Runes Master

Chapter 17

Author Note: IMPORTANT NOTE, READ THIS BEFORE CONTINUING. I hope I managed to get your attention. I wanted to say that in this fanfic, I consider Voldemort as an Horcruxe himself, since he hold a fragment of his own soul. The Hufflepuff Cup is disregarded completely.

The summer went very much like the previous year. Harry had Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Luna 'helped him' record new movies during summer. Harry even convinced a movie theater to show old movies just for them. The price he offered convinced them easily. Harry figured that it would stimulate the imagination of many young witches and wizards to see movies like Star Wars, Star Trek and other Sci-fi classics. Harry had quite a laugh at Ron when the latter laughed off the muggle idea of aliens from other planets as they were shown in the movie, Independence Day. Harry simply stated that it was just about as impossible as magic, right?

Eventually, Harry revealed the deal he had made with Dumbledore and, predictably, Luna was glad for him, Ron envious and Hermione outraged. How could Harry wish for fewer classes? He managed to calm her down enough by pointing out that he wouldn't exactly be missing education. He would only be pursuing the education that truly mattered to him.

Another month of September came rolling by, punctuated with a new teacher, and the new position of another one. People moaned when they heard that Snape would be teaching DADA. It would give him a golden opportunity to finally curse them! Neville was shaking like a leaf at the prospect. Harry told him it would give him the chance to rightfully fire back, for once, if he ever did so. The possibility slowly made its way into Neville's head, calming him somewhat.

Harry planned to raid the bookstore in Hogsmeade to buy his own book for DADA. Snape would surely depart from the curriculum to try and ensnare him. He would have to do a lot of research and background work on everything they might touch upon. The first day of classes rolled along smoothly, with the first surprise of the year happening late. Harry was surprised that the calm in his student life had lasted that long. As he was walking with Luna toward their favorite make-out spot, under the Projection Room's seats, Daphne Greengrass ordered him to follow her into an empty classroom. Luna frowned slightly, but Harry reassured her that he wasn't interested. She clearly said it might not be the case with everyone. He found her first real bout of jealousy to be rather cute.

Once inside, the surprises kept coming. Maybe he would grow immune to them eventually.

"Okay Potter. First of all, it's Malfoy talking, not Greengrass. You can stop goggling at me."

"Draco? Wow! When I said to grow a pair, I wasn't thinking about that..."

"Shut up, dope," he answered, unable to keep a smirk from his lips. "She's the only one I can trust with my secrets. She's parading around in our common room, acting like me. I had to talk to you urgently."

"Nice thinking. It might work more than once. I've got a nice stock of polyjuice. We might as well set up our next meeting time so I can give you some. So, what's the rush?"

"The Dark Lord wants me to kill Dumbledore."

That sent Harry into silence.

"I said I'd do it. I agreed. What else could I do? Thankfully, I'm under no oath. That would have been troublesome, but I'll have to make attempts during the year to appear credible."

"Yeah...That's quite a problem. Any clues as to why he's targeting the Headmaster? He knows that only I can kill him now," Harry said thoughtfully.

"Using your brain again, Potter. Good habit. He's trying to get to you; send you into a fit so he can get the upper hand when you come looking for him. I heard he's planned some background work for that too during the year. I don't know what. He's pretty much recovered from what happened a few months ago. Bellatrix is the Secret Keeper of his location. I can't help you there. He only trusts her now. Most of his other followers are in jail now, and he's having trouble recruiting by any means other than the Imperius. He'd like to break them out, but you hid them well. He doesn't have a clue where the new Azkaban is."