" $Go to the seventh-floor corridor. There is a stretch of wall opposite the tapestry of Barnabus the Barmy. Walk back and forth in front of that stretch of wall three times, thinking 'I want the Room of Hidden Things'. Make sure you are not seen. A door handle will appear on the wall. Contact me when you are in the room$"
Harry woke up with the instructions he had received the previous night still ringing in his ears.
He acted like nothing had happened the night before like he wasn't up to anything. He went flying with Draco and Crabbe and Goyle, he hung out with Daphne for a bit (brushing off all her questions about his meeting with Dumbledore with a brusque "not allowed to say")
And after lunch, he donned his invisibility cloak and snuck up to the seventh floor.
He had no idea what he was being sent to do, but from the way the Dark Lord had spoken, it was serious. It was important. And he would be damned if he would screw it up.
He gasped as the door opened, and hurriedly entered the room, closing it behind him.
"Holy fuck" he muttered reverently.
He was standing in a room the size of a large cathedral, whose high windows were sending shafts of light down upon what looked like a city with towering walls, built of what Harry knew must be objects hidden by generations of Hogwarts inhabitants. There were alleyways and roads bordered by teetering piles of broken and damaged furniture, stowed away, perhaps, to hide the evidence of mishandled magic, or else hidden by castle-proud house-elves. There were thousands and thousands of books, no doubt banned or graffitied or stolen. There were winged catapults and Fanged Frisbees, some still with enough life in them to hover half-heartedly over the mountains of other forbidden items; there were chipped bottles of congealed potions, hats, jewels, cloaks; there were what looked like dragon eggshells, corked bottles whose contents still shimmered evilly, several rusting swords, and a heavy, bloodstained axe.
All he wanted to do was to stand and stare. Or maybe to go over and touch some of the stuff, examining each thing.
But he was there on a mission.
' I'll come back another time. Just to look around . There must be so much cool stuff here!'
He pulled the mirror out of his robe pocket and called his chosen master.
" $My lord? I am in the room$"
" $Face the mirror forwards. Follow my directions$"
He walked forward, through the maze of heaps. Turning when he was told to.
He stopped for a moment, staring at a cupboard. Something about it rang a bell in his mind. Something about the pattern in the wood at the top of it drew his attention.
He drew in breath sharply as it came to him.
" $What is it?$"
" $Is-is this a Vanishing Cabinet, my lord? It has the same pattern on it as the one in Borgin and Burke's. On that one, there's a sign, something about-$"
" $'The other in its pair is broken, and its location is unknown'$" the Dark Lord quoted, eyes widening. "$Go to the back of the cabinet. Cast a Revelio on it. Point the mirror at it$"
Harry did so. Once the spell was cast, a series of Runes appeared, carved into the mahogany. He could barely recognize half of them, they were so smudged and worn away. From the scorch marks around them, it looked like someone had tried to blast the cabinet apart once.
" $It is. It's a Vanishing Cabinet. I'll have someone check the other. If they are of the same pair… $"
The Dark Lord didn't need to finish that sentence. Harry could understand what a massive advantage it would be, having a way into Hogwarts. One which wasn't monitored by those fucking Dark Mark Detectors. And which didn't have Aurors stationed at it.
" $Amongst my followers at Hogwarts, who is studying Ancient Runes?$"
" $Myself and Draco, and I believe Alaine as well$"
" $If this cabinet is indeed paired with the one in Borgin and Burke's, it will be up to the three of you to repair it. I will give aid, but will not be available at all times. Similarly, Severus will assist, but he will not be able to simply disappear for the same lengths of time as students could. You three, you will gain us entry to Hogwarts$"
" $It-it will be my honor$"
" $But this is not our purpose here right now, excellent as this find has been. Now, make a left. There should be a Diadem atop a wooden mannequin. Do you see it?"$
" $I do$"
" $Lift it up. Show it to me from all angles$"
Harry obeyed, wondering with a corner of his mind what was so important about this diadem.
" $Excellent. Return it to the mannequin. I will be sending a box to you with Severus. You will return here once you have received it, and contact me again$"
" $I will$"
" $Harry. You deserve great praise for your actions today. There is no one I have that I can trust with these things like you$"
" $I-$" Harry swallowed, displacing a thickness in his throat.
