A Snake Named Voldemort

Chapter 4

Harry was in the Great Hall at breakfast when Hermione startled mumbling something angrily under her breath, her nose buried in the Daily Prophet.

"What's wrong, Hermione?"

The girl laid the paper down on the table in a huff, in the process covering her and Ron's plates. Ron scowled and retrieved his plate, pulling it to his chest protectively and taking another bite of pancake. Harry raised his brow and smirked.

"It's You-Know-Who, Harry. He's been too quiet lately. He's planning something, I know it," she said with conviction.

Harry choked on his pumpkin juice. Voldemort mumbled, :And they call me paranoid...: Harry's coughs increased as he simultaneously tried to clear his throat and stifle is laughter.

Hermione continued, oblivious to Harry's reaction. "There have been all these break-ins and raids, werewolves on the prowl and all around discord and anarchy the past months, and now suddenly nothing? You can't tell me that's not suspicious. There has not been one peep or inkling of Death Eater activity since three of them were captured last week."

Coughing under control and with a carefully schooled, concerned face, Harry asked, "Last week? Oh, you mean the pub fight."

Hermione gave him a look. "They were trying to kidnap that half-blood witch who turned one of the men down. Everyone is saying to be on high alert," she told him gravely. "I wonder what Dumbledore thinks."

"Yeah, I wonder..." Harry murmured. It was while he was in the middle of spooning some oatmeal into his mouth that a thought occurred to him. "Hey, wait a minute!" he exclaimed around his mouthful of food, the hand holding his spoon still frozen I the air. Swallowing that one last bite of sustenance, he gathered his things and told his friends he would see them in a little bit, ignoring their flabbergasted looks as he hastily left his seat without a word of explanation for either his outburst or his sudden exit. Walking casually yet quickly out of the Great Hall, Harry headed in the direction of his first class, but stopped in an empty classroom he found on the way. He placed Voldemort on a desktop and set a privacy ward before placing his hands on his hips.

:I thought you said your comrades would know to continue on your brand of mayhem and dissent even with you gone.:

Voldemort flicked his tongue out. :And they did, but you heard the Mudblood; the imbeciles got themselves captured.:

:It was a pub brawl...that's your backup plan? Come on, you really expect me to believe that?:

Rising up into and S-curve, managing to appear smug even in his current form, Voldemort said, :I told you they would know what to do if I happened to lose my body again. They have no proof of that at this point. What, did you think they would suddenly begin calling their own shots after only a week of my absence? How insulting.:

Harry glowered. :You tricked me into thinking nothing would change even with you gone.:

Voldemort's eyes gleamed with malicious glee. :No, you made too many assumptions. The war will eventually go on, but after enough time for my followers to come to the conclusion about why I am absent. It could take months, if Dumbledore stays silent about his suspicions of my banishment.:

:So, what do you think? Is the evil Lord Voldemort planning some new devious scheme? Or perhaps he's given up...any thoughts as to what it might be?:

Voldemort sneered, flicking his tongue out angrily. :I do not like your cheek, Potter.:

Harry grinned before chuckling. :A pub fight...seriously, shouldn't your people know not to hit on the girlfriends of Aurors?: