be..."

Johnny stood up before sitting back down. Trelawney's eyes bulged out before Marie stood up and sat down. Then Harry stood up and sat back down, making sure thirteen.

"This is too much," said Trelawney. "You shall all die, all of you. Standing at a table set for thirteen is..."

"I'm standing!" said Isabelle in a singsong voice before sitting back down.

"Oh my, it's doom," said Hermione, standing up before sitting down.

"Chaos, bedlam, death, and prophecies of doom," said Isabelle standing up with a mischievous. "All the elements of good dinner entertainment."

This went on for some time as McGonagall looked torn between amusement and handing out detentions for disrupting the meal. Dumbledore put his head in his hands, as he felt frustrated at not being able to do anything to put a stop to this. It seemed Harry had become more popular recently, with the majority of the students third year and below with a few exceptions looking at Harry as there leader. It reminded Dumbledore of a young Tom Riddle, except Harry actually cared for his young friends and that is what worried Dumbledore more than anything Voldemort could do as Dumbledore could feel himself slowly lose influence with the youth of the Wizarding World.

Hagrid and Flitwick looked rather amused and Snape tried desperately not to ruin his reputation by laughing at Trelawney's misfortune. Filch looked sullen as usual. Zabini just sat there, pretending nothing was happening.

"I can't take it anymore!" screamed Trelawney. "I am returning to my tower where there is sanity in this world."

Trelawney sprang up from the table as Hermione and Harry exchanged mock looks of horror.

"Oh my, Professor, you just rose from the table of thirteen," said Marie in amusement. "That means you will be dying first."

Trelawney stalked off, looking rather disturbed at their antics.

"I think we broke her," said Johnny looking amused.

"A pity," said Isabelle sarcastically before dinner went on without further incident.

Later that night, Harry's paranoia got the better of him and he decided to take the Firebolt to Snape's office. Harry knocked on Snape's door.

"Enter," said Snape calmly before Harry walked in, his Firebolt under his arm. "Potter, what is the purpose of this visit?"

"Professor, I had been sent this as a Christmas present and there was not a note indicating who sent it or anything," said Harry.

"Do continue Potter," said Snape.

"I am wondering if someone may have decided to sent me a jinxed broom so I could get myself killed," said Harry.

"An excellent Slytherin line of thought, Mr. Potter," said Snape. "With Black and Lestrange on the loose and Gringotts not restricting access of the vaults for convicted felons. All the goblins care about is money, so they could care less if something is guilty as sin, but I am getting off the subject. I will have this broom checked for any jinxes, Potter and if it is acceptable enough, it will be returned to you at the earliest possible time. I bid you good bye."

Harry nodded, walking out of Snape's office. The rest of Christmas holidays went by rather quickly. Harry was ready for his classes to start back up again and more importantly learning how to fight Dementors with Professor Lupin.