The Assassination

Chapter 4. The Assassination

After the feast, Harry and his friends were led to the Gryffindor dormitories where he and Neville parted from Iris and Hermione. A male prefect showed them to the first-year boy's dormitory.

Harry wasn't particularly happy that he had to share the dorm with a couple of more boys. He always had his own room back at home and liked his privacy. But he decided not to act like a spoiled kid and accepted the arrangement silently. All the first-year boys claimed their beds and immediately climbed on it. They all were tired and weary after the long train ride.

Harry would have tried to finish his newly received quest if he wasn't so damn tired.

'Tomorrow, I will do it tomorrow.' he procrastinated as his eyelids closed and sleep took him in its sweet embrace.

~xXxXx~

Okay, it was weird. It was definitely weird. He didn't know if it was because he was a gamer or because he was somehow a genius, but every spell he had tried that day in the class, he had managed it in the first try.

Even the usually stoic McGonagall had been gaping at him when he transformed the matchstick into a shiny needle at his first attempt. Flitwick on the other hand had jumped up and down like an excited five years old kid, calling him a prodigy, saying he was even better than his mother. That was surely a huge compliment since his mother was already too brilliant.

Yep, it was weird. But it was a 'good weird'. And it wasn't like he was complaining about his prodigious skills. He was just surprised, that is all.

Though he could have gone without Hermione's competitive glare. He didn't know how she believed she could beat him and compete with him when she had taken almost an hour to achieve a shadow of what he had done in a few seconds. Yeah, whatever, he had better things to do than compete with an 11 years old girl. Like you know, killing a professor and stealing THE Philosopher's Stone. He had his priorities straight. Yes, definitely. He wasn't going to get distracted. Quests for life! Quests for power!

"Harry! Let's go fly out." Iris whispered in his ear as she settled down beside him on the sofa on which he was lounging, flinging her arm around his neck affectionately.

Neville and Hermione, who were discussing something while sitting across from Harry and Iris, paused and stared at them, getting curious about what Iris was mumbling in Harry's ear. Harry resisted the urge to groan. Seriously? Just when he was all fired up with determination, the first distraction had made an appearance.

'What is more important? My daily flying time with Iris or completing these quests?' Harry pondered as Iris gave him an expectant look while poking his cheeks with her forefingers. 'Definitely quests! I need to become stronger. No, not stronger, but the strongest. And I can't have Iris disturbing me every now and then. A part of me reasoned rationally. But what about IRIS! I can't stop our flying thing with her just for some stupid quests. The flying thing has almost become a tradition with my dear little sister. I can't break traditions. And look at her hopeful look! Look at that cute face! How can I dare to crush her hope? That's blasphemy. Fuck quests! Sister for life.'

"Fuck quests. Sister for life." Harry hissed in agreement.

"What?" Iris asked, puzzled at his sudden gibberish answer. She was so surprised that she ceased poking his cheeks with her fingers for which he was grateful. Thankfully, Neville and Hermione didn't hear him and had gone back to talking to each other.

'Oh, nothing. I was just monologuing internally.'

"Nothing. Let's go." Harry said instead, smiling sheepishly, standing up and grabbing her hand. Iris just shrugged and followed him out.

~xXxXx~

When Harry finally slumped back on his bed that night, he decided tonight was the night for attempting the quest. But the bed seemed so comfortable that he didn't want to move. He sighed in comfort, sinking in the soft mattress.

'Do I have to begin the quest right now? I can do it tomorrow. Yes, sleeping seems more appealing than murdering.'

'NO! No more procrastination. I have to do the quest now. Right now!'

'But sleeping…'

'Ah! A compromise it is.'

'Isis, wake me at 2:00 in the morning. For now I am going to sleep.'

Should I be worried that you are talking to yourself?.. I guess not. Also, I am not your alarm clock. But yes, I will wake you up at 2:00 a.m.

'You are such a nice girl!' Harry grinned lazily, getting comfortable under the blanket.

Thank you if you are praising and fuck you if you are being sarcastic.

