-"Mr Malfoy is going to come and pick you up any moment Potter" – Snape said, giving Harry a wide-mouth smile. His long yellowish teeth disgusted Harry. Those almost looked like vampire fangs. Harry wondered who was vampire in Snape's family, so Snape inherited those teeth from that person.
Harry looked away from
Snape. People were packing and going
home. He had to stay because apparently
he didn't have anywhere else to go. Dursleys were clear when they said that they don't want him there. Weasleys were honored to have Harry stay
over their house, until everything is over. However, Snape made sure that Harry stays at Hogwarts. And even worse, he will be staying in the
Slytherin common room.
-"Augh, Gryffindor common
room looks so gay" – Draco drawled in disdainful voice, as he came inside. He looked around the huge room. It was a nice room, but right now, it looked
like mess. Fred and George were playing
with unreal dynamite, and it 'accidentally' exploded. Now, the common room was covered in sooth, and unable to be
used. Everyone who was in Gryffindor
was sent home until the room is cleaned. Well everyone accept Harry.
-"At least it looks better
than Slytherin" – Harry snapped turning around. His enemy was smiling maliciously. Behind him was portrait of the Gray Lady opened. That's how he came in.
-"Potter, don't be so rude
to Draco." – Snape said, immediately standing on the side of his butt-kisser.
–"Draco happily volunteered to help you adapting to new environment, for next
two weeks which you are going to spend in Slytherin." – Snape again
smiled.
-"Take your carriage Potter,
we don't have the whole day" – Draco demanded. Harry run over and did so. Before
he went away to Slytherin, he said good-bye to his all friends. Snape was left with McGonagall to monitor
students going away.
-"So Potter… How's your
life?" – Draco asked. He was idly
moving through the hall, choosing the longest possible route.
-"At least it doesn't suck,
like your does" – Harry snapped, adjusting his glasses. He was walking behind Draco, pulling his
trunk.
-"Of course, I'm sorry. I forgot you have no life at all" – Draco
said loudly for himself. Than he
laughed loudly.
They kept walking. As they were moving, Harry felt that they
were going as further away as they could from Slytherin dormitory. He didn't really trust Draco, but he forgot
how to get to Slytherin dormitory. He
had no other way out.
-"See Potter, now if you had
parents, you could nicely go home. But
than of course, I wouldn't have this good chance to examine Hogwarts." – Draco
started talking to himself loudly again.
-"Can't we just go? I'm tired, and I would really like to
sleep." – Harry asked. He angrily
dropped his trunk on the floor, producing annoying sound.
Draco turned around, his
hands on his hips, just about to say something insulting. But Harry never found out what it is,
because the Bloody Baron appeared behind Draco. His eyes widened. He
never saw him from this close.
The Bloody Baron was
relatively young man – or if we want to be correct, he was young-looking
ghost. He was tall, with onyx black
hair. His eyes were immortally
glittering in their peace. Silver blood
covered his robes.
-"What are you doing here,
at this time?" – He asked. When Draco
heard his voice, his face froze, and he obediently turned around, losing his
attitude, and showing all respect he could muster.
-"Well, as you know what
happened, so I was appointed to help Harry adopt to new surroundings. So I'm leading him now to Slytherin
dormitory." – Draco said in really high voice. He sounded just like a little girl. His pale face was wearing angelic face.
-"And you are Harry Potter…"
– He said slowly floating through Draco towards Harry. Draco shimmered as the Bloody Baron passed
through him. He stood in front of
Harry. He felt his cold hands, as the
Bloody Baron touched his face.
-"So, Malfoy, you can go
back to your Slytherin dormitory, as I show way around to Mr Potter" – the
Bloody Baron said. Draco hesitated for
a moment, but than went away, giving curious looks to Harry, and the Bloody
Baron.
The Bloody Baron beckoned
Harry to follow him, when he made sure that Draco went away, and that he's not
by any chance spying on them. Harry
followed him through unknown parts of the castle Hogwarts. He felt little bit afraid. No one really liked the Bloody Baron. He was far too mysterious and arrogant. He didn't talk to people too much, and no
one knew anything about him. If Neville
were there instead of Harry, he would, after wetting himself, already pass
out.