" $Thank you, my lord$"
Inside his heart, he exulted. He was trusted. He was powerful.
"$The Room you are standing in is one of Hogwarts' greatest treasures and one of its most well-kept secrets. As you have no doubt realized, many generations of students have discovered it to hide their contraband. But few, if any of them have understood the true potential of the Room of Requirement. There is great, most exceptionally powerful magic in this room. If you walk in front of the stretch of the wall three times, with your desire clear in your mind, the Room will take whatever form you desire$"
" $What-whatever form?$"
" $If you are looking for someplace to sleep, it will grant you comfortable beds. But if you are looking for someplace to train, to learn Dark Magic with companions. A place where you cannot be found. Well, this Room will be your paradise$"
That was interesting. Harry's mind whirred with the possibilities, his imagination starting to run wild.
' And, if it really is that great, it gives me somewhere to take Daphne'
He broke out in a huge grin.
" $Thank you, my lord$" he said and meant it. " $Thank you for your trust$"
" $You have proven to deserve it. Continue to do so, and you will only receive more. More trust, more power, more honor$"
" $I will$"
" $I know. One more thing before you leave this room. Has Dumbledore, has anyone in the Order said anything about a spy within our fellowship?$"
He scrunched up his forehead, thinking hard.
" $I don't believe so. Except for Snape, but-$"
" $Not Snape. They have information they shouldn't, information Snape wouldn't have given them$"
" $I-I haven't. But is my lord certain Snape would not-$"
" $I am more than certain. He is-$"
Red eyes bored into Harry for a moment, seeming to consider something.
" $Snape has taken an Unbreakable Vow. One I cast myself. Even if he had the inclination to do so, he would be physically unable to betray us$"
That was news. Harry shivered for a second, considering it.
' Why did Snape need to take an Unbreakable Vow? I didn't need to'
He banished the voice, shaking his head slightly.
He would not start doubting Snape. He wouldn't start doubting the few people he trusted, the people he thought really cared about him.
' Maybe he doesn't. Maybe he's just pretending, following his Vow'
He made a conscious effort to clear his mind, one of the first times he had to do that for ages.
Shaking his head slightly, he spoke again "$I'll make sure to pay attention to any mention of a spy, my lord$"
" $Do so. I wish to know how he found out that Karkaroff is ours. I have ordered those who know of your affiliation to not speak of it. But be wary around Dumbledore$"
Harry nodded, not mentioning how he already was.
"$You have done exceptionally well today. I will give you more information about our-outing when next you contact me from this room$"
The mirror went blank, the Dark Lord's visage disappearing, until Harry could only see himself in the glass.
Before going back to the common room to finish up his Transfiguration essay, Harry played around with the Room of Requirement a little.
He concluded that it was simply the greatest thing he'd ever seem.
When he walked back into it, after pacing the corridor and thinking of how he'd like a place to come with Daphne, he was shocked.
It was beautiful, a cozy room with wall to wall carpeting and beautiful silver and gold hangings coating the wall. There was a giant heart-shaped bed in front of a large fireplace.
' Definitely coming back here. Tonight, if I can convince her'
He went back into the room, after asking for a place to practice the Dark Arts with his friends in secret.
It was fucking awesome.
Training dummies stood against the one wall, with a large bookshelf covering one of the others. He examined it a little and was honestly shocked. There were books on it that not only were banned but were out of print. Unfortunately, when he tried to take one of the books with him out the room, it vanished.
He tried again, and when the same thing happened, he decided that something within the Room couldn't be taken out.
Still, it was awesome. He simply couldn't wait to get everyone together in there.
' Tuesday night. None of us have classes or Quidditch or anything then. We'll be able to slip away, at least for a little bit'
But before them, he was far more excited to show Daphne the room.
He walked into the Great Hall in time for breakfast, sat down at his usual seat, and stifled a yawn while he reached for the plate of eggs.
"You look exhausted," Draco remarked casually.
Harry just smirked and yawned again as he piled the eggs onto his plate.
Daphne hadn't needed much encouragement to come to check out the Room of Requirement. And she seemed to like the setup it gave them as much as he did.
She had definitely proven how much she liked it.