'Hehe. That was a compliment, Isis. Definitely a compliment.'

~xXxXx~

Harry stood outside Professor Quirrell's private quarters, under his Invisibility cloak.

His plan was simple. Kill Quirrell/Voldemort without being seen by anyone, even Quirrell/Voldemort. It was because he didn't want to have a target on his head, at least not right now when he wasn't all powerful.

He knew that even after killing Quirrell/Voldemort tonight, he wouldn't be able to permanently off Voldemort otherwise there wouldn't have been two different quests for killing Voldemort. That meant that even if he killed Quirrell/Voldemort tonight, Voldemort would still be alive somehow which was both creepy and scary.

How the hell did the Dark Lord manage that? Whatever! His goal right now was to just kill him without being seen and he would do just that. He didn't want the Dark Lord hunting him after all.

He checked that he was fully covered with the Invisibility Cloak before loudly knocking on the door with his palm. He pulled out the poison knife from his pocket which he earlier got as a reward in one of the quests and held it in his right hand.

A whole two minutes later, the door creaked open and Professor Quirrell peered in the dark hallways, not finding anyone.

"Hell..llo, any..anyone there?" he stuttered, pulling out his own wand and casting a lumos charm.

Honestly, Harry could just use his Black Arrow to instantly kill the professor from a safe distance, but he had already used it in the attack a few years ago and his mother had taken the credit for killing those Death Eaters. So, if he used the same arrow again then it might implicate his mother in the crime. The DMLE would surely suspect his mother. And thus, here he was with a knife in his hand, trying to assassinate Quirrell silently and anonymously.

Harry held his breath and silently positioned himself behind the professor. He was thankful that he had the real Invisibility Cloak, otherwise he was sure that he wouldn't have been able to remain unseen by Quirrell/Voldemort. It would have been a hilarious and deadly attempt if it was done with a regular invisibility cloak. After all, Voldemort was the strongest mage of their era. A flimsy invisibility cloak wouldn't have been able to hide anyone from his powerful gaze.

But, fortunately for Harry and unfortunately for Voldemort, his Invisibility Cloak wasn't a regular one.

Harry remained still for a moment, readying his knife, visualising his attack. And then the cloak parted with a swish sound for a brief second and Harry's hand, equipped with the knife, went out from the confined space of the cloak. Quirrell/Voldemort stiffened for a second as if sensing something, but it was too late.

Harry plunged the knife in the Professor's nape, the blade sinking in the flesh with a squelchy hiss and then he quickly pulled it out, leaving a gaping hole which suddenly started gushing blood out. Some of it fell on Harry's face and neck.

He immediately teleported back to Gryffindor dorms, not interested to see the end moment of Quirrell. The dying gasps of the man were the last sounds Harry heard before he landed quietly in the boys' dorm. He put the poison knife which was covered in red blood back into the [Inventory].

He thought a shower was severely needed as he wiped the blood from his mouth. He scrunched his nose in revulsion at the vile taste of iron.

~xXxXx~

QUEST:

– Kill Quirinus Quirrell who is housing Voldemort's spirit in the back of his head.

Success!

REWARD:

– 4000 XP

Class change gained:

[Necromancer:

This Class gives you the power to communicate, manipulate or bring back the dead.

After taking a long shower and a thorough brushing, Harry climbed on his bed and opened the game screen, hearing the notification ping. A victorious grin blossomed on his face as the death of Quirrell/Voldemort was confirmed by the Game.

"Isis, what is this Necromancer Class?"

As you read, this Class gives you the way to weaponise the dead. But listen to me carefully before accepting that Necromancer class. And for the Creator's sake use your brain before pressing anything. You were just going to click on it.

"What? What is wrong with accepting the Necromancer class? Having powers over the dead seems too cool to ignore and why shouldn't I take my rewards for finishing the quest? Do you think I like sneaking on people and plunging knives in their throat?" Harry asked with a petulant scowl. Why would he ignore his hard earned reward for killing a man!

Because selecting a Class is a big deal. Currently, you are Mage and now you have a new option, [Necromancer] Class. But the problem is that you can't be both Mage and Necromancer at the same time. If you had clicked on the [Necromancer, you would have immediately changed to that Class.

"Oh, what would have happened if I had changed to Necromancer?" He asked curiously.

Nothing much. You would just have locked all your Mage powers. You would have stopped being a wizard. And you would have to start from level 10 again, losing your enormous HP and MP bars which you earned after working so hard.

"What?" Harry yelled in surprise after hearing Isis' sarcastic remark. He was very thankful that his bed had a silencing ward around it, otherwise the other boys would have woken up by his loud shriek.

Now you see the problem. You can't just change your Class at whim. You have to do it after thinking about everything properly. If you had clicked on the [Necromancer, you would have been level 10 now with minimal HP and MP. You also wouldn't have been able to use your skills since they would have been locked with the [Mage] Class. You would have basically made yourself a weak non-wizard who wouldn't have been able to perform the weakest wizard spells.

"I am sorry, Isis. I will be careful from now on. No pressing unknown beautifully glowing blue game buttons. And thanks, you are a lifesaver." Harry sighed, scared and surprised at the revelation. He had been just one click away from losing all the power he had amassed with his non-stop hard work.

No problem. It is my job.

"Then what use is this Class if I can't even use it to my advantage?"

It is very advantageous. You just need time to become powerful in any Class. And after you at least become level 100 in a particular Class, you will be able to switch to a different 100-level Classes without any problem.

"Okay. Correct me if I am wrong. As I am already more than level 100 in [Mage, I can easily switch to it after reaching level 100 in [Necromancer]. And after that I can switch between the two classes as I see fit without any limitations. But when I unlock and select the [Enchanter] after I finish the Philosopher's Stone quest, I won't be able to switch back to [Mage] or [Necromancer] until I again reach at the minimum of level 100 in [Enchanter]."

Yes. To simplify, you need to at least reach level 100 in your current selected Class to switch to another Class. And if you already have two or more level 100 classes then you can switch between them whenever you want.

"Okay, I get it. So, I should wait until I don't need my wizards skills before selecting [Necromancer]. Because when I select it, I will be stuck in that Class till I reach level 100. And while I am in that class I won't be able to use my Mage/Wizard skills."

Yes. Exactly!

"But that's ridiculous. I will always need my mage/wizard powers since I am living in a wizarding world. My mum will throw a fit if she finds me unable to perform simplest magic. How the hell am I supposed to progress in [Necromancer] or any class for that matter when I am unable to 'not be a wizard' for a single day?"

That's why I said that you need to think carefully before selecting any class.

"Yes. I need to think properly, but not now. I am too drowsy and annoyed for that. Goodnight, Isis."

Goodnight, Harry. Don't worry, everything will be fine. I am sure of it.

~xXxXx~

There was a grave silence as the Headmaster finished his announcement. Professor Quirrell was killed last night. And now Aurors were standing by the Professor's table, staring at everyone suspiciously. There was an oppressive mood sucking in the usual joyous chatter of the hundreds of students. And Harry was responsible for that. He felt guilty about it. Not much, but a tiny bit. A very tiny bit.

Iris scooted closer to him on the breakfast bench and wrapped her arms around his hand in fright. Harry winced in sympathy. Okay, now he was feeling guilty 100 percent. Damn it, little sisters! Even the [Remorseless] trait couldn't stop him from feeling his heart wrench after seeing her like that.

I mean if you want you can be a cold bastard to everyone, even your family and friends. It's up to you how much you want to be remorseless. If you decide that Iris needs to go then your remorseless trait will suppress your guilt and heartbreak to make you function properly.

'No, thanks. I don't want to become a complete psychopath. I mean what is even the meaning of becoming all powerful when I don't have anyone to love or protect in the end? That's a sad way to live. I would rather feel hurt at scaring my sister than have cold indifference to her feelings.'

I know, Harry. I was just explaining why you won't have second thoughts about killing strangers, but will still be vehemently against hurting your loved ones. The remorseless trait just makes you very cruel to your enemies.

'Thanks for the info dump.'

My pleasure.

Harry then stopped the telepathic conversation with Isis and turned to Iris. Heh, they both had such similar names. Maybe that's why he got along with Isis so well.

Since the attack on their home by the Death Eaters, Iris had become too afraid of anything related to death. And hearing that their DADA professor died on just their third school day was surely too much for her. She hadn't expected anything like that to happen at Hogwarts. In her mind, Hogwarts was like the safest place on Earth, where nothing could happen to her or her brother. But she wasn't sure about that anymore.

"It's alright, Iris. Everything is fine." Harry whispered, giving her a one-armed hug. Iris wasn't sure if everything was alright or not but still nodded her head, not wanting him to worry too much about her.

"Are you okay, Iris?" Hermione asked from across the table where she was sitting beside Neville.

"I am fine. Just a little bit frightened after hearing about Professor Quirrell." Iris mumbled. Hermione reluctantly nodded her head.

"I too am nervous. Hopefully the DMLE will catch the culprit soon."

"They definitely would. The head of that department, Amelia Bones, is very renowned at solving every case." Neville told them shyly, pointing his finger at the woman who was conversing with Dumbledore.

Amelia Bones was a middle-aged woman with short grey hair and a monocle who was currently glaring at the headmaster.

Name: Amelia Bones

Race: Human

Class: Mage

Lvl: 55

HP: 2750

MP: 5500

Affection: 10

Obedience: 0

Thoughts about you: Slight fondness

"Oh, she's Susan's aunt." Hermione said with a loud gasp as if knowing the name. "Susan talked about her during the train ride."

"Yes. She is." Harry agreed, already knowing her from his childhood. Though honestly he couldn't remember much about her. He knew her in passing, but didn't have any deep connection with her.

After that, the aurors went away following Amelia Bones. She stopped at the Hufflepuff table and gave Susan a big hug, surprising and embarrassing her before going out of the Great Hall.

~xXxXx~

"You don't have to worry about Quirrell's death." Harry informed Iris as they both were walking alone in the hallway. Harry had to just utter 'siblings secrets' and their friends had respectfully gone ahead on their own, giving them some privacy.

"Why? How can I not be worried when even professors are not safe here?" Iris asked with some frustration in her voice. She didn't know how Harry was always at ease. Here he was telling her to remain unbothered when a professor was just killed in cold blood last night!

"Because I am the killer. I killed him last night." Harry whispered his confession after pulling her in an isolated corner. Iris' eyes widened in horror and surprise as she brought her hand to cup her mouth.

"Bloody hell! Why?" she squeaked, glancing around them to confirm that no one was near.

"He was possessed by Voldemort. I had to kill him to keep you and everyone else safe. It was a preemptive strike. I had to off him before he could try anything nefarious." Harry said honestly. Yes, it was primarily to complete his quest, but he also did it to keep his sister safe. If Voldemort ever came back then the ones who would be in most danger would be him, Iris and Neville.

In the end, his quick action to kill Quirrell was due to many reasons instead of only one.

Iris remained silent and appeared more terrified than before as she processed the information.

"Vol...Voldemort was Quirrell?"

"Yes. You don't need to worry. I killed him and I don't think he has enough power to try again soon. We are safe here, at least for the foreseeable time." Harry assured her, cupping her cheeks and staring in her eyes. Iris nodded slowly, still befuddled after hearing that particular information.

"Are you hurt?" she immediately asked, running her hand all over his face and torso frantically. Harry grabbed her hands and squeezed them reassuringly.

"I am absolutely fine, Iris. Don't panic. Even Voldemort didn't see me attacking him. I was under the Invisibility Cloak the whole time."

Iris pulled him in a tight hug.

"I am glad." Iris sighed in relief, squeezing him.

"Though I am eager to see how you explain this to mum without drawing her ire for the stupidly brave act." Iris smiled mischievously, trying to lighten the mood and get her thoughts away from the fact that Voldemort had been in the same place as hers.