The corridors were getting
narrow, but they were still wide enough to walk. The castle wasn't anymore bathed in the gold of the rich baroque
style. Now, it was plain, with rough
stone walls. They finally reached the
end of it. The Blood Baron passed
through unopened door. Harry was
appalled for a moment, due to being left alone, in the dark, cold hall. But the next moment the door opened from
inside, Harry came inside, and the Bloody Baron closer the door behind. Harry looked around the room. It just looked weird. It seemed like no one entered for nearly two
months. Everything was covered in
dust. Harry noticed a portrait of a man
on the wall. It was little bit dusty,
but it was still clear. Harry saw that
the man on the portrait had black hair, with white face. The man strongly resembled him on someone he
knew. But he couldn't remember
whom.
-"You may sit, if you
please" – the Bloody Baron finally said, as he watched Harry examining objects
around him. Harry sat down to the
nearest chair available. On the other
side of the table, sat the Bloody Baron. It was really hard to see, because just one candle was burning on the
wooden table beside.
-"So Harry Potter, how are
you?" – He asked, cleaning the dust from the table.
-"I'm fine, thanks" – Harry
said numbly.
-"Oh, how silly of me not to
introduce myself. My name is Matthias
Johannes Weißan von Vöthenberg. I'm
sorry for not introducing myself earlier." – The Bloody Baron, or Matthias
however said in very pleasant voice. –
"You see, not everyone knows my real name. Just few people, like Dumbledore, Lord Voldemort and you, and few other
people who we won't really mention right now." – Harry wasn't shocked, just bit
surprised on name 'Lord Voldemort' freely mentioned. Beside him, he heard just Dumbledore, Sirius, and Lupin saying
his real name.
-"Nice you meet you" – words
flew through Harry's mouth, with no meaning. They just represented the reflex of good manners. He didn't even know that he said them. He never saw the Bloody Baron so open. He was usually silent and somber. He never smiled, nor gave any emotions away.
But now, he was relaxed, and if you can
use that word, he was cheerful.
-"Oh, I know Harry. But don't be so surprised by seeing me this
way. I know that you probably think I'm
some old lunatic, who hates everyone, doesn't talk to anyone, bosses everyone
around, and has no life. But that's
what you see. That's what everyone else
thinks about me. Well, that is what I
want them to think, indeed." – He said. Harry could see that he was really intelligent man/ghost. He was talking slowly, carefully choosing
every word he'd use. All the time, his
thin eyebrows would move, so he would try to express himself.
-"But why do you want them
to think that? I mean, wouldn't it be
nicer if you'd be like…" – Harry tried, but he was cut by the Bloody Baron.
-"Harry, the way I behave" –
he stopped for a moment, to take a deep breath – "is the way I am. I don't open easy to people. You are one of the rare people with who I
actually have this kind of talk. Well,
I hope I will see you tomorrow during breakfast. I assume that it's late now, and that you would want to get some
sleep. I will come with you, and take
to the Slytherin common room. Harry
just one more thing. Draco Malfoy isn't
bad. I mean he is a bad person, but if
you be nice to him, and show him that he can't hurt you and insult you just by
what he say or do, maybe he'll change his approach towards you. He may not stop hating you – hate is
something carved deep down in your heart, like something running through your
veins that is not blood, but is still there, and it's hard to get it out – but
trust me, he will learn to respect you."
The Bloody Baron showed
Harry to the Slytherin common room. He
told him that password was 'Mea Libera' (If I picked the right forms of the
words, than it means 'My Freedom'.). Than Harry tried, and he opened the wall, and followed by the
Bloody Baron, came inside. He found
that Draco Malfoy, and few other people from older grades were sitting there and
talking. They all studied Harry with
their eyes. Harry could notice that not
everyone carried hatred which Draco had in his eyes, when he saw Harry inside
his own house. Au contraire, some of
them were eyeing him with curiosity.
When the Bloody Baron exited
the common room, giving reproachful look at Draco, everyone stayed sitting
down, and looking at Harry. He felt
little bit goofy, because no one talked. Suddenly girl that was sitting beside Draco whispered something on his
ear. Draco whispered something back to
her, kissing her ear afterwards. He
stood up, and headed towards Harry. Harry's heart stared beating very fast. Draco had mockingly fixed mouth, ready to throw something insulting to
get him back for when the Bloody Baron came to them in the hall. But he didn't. He said just a simple threat.
-"Prepare to face two weeks
of the hell in Slytherin." – Harry's eyes were full with fury, while Draco
looked so innocent that if someone just saw him, that person would never ever
say that that's Draco Malfoy.
- 1 -