Raised By Wolfstar: Slytherin Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince

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@Teddy.J.B @Pervaza972 @CatsAndRoblox @Missy Clara Oswald

Chapter Six: The Slug Club

Harry spent a lot of the last week of the holidays pondering the meaning of Draco Malfoy’s behavior in Knockturn Alley. What disturbed him most was the satisfied look on Malfoy’s face as he had left the shop. Nothing that made Malfoy look that happy could be good news. After explaining the situation to Canini Harry found to his slight annoyance, however, that neither his sister or Theodore seemed quite as curious about Malfoy’s activities as he was; or at least, they seemed to get bored of discussing it after a few days.

'We already know what he did was suspicious,' said Theodore a little impatiently. The three siblings were hanging out in the spare bedroom, and Theodore had been going over his copies of Advanced Potion-Making and Goshawk's Guide to Herbology at the same time before he looked up to talk to Harry. 'Unless you have proof about Draco that I don't know about, I do not want us to do anything that will make our dormitory any more awkward. I don't want to have to sleep with one eye open for ten months straight.'

'But there are key things we don't understand, like what happened to his arm,' argued Harry as he applied Fleetwood's High-Finish Handle Polish to his Firebolt.

'Maybe the Malfoy's fire jumped up and burned Draco before they Flooed to Diagon Alley and he was to proud to tell his mom and have her heal it?' suggested Canini, looking up from reading her copy of Enchanted Encounters.

‘But what about when he said, “Don’t forget to keep that one safe”?’ asked Harry for the umpteenth time. ‘That sounded to me like Borgin’s got another one of the broken objects, and Malfoy wants both.’

‘You think?’ said Theodore, back to going over his books.

‘Yeah, I do,’ said Harry.

‘You’re lucky I wasn’t there,’ said Canini, ‘because if I was Draco would have been Borgin’s last concern. I’ve been reading my mother’s diaries and journals and that man is a creep. The Burkes haven’t run the shop in decades and yet he seemed obsessed with my mother’s family all the way up until she died.’

Harry didn’t quite feel like unpacking all that information, when he realized the conversation was steering away from Draco he said, ‘Malfoy’s father’s in Azkaban. Don’t you think Malfoy’d like revenge?’

Theodore looked up quite puzzled.

‘I think the stand off between you two after we returned from the Ministry was his revenge? What else can he possibly do?’

‘That’s my point, I don’t know!’ said Harry, frustrated. ‘But he’s up to something and I think we should take it seriously. His father’s a Death Eater and—‘

Harry broke off, his eyes fixed on the window behind Canini, his mouth open. A startling thought had just occurred to him.

‘Harry?’ said Canini in an anxious voice. ‘What’s the matter?’

‘Please say your scar isn’t hurting, should I get Remus?’ Theodore asked Theodore nervously.

‘He’s a Death Eater,’ said Harry slowly. ‘He’s replaced his father

as a Death Eater!’

There was a silence; then Theodore erupted in laughter. ‘Draco? Harry in the last war even what would become the darkest most powerful Death Eaters had to wait until they graduated to become a full follower of You-Know-Who, I think he didn’t want to have to teach them extra important spells that the school would have taught them. Is Draco even sixteen yet?’

‘Theo’s right Harry, what are the chances of You-Know-Who making a kid a Death Eater, even if that kid is a child of one,’ said Canini in a forced calm voice. ‘Why do you even think—?’

‘In Madam Malkin’s. She barely touch him, but he yelled and jerked his arm away from her when she went to roll up his sleeve. It was his left arm. He’s been branded with the Dark Mark.’

His two siblings looked at each other.

'Er...' said Theodore, as he had not been in Madam Malkin's shop.

'Harry, I just think he wanted to leave, not liking us doesn't make him a Death Eater,' said Canini.

'He showed Borgin something we couldn’t see,' Harry pressed on stubbornly. 'Something that seriously scared Borgin. It was the Mark, I know it—he was showing Borgin who he was dealing with, you saw how seriously Borgin took him!'

Theodore and Canini exchanged another look.

'Harry...this isn't proof...'

'And why would You-Know-Who let Lucius' failure son join his ranks?' asked Canini.

Annoyed, but absolutely convinced he was right, Harry snatched up his Firebolt and left the room and went to his own. He went to his desk and wrote up two identical letters, coded just in case.