Harry smiled back, happy that Iris wasn't in a gloomy mood anymore. That was the purpose of this whole conversation after all.

"Let's go to our next class. We are already a few minutes late." Harry replied, dodging her question as he pulled her after him. Both running to reach the class quickly.

"You didn't answer my question!"

"I don't know what you are talking about!"

"Coward!"

~xXxXx~

"I don't like Potions or the Potions Professor." Tracey complained as she and Daphne left the classroom.

"Hmm." Daphne uttered absent-mindedly. But that was enough for Tracey to continue the conversation as they began moving towards their common room.

"I mean, did you see how Professor Snape was targeting Harry at every chance? I was almost sure that Iris was going to walk upto the professor and kick him between his legs from the glare she was shooting at him. If Harry hadn't calmed her down then she definitely would have done that and it would have been hilarious. Still, it was funny enough seeing Professor's dumbstruck face when Harry produced the perfect potion. Don't know how Harry did that, but it was cool." Tracey giggled.

"Yes. That was interesting." Daphne replied, her interest growing in the conversation at the mention of Harry. She was a little upset that she hadn't gotten much time to spend with Harry and Iris after coming here. They both were her only other friends after Tracey. She really missed them. She wished they all were in the same house then she would have been able to be with them every hour.

Though she at least was relieved that Tracey, her best friend, had followed her in the Slytherin house. She could just imagine the loneliness she would have suffered without Tracey by her side. She didn't like that imagination, not a tiny bit. She abruptly grabbed Tracey's hand and gave it a thankful squeeze, looking at her gratefully.

Tracey's eyes widened, but she happily intertwined her fingers with her friend's hand as they resumed walking in the hallway.

"Now I only need to make you kiss me on the cheek or hug me. That would be a worthy achievement." Tracey joked, squeezing her hand.

"Hmm." Daphne hummed in amusement, not agreeing or disagreeing.

It was a rare thing to see Daphne initiate any show of physical affection. In that way, she was the opposite of Astoria who was always ready to latch onto someone, Harry being that 'someone' most of the time. Tracey thought with mirth.

"Hey! Stop you two." A familiar voice called out to them from behind. They both turned to see Harry hurriedly striding towards them with an eager smile. He stopped before them and grinned.

"Long time no see. How are you both?" Harry asked. In response to that, Daphne pulled him in a tight embrace, pressing her face on his shoulder.

"Whoa!" Harry exclaimed in wonder.

"Two acts of affection on the same day. Note the date down. Today a history is made." Tracey babbled excitedly jumping up and down. Harry didn't know what was happening, but even he knew how rare it was to see Daphne being all soft and cuddly. He wouldn't let this chance go to waste.

He put his one arm around her back and the other on her head.

"There, there. Daph. Everything is alright. We are with you. Were you feeling lonely?" Harry caressed her head soothingly. Daphne nodded and looked up with wide blue eyes. Cute! His heartbeat sped up by that look.

"I can't take it anymore." Tracey gasped dramatically and wrapped her arms around both Harry and Daphne from the side. "This moment calls for a group hug."

"Hey! That's cheating. You are ruining my special moment with Daph."

"Come on. You missed me too, didn't you?" Tracey giggled, squeezing both of them in a tight hug.

"Fine, fine. I did." Harry grumbled good-naturedly as he put his one hand around her waist and pulled her close, finally making it a group hug. Daphne just smiled happily, resting her chin on Harry's shoulder as her friends bantered with each other.

"A group hug? Why didn't anyone invite me?" They could hear running footsteps and Iris' voice.

'Oh no!' The trio prepared themselves as Iris jumped on Harry's back, her arms snaking around his neck.

"Yay!" Tracey and Iris cheered with laughter. Daphne and Harry couldn't help but chuckle at each other.

Neville and Hermione who were with Iris had stopped a few steps away from them and were looking at the group with amused smiles.

"Does this happen often?" Hermione asked in a whisper, knowing that Neville was their childhood friend.

