Chapter 29: 29 Power Play

Harry sat through Charms on Monday morning with the patience of a saint. He liked Professor Flitwick a lot, so he didn't complain about how slow the short man was at imparting knowledge. The class could have learned the spell in one session instead of taking the entire week like the professor's plan called for. Harry had to keep Padma entertained as well, because she had been accelerated in her learning.

When Padma discovered the skill upgrading feature of her Gamer Mind, thanks to Harry's training, her requests for more books grew louder and more demanding. It took Harry more than an hour that morning to calm her down and to stop her from trying to store the entire Ravenclaw House library. She didn't have the capacity to do it and she also didn't have the prerequisite knowledge to benefit from it.

Padma's growl of frustration was so cute that Harry had given her a diamond necklace that glittered like a disco ball. After she fainted, he had revived her and took her to breakfast.

After Charms was Herbology and Harry helped as Pomona Sprout's assistant. At the end of class, he handed her the first draft of her book. He had conjured it instead of actually writing it out, even though he easily could have done it the long way. The look on the professor's face was filled with joy and fear as she held the moderately thick manuscript.

Harry had laughed, given the woman a hug and told her to take her time reading it and to make any corrections she wanted. He would fix it before she had to submit it for peer review and if there were different pictures she wanted to add, he would put them in.

Lunch was another fun affair out on the grounds for the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws as they had a great picnic. It was becoming a common thing to do on Mondays, just so the students weren't bogged down with Monday blues. Some of the older year students were starting to join in, too. It was just too good of an idea to not join in.

After lunch was Defense Against the Dark Arts and the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs filed into the classroom with one extra student tucked in with them. Unlike the last time they had been there, the classroom was dark and dank. The walls were covered with dark and disturbing paintings of curses, diseases, and attacks on muggles and from creatures.

It was so disturbing that Harry openly swiped his wand at them and switched them into copies of the spells and instructions from the book that should be learned that year. He suspected that Snape was going to change their course book and would force them to buy it. He also raised the light levels back to a normal level.

The other students made sounds of relief and they all took their seats. Harry sat with Padma and Hermione at the front of the room, because Harry wanted to see the results of his tweaking the curse on the teaching position. He didn't tell them that, though. Some things were not going to be openly shared, like his visits with Bellatrix Lestrange in prison.

Professor Snape strode into the Defense classroom in the same manner that he did during potions class and slammed the door behind himself. He had made it about halfway across the room before he noticed the brighter illumination. His stride slowed down as he looked around and saw the relieved faces on the students.

When Snape reached his desk and turned around to make a speech, his eyes saw that all of his painstakingly placed paintings, that showed a progression from minor curses to the unforgivables, had all been replaced with spell instructions. They were not from his chosen book, either.

“Does anyone know who rearranged MY classroom?” Snape asked instead of giving his prepared speech for new classes.

Not one single student said anything.

Snape frowned and turned his head to scan the closest students and he was surprised when his eyes landed on the know-it-all Granger girl from Griffindor. She was not supposed to be in his class until tomorrow and he debated scanning her mind to find out why she was there. Just as he decided to do it, rather than just ask the girl, his attention was caught by a glittering flutter beside her.

Snape's eyes went right to it and his eyes locked onto Harry's. NO! He thought and felt his Legilimency probe be caught. He desperately tried to pull it back and he couldn't. It was like he was trapped and his mind went right to what happened to Headmaster Dumbledore and how he was enjoying the nice convalescent stay in St Mungo's Long Term Spell Damage Ward.

A heavy weight pressed down on his mind and Snape paled at the familiar feeling. He knew that feeling, that weight. He had felt it before and he thought he would never feel it again, despite still wearing the brand his old master had given to him.

Snape felt the weight as it shuffled through his Occlumency shields like they didn't exist and then it sifted through his mind like reading the index cards in the library. It seemed to go on forever as the weight remained and gave him the distinct feeling of disappointment.

Apparently, he had been found to be lacking in knowledge and the weight in his mind disappeared. Snape almost staggered as his mental probe was forcibly ejected and he was left with the impression of amusement and anticipation for his timely end, which was a definite shock to the man.