"What if the classmate we ran into at the robe shop has followed in the footsteps of his dad's profession? Talk more tomorrow."

And he gave the two letters to Hedwig to give to Allison and Tracey. He then wrote a third letter that would have to have a more unorthodox transport. He addressed it to the only person he thought might be able to help.

"Dear Mr Weasley,

I have something personal I wish to tell you. Last week when our families were at Diagon Alley I followed Draco Malfoy to Knockturn Alley, he had been acting suspicious. He went to Borgin and Burkes and started bullying the bloke in there, Borgin, to help him fix something. And he said he wanted Borgin to keep something else for him. He made it sound like it was the same kind of thing that needed fixing. Like they were a pair. In your previous job you were able to raid suspected dark wizards homes to search for dark artifacts and with your new job you are allowed to confiscate items you deem to be dangerous, I believe such an item is at the Malfoy's home. As a member of the Order there is something else I think you should know. I saw Malfoy jump about a mile when Madam Malkin tried to touch his left arm. I think he’s been branded with the Dark Mark. I think he’s replaced his father as a Death Eater. This could mean terrible things with him at Hogwarts. I think it is worth investigating and you are the only Order member I know with both the authority to do so and the knowledge to find the dark or dangerous item. If possible any help or advice you can provide would be appreciated. Send response to Ron.

~Harry"

He tucked the letter into the pocket of the clothes he planned on wearing to the station the next day then picked up his Firebolt and headed down stairs with the intention of going flying in the field to blow off some steam. When he got to the bottom however Remus approached him while holding some ingredients for a Lancashire hotpot.

'Oh Harry, glad you're here,' said Remus cheerfully. 'I was hoping to tell you about the security arrangements for the journey to Hogwarts tomorrow. There's going to be another Ministry car, and this time there will be Aurors waiting for us at the station—'

'Is Tonks going to be there?' asked Harry, leaning his broom next to the sofa.

'No, I think because she fought at the Ministry against Death Eaters they assigned her to a role they see as very important, though I'm not sure if she sees it that way.'

'Well I hope the Aurors I do get tomorrow won't be to annoying,' said Harry, as he doubted the Ministry would assign him Kingsley if they wouldn't even give him Tonks.

'Speaking of tomorrow, are you all packed?' asked Remus as he started chopping potatoes.

'Er, no,' Harry admitted.

'What? then why are you going out flying, get that broom back up stairs and pack, we leave early tomorrow morning.'

And so Harry went up stairs in a huff and packed everything he would need for at least until Christmas. His truck thankfully felt lighter without his cauldron or glass vials of ingredients.

Hedwig thankfully returned not long before dawn so Harry did not have to explain her absence to Remus, and in fact, their departure the following morning was smoother than usual. The Ministry cars glided up to the front of the cottage to find them waiting, trunks packed; Theodore’s toad, Phileas, safely enclosed in his travel carrier; and Hedwig; and Canini’s owl, Janus in their cages.

There was no cheerful Hagrid waiting for them at King’s Cross Station. Instead, two grim-faced, bearded Aurors in dark Muggle suits moved forward the moment the cars stopped and, flanking the party, marched them into the station without speaking.

'Alright, quickly now, everyone through the barrier,' said Remus, who seemed a little flustered by this austere efficiency. 'Harry I guess should go first with, er, you there—'

He looked inquiringly at one of the Aurors, who nodded briefly, seized Harry’s upper arm, and attempted to steer him toward the barrier between platforms nine and ten.

'I can walk, thanks,' said Harry irritably, jerking his arm out of the Auror’s grip. He pushed his trolley directly at the solid barrier, ignoring his silent companion, and found himself, a second later, standing on platform nine and three-quarters, where the scarlet Hogwarts Express stood belching steam over the crowd.

The rest of his family joined him within seconds. Without waiting to consult his grim-faced Auror, Remus huddled the three teens together.

'This year is going to be rough, and scary, and nothing like you have experienced before, but I know if you all stick together and with the friends you trust you all will be ok as you have already shown how strong each o you can be when you're together,' he gave them each a hug, but then his face went quite serious. 'I'm going to be taking on some missions for the Order, nothing to dangerous, so you might not always be able to reach me by floo, but if you send me an owl I promise you'll get a response from me within a week. Oh and you'll be allowed to come home to Mould-On-The-Wold for Christmas if you wish. Now, go board the train before the Aurors shove you on, I love you all.'

'Love you.'

'Love you Remus.'

'We love you too Moony.'

And with their goodbyes said they started making their way up the platform, looking for empty compartments, although Harry made a detour when he spotted Ron Weasley.

'Scarface, where are you going, that's the Prefect section?' asked Canini.

'Just one second, ok.'

He caught up with Ron before he got on the train.

'Oh, hi Harry,' he said with a smile.

'Ron, I got to ask you a favour, me and my families mail gets searched at the Ministry, would you be willing to send this letter to your dad?'

'Er, sure,' said Ron, taking the letter, 'but I think he's still here somewhere, you could give it to him yourself.'

'The train is about to leave, so I don't know if I have enough time to find him and get back to the train.'

'Well alright then, I'll give it to Pigwidgeon the moment we reach Hogwarts.'

'Thanks Ron,' and with that settled Harry quickly sprinted back over to his siblings.

'What was that about?' asked Theodore.

'Just needed his help with something, we should find a compartment before they fill up.'

'Sorry bro,' said Canini apologetically, 'I'm sitting with Bhavana and our group, but I'll see you at Hogwarts.'

'And I haven't seen Colin all summer and he's invited me to be with him and his friends,' said Theodore. 'Don't worry though Harry, I just saw Tracey and Neville get on the train, I'm sure you can join them.'

'Alright, I will see you guys at Hogwarts,' said Harry.

'Yes, see you.'

There was a whistle behind them; nearly everyone had boarded the train and the doors were closing. They hurriedly load their trunks onto the train, and Harry, waving to Remus in the distance, slammed the door shut behind him and the train began to move and gather speed.

Harry waved until the train had turned a corner and his adoptive father was lost to view, then turned to see where the others had got to.

Before he could find them though he heard a calm voice behind him.

‘Hi Harry,’ said his old friend Susan Bones as he turned to greet her. Her light brown hair was still in its usual long plait down her back, however her pale blue eyes seemed hollow.

‘Hey Susan, how have you been doing this past month?’ Harry asked, hoping it didn’t sound to insensitive.

‘About the same as you, I assume. It’s been hard but Lily and the Moons have been a great support to me, I don’t know how I would have gone through all this without them. I hope your family has been a support to you as well.’

‘They have, I don’t think I would have turned out as well without my friends and family,’ answered Harry honestly.

‘Well speaking of friends, Lily, Justin, and Sally want me to join them for the ride,’ she said with a smile. Harry was happy to see she was doing all right.

‘Yes, my friends are probably wondering where I am to. I’ll see you at Hogwarts.’

‘See you Harry.’

He then set out to try and find the compartment with his friends made, dragging his trunk. People stared shamelessly as he approached. They even pressed their faces against the windows of their compartments to get a look at him. He had expected an upswing in the amount of gaping and gawping he would have to endure this term after all the “Chosen One” rumors in the Daily Prophet, but he did not enjoy the sensation of standing in a very bright spotlight. Before long he looked around: He was surrounded by mesmerized girls.

‘Hi, Harry!’ said a familiar voice from behind him.

‘Neville!’ said Harry in relief, turning to see a round-faced boy struggling toward him.

‘Hello, Harry,’ said a girl with long blonde hair and large misty eyes, who was just behind Neville.

‘Luna, hi, how are you?’

‘Very well, thank you,’ said Luna. She was clutching a magazine to her chest; large letters on the front announced that there was a pair of free Spectrespecs inside.

‘Quibbler still going strong, then?’ asked Harry, who felt a certain fondness for the magazine, having given it an exclusive interview the previous year.

‘Oh yes, circulation’s well up,’ said Luna happily.

‘Our compartment is just up ahead if you want to join, I just popped out to try to find Luna,’ said Neville pointing ahead. ‘Oh, looks like Terry is leaving so there should be enough room for everyone.’

Sure enough just a few compartments up a brown haired Ravenclaw with a constellation of freckles on his face was happily walking out of one of the sliding doors. Harry gave him a nod of acknowledgment as they passed each other and then Harry entered the compartment he had exited to be greeted by the smiles of Tracey, Allison (now back to wearing her pink headband), and another Slytherin friend of Harry’s Terence Higgs. Terence was wearing an identical small green locket to the one Harry had first seen Tracey wearing in Diagon Alley and now assumed they were some sort of couple trinket. Harry hurried inside gratefully to be amongst friends.

