The Son of Lord Voldemort

Chapter 94

Harrison walked into the Great Hall and barely noticed the thousands of live bats that were flying around the ceiling, nor did he spare the floating pumpkins a glance as he took his usual seat at the Slytherin table. Ever since Luna had barged into his dorm room several nights before to show him the handprint burned into her arm he hadn't been able to think of much else. As seers were rare, Harrison didn't know if waking up with injuries after a vision was a common occurrence. His father had surprisingly been unhelpful, as he had never heard of it happening before either. Tom said he would look into it, but Harrison wasn't willing to hold his breath. Seers were too rare, and usually too closed off, for there to be any information on the matter.

What worried Harrison about the situation was that the handprint had barely faded, even after Severus brewed an extremely potent healing balm. He hoped that even if his father doesn't find any information that he can think of some way to help Luna. The next vivid vision may cause her more harm, and Harrison had grown to care for Luna too much for him to want that to happen. The vision itself confused Harrison, as Luna said she couldn't make out the people's faces. He decided not to dwell too much on it until they knew more.

"Hem, hem." Harrison forced himself from his thoughts to look up at Umbridge. As usual, the woman wore a garish pink dress with an even pinker shawl that resembled old curtains. She wore a smile on her face that was split between condescending and predatory "As I know you are all aware, today is not only Halloween, but also a day where those of you with permission would normally find yourselves in the charming village of Hogsmeade." Harrison noticed her choice of words and realized that few did, as most of the students still appeared to still be off in their own worlds. "However, due to the recent sighting of Sirius Black, it has been deemed unsafe to allow students to venture off of Hogwarts grounds."

As one the entire school looked at Umbridge in varying forms of outrage. "That's rubbish," someone kept yelling over and over again from the Gryffindor table. Even at the Slytherin table harsh words were being doled out, albeit in hushed tones, for Slytherin ears only. The only ones who didn't appear shocked were Harrison's closest friends. Harrison had known for a few days that Lucius was working to have Hogsmeade privileges revoked. Just not for the reason he was telling Minister Fudge. Harrison wasn't pleased about it, but he understood why his father wanted them to be canceled for the time being.

"Hem, hem," Umbridge attempted to gain the students' attention. "Hem, hem." The harsh sound silenced the fuming Great Hall. "While this may seem uncalled for, this decision was made with your best interests in mind." Umbridge smiled in a way that Harrison was sure she meant to be reassuring, but came out disturbingly creepy. "When Sirius Black is finally apprehended, and you can be sure that he will be, then Hogsmeade visits will resume. Until then, no one is allowed to leave the Hogwarts grounds for any reason." Umbridge sat down, and the students resumed their complaining.

"Their reactions were as amusing as I thought they'd be," Leo smirked.

Harrison followed Leo's line of sight and saw a cherry red Ron in a heated discussion with Dean and Seamus. He stole a glance at the Weasley twins and saw that they were speaking animatedly to Lee Jordan. Harrison knew theirs was an act, as he had informed them of the development a few days prior. He made a mental note to commend the twins on their excellent acting skills.

9:00 AM

There was a chill in the air, causing Auror Alexander Abbott to cast a warming charm on his red cloak. A crunching sound echoed in his ears as he stepped on fallen leaves. He watched as a red bird landed on a hanging branch above a bench where an older couple sat entertaining a small giggling child. They were some of the few people to be found in the usually bustling village of Hogsmeade.