The Master of Death

Chapter 18: Hogwarts

The unexpected sound that drowned out the noise of the crowd caught his attention. "Please, first year in two lines! First year here," cried a very female voice. Harry looked at Professor Grubbly-Plank; his familiar wrinkled face with a prominent chin illuminated by lanterns.

The road was still wet from the rain and Harry was surrounded by the sound of countless footsteps walking through the mud towards the carriage. After a while, he realized that Ginny and Neville had been swallowed by the crowd. A thumping feeling appeared in Harry's stomach as he looked at Hogwarts in the distance.

The towers split the night sky black like blades, the windows golden in color that matched the stars. Hogwarts pulsates with magic. Even in the distance, Harry could see the vortex intertwined with the building, surrounding the castle like a halo shining in the dark. With a smile on his face, Harry turned around and allowed himself to be carried away by the faceless crowd.

Only when he reached the carriage did he stop slightly offside in the shadows. Death appears behind Harry, tall and inhumane as ever. Harry smiled as he felt Death's chin on his head and his hands slipped around his body to protect. Possessiveness throbbed through the bond, and Harry knew that Death was grinning. He continued to pay attention to the people entering the carriage, chatting with their friends while laughing and trying to escape the cold.

Without a word, Death draws Harry's attention to a nearby train. The Ravenclaw girl, who had just wanted to lift her suitcase into a squeak when the suitcase was moving on her own. Of course not by itself, but it was enough for the girl to pick up her suitcase and join her shocked friends.

The reason for the train's strange behavior was because two Thestral pulled it. Curiously like a horse, they approached, a cloud of steam escaping from their nostrils according to their breathing rhythm. Harry was reminded of the little dragons.

The carriage that left the usual ranks had aroused interest, but the disciples were eager to leave the cold. No one investigated further apart from glancing at them a few times. Most of them quickly turned to the other carriages, which left Harry to examine the skeletal horses. He had not seen Thestral for a long time and he watched them curiously as they approached him. Harry laughed as one of them nudged his shoulder. Death reached out and began caressing one of the creatures while the other licked Harry's hand affectionately.

"They are close to the afterlife, Thestral. Only seen by those who saw someone die..." Death explained. Harry was surprised to see that they were not really dark. The magic connected to their life force was neutral. Harry smiled at the creatures who began to bite his clothes, perhaps looking for a snack.

"Harry!" someone shouted, and he looked. A strand of red hair emerged from the crowd and Ron approached, followed by Hermione who was disheveled a moment later. "Where are the Pigs?" She asked.

"Luna caught it."

"What are you doing?", Hermione asked and looked at him strangely. To him, he might be standing alone in the darkness, the abandoned carriage in front of him. Of course, he could not see Thestral or Death, which - when Harry's attention was no longer on him - happily slipped his hands under his shirt and he teased Harry with a light touch. As one finger traced the line just above his belt, Harry could not resist the vibrations. After he looked at Death with a dark look, the creature even had the courage to grin at him, hubris echoing through their relationship.

"I can see the creature pulling the train now" said Harry, turning to Ron and Hermione. The two looked at him as if he had grown a second head. "The Thestrals," he added help and understanding reached Hermione's eyes, a look of pity following after.

"Only people, who see someone dead can see them," Harry repeated Death's earlier words. Ron's eyes widened and he stared at Thestral, or – for him – free space. Suddenly Ginny left the crowd, an angry Crookshanks was in his arms. Luna appeared behind him, Pigwidgeon's cage in her hand.

They all entered the same car. Ron tried to sit as far away from Luna as possible - for Harry's endless pleasures - once he asked if he noticed the wrackspurts following him.

"Have you seen Grubbly-Plank?" Ginny asked in silence. "What's he doing here? Hagrid can't leave, can he?"

Harry knew very well that Hagrid was still trying to prevent the giants from joining Voldemort, but he kept his mouth shut while the others discussed the topic. The journey was not long and soon they passed two pillars with winged boars on them and stopped in front of the school. Harry stroked Thestral as a final farewell and then he joined the people, walking up the stairs to enter Hogwarts.

The large hall was illuminated by hundreds of candles floating under the dark ceiling, which resembled a cloudy sky outside. Luna separated from their small group on the way to their house table and Ginny joined the fourth few years greeting her loudly. As they sat down, Harry noticed the strange look he received. And not just humans, no. The ghosts also looked at him strangely. When Sir. Nicholas floated past their table, Harry looked at him and the ghost immediately made some distance between them. Even he seemed unsure of what caused his newfound unease as he approached Harry. Maybe they feel something to do with death. After all, ghosts are traces of souls who fear life after death.