'Harry, its good to see you,' said Terence brightly. 'How has your summer been all things considered?'

'Not bad, spent a lot of time with my family. How was yours.'

'Also good, though couldn't practice as much as I would have liked as me and my parents agreed its for the best the wizarding world doesn't learn to much about where we live just in case, that meant I could only practise flying on cloudy nights.'

Harry was going to respond, but was cut off by Neville pointing out the compartment window.

'They’ve been staring at us since we ran into you in the corridor!' said Neville, indicating himself and Luna. 'Because we’re with you!'

'They’re staring at you because you were at the Ministry too,' said Harry, as he hoisted his trunk into the luggage rack. 'Our little adventure there was all over the Daily Prophet, you must’ve seen it.'

'Yes, I thought Gran would be angry about all the publicity,' said Neville, 'but she was really pleased. Says I’m starting to live up to my mom and dad at long last. She bought me a new wand, look!'

He pulled it out and showed it to Harry.

'Cherry and unicorn hair,' he said proudly. 'We think it was one of the last Ollivander ever sold, he vanished next day—oi, come back here, Trevor!'

And he dived under the seat to retrieve his toad as it made one of its frequent bids for freedom.

'Speaking of pets,' said Allison pointing to the pink fluffy ball on her lap, 'this is the Pygmy Puff I bought, I've named her Mignonne, Mig for short.'

'She is very cute,' said Harry, which caused Tracey to laugh.

'Exactly,' Allison said, with a little giggle herself, her smile was quite pretty. 'Mignonne is french for cutie.'

'Are we still doing D.A. meetings this year, Harry?' asked Luna, who was detaching a pair of psychedelic spectacles from the middle of The Quibbler.

'No point now we’ve got rid of Umbridge, is there?' said Harry, sitting down. Neville bumped his head against the seat as he emerged from under it. He looked most disappointed.

'I liked the D.A.! I learned loads with you!'

'I enjoyed the meetings too,' said Luna serenely. 'It was like having friends.'

'We are friends, Luna,' said Harry. This was one of those uncomfortable things Luna often said and which made Harry feel a squirming mixture of pity and embarrassment, but he still cared for her.

'That's nice,' said Luna. Before anyone else could say anything else, however, there was a disturbance outside their compartment door; a group of fourth-year girls was whispering and giggling together on the other side of the glass.

'You ask him!'

'No, you!'

'I’ll do it!'

And one of them, a bold-looking girl with large dark eyes, prominent bone structure, and long black hair pushed her way through the door.

'Hi, Harry, I’m Romilda, Romilda Vane,' she said loudly and confidently. 'Why don’t you join us in our compartment? You don’t have to sit with them,' she added in a stage whisper, indicating Neville’s bottom, which was sticking out from under the seat again as he groped around for Trevor, and Luna, who was now wearing her free Spectrespecs, which gave her the look of a demented, multicolored owl. She didn't gestured to Terence, Allison, or Tracey, but the point was still clear that they didn't think his friends were good enough.

'They’re friends of mine,' said Harry coldly.

'Oh,' said the girl, looking very surprised. 'Oh. Okay.' And she withdrew, sliding the door closed behind her.

'People expect you to have cooler friends than us,' said Luna, once again displaying her knack for embarrassing honesty.

'You are cool,' said Harry shortly. 'None of them was at the Ministry. They didn’t fight with me. Nor did they stand by my side and believe me all last year.'

Harry added the last part as while Terence did not fight at the Ministry Harry knew he would have had he known, and he had supported Harry all the previous year when majority of the student body didn't.

'That’s a very nice thing to say,' beamed Luna. Then she pushed her Spectrespecs farther up her nose and settled down to read The Quibbler.

'We didn’t face him, though,' said Neville, emerging from under the seat with fluff and dust in his hair and a resigned-looking Trevor in his hand. 'You did. You should hear my gran talk about you. "That Harry Potter’s got more backbone than the whole Ministry of Magic put together!" She’d give anything to have you as a grandson...'

Harry laughed uncomfortably and changed the subject to O.W.L. results as soon as he could. While Neville recited his grades and wondered aloud whether he would be allowed to take a Transfiguration N.E.W.T. with only an “Acceptable,” Harry watched him without really listening.

