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Return of an Alpha | ||||||
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Category: Alternate Universe Characters:All Genres: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama Warnings: Death, Mild Language Story is Complete Rating: PG-13 Reviews: 409 Summary: For three years, Harry has been Becoming Alpha of Hogwarts. Now another Alpha is returning, bringing with him darkness, chaos, and battle. Watch as sides line up for war, and people and society change. Hitcount: Story Total: 169707; Chapter Total: 4260 Author's Notes: Thanks to Arnel for the Beta work, as usual. |
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Harry looked around the platform, smiling slightly at the craziness of it all. It reminded him of that day exactly four years ago when he had watched it all from the safety of a compartment on the scarlet train in front of him. Now, though, he was well known and those with black Journals were calling out to him, waving, and a few even came over to ask if he had a good summer. Of course, being reminded of his summer caused a bit of rage to enter Harry’s body, but he hid it and smiled at everyone, saying it had been a pleasant summer and asking after their own. The anger from being kidnapped had been overcome with training, laughter, and fun since rejoining his friends at Marauder Manor, but now, returning to where Dumbledore actually had power over him, it came back in a rush. It didn’t help that Harry could look around and see members of the Order of the Phoenix all around, obviously keeping an eye on him with their quick glances in his direction every twenty seconds. “Keep calm, Harry,” Tracey muttered, putting a hand on his arm as he clenched his fists and teeth, growling almost silently deep in his throat. “How dare he!” he snarled quietly to her as he turned away from those watching him. “I am not his pawn to control!” “I know, Harry!” Tracey exclaimed quietly. “Please, just keep calm until we’re on the train and can silence the compartment; then you can rage at Dumbledore.” “Fine,” he snapped, going over to their families to say goodbye, shaking slightly with rage. The adults understood why he was barely speaking as they had caught sight of the adults watching him and his reaction. It didn’t take much to put together what was going on. All they could do was keep calm for Harry as they told him to have a good term and that they’d see him at Christmas. “Use the mirror tonight to tell us about the new Defense teacher,” Sirius added in an undertone to Harry, and he nodded before turning to go onto the train and find a compartment for those friends that weren’t Prefects. Soon enough the others began to join them, Padma and Terry proudly wearing the Ravenclaw Prefect badges on their shirts. Pretty soon the only ones missing from the colored Journal group were the Weasleys. Moments before the train left, the door opened and all three stood there, smiling. Of course, Harry saw the strain on Ginny’s face, and he realized it had been a hard month since he had left for them, which was only to be expected with how the Order had reacted to it all. Monitoring charms, checking their mail, rarely letting them out of the sight of an Order member… it had all been quite harsh on the trio. Only Ron had escaped it at all, and even then he had been watched a bit more closely than before. “How are you?” Harry asked softly as Ginny sat next to him, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “It’ll be easier now that we’re away from the Order,” she replied just as softly, resting her head on his shoulder. “Harry?” Hermione said cautiously just as the train began to move, and he looked up to see all the other Prefects standing and looking at him. “I’m sorry, Gin, but I’ll be back once this is over,” he sighed, and she nodded, sitting up so that Harry could stand. “We’ll be back in a bit.” Internally, Harry was groaning, trying not to think about how boring the meeting was going to be. Finally, after an hour-long meeting and another half hour of walking along the train with Daphne, Harry was able to collapse back into his seat between Ginny and Tracey. “That bad?” Ginny asked around a laugh. “I won’t mind being Prefect, but Merlin…” Harry groaned. “The other Prefects saw me and looked at me as if I was Head Boy already!” “It can’t have been that bad,” Hannah said cautiously, but the other Prefects were shaking their heads. “It was that bad, Hannah,” Susan said. “If Harry hadn’t been looking at the actual Head Boy pointedly, I’m not sure if they wouldn’t have treated Harry as one,” Terry added. “Are most of them in the Journal group?” Draco asked, and all eight of them nodded. “That makes sense, then, as they’re all used to looking at Harry as the leader when he’s around, not someone else.” “Great, just great,” Harry groaned. “Except for the Slytherins — who, may I add, were looking at me oddly as well — everyone else there thinks I should be Head Boy now, not in two years when I’ll be a seventh year.” “Well, unless Dumbledore is forced to decide otherwise, you’re the most logical choice of our year, Harry,” Hermione reminded him, but Harry just shook his head, eyes closed tightly. He