In fact, she wasn't even at breakfast yet.
"You shouldn't be looking so happy. It'll be suspicious"
"What're you on about?"
"You-Merlin. You haven't seen it yet, have you?"
"Seem what?" Harry asked as he began to get annoyed with Draco's penchant for drama.
"This" the Daily Prophet was shoved into his hands, and his mouth dropped open as he glanced at the headline.
" CELEBRATED EX-AUROR KILLED IN DEATH EATER ATTACK " the headline shouted, with smaller print below saying "The body of Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody(63) was found in the early hours of this morning. He seems to have been the target of a group of Death Eaters, and in the ensuing skirmish, managed to kill five of them before succumbing himself "
The story continued, but Harry just looked up at Draco.
"Who-"
"Travers, Rowle, Rodolphus Lestrange, Flint's uncle, and some guy they couldn't identify. Probably a foreigner. The whole story's on page four"
Harry flipped to it, and read through the whole thing.
"Holy shit" he finally said.
"Got that one right. The fifth guy could have been one of the new recruits, I guess, but they say his face was wrecked"
"Still. Moody's gone. That's gotta be worth it"
Draco just looked at him with an unreadable expression. "Tell that to Flint. Shit, tell that to Bella"
Harry looked away, feeling uncomfortable.
' It is worth it. It's got to be. Moody was fucking dangerous'
He looked up at the head table, taking note of the worried expressions on the teacher's face, and of Dumbledore and Shriner's absences.
"Did you spend a lot of time with them? The new recruits, I mean"
Draco took a few seconds to swallow his toast before replying.
"Some of them. He-He had us all train together, to practice fighting in a group. But we'd switch people every few days. I met most of them, but only really hung out with a few. McDonald, he's really cool. And Greyston. The rest-I didn't really spend much time with them. Was hanging out with Theo and Daphne much more than with them"
Harry looked down at the paper for a moment and wondered if that was a good thing.
"So, we're all here. In the future, maybe we'll bring in a few other people. The type who could be interested in joining. Let me know if you think of anyone"
He looked around the room that had been created for them. At his friends and companions.
Daphne seemed proud of him, the way she smiled as she watched him. Alaine though-he looked unhappy about something.
"Ok," Harry said, clapping his hands. "I'm assuming you all know stunners and disarmers and basic shield charms?"
Everyone nodded or said yes.
"Ok. So we should probably work on better shields. Protego Maxima is a good one, it does the same thing as a regular Protego, but it's stronger. It'll block stronger spells. After that, we can work on conjurations, and-"
"Why're you teaching us?" Alaine demanded.
Harry sighed. He'd half been expecting this, really. But still, the Dark Lord's word should have been enough.
A hot burst of rage flashed through him.
It should have been enough, but it clearly wasn't.
"I assume," Harry said, "you want to be the one teaching?"
"Well, I think-"
"Let's duel for it," Harry said, still speaking in a calm, quiet voice.
"Winner is obviously the better wizard, and the more appropriate teacher"
Alaine just looked at him, a cocky grin slowly spreading across his face.
"Unless you're scared" Harry added, almost off-handedly.
"Let's see who's scared in a few minutes, Potter"
' Why do I always have to deal with idiots?'
He looked around the room as Alaine stood up and drew his wand.
Theo looked worried. Draco looked totally blasé. And Daphne-Daphne's eyes shone brightly, as her breath quickened.
Draco stood up. "If you're doing this, at least do it properly," he said, and pulled a handkerchief out his pocket. "You'll start when it hits the floor. No permanent damage"
Draco let go of the handkerchief. It seemed to fall in slow-motion.
It hit the floor.
And the duel began.
Harry cast a blasting hex, seeing how it shattered harmlessly against the Ravenclaw's Protego.
He growled and sent another.
' That'll break his shield, but won't damage him ' he thought with a cold, focused part of his brain. ' Serpensortia'
He didn't get a chance to give the snakes an order yet. A stunner flew towards him.
' Impress them'
"Partum Lapis!"
A stone shield appeared, directly in the path of the red jet.
He hit the stone with an oppugno, sending it flying at his opponent.
" $Bite him!$" he commanded, and the four snakes slithered towards Alaine to do his bidding .