"Between Harry and Iris? Yes, daily. They have always been very cuddly with each other. Between Harry, Iris and Tracey? Yes, very often. But between Daphne, Iris, Harry and Tracey? No. It's rare. Very rare." Neville smiled genially.

"Why aren't you joining in? Aren't you their friend too?"

"But..but..they are girls and I am a boy." Neville mumbled, blushing like crazy.

"Harry is a boy too." Hermione raised her one eyebrow which was actually very impressive.

"But he grew up with his sister. He has experience in being affectionate with girls. I don't." Neville answered defensively, still blushing like a maiden.

Hermione just shrugged in response.

When those four finally separated, Harry officially introduced Hermione to the two Slytherin girls.

~xXxXx~

Lord Voldemort, who was currently nothing more than a translucent spirit, had decided to go to the third floor corridor instead of fleeing, where the treasure was hidden. He chose to stay instead of escaping after Quirrell's sudden death.

He didn't know who was the one that killed him, but he wasn't just going to go away without getting his revenge from the anonymous killer. No one was allowed to stab him in the neck and get no comeuppance for such stupid act. And he was definitely sure that it wasn't Dumbledore. That old man was a dramatic and righteous fool. He wouldn't resort to killing people with their backs turned to him.

So, that meant someone had realised the threat he posed while attached to the body of Quirrell other than Dumbledore. Also that someone was after The Philosopher's Stone. That was the only reason he could come up with. He was very sure of that. Why else would anyone try to remove him from the game when he was just trying to scout the legendary stone? He hadn't even made any fuss for Hogwarts yet!

And this someone wasn't averse to killing people. That was troubling and kind of impressive. Not everyone had the guts to get their hands bloodied. This meant that the whole staff was innocent since he knew no one among them was daring or ruthless enough to attempt this.

Then, that left only the students as suspects. Which in itself was a surprise. Who among them was powerful enough to hide from him and sink a knife through this throat? Who among them was moronic enough to try to mess with his plans?... he didn't know. Not yet. But he would soon. Yes, soon he would be able to know. He would be prepared and ready at the place where his killer would definitely come to reap his rewards. He would wait. He would wait for the right time to strike.

The one good thing being a ghost had done to him was force him to understand the virtue of patience.

~xXxXx~

Harry was lying on his side in the bed. It was nearing midnight but he couldn't sleep. His mind was trying to find a way to use this [Class] feature. He couldn't just ignore the Necromancer class, not after doing all the work to complete the quest. What was even the meaning of killing Quirrell if he couldn't make use of the rewards?

He opened the game menu and looked at his character stat.

Character Sheet

Name: Harry Potter

Race: Human

Class: Mage

Lvl: 145(0%)

HP: 7250 (10 per second)

MP: 14500 (100 per second)

Traits:

[Remorseless]

[Lustful]

Perks:

[Gamer's Mind] (Passive)

[Gamer's Body] (Passive)

[Observe] (Active)

[Peak Body] (Passive)

[Skill Create] (Active)

[Teleportation] (Active)

[Inventory] (Active)

[Increased HP regeneration] (Passive)

[Killer] (Active)

[Increased MP regeneration] (Passive)

Skills:

[Ray of Light]

[Death Arrow]

[Flying]

[Shield]

[Leech]

[Bomb]

[Energy Shield]

His level had increased to 145. And seeing that big number along with his HPs and MPs in thousands was deeply satisfying. But if he chose the Necromancer Class then he will start with very few MPs and HPs.

That was very annoying. Still, he wasn't going to ignore that Class. If he could master it, then he would have power over the dead. He would have the power to resurrect anyone. That was undeniably a golden opportunity. In an off chance that someone close to him died then he would be able to bring them back to the land of living. Which just made it a very important goal to achieve.

But it wouldn't be easy again, levelling up to 100. And so much time would be wasted. Only if he had more...TIME. Yes. Now he knew what he wanted to use his Christmas Skill for.

Christmas Skill? Seriously, Harry?

