Running Away

Chapter 21 - Terrified Children.

A/N: Another one? Wow! And it has only been, almost a month. I am losing my grip here, I am so sorry! Anyways, hope you enjoy, see you at the end!

"Do not sit on the loft, Mr. Jackson." Harry chastised as he entered his class, after visiting a student in the medical wing, another Slytherin had been sent to Poppy.

"Hadrian. You're the same age as us, what makes you think that we would in any way respect you?" Harry halted at his desk and tapped the top of it ever so slowly, before turning on his heel.

"So I am guessing there was an accident in potions, and someone has given Miss Mclean a truth potion. Because otherwise, I would be at a loss, as to why you think you can speak to me in such a matter." He spoke, his tone showing that he was not up for any sort of argument, but seemingly, this class was up for some fun and games.

"Oh come on, teach!"

Hermione stood up, her chair pushing back, she stared at them all, and silence fell in the room. "Have some respect. Hadrian played a large role in the war, and without him, none of us here would be alive-"

"Yes, thank you Miss Granger-"

"A big role?! The man is a death eater! Look at his wrist, he even has the mark!"

All eyes went to Harry's wrist after that comment, and true enough there was a scar, resembling that of the dark mark. Harry raised his brow and raised his arm. "Oh this? Yeah, I got that when someone tried to drain my blood for a resurrection. You can take a closer look if you want." When people gave him suspicious looks, he sighed and started to walk around, showing them all, that it was in fact not the dark mark, but just a very deep jagged and oddly cut scar that had darkened with age. 

Returning to his desk, Harry crossed his arms and sighed. "But thanks, for bringing up the fact of the dark mark. It is actually something I would like to discuss with you all." Everyone slumped back into their seats, making Harry smirk. "The dark mark, do any of you know how it works?"

Harry eyed the people in the room, eyes fixing onto the subtle hands of a few Slytherins and he smiled, arms falling down to his sides, back raising. "Yes, Miss Parkinson?" He questioned and all eyes went to her, causing her to shrink slightly in on herself. "It's okay. This is a safe place, we are merely sharing information." He said, gently thrusting his hands out to either sides of himself, and Pansy took a deep breath, straightening her back and nodding.

"The black mark is created with a knot on your soul... It is bound by ones magic, so that when he called for you, if you didn't answer... He would..." Her voice faded out and Harry smiled. "Yes?" He encouraged and she wetted her lips, wringing her hands together. "You would automatically be under the imperious curse... Submitting to his will, and you wouldn't know how long it had been, when he finally chose to release you..."

Horror spread over the faces of the people that did in fact not know this. "How long have you tried to lose, Miss Parkinson?"

"Five months... I don't recall five months of last year..."

"In all, or was that one session?"

"One session... Then there was a day here, a day there, weeks and sometimes only a couple of hours..."

"Any of the others, tried that?"

All who had been given the mark, gave small nods and Harry smiled softly. "Thank you for sharing. If you would like, I have some more information that may be valuable to you." They all shared glances, but the three who Harry had already, somewhat befriended, nodded their heads and he gave a small smirk.

"The dark mark was in fact tied to the imperious curse, and Tom Marvalo Riddle. But even if he could control you, he could not make you do anything that you previously did not have the capability to do." Brows scrunched up and Harry gave a small chuckle, walking behind his desk, he leaned forward, holding himself up by his hands, placing them on the desk. "If your subconscious wouldn't have allowed you to do, the thing, he could not have physically or magically made you, take killing someone. He could not make you do that, had you not already been able too before hand. Would he have been able to do it, if he was at his full capacity? Sure, I'm certain he could, for his magic was at the same level of Dumbledore." Shivers went down spines and Harry smirked, continuing on explaining.

"But alas, he was old, drained, not fully himself and he had split himself into eight pieces. Himself, and his seven Horcruxes. Now, who can tell me what a Horcrux is?"

Only five hands went into the air, and Harry smirked as he looked at them. Fred, George, Neville, Ron and Hermione. "Yes, Neville?" Neville looked surprised that he had been picked, and cleared his throat, quickly straightening up.

"A Horcrux is a powerful object in which a Dark wizard or witch has hidden a fragment of his or her soul for the purpose of attaining immortality. Creating one Horcrux gives one the ability to anchor one's own soul to earth if the body is destroyed; the more Horcruxes one creates, the closer one is to true immortality."

Harry finger gunned Neville and turned around, skipping up a few steps ahead, before flinging himself up some stairs to the elevated library. "Quite right, Mr. Longbottom! 10 points to Gryffindor! NOW!" He shouted and disappeared down the rows, his voice booming from wherever he was, allowing them all to hear him.

"Tom managed to create seven! Six that he was aware of, and one that was accidental!" A crayon levitated and started to draw on a board, it was quick, and soon enough all of the seven objects were drawn. A goblet, a snake, a book, a tiara, a locket, a ring and lastly, a lightning bolt. Everyone, but the few who knew, questioned what the lightning bolt was there for.