The stone shield flew back towards him, and he blasted it to pieces.
He saw another spell flying towards him, something that was either a body-bind or a jelly-finger jinx.
He gave a disdainful laugh and tried out something Shriner had taught him.
He waited until the hex was just about near him, and then he focused all his will on it and slashed his wand downwards.
The spell shot down, letting off sparks as it smashed against the floor.
He caught Alaine's shocked expression and smiled as a snake bit the older boy.
' Time to play with him a little. Give them a show. Diffindo!'
His spell sent a gash into Alaine's arm, causing him to jerk and mess up his own attempt to cast something.
Another snake bit him.
Harry sent a stinging hex, making sure to enunciate it loud enough for everyone around to hear.
The snakes' heads rose and fell.
Alaine's legs were shaking now, as he jittered back and forth, casting frantically.
One of the snakes survived his onslaught and managed to sink its teeth into his leg one last time before it too was vanished.
Alaine turned to Harry, looking murderous.
"Gohath Arah" Harry called out with a sharp flick of his wand, making it sound lazy.
The ground around Alaine's feet started shaking tremendously. He jumped a few meters to his left, and immediately, the ground there started shaking as well, the floor rising in waves.
As Alaine fell, Harry cast one more spell, mentally thanking Snape for teaching it to him.
' Levicorpus!'
Alaine was hoisted into the air by one leg, and hung there, his robes falling over his face.
The room was in absolute silence for a few seconds, until someone started clapping.
"I'm teaching because I'm the best here, aren't I?" He said, triumph and pride filling his chest, deepening his voice.
"You are" came Alaine's defeated answer.
"But even if I wasn't" he continued, ignoring the hanging boy's response, "I still would be teaching. You know why?"
No-one answered. Harry didn't take his eyes off his deposed opponent.
"Because our Lord said I am. Don't ever doubt him. And don't fucking doubt me"
"I won't!" Now his response sounded terrified.
' Liberacorpus'
He dropped, landing in a heap on the tiled floor.
"No. You fucking won't"
Rage filled him.
' How dare he? Who does he think he is? Who does he think I am?!'
He didn't even know what he was going to do until he heard the incantation pouring off his lips.
"Crucio!"
He let the screams wash over him, as pleasure filled him.
He could have just left it, and kept the curse going until Alaine was nothing more than a body with a broken mind, but he caught Theo's eyes. He saw the horrified expression on his friend's face.
He ended the curse.
"Any other questions?" He asked, trying to keep his voice casual.
No-one said anything.
Slowly, Alaine pulled himself back up and hobbled back to where he had been standing in the beginning.
Harry looked at him. "Try anything like that again, and the snakes will be venomous"
The Ravenclaw nodded, not meeting Harry's eyes.
"Now, back to Protego Maxima. The wand movement is…"
Montague seemed to be channeling Flint as the days passed and they drew closer toward Halloween. He gave speeches every practice, trying to get their blood pumping.
Honestly, though, Harry couldn't care that much.
He still loved Quidditch and was still more than happy to play. But the prospect of winning the Quidditch Cup no longer excited him like it once had. His perspective had changed. He was far more worried about bigger things, events that would affect the course of the world far more than a few Quidditch games at Hogwarts would.
Still, though, he'd be more than happy to put the quaffle through Weasley a few times.
It was worth all the practices and all of Montague's rambling speeches, he decided if he would be the first to score through Gryffindor's new keeper.
Daphne put down her quill and sighed.
Harry followed her gaze, to where Draco and Astoria were sitting together, her head on his shoulders, and talking softly.
"Worried about how she'll take it?" He asked quietly.
The only sign of Daphne's concern was the way her hand tightened on his.
"A bit" she admitted. "She was never-never taught like I was. She was always-pampered, I guess"
"And how were you taught?"
She squeezed his hand automatically, hard enough to hurt. He winced.
"It-it wasn't so much a single thing," she said, speaking haltingly. "It was just-just the-the way he always spoke to me. He would tell me stories about the war, and he wouldn't mess around. I mean, he would be graphic. Like he-he told me the story of the Vineyard. And in such detail. I was five when I realized he didn't tell Tory that type of thing"
She drew in a shuddering breath.