Neville’s childhood had been blighted by Voldemort just as much as Harry’s had, but Neville had no idea how close he had come to having Harry’s destiny. The prophecy could have referred to either of them, yet, for his own inscrutable reasons, Voldemort had chosen to believe that Harry was the one meant. Had Voldemort chosen Neville, it would be Neville sitting opposite Harry bearing the lightning-shaped scar and the weight of the prophecy...Or would it? Would Neville’s mother have died to save him, as Lily had died for Harry? Surely she would...But what if she had been unable to stand between her son and Voldemort? Would there then have been no “Chosen One” at all? An empty seat where Neville now sat and a scarless Harry who would have been kissed good-bye by his own mother, not a hug from Remus?

'Harry, is everything ok? You look spaced out,' asked Tracey.

Harry started. 'Sorry—I—'

'Wrackspurt got you?' asked Luna sympathetically, peering at Harry through her enormous colored spectacles.

'I—what?'

'A Wrackspurt...They’re invisible. They float in through your ears and make your brain go fuzzy,' she said. 'I thought I felt some zooming around in here.'

She flapped her hands at thin air, as though beating off large invisible moths. Harry and Terence caught each other’s eyes and hastily began to talk of Quidditch which made Allison’s eyes light up.

‘Oh, Harry, when Terry was here checking up on me I confessed to him and the others that now that I can’t be an Auror I am fully committed to becoming a quidditch player and you wouldn’t believe what Terry told me,’ she said so excitedly it was shocking, no longer having to train to be something she didn’t want to be and actually pursuing her dreams was bringing the best out of her. ‘So bear in mind my parents only told me about Terry became we were going to be in the same year at Hogwarts. Anyway when I told Terry I wanted to be a quidditch player he told me that he has an older first cousin who is also my second cousin named Diana-Lee Boot and that she professionally plays as a Seeker for the Banchory Bangers. They aren’t the best team to be honest but even so Terry said if I send her a letter she’d probably be happy to give me lists of advice and then at the end of next year help me apply to some teams.’

‘That’s spectacular!’ admitted Harry, who now wished he had his life figured out like Allison did.

The weather beyond the train windows was as patchy as it had been all summer; they passed through stretches of the chilling mist, then out into weak, clear sunlight. It was during one of the clear spells, when the sun was visible almost directly overhead, that the compartment door slid open again and a breathless third-year girl stepped inside. ‘I’m supposed to deliver these to Neville Longbottom, Tracey Davis, and Harry P-Potter,’ she faltered, as her eyes met Harry’s and she turned scarlet. She was holding out three scrolls of parchment tied with violet ribbon. Perplexed, Harry, Tracey, and Neville took the scroll addressed to each of them and the girl stumbled back out of the compartment.

‘What are they?’ asked Terence, as Harry unrolled his.

‘An invitation,’ said Harry.

“Harry,

I would be delighted if you would join me for a bite of lunch in compartment C.

Sincerely,

Professor H. E. F. Slughorn”

‘Who’s Professor Slughorn?’ asked Neville, looking perplexedly at his own invitation.

‘New teacher,’ said Harry. ‘Well, I suppose we’ll have to go, won’t we?’

‘But what does he want me for?’ asked Neville nervously, as though he was expecting detention.

‘Or me?’ said Tracey. ‘I’ve never even heard of him before.’

‘No idea,’ said Harry, which was not entirely true, though he had no proof yet that his hunch was correct. ‘Listen,’ he added, seized by a sudden brain wave, ‘let’s go under the Invisibility Cloak, then maybe we’ll be able to pass Malfoy on the way, see what he’s up to.’

This idea, however, came to nothing: The corridors, which were packed with people on the lookout for the lunch trolley, were impossible to negotiate while wearing the cloak. Harry stowed it regretfully back in his bag, reflecting that it would have been nice to wear it just to avoid all the staring, which seemed to have increased in intensity even since he had last walked down the train. Every now and then, students would hurtle out of their compartments to get a better look at him. The exception was Cho Chang, who smiled slightly when she saw him then went into her compartment. As Harry passed the window, he saw her sitting next to Michael Corner and in a deep conversation with her friend Marietta, who was wearing a cloth headband that did not entirely obscure the green leak leaves stinking out from her ears. Reminiscing slightly, Harry pushed on.