When Harry woke up on Sunday, he was the happiest he'd been all week. Finally, he was going to get another long lesson by Diablo. One of the perks of the weekend were that people tended to sleep in, which gave Diablo an excuse to torment him a bit more.
As they reached the Quidditch pitch, he asked the snake: *What am I gonna learn today, Diablo?*
The snake hurried down from his shoulder and said: *Today, I'm gonna teach you something you'll never be able to learn otherwise.*
Harry looked at him questioningly as the snake nodded: *Yes. Today, you will learn the three unforgivable curses.*
Harry looked at him who smiled back weakly: *What is it that you're not telling me, Diablo?*
*What do you mean?* Diablo asked innocently.
*I know you, Diablo. You have been rushing into teaching me every spell that you knew. And unforgivable curses must be the last thing you want to teach me. Why... are you going so fast?*
Diablo, taking a couple of moments looked down. Then replied: *Very well. If it has come to this, then I'll tell you... after you complete today's lesson successfully.*
*Oh come on!* Harry complained but got his wand out nonetheless. Diablo had summoned a bird for Harry to practice his curses which got him a frown from Harry: *You don't expect me to seriously cast the curse on this pure soul, do you?*
*As much proficient as I am in summoning, Harry. That is still just a fake bird conjured by me. Sure, it looks and moves like a real one, but it's anything but.*
Harry slowly started to give in. *It's not like your enemies will think twice before using it on you.*
Nodding, Harry readied his wand.
...
...
...
Harry had managed to successfully cast the Imperius and Cruciatus curse by the time set for brunch. But it seemed like Avada Kedavra was not his strong suit. *You need to have a certain amount of killing intent for it to be successful. It seems you are still an eleven year old, after all.*
*So... I think this counts as a success. Now, Diablo-* Harry eyed him suspiciously: *-Why are you in so much of a hurry?*
Diablo started slithering up Harry's torso and when he reached the sleeve, he said: *I told you already, Harry. We don't have enough time. Now, let's get a move on. It's almost time for brunch.*
-
Clink
"First-year student Harry Potter is instructed to report to Headmaster Albus Dumbledore right after brunch." McGonagall announced.
'What now?' Harry cursed under his breath.
"Don't forget, Harry. You still have to come to practice today." Miles Bletchley, the Slytherin Keeper had reminded him after listening to the announcement. Harry nodded and went up to Professor McGonagall.
-
"I'm afraid I don't know the exact reason, Potter." McGonagall stood up from her chair: "But perhaps it'd be for the best if we went together."
Harry and McGonagall entered the office together as Dumbledore nodded to her and she said: "Stretch your arms, Harry."
Harry complied with her orders, even though his instincts told him not to.
'I have Diablo with me, what could possibly go wrong?'
McGonagall waved her wand and Harry felt a light jolt of electricity buzzing through him. And then...
Spring
The snake sprang out of his sleeve and landed onto the hard floor. It hurriedly tried to slither away into a corner when Dumbledore gripped his wand strongly.
Harry recognized the spell. It was Vipera Evanesca, the spell to make summoned snakes disappear.
When it hit Diablo, he started struggling, eventually losing all motion. Harry was devastated. He didn't think it would hurt Diablo, too. Harry lunged at Dumbledore but McGonagall casted the Body-Bind Curse on him with lightning speed.
'Though the spell does not do any lethal damage to a real snake, it can result in the snake passing out cold for a good amount of hours. I knew it'd do the trick.' Dumbledore thought as he made Diablo hover to conjure a cage around him.
"Now, Harry. Tell me... who... gave you this snake?" Dumbledore looked at the Harry sprawled on the ground.
-
'With how things have went, I'd much rather have Harry expelled since I don't know what he would do after I have done this to him. He has gone in an awfully poor direction, the child.' Dumbledore thought: 'If only there was someone who was hurt because of the snake or at least if Harry was not made to be a ministry hero, it'd have ended with something more than this.' He looked out the window nonchalantly: 'No worries, I can deal with the most dangerous variable by squeezing the information of the snake's master, for now.'
-
Harry hadn't gone to the training at noon. It didn't matter now. All this time, Harry had been working hard to someday be like Diablo. There was some blame on Harry too.
Maybe some part of him had been doing all this to be so capable so as not to need him anymore. And because of that small part of his, Harry started to hate himself as a whole.
'We don't have enough time.' Diablo's words kept ringing in his mind.
Wait... he knew this. Diablo had anticipated this, but he didn't tell Harry. Does that mean there was no way around it, or does that mean he will still come back? Harry didn't know. But what he had decided now, was that he would never put his trust on Dumbledore or his professors.
If the Slytherins were thinking of using him, he'd let them. But in return, he would use them to their fullest. He would use them to get his revenge on Dumbledore and then complete his own ambitions. He remembered a thought with which he studied in the Leaky Cauldron.
'I will keep up with your expectations, Diablo. Even if they have no end.'
Harry stood up and got out of his dorm.
-
"I did warn you, Marcus." Miles looked at Marcus: "The boy's too snobbish. He's more mood than skill."
Marcus couldn't believe it. Harry was very much interested in quidditch. He'd be mad to pass up an opportunity like this one. He suddenly thought of something: "You told me he was called in by the headmaster?"
Miles nodded. And Marcus hurriedly opened his diary:
-20 points for having a dangerous pet secretly - Headmaster Albus Dumbledore from Harry Potter
So, that was what it was about. Everything made much more sense now. 'But isn't this too light?' Marcus thought. The last time someone was caught with a dangerous pet, he was expelled.
Marcus was once again reminded of how amazing Harry was. 'If he's snobbish, it's because he's really worth it.' He told himself.
-
Quirrell and Voldemort were now one and the same. Quirrell's quirkiness had been absorbed by the Dark Lord's boldness. And his knowledge of the Dark Arts had deepened too. It was a deadly combination.
Sitting on the head chair of the dining table, he welcomed Snape inside. Lucius Malfoy, who had responded to Voldemort's call in the forest had quickly adapted to the situation. Right there, he had proposed to use his manor as the headquarters. Seeing the frown on Severus' face, he reassured him: "Our lord has managed to use Quirrell's body as his own. Isn't that magnificent?"
Crabbe, Avery, Macnair and several others also followed them right after.
"There, there, Lucius. I'm sure he needs no further assurance-" Voldemort breathed: "-Should he choose not to believe me, the door is open for him to leave."
"As expected of the Dark Lord." Severus said appraisingly as he took his seat: "I had complete faith in you, my lord, always."
"Yes, I am sure, Severus." Voldemort looked at him with his slit-like eyes: "Since you are here, why don't you give me some information on my most dangerous enemy?"
"As you wish, my lord. Tomorrow, there will be an award ceremony in the ministry, in honor of Harry Potter on defeating who was previously Quirrell in the forest and destroying the stone. Dumbledore will also be there tomorrow."
"I don't want any information about old Dumbledore, Severus-" Voldemort breathed dreamily: "Tell me what you know about the boy's snake?"