'Hehe. It's not my fault that I can use the 'Create skills' option only two times a year. And it definitely isn't my fault that they are available on Christmas and my birthday. So, Christmas Skill for the skill which I get on Christmas while Birthday Skill for the skill which I receive on my birthday.'

That's strangely logical and easy to remember.

'I know.'

He needed time. And he had a very good idea how to achieve that. His 'Create Skill' was going to be very useful in making the [Necromancer] class accessible. He needed only to wait until Christmas to make use of that feature. Agh! Patience was never his thing. He hoped that Christmas would come soon.

~xXxXx~

The group of four Gryffindors were standing out in the courtyard where their first flying lesson was going to be held. And none of them were too excited about that.

Harry simply wasn't interested because he already had a way to fly without the limitations of the broom. Iris was the same since she knew that no broom would be able to surpass Harry's flying.

Since last year, she had been with Harry every evening, on his back, hanging on tight as they flew like crazy. Though she still was a little excited since she would finally be able to fly on her own.

Hermione and Neville on the other hand weren't happy a bit about this class. They practically were shaking from fear at the prospect of flying on brooms. But that was just them. Around them were first-years from Slytherin and Gryffindor and the majority was eager to ride a broom.

"Calm down, Nev. Everything will be fine." Harry whispered as Madam Hooch made an appearance and stood in front of the gathered students.

"Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone, stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."

Harry glanced down at his broom. It was old and some of the twigs stuck out at odd angles.

"Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say 'Up!'"

"UP!" everyone shouted. Harry and Iris shared a grin as they were among those whose brooms shot into their hands. Honestly, it wasn't really a great feat since both Harry and Iris had some practice in riding brooms. Their mother had taught them little flying after they turned 11.

Madam Hooch then instructed them how to hover in one place but that was the instant when the problem began. Neville suddenly flew up and started screaming. And a few seconds later, he fell down with a crunch. Harry winced seeing Neville's broken wrist. Madam Hooch instructed them to not fly on their own and led Neville to the infirmary.

'Thankfully it will take just a few seconds to mend his broken bone.' Harry thought. But his attention was dragged towards the duo of ginger haired and blonde haired boys who were fighting over Neville's remembrall. Harry realised that the ginger haired boy was Ron, his dorm mate.

"Give it back, Malfoy!" spat Ron.

"I think I will leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find. How about up a tree?" Malfoy smirked, mounting his broom.

"I think not. Give back Neville's remembrall. I will pass it to him." Harry said quietly, stepping forward and pushing his arm forward with his palm up.

"And why should I do that?" Malfoy asked with a sly grin. Harry simply smiled back and turned on the [Killer] perk.

The first-years around him suddenly felt dread well up in their stomachs. At once the courtyard was under a huge shadow, a big cloud appeared out of nowhere, hiding the sun behind it. Ron stepped back, his face paling rapidly. The chill in the atmosphere increased while the shadows around the castle walls seemed to get darker and sinister.

All the students looked at Harry in fright.

Malfoy on the other hand froze on his spot as his grey eyes met glowing emeralds. He gulped down nervously and dropped the remembrall in Harry's awaiting palm. The shadows, the evil chill, the dread all vanished abruptly as if it never happened in the first place.

Harry grinned happily.

"Thanks for your help, Draco? Yes, Draco. I remember your name now." Harry smiled genuinely and pocketed the remembrall.

"Come on, Iris and Hermione. Let's go see how Neville is doing. I don't think Madam Hooch will really mind now that the class is almost over."

Both the girls hurriedly followed him as Harry left the courtyard. All the students started murmuring among themselves, asking each other if they all felt it or not.

"Did you see that, Daphne?" Tracey hissed, her eyes wide and surprised.

"I think I am in love." Daphne mumbled, an excited smile on her face, blush tinting her cheeks.

"What?" Tracey gaped at her.

"Nothing."

"It wasn't nothing. I definitely heard you say the L word."

"You must have misheard it." Daphne waved away her argument.

"No I didn't."

"Hmm."