Snape blinked his eyes at the young blond man he was staring at and he had no idea how he was supposed to proceed. The speech he had prepared that praised the Dark Arts in all their glory, was gone. It had been erased from his mind and he couldn't recall a single word from it.

Harry stared back and smiled a normal smile, as if he hadn't just scared the man with the implications of what he had just done.

None of the other students said anything. If the teacher wasn't going to speak, they weren't going to prompted him to start. They all secretly wanted Harry to teach them, anyway.

Snape dropped his gaze to the teacher's desk and his eyes saw the new book he had assigned as the proper reading material. As he opened his mouth to order the students to buy the new book by owl order for the next class, the book shimmered and morphed into a copy of the previous book.

Snape's eyes went right to Harry's and he saw the smug look on the young man's face. He also felt something else. Something was itching on his arm. He didn't stop his hand as it went to his left forearm and started to scratch. He started to feel relief as he moved the cloth of his sleeve out of the way and rubbed his skin that went a little warm.

“OH, MY GOD!” Hannah Abbot gasped. “Professor Snape is a DEATH EATER!”

“AHHH!” Most of the girls screamed, as did some of the boys.

“RUN!” Harry yelled and grabbed Hermione and Padma as all of the students scrambled out of the classroom as quickly as possible.

Snape stood there, completely shocked, as his classroom emptied in only moments. He looked down at his bare forearm and his mouth dropped open at the fully visible Dark Mark on his skin. It was no longer faded and the colors were actually more vibrant than they had been ten years ago.

“Well, shite.” Snape muttered.

*

Harry had to spell his mouth closed and silenced himself to stop his laughter as everyone freaked out and told everyone they met about Death Eater Severus Snape. They even opened various classroom doors and interrupted classes! It was hilarious!

It wasn't long before everyone in the school had been gathered or were ushered into the Great Hall. All of the teachers had been brought in as well and had a little conference about the ruckus in front of the students. Minerva McGonagall had to spend almost ten minutes confirming the fact that one of her professors was actually a Death Eater.

The calls for Aurors and lynchings by the older students were silenced by both shouts and spells. The only ones not freaking out about the whole thing, were the Slytherins.

Of course, once everyone was calmed down and reassured that something would be done about the Death Eater at the school, four of the older Slytherins felt their arms grow itchy and they started scratching.

A few moments later, half a dozen more from other years also started scratching, including Draco Malfoy and his two bodyguards. When they pulled up their sleeves, everyone was shocked, especially those students. Screams echoed through the Great Hall as more secret Death Eaters were revealed.

Harry laughed and laughed, completely silently, as he hugged Susan, Padma, and Hermione to reassure them and to comfort them. He couldn't tell them that everything was going to be fine, because he didn't want to take the chance his laughing fit would be discovered. It would have been a dead giveaway that he had been responsible.

Needless to say, the afternoon classes were cancelled and the Aurors were called.

*

Amelia Bones rubbed her face with both of her hands as the Aurors sent to the school reported back that the report of Death Eaters at Hogwarts wasn't a sick joke or a prank. Apparently, the defense Against the Dark Arts professor, previously the Potions professor, had been a Death Eater since he had attended Hogwarts.

Snape had started young in Voldemort's ranks and rose quickly, then the Potters had been attacked and Voldemort's power had been broken. Dumbledore stepped in to save Snape and the man had been living on the headmaster's good will ever since.

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Amelia shook her head at the reports that the children of both convicted and supposedly innocent Death Eaters, carried the Dark Mark. Since they were in school, she had a bit of leeway to question them without their parents present.

She sighed at the use of Viritaserum that Scrimgeour had approved, then chuckled, because the little bastards sang like canaries and admitted to all of their crimes without the truth serum being administered. Just the thought they had been exposed to it, made them spill their guts. Guilty consciences, maybe?

In any case, the students had been suspended and were awaiting trial. She ordered the homes of their parents searched, just because of probably cause. If anything could be found as to how they had gained the dark mark without Voldemort being around, they needed to find it.