just wanted to get away from this topic. “So, Silver, Emerald, Gin, were the Order members really watching me like I saw?” he asked, and everyone stiffened slightly as the tension rose again. “Unfortunately,” Ginny said darkly as the twins nodded seriously. “Dumbledore asked them just this morning to report back to him what sort of ‘condition’ you were in when they saw you. It’s as if he was expecting you to have been captured by Death Eaters!” “He’s making sure his pawn is still in one piece,” Harry muttered darkly. “Unfortunately, this is a three-way chess match, and I’m anything but a pawn in it.” “You’re the king of the gray pieces, Harry,” Neville stated, and the others nodded. “Thanks Neville,” Harry said appreciatively, nodding at the Gryffindor. “Still, that means I’m up against two kings…” “You need to ally yourself with Dumbledore and the Order,” Graham stated, and most of the teens blinked at him, but the Slytherins all nodded in agreement, even Harry reluctantly. “I know I do, Graham, but he’s acted more like a dark lord than Voldemort so far,” Harry sighed. “Not this year, not when the wounds are still so fresh. Maybe I’ll talk to him next year about it.” “Just make sure you do it before Voldemort attacks,” was all Graham said. “Were you and Graham serious about the alliance with the Order?” Ginny asked as she and Harry took a walk down the train so that he could say he had made some rounds during the trip. “Unfortunately,” he hissed back almost silently, trying not to move his lips. “No hexing your friends on the train, Rebecca!” he added to a third year Gryffindor who had just turned her friend into a boy with toad-like skin. “Finite. Please, you can practice charms like Expelliarmus, but don’t jinx your friends.” “Sorry, Harry,” they all said, looking ashamed, so he gathered they had all been doing it. “I don’t mind practicing, but nothing you don’t know how to counter immediately, especially if you don’t know the effects,” he told them. “If you get an older student willing to work with you, it’s fine, but you need to be careful; we don’t want anyone in the Hospital Wing before term even starts!” He laughed a bit, and they all joined in as the tension eased. “Have a good ride.” “You’re good at this,” Ginny commented in English as they walked on. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “The Prefect thing, I mean. The younger students of all the Houses already respect you and are willing to obey you, yet you know how to tell them off while keeping them calm.” Harry just shrugged as they walked on. He just saw it as a way to get along with all the students, which was a large part of his goal of uniting the Houses before he was even a seventh year. “Still, why do you need to ally with the Order?” Ginny continued in Parseltongue. “Because they’re the adults against Voldemort, and we teens can’t fight unless we’ve got at least one adult on our side outside of our group. Dumbledore is our best bet,” Harry replied, and Ginny fell silent for the rest of the round. “Hey,” Harry said as he opened a compartment, leaning against the doorway with a friendly smile on his face. “I’m Harry.” A couple of the students in the compartment looked at his forehead, and he laughed lightly. “Yes, I am Harry Potter,” he stated, and the rest realized who he was and their eyes widened. “I’m also the Slytherin fifth year Prefect. I just thought I’d introduce myself and let you all know that you can come to me if you need help, no matter what House you’re Sorted into.” “Even if we’re Gryffindors?” one of the young first year boys asked, speaking up when none of the others would despite their faces making it clear they had questions. “Yes, even if you’re Gryffindors.” Harry tilted his head and looked the brown-haired boy over as the hazel eyes bore into his green ones. “What’s your name?” “Euan Abercrombie,” the boy said, standing up a bit straighter, as if waiting for a comment. “I’m very glad to have met you, Euan,” was all Harry said before turning to the entire group. “When you get Sorted, you’ll all be sitting by the second years. Talk with them and find out about anything you want to know. Then follow the fifth year Prefect to your Common Room once the feast is over. I’ll probably see you soon.” Still smiling, Harry turned and left the compartment, closing the door behind him. All he could hope for was that he had made the sort of impression he desired. “What are those?” Harry demanded, staring at the skeletal horses that were obviously pulling the school carriages. “Thestrals,” Theo said a bit sadly, and Harry’s eyes widened as his muscles froze. Ginny and Tracey walked up to either side of him and got him moving while his mind spun. He had read about Thestrals, and he knew what his being able to see them meant: He had seen death. A flash of green light and Cedric’s body falling zoomed through his mind for a moment before it was gone and Harry was shaking his head. He couldn’t think about that now, not when he was going up to the school and had to set an example for the first years for many reasons. “You okay?” Ginny asked, and Harry nodded for the entire carriage to see. “I’ll be fine,” he replied aloud, closing his eyes as if that closed the