"I only really understood when I was ten. Why he wanted it so much. He told me straight up, that he just couldn't hurt or kill anyone. And that had stopped him getting the-the honor he expected from the Dark Lord. He told me how much he wished he could, and that he wouldn't see me being held back like he was. But I knew what he meant. If I could do those things, he'd get credit. And it would push our family up. It was never about me or my future, not really"
She stopped for a few minutes, breathing hard. She squeezed his hand again before carrying on.
"When I was young. Six or seven. He gave me a potion. Told me to give it to a cat. So I did. And it-it died. Not nicely. It was really painful for it. And I cried. And he shouted at me for-for what felt like hours. Talking about how this was the best thing to do, how I had to learn to be strong. And-and a bit later he made me do it again. And again. When I still cried on the seventh time, he smacked me. I think it's the only time he ever did. And the eighth time I didn't cry. And he bought me presents, and made such a scene"
"That's… sick," Harry said softly.
"Is it? Maybe. But it helps me nowadays. But what happened later was worse"
"What happened?" He whispered
"He-for my eighth birthday, he bought me a dog. And two months later, he gave me a knife. And he shouted at me when I cried, and hugged and kissed me after I slit its throat"
"Holy shit," he said, with a whistle. "That's seriously fucked up. Really, that's-"
"Not so bad"
"Not so bad? Daph, are you listening to yourself? You were a kid!"
"And look at me now. It helped in the long run"
He just looked at her in dismay. He couldn't explain why it upset him so much, to hear of someone voluntarily sacrificing their kid's childhood to make them into something like what his own hellish youth had forged him into.
She sighed. "Over the next two years, he made me do that more. With the knife, I mean. And then-and then when I was ten, he brought a muggle kid. It was after he gave me that whole lecture. And he spoke about how muggles were no different to animals. Something he'd been telling me my whole life. And then-he-he made me do it. Kept the kid under a body-bind the whole time, but he made me do it. And I'll never forget those eyes"
"Holy fuck. Daph, that's-"
"It is what it is. I hated him for it, you know. I still do, I think. But-but he's my father. And he always believed the Dark Lord would come back. He was right. And whatever his reason for doing that to me, no matter how selfish. It helped me, in the end. I mean, it's fucked me up completely, and sometimes I don't think I can even feel anything. But it-it helped me"
He looked at the solitary tear making its way down her perfect cheek.
"Do you really think so? That it's better you're like this?"
"What do you think?"
"I don't fucking know. I wish-I wish I was normal. Not a-a monster. But I am"
"And there's no changing that," she said softly.
He shook his head.
"There's your answer them. I have to believe I'm better like this, cause there's no changing it. And I'll go crazy if I think differently"
" $Put the diadem in the box and then close it$"
Harry did so.
" $Good. Now, place some of your blood on the othila rune. There, the one on the top$"
' Diffindo'
His palm bled freely. He rubbed it on the rune in question, and for a second, the box flowed with a silvery light before turning black.
" $Good. It will only open to you or me now. And you would first need to command it to open in Parseltongue, before adding blood to the othila$"
Harry healed his hand with a muttered "medeoro"
" $Now, tell me. How have your training sessions been going?$"
" $Very well since after the first one$"
" $What happened in the first one?$"
So Harry explained the entire story, how he'd had to make an example out of Alaine.
" $Well done. Do not hesitate to give a repeat performance if one is required. They should know to fear you. You are above them, and they must know that$"
"$I-I will if I must$"
" $Good. Next week Monday, Dumbledore is meeting with the heads of the international coalition opposing me. This meeting is taking place in New York, mid-afternoon, their time. You have Potions on Mondays, correct?$"
" $I do$"
" $Make a mistake in a potion. Something grievous enough to earn you a detention. During your detention with Severus, you will floo from his office to Malfoy Manor. I will meet you, and we will embark on our mission$"
" $I will, my lord. If-if I may ask, what-$"
" $We will be leaving a message. One that should firmly remove any lasting suspicions about you having joined me. And, I believe, we will achieve some revenge for you$"
" $Revenge?$" Harry asked, eyes widening slightly.
" $Your muggle aunt and uncle took you to that orphanage you grew up in. I'm sure they've missed seeing you, all these years$"
Harry felt like his smile would tear his face apart.