Meanwhile, Ron and Hermione were looking for Hagrid at the teachers' desks. "He wasn't there" Ron concluded, and Harry let his eyes wander into the empty seat before he saw the pink threat.

"Who is that?" Hermione asked, following her gaze.

"Mbridge. He's on my side. He's the deputy minister." Their conversation suddenly ended when McGonagall put a sorting hat on her stool. The entire hall listened as the hats began to sing their songs about the founders and how they parted. He warned them of a repeating history.

"Lost topic this year, right?" ron said as he stared at the empty plates on the table longingly. But with his statement, he was not the only one. At each table, voices were raised, and people began to whisper.

"Has that hat ever warned anyone before?" Hermione asked, but she got no answer.

"United inside. I won't be friends with Slytherin, that's for sure" said Ron and looked at Malfoy and his small band of followers with a look of disdain.

McGonagall's gaze silenced them and then she read her first name. "Euan's Abercrombie." The trembling first-class kid stepped forward and when the head shouted Gryffindor, he almost ran to their table with a bashful smile on his reddened face, while the next kid was already walking towards the bench.

The sorting is completed as soon as it starts. Dumbledore clapped and food appeared on the table. The hall was now filled with the clanking sounds of eating utensils and the teenagers who were eating and chatting.

When everyone was sitting on their bench, full and sighing, Dumbledore stood up. Harry dazedly listened to the headmaster giving his usual speech. Harry has not yet decided what to do. If he continued to act recklessly like he did during his time at Grimmauld Place, it would definitely arouse suspicion. Sirius would not betray him, but Dumbledore already suspected that the Horcruxes were affecting Harry. His strange innuendo and the information that he was getting a new pet snake during the summer must have reached Dumbledore's ears. Not to mention the trial. And while the principal has only been at Grimmauld Place twice, or perhaps three times during Harry's stay there - at Hogwarts he will be watched constantly. People can't even believe the painting here. Maybe it's time to lay low for now.

Harry's attention turned to Umbridge as he interrupted the principal. Harry watched her with narrowed eyes. Something just pisses him off.

Umbridge's magic surrounded him in a swirling strand and only increased Harry's dislike of him. His magic was light, but it looked weak compared to the aura that pulsed around Dumbledore. More than once, Harry felt his frog-like gaze fixated on him. This year will probably start to get worse, now that he has humiliated Fudge during his own trial.

Ron and Hermione had to point out the first years where the recreation room was located and therefore, Harry was left to go there alone. He joined the crowd, who slowly left the hall. Death accompanied him like a serpent and wrapped his arms under his cloak. Harry noticed that many of the students were looking at him with frightened eyes. He grinned at every one of them. The previous weeks of hate articles in the Prophet were not without repercussions.

When Harry reached the portrait of the fat woman, he realized that he did not know her password. Neville appeared behind him. Gryffindor gasps. "I know that, Harry. I know that," he said excitedly. "Mimbulus Mimbeltonia," he gasps, and the portrait shows the entrance to the recreation room. As Harry climbed through the hole, everyone's attention was immediately drawn to him. Most of the first year seemed frightened, while the older Gryffindor pointed at him and spoke in a soft voice. Harry snorted dismissively and walked past them. He nodded at Fred and George, who were pinning something on the board.

Harry let his hand slide over the old wall as he walked upward, tracing the bricks magically intertwined with his fingers. He grinned as he felt a powerful ward throbbing under his touch. Harry did not even realize that he had reached the door of his dorm until he was standing right in front of him. Dean and Seamus were already inside and pasted posters and photos on the wall.

"Hey Harry, how was your summer?" Dean asked while in pajamas and Neville walked through the doorway. Harry grinned.

"The last few weeks have not been so bad" he replied. "Yours?"

"Yes, they're fine," Dean chuckled. "Better than Seamus for sure, he just told me."

"Why what happened, Seamus?" Neville asked and put the cactus in the drawer.

"My mom doesn't want me to come back" he said after a moment of hesitation.

"Ah, yes. Prophet?" Harry asked and casually threw his robe onto his bed. Seamus looked at him as if he expected him to continue, but Harry did not reply. Instead, he let Death creep into his bed and changed his clothes with a more comfortable shirt.

Finally, Seamus gathered up the courage to ask what everyone was already speculating. "Listen..what really happens at night, when..." Even Dean listened with interest but tried very hard not to look like it.