matter, which it did. Sitting at the Slytherin table, Harry was able to watch Professor McGonagall lead the first years into the Great Hall to be sorted. Euan Abercrombie met his gaze and waved slightly, making Harry grin at the eleven-year-old. Then Harry turned his attention to the Sorting Hat as it began to sing. “The time of darkness has returned, And with it the danger Of having to fight the dark, For this will be something major. Our world is changing, Yet there will still be a need To fight for lives, As otherwise, people will bleed. Students, you must be careful Not to take things too lightly; Just because you are young Does not mean you will get off freely. You all must work together, Including those still unsure, Because if you don’t, No one will be secure. Chosen Heir, I speak to you, Because you have their interests at heart; Take the innocent and the ignorant, Make them think like they are smart. Just because you are all young, Does not mean you cannot be strong; So Chosen Heir, take them all, And give them what they need to live long. Now to the Houses, I must turn, For all of you Will be Sorted and learn. Strong Gryffindor took the brave, While dear Ravenclaw took the ones who liked books the best, And sly Slytherin adopted the ambitious and observant, Leaving the lovely Hufflepuff the rest. All of you must be Sorted into one, But do not allow it to separate you, For doing so will mean harm, And you shall have to say adieu. Let me Sort you, But keep my words in mind, For they will be important When you are all in a bind.” Harry’s brow creased as he thought about what the Hat had said directly to him. Train the students? Was that what the Hat was telling him to do? Why would he do that? Shaking it off, Harry decided to see what the situation at Hogwarts presented to him before truly thinking about that again. Other than that, the Hat’s message was all pretty basic about the war beginning and time growing darker despite the Ministry’s denial of Voldemort’s return. Tom Riddle would make a mistake and it would be known that he was back, and when that happened, everyone would spin and the Wizarding World would be a very hard place to live. Harry blinked as he saw Euan Sorted into Gryffindor, where Natalie greeted him with a grin. Euan looked over at Harry, and Harry raised his empty goblet in a sort of salute to the young boy, who grinned in return. No other name really hit him except the new Hufflepuff Rose Zeller, though that was mainly because she was the final one to be Sorted. Dumbledore then allowed them all to eat, and Harry filled his plate with Shepherd’s pie, roast chicken, mashed potatoes, and sprouts before looking up at the Head Table to see who the new Defense teacher was. It was obvious immediately as she stood out quite a bit. She looked, Harry thought, like somebody's maiden aunt: squat, with short, curly, mouse-brown hair in which she had placed a horrible pink Alice band that matched the fluffy pink cardigan she wore over her robes. “Any idea who she is?” Harry asked, gesturing to the new professor with his fork before cutting off a bite of chicken to put into his mouth. “Oh Merlin, we’re in trouble,” Draco said softly, his eyes widening as he stared at the new professor, worrying Harry in an instant. “Her name is Delores Umbridge.” “Fudge’s Undersecretary?” Theo gaped, looking at the woman who Harry thought looked like a toad out of the corner of his eyes. “The very same,” Draco muttered darkly. “Father had her over at the manor quite often over the past few years. I’d recognize that toad of a woman anywhere.” Most of the group snorted, but it was more to relieve the tension that had grown than anything else. “If she works for Fudge, that means she’s here to spy on Dumbledore,” Daphne muttered. “Who wants to bet we don’t learn a single thing from her in class?” Harry replied just as quietly, but no one took him up on the offer. They ate in almost complete silence, dark thoughts whirling through Harry’s mind at the idea of having one of Fudge’s stooges at Hogwarts. “Now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," Professor Dumbledore said. "First-years ought to know that the Forbidden Forest is out-of-bounds to students - and a few of our older students ought to know by now. “Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four-hundred-and-sixty second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door. “We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." Dumbledore continued, "Tryouts for the house Quidditch teams will take place on the -" He broke off, looking enquiringly at Professor Umbridge. As she was not much taller standing than sitting, there was a moment when nobody understood why Dumbledore had stopped talking, but then Professor Umbridge cleared her throat, "Hem, hem," and it became clear that she had got to her feet and was intending to make a speech. Dumbledore only looked taken aback for a moment, then he sat down smartly and looked alertly at Professor Umbridge as though he desired nothing better than to listen to her talk. Other members of staff were not as adept at hiding their surprise. Professor Sprout's eyebrows had disappeared into her flyaway hair and Professor McGonagall's mouth