"As you can see, six of the seven, are rather obvious objects." Harry spoke softly, and all flinched upon hearing his voice so close. He was walking up the middle of the class, a book in hand, flicking through the pages, whilst he made his way to his desk once again. Leaning against it, he crossed his legs and peered over the book. "So what is with the last one? What was it?" He chuckled and shut the book. "I would like all of you, except for Miss Granger and Mr. Ronald Weasley, to write me a three foot long assumption, of what the last one means." Groans, filled the room.

"Why does Granger and Weasley get to skip out?!" A young woman whined and Harry sent her a sharp look. "Because they have a much more important writing task ahead of them."

"You two will be conducting a written example of what the individual horcrux can do to a person. I require four feet, each, of what it takes to make a horcrux, not to forget seven, and then how one becomes when near or wearing one." Ron slumped back in his seat, whilst Hermione was already making bullet-points and notes for hers.

"Mate-!" Ron was about to protest.

"Would you like it to be eight feet?"

Ron said no more, and Harry smirked. "Alright, we have other matters to talk for the remainder of the class. The paper will be due Friday next week." That was almost two weeks that they had to make it, no teacher had ever given them that much time to work on it, so there was certainly no more complaining, from anyone.

"Can it be eight feet?"

"Mione-!"

~~~~~~

"I called you all to this staff meeting. Because my snakes are being hurt on a daily basis, and I have been getting angry letters, and actual shown up parents, of these kids. They are threatening to pull their children from Hogwarts." Harry grumbled and glowered out over the other teachers at the table.

"Mr. Black, what do you expect us to do?"

"I want you all to do something about it!" Harry growled and threw his hands into the air, as if he couldn't comprehend how anyone could even ask that question. "Tell your Ravens and Badgers to stop tripping my kids! To stop giving my Snakes the cold shoulder and neglect their need for social interactions with others! And to tell those damned lions, that if I find another child with a vanished face, I will vanish them."

"Vanished faces?" Minerva asked in horror and Harry turned his eyes to her. "Poppy, why did you not tell me of this?"

"I have not gotten anything of vanished faces or that sort..." Poppy said, horror lacing her voice.

"Mr. Black, do you have any proof that it was done-?"

Pomona was promptly shut down by Harry, who sent her a sharp glare. "If you want proof Pomona Sprout... I am greatly disappointed! The reason that Poppy has not gotten any news of this, is because they were too scared to go to her! Some almost suffocated, because they could not breathe for multiple of minutes! I have children sleeping in my quarters, because they are terrified that some student from another house, will come and kill them!"

Deep worry and horror seemed to settle on the other faculty members faces. "Ten year old Grace Wakowsky, came to my chamber a couple weeks ago... With bruises on her body and deep wounds on her back. Curses were thrown at her, cutting and flinging curses!"

"But those are banned-"

"Does it seem as if though any of these kids care?! It took me twenty four hours to properly heal her, and that was when I realised that it was happening to all of my other Snakes, most of them healing one another, too afraid to even come to me! If they do not feel safe with their own head of house... How could they possibly feel safe with Poppy? Pomona? Flittwick? Yourself, Minerva McGonagall?... Or even Hagrid." Silence echoed against the walls and Harry wetted his lips, taking a second to recollect himself.

"Has any of them told you, who it was?"

Harry couldn't help but splutter out a laugh. "One of my Snakes went two weeks without their voice, because they tried! And I reprimanded the Lion! Pay-back is given all around, and there is nothing more I can do! I barely sleep, so that they can, because if I sleep, they stay up to ensure they are safe with one another! I ward the common room! Because people from other houses have been able to sneak in and cause havoc and paranoia. I want something done, or I will go to the Ministry."

Minerva visibly paled, whilst the others looked mildly confused. "Hadrian, you don't-"

"What would the Ministry do? It is not like they have ever listened to anyone here." Slughorn muttered and Harry glanced at the man, before turning his full attention to Minerva.

"Will there be done something, or do I have to direct my attention to the centre of London in a few days?"

"Yes... Something will be done. I promise." Minerva said and all the other Professors and otherwise faculty members, eyed the two, who were on opposite ends of the table. "Good enough. Now if you will excuse me, it is my Partners first day back at their job."

"Your partner?" Pomona said in mild surprise. Harry gave her a small smile. "Was they the one that was shot?"

"They were, yes. Fully healed now, luckily."

Harry was about to leave, when Minerva called out. "Say hello to Mr. York from me!" Harry gave a thumbs up, just as the doors were closing.

"A MAN?!"

Minerva gave them all an incredulous look. "What, like they're hard to find, or something?"

A/N: A man indeed. So, my college is starting back up, and I am not ready for summer vacation to be over... Anyone got any ideas to prolong it?
Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I will see you all when the next one is ready! Buh bye now~
~Author Cupcake