A/N: I hope you enjoy the first chapter of my new fic.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter franchise or any associated works.


Chapter One – New Beginnings

Harry stared out the window of the library and wondered why every year he ended up being hated by most of the school. 'Okay so not first or third year but they hated me in second year. It's not like I asked to be in the Tournament,' he thought. 'Ron is angry with me and Hermione isn't any happier, "Oh Harry you shouldn't have entered yourself into the Tournament," or "Oh Harry you're to young what were you thinking?" I get it I'm stupid, no need to rub it in... Actually I'm not that stupid, I mean I understand most of what is going on, I just don't want Ron to get angry at me for being better than him at another thing. And Hermione wouldn't be any better, "You aren't that smart, you can't have gotten that mark in Charms!" I'll show them!'

So Harry got to work studying and trying to improve his knowledge before the first Tournament and more importantly the first assessments of the year, which were generally held towards the latter half of November. Harry improved greatly, cutting out all distractions that he previously allowed himself to succumb to. Quidditch being cancelled assisted his endeavors greatly. He really had no distractions, which allowed him to improve his marks and knowledge infinitely in such a short time period.


Professor McGonagall was the first to notice an obvious change in Harry. One Saturday morning in mid November she came over to see him at breakfast and asked him to meet her in her office at 11 am. Harry agreed and soon found himself out the front of her office, knocking on her door.
"Come in," Professor McGonagall called.

"Hi Professor, you wanted to see me," Harry said.

"Yes I did, Potter, it's about your progress this year. I was rather surprised when you got entered into that inane Tournament, but image my shock when I found out one of my lions is being bullied by the other houses into something he had no say in. And then image my wonder as said cub puts more effort into his studies than he ever did before an d manages to reach the top spot in Gryffindor."

"That would be a lot professor, but I can't understand why you felt the need to talk to me about it." "Well Harry it's like this: I am concerned that you are spending too much time studying that you are neglecting other things."

"With all due respect Professor McGonagall you don't understand. I need to learn more, I'm at a severe disadvantage in the Triwizard Tournament, so what if I'm slacking a bit on things like people, it's not like they like me anyway," Harry nearly yelled. Professor McGonagall was obviously taken aback, "I had no idea you felt like that Potter, I knew things would've been tough for you but I hadn't realised that they didn't like you that much."

"Yea well they hate me. They are petitioning to get me to leave the dorm 'unGryffindor qualities' or something. I don't know ma'am but it's really not just the other houses, Gryffindor thinks that I stole the Tournament from Katie and Ron and Hermione think that it's not fair that I get to do yet another 'fun' thing without them. Ron is jealous that I get to keep doing 'interesting things' and that I'm famous. Famous for my parents being murdered, how is that fun? And Hermione is angry because she is 'smarter' than me and how did I manage to trick the goblet into to letting me in, I'm stupid if it was going to take someone younger it should've been her because she is the 'brightest witch of our age'. Whatever."

"Do they really think that or are you exaggerating?" Professor McGonagall exclaimed, taken aback.

"Their words not mine," Harry shrugged, "It's not like I wouldn't mind leaving Gryffindor at the moment, I can't sleep because I keep thinking someone will come in and hurt me or something, I have to hide my stuff because otherwise they'll burn it or booby trap it or the like. I don't even eat at the Gryffindor table because they'll probably do something to me, I just go there and eat in the kitchen," Harry ranted.

"Oh you poor dear, I had no idea," Professor McGonagall sympathised, "I can see what I can do about getting you your own room, neither of this year's Head Boy and Girl are in Gryffindor so I can see if you can stay in the Head student room there. It'll be locked so that only people you want can get in. It'll also have another entrance outside the common room so that you can enter another way and it has its own common room and kitchenette."

"I would really appreciate that Professor, it would give me somewhere to practice for the Tournament and I wouldn't have to take a detour to the kitchens every night, thanks Professor" Harry beamed.

"It's okay Potter, I'll see if I can convince Albus to let you use it."


"Albus bloody Dumbledore, you'd better explain to me why one of my lions is being forced into this bloody Tournament and why I can't help him," Professor McGonagall roared.

"Calm down my dear, what is the problem?" Dumbledore asked.

"Harry Potter, that's the problem. I just had a meeting with him and you know what I found out? The whole school hates him, his so- called 'friends' included!"

"Oh."

"Oh alright, Harry told me he won't sleep in the dorms and won't eat with the other Gryffindors. I told him I'd see if he could stay in the Head Boy's Dorm so he doesn't have to worry and go via the kitchens every meal time."

"We can do that, do you know why his friends would be ignoring him?"

"Yes, he says they're jealous of him and all the other Gryffindors ignore him because they are jealous and think he stole it from the Gryffindor seventh years."

"That is very troubling, but what can we do to help him?"

"I have no idea Albus, no idea. I'll organise that dorm for him."


A/N: So this is the first chapter of my new fic. Review please. I have a lot done of this so updates may be less sporadic. I promise it gets better, I just had to cut it somewhere that wasn't half the story. In saying that this is about 1/9th of the fic as of when I put in this note so I really didn't cut it very much. Anyway, review.

Until next time, Saelu.