Harry paused for a moment to consider. What would happen if he told them the truth? Right now, he was not too keen on interrupting Voldemort's plans. At least as long as he's not really sure what he's going to do. And Voldemort tried to stay hidden. Butno. What difference? If no one believes it, why should they consider the opinions of some teenagers who are friends with Harry Potter? Perhaps it would calm Dumbledore's worries to some extent if he tried to spread this knowledge. And for the first time Fudge managed to deny that Voldemort had returned until he actually appeared in front of his nose.

Harry sat on his bed and sighed.

The faces of anticipation from the three Gryffindors were still glued to him.

On the other hand, if he were to tell Seamus and Dean the truth, he would have to live it. It would be exhausting to act like her fifteen-year-old self again, but the thought of Umbridge's satisfied face when she spoke nonsense was even worse. Lifting it would be very valuable. He lifted his head and looked at Neville, Dean, and Seamus.

"You sure you want to know?" he asked them. They shifted uncomfortably for a moment, but then Seamus nodded.

"Yes. We deserve to know." Harry raised his eyebrows, but he complied.

"Cedric and I fought through the labyrinth and suddenly we met. We can see the trophy. He was faster but there were other monsters. I helped him out instead of gripping the trophy. We decided to touch her at the same time. A win for Hogwarts. Apparently, the cup was a portkey. We found ourselves in a cemetery. Voldemort and the Death Eater - Peter Pettigrew - were waiting for us. Voldemort ordered him to kill Cedric. He got a murder curse and I got arrested. My blood was used in a ritual to restore Voldemort's power. Then he wanted me to duel with him, which was nothing more than a joke. Mostly for his own entertainment. I managed to snatch the trophy and Cedric's body. I'm lucky the portkey still works. Then you all know what's going on" Harry finished emotionlessly.He gave them details about Voldemort getting a new body. While Harry doubted they would find out about the Horcruxes, he remained unwilling to take any chances in that. The teenagers looked at him even Ron who appeared in the doorway. "Of course, you can always trust the Daily Prophet, I think but that's your choice" Harry said, sneaking under his blanket. An awkward silence occurred.

"I believe in you. My grandmother said everything written on the Prophet was rubbish. He doesn't read it anymore" Neville said as they all lay in bed. No one added anything.

The next morning Harry was awakened by a scream. "Good Harry! There's a snake in your bed!" shouted Dean. Harry sat down, still dazed.

"What the hell, Dean," he muttered and rubbed his face with his hand. He took his glasses from the bedside drawer. It is more of a habit than a real need. Surprisingly his eyes seemed to adjust every time he wore or turned them off. His vision had improved since the day he met Death. And now that's good. Harry regretted forgetting to close the curtains on his bed last night. "If you don't pay attention, he was there yesterday" said Harry and looked at Death, which lay at his feet.

"Huh?" Dean looked confused. Others stared at the view. Ron seemed to have fallen asleep two seconds ago. Neville doesn't look much better. Seamus was already standing, halfway out of his pajamas. Ron looked at Harry and then at Dean. Groaning, he allowed himself to fall back onto his pillow when he realized what must have happened.

"That's Harry's pet" he explained. "Why didn't you tell them yesterday Harry? It'll save us from this wake-up call."

"You got a pet snake?" Seamus asked as if he did not know what he should think about it.

"Yes, how," Harry asked him and stood up.

"Nothing, it's just..." Seamus.

"What, wicked?" Harry asked while wearing a clean shirt and pants.

"like you're a Slytherin" Dean added.

"Yes, he's not wrong, mate," added Ron, and Harry laughed at the redhead's confusion.

"You know, if Malfoy hadn't become such an arrogant bastard when we were eleven, I would have landed in Slytherin, '" Harry revealed while wearing his tie. "You coming?"  Harry asks Death with a parseltongue - mostly to mess with the others - and extends his hand. Death crept toward him, until Harry lifted him up. He left his roommates with shocked expressions on their faces.

As Harry walked through the recreation room, someone approached him from the side. "Hey Harry, how was your summer?" Angelina asked him and continued without waiting for an answer. He was not even aware of Death, which caused most people in the recreation room to further distance themselves. "Listen, I'm the new Captain of the Quidditch since Wood left" Harry froze. "We need a new guard. The test was conducted this Friday at five in the afternoon. I wish the whole team were there. Let's see how the new players fit in, okay?" He smiled at her and turned around.

He's forgotten about Quidditch. Harry hasn't played in a long time. After the war, there wasn't much time and then. But quitting the Quidditch was something, her fifteen-year-old self would never do. He has made a decision, which means that he has to live it if he likes it or not.

As Harry wandered aimlessly through the castle, he thought of skipping breakfast and visiting Sirius instead, but then he remembered that it was the first day of school, which he had not been able to do, which means they will get their schedule. He sighed and turned around, Death is like a shadow behind him.