Amelia caught her breath when she remembered Quirinus Quirrell. He had been possessed by an evil spirit and had full access to the students. He could have done anything to them during his short time there. She nodded and added that observation to the reports and filed them. With that done, she decided she would lead one of the inspection teams herself.

*

The students had been ordered to return to their dorm rooms and supper would be brought to them as the whole debacle was being handled. This was perfect for Harry's plans, so he set Padma up with more books and then popped away to land in the small square in front of Grimmauld Place. He knew where it was, thanks to Bellatrix's memories of the place.

Harry adopted an appropriate role from his acting skill and changed his clothes for visiting a prominent family's home. He walked over to Number 12 and went up the stairs, knocked and waited, and waited, and knocked again.

Twenty minutes later, the door creaked open and an old house elf stood there on spindly legs.

“A filthy half-blood dares to approach the noble House of Black.” The old elf growled.

Harry ignored the insult. “You must be Kreacher.”

The elf nodded.

“I have business with Regulus Black.” Harry said, pompously and regally.

The elf's face changed from a scowl to sadness. “Beloved master has been dead for many years.”

“I know.” Harry said and took out the fake locket. “I discovered this in place where the real one should be.”

“MASTER REGULUS' LOCKET!” Kreacher yelled and snapped his fingers.

The locket tried to jump to the elf and Harry held onto the chain as he cast a silent dispel. The old elf growled at him.

“I need you to tell me what happened to the real one.” Harry said and handed the locket to the old elf.

Kreacher stared at him in disbelief.

“There's a note inside in his handwriting, too.” Harry informed him.

The old elf shivered as he opened the thing and then he read the note. “Master Regulus ordered me to destroy the other locket.” He said and carefully folded the note back up and put it back inside the locket. He hugged it with one gnarled hand and looked at Harry. “I failed many, many times.”

Harry nodded, because he knew how difficult it would be to destroy an object with such protections. “Perhaps we can come to an agreement.”

The old elf gave him a searching look, glanced down at the locket in his hand, and nodded.

*

Bellatrix laid on her bed and she wore a different nightgown. This one was a bit more revealing, which gave her a bit of a thrill. She was sure that she was corrupting her lord by being as compliant as possible, especially with her feelings towards him. His behavior had altered slightly after only one visit and she was positive that he would take her away from here as soon as he had the chance.

Of course, Bellatrix would take full advantage of being free as soon as she could. Experienced or not, new body or not, reluctant or not, she would have her lord take her as she desired. If he didn't deal with the rabble first, she would handle it and then she would be free to give him everything. She would be completely his, whether he wanted her to be or not.

There was a crack of apparition and Bellatrix hopped up from her comfortable bed and strode over to her cell bars to wait for her lord. He would get an eyeful of her womanly curves, even covered like they were. She wanted to see the desire in his eyes, despite knowing it would be years before she would be able to taste his forbidden fruit. She smiled, because that would make it all the sweeter when it finally happened.

“Mistress Bella!” A young house elf voice exclaimed and ran over to her.

Bellatrix stared down at the thing and her mind brought up a similar image from when she was a young girl. The fake locket around the elf's neck was also a huge hint as to who this was. “Kreacher?”

“Yes, it is I, Mistress Bella.” Kreacher said and stood proudly.

“What happened to you?” Bellatrix asked.

“Master has rewarded Kreacher for his devotion to Master Regulus.”

“Master?” Bellatrix asked and lifted her gaze from the elf and her eyes locked onto her lord's.

“It took some checking at Gringott's Bank, the Ministry of Magic's records, and confirmation from the prisoner in the cell at the end of the hallway.” Harry said.

“Confirmation of what?” Bellatrix asked, not sure she wanted to know.

“I've been named Heir Black by Sirius Black's will.” Harry told her.

Bellatrix only took a second to find the flaw. “Wills can't be enacted until they come into effect.”

“I know.” Harry said and smiled, to Bellatrix's surprise.

Kreacher let out a cackling laugh and applauded his new master.

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