was as thin as Harry had ever seen it. No new teacher had ever interrupted Dumbledore before. Many of the students were smirking; this woman obviously did not know how things were done at Hogwarts. "Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpered, "for those kind words of welcome." Her voice was high-pitched, breathy and little-girlish and, again, Harry felt a powerful rush of dislike that he could not explain to himself; all he knew was that he loathed everything about her, from her stupid voice to her fluffy pink cardigan. She gave another little throat-clearing cough ("hem, hem") and continued. As she spoke, Harry and his five friends shared looks of disbelief. It was quite obvious to them that she was saying, between her words, that the Ministry was actually going to interfere with Hogwarts this year! Was Fudge out of his mind? Finally, though, she was done speaking and Dumbledore sent them off to bed. Harry knew they’d all be in the boys’ dormitory, talking about this, once the first years were in the correct place. “First year Slytherins, follow us, please!” Harry called, and he saw Graham leading the first years over to he and his friends, who had decided to help he and Daphne out. “Tom Vaisey,” Graham muttered into Harry’s ear, gesturing towards a brown-haired, brown-eyed boy near the front of the nine first years. Harry only nodded as Graham left the eleven-year-olds in his and Daphne’s care. “I’m Harry Potter, and this is Daphne Greengrass,” Harry said, gesturing between them. “Welcome to Slytherin.” “Follow us and we’ll answer questions as we tell you ways to remember your way to the Common Room,” Daphne added as she and Harry led the first years from the Hall, their friends surrounding the group so that no one else could separate them. “Those students around you are our friends, and they’re here to make sure you don’t get lost. They’ll also answer questions if you have them.” “Is it true what Graham Pritchard told us?” Tom asked, and Harry turned his head to look him over once before nodding. “So you’re really uniting the Houses?” “Anything Graham told you is true,” Harry replied. “When we get to the Great Hall in the morning, you’ll see what we mean.” Tom nodded, satisfied for now. The others around him were also a bit more relieved at Harry’s words, though Harry expected it was more because he wasn’t trying to force anything onto them more than anything. He had seen that reaction too many times not to recognize it. “See those snakes on the ceiling?” Daphne asked, gesturing to a snake as they stopped at a corner. All the first years nodded, looking up at it. “At every corner in the dungeons there’s a snake. If you take the corner of the side of the corridor that you see the snake on, you’ll find your way to the Common Room.” They continued on their way, and Harry turned to see that the Slytherins were looking up at every corner to be sure they spotted the snake up there. Grinning, Harry continued to walk alongside Daphne to the Common Room. “This is where the entrance is,” Harry commented as they reached the stretch of stone wall that housed the Slytherins, pointing up at the snake in the middle of the corridor. “The password is ‘Hissing’ for now.” A couple of first years snickered at the password as the entrance opened. “Yes, it’s an amusing password, but that also means the other Houses won’t try to guess it as easily.” The first years nodded in understanding as Harry and Daphne led them inside, their friends all heading to the dormitory ahead of them as they answered more questions from the first years. “This is going to be a bad year,” Theo stated, and the others nodded as they sat on Harry and Theo’s beds, which were side-by-side as they had been for the past four years. “Umbridge is going to ruin the school,” Daphne agreed. “What’s worse is that she has the power of the Minister behind her,” Draco reminded them, which they didn’t need as they all groaned. “We have to do all we can to not aggravate her,” Harry sighed, pulling his glasses off to place them onto his lap, rubbing his eyes with his left hand as he did. “If she tries to ignite our anger, just use your Occlumency training to keep in control until we’re back here and can rage all we want.” “Make sure you follow your own advice, Harry,” Tracey commented with a raised eyebrow. “Oh be quiet, you!” Harry groaned, throwing a pillow at her almost blindly while trying to shove his glasses back on so he could see. Tracey laughed and threw it back at him, almost hitting him in the face. This started a pillow fight as Harry’s next throw hit Theo in the head. Finally, though, they calmed down and headed off to bed. The last thought in Harry’s mind was that this was only the beginning of a long school year. AN: They’ve made it to Hogwarts, Harry survived the boring Prefect meeting (I’m not going to even dare trying to write something that boring — maybe when I can make it more exciting…), the Hat sang a lovely song, Umbridge is here at Hogwarts, and life is continuing. Believe that covers what I need to cover. Next chapter, as my Beta Arnel told me, will tell you how Umbridge deals with my Slytherin Harry. Until next time! |
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