================================= Chapter One =================================

Hey guys! If you're reading this, then thank you! This is my first story on . I don't have a beta reader, so I'll do my best to proofread my work but I can't really promise anything. Anyway… enjoy!

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter series and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling!

============================= Chapter One ============================

** Harry POV **

Harry stormed into the common room, his robes flaring. As the door to the den of the Lions slammed shut, all eyes turned to him. And all of them slowly backed away in fear.

His bright emerald eyes were blazing with anger. Only Ron was not afraid. "Potter," he acknowledged."

"Ron, mate, you think I entered my name?"

"What else am I to think? Your name came out of the cup!"

"Weasley - what has happened these past three years?"

"You put me and Hermione in danger! First year, you had to be bloody noble Harry Potter and go after the stone. Second year, you got us almost killed by spiders, then I almost lost my memory from Lockhart. Third year, you got Hermione almost killed by Lupin and going back in time! You just want fame so you go and put others in danger!"

Silence reigned in the common room. Ron Weasley, Harry Potter's best friend had turned. Harry shook his head. "You're a lost cause Weasley." He turned pleadingly to Hermione, who stood next to Ron. She didn't say a word.

It was at that moment when the rest of room were confident on where they sided. If the bookworm agreed with Weasley, then that was definitely the right side. She was smart, right? Ron threw Harry a trunk. Harry looked at it. It was his. "On behalf of the House of Gryffindor, we have decided to throw you out of Gryffindor. Really, you're a cheat! A liar! You don't deserve the honor of being a Gryffindor."

Harry sneered at Ron, but kept silent. He picked up his trunk and walked out of the portrait hole. "Harry - wait for me!" called a voice.

Harry looked over his shoulder and saw a pudgy red-faced boy running towards him. "Neville what are you doing?"

"If they're that stupid and dishonorable, I don't want to be a part of Gryffindor house. I never thought I'd say it but right now, I'd rather be a Slytherin. They should all be ashamaed of themselves."

Silence reigned in the common room. Neville, the shy, clumsy, boy actually standing up for himself? Harry nodded but before stepping out of the portrait hole he tore off his Gryffindor tie and badge. Neville repeated his actions, whispering "Gran's gonna kill me."

"Where are we going?" Neville asked.

"I'm going to Professor Sprout. See if I can transfer to Hufflepuff."

Neville nodded. "Good idea."

They reached the head badger's office. Harry knocked twice. "Potter," Sprout said harshly, "Neville. What brings you to my office?"

"Professor, I just wanted to tell you that I did not enter my name in the tournament. Cedric is the real Hogwarts champion." Harry replied firmly.

"If you say so" the professor replied uncertainty.

"Harry, swear an oath on your life and magic. She'll believe you. I would have told you to do it in front of the Gryffindors but those idiots would have thought you cheated," Neville whisphered.

"A what?"

"Say: I, Harry James Potter, solemnly swear on my life and magic that I did not enter my name into the Triwizard Tournament or ask someone else to do it for me. Then cast a spell to prove you still have your magic."

Turning his attention back to the professor Harry enunciated: "I, Harry James Potter, solemnly swear on my life and magic that I did not enter my name into the Triwizard Tournament or ask someone else to do it for me." He paused. "Lumos," and his wand almost blinded everyone.

Harry was confunded. He usually had much better control on his magic. He'll consider that later. "Nox."

The professor's face softened. "I'm sorry, Mr. Potter. I assumed that you were like your dad."

"It's okay professor."

"So, what brings you here?"

"Well, the noble Gryffindor house has tossed me out, and Neville here followed me. I was wondering if we could transfer to Hufflepuff."

Sprout looked thoughtful. "I'll see what I can do. Wait here," she instructed, motioning to the couches. Harry and Neville sat down, and Sprout left the office.

"Nev, not that I don't appreciate it, but why did you follow me out of Gryffindor?"

"It was the right thing to do. Besides, I felt bad for skirting my duties," Neville replied apologetically.

"What do you mean?" asked Harry, a frown evident on his face.

"Potters and Longbottoms have stood beside each other for years. Didn't you know?"

"No, I don't really no much about the Potters," Harry replied thoughtfully.

Neville looked aghast. "You mean you don't know anything?"

"Nev, I know stuff."

"Are you saying you don't know about your heritage? About…"

"What in Merlin's name are you talking about?"

Neville sighed. He couldn't believe how uninformed Harry was! He knew from his gran that old Dumbles was his magical guardian. That meant that Dumbledore was supposed to tell him everything… and he didn't. Neville pondered, "He's disobeying the law! Harry was supposed to know by the time he turned eleven…" As Neville thought more, he realized that Dumbledore was the one who wrote that law in the first place. He sighed once more. There was a lot of work to be done.

Professor Sprout entered the room. "Good news Potter, Longbottom. You'll be able to transfer into Hufflepuff. I can't guarantee that they will treat you the best but I will do my best to ensure that you two are welcomed. Let me show you to the common room. But first.." she waved her wand.

Neville's and Harry's uniforms changed to the yellow homely color of the Hufflepuff house. A yellow and black tie appeared perfectly tied. In the Great Hall, Gryffindor lost several hundred points and that put them in last place, and Hufflepuff gained several hundred points and were in first place for the first time in decades. Nobody knew that Neville earned most of their points in Herbology and Harry made up for Snape's points in DADA. The Gryffindors would regret it. They were now in the low hundreds. They would be in the negatives if it weren't for Hermione.

Professor Sprout showed the two boys the way into the common room and called for a meeting. Hufflepuffs filed in, all glaring at Harry. Harry had stolen Cedric's glory. "Hufflepuffs, you are here today to welcome two new members to the Hufflepuff house. I know that usually there aren't transfers but this is a special case."

"Of course, it's Potter. What would you expect? Always special."

"Now, I don't want you to cause any hate to him. It is in my full confidence that young Mr. Potter had not entered his name into the Triwizard Tournament. Mr. Potter?"

"I, Harry James Potter, solemnly swear on my life and magic that I did not enter my name in the Triwizard Tournament nor ask somebody else."

The common room burst into murmurings. Everyone knew Harry's real name, so he could not have faked the truth. That meant that - that meant that Harry really hadn't enter his name. Ernie stood up, "Harry, I want to apologize for believing that you entered your name. I should not have listened to that prat Malfoy."

Harry nodded. "Thanks Ernie," and smiled at Susan who had been smiling at him.

Professor Sprout dismissed the house after reminding them to be helpful to the two new fourth years . Harry and Neville quickly unpacked their stuff and walked to the kitchens to get some more food. On the way, they met Weasley's brothers, Gred and Forge.

"HARRY POTTER!" the twins yelled simultaneously. "I thought we meant more to you -," started Fred.

"Why else would we have given your cousins our inventions," continued George.

"We even rescued you in your second year -,"

"And welcomed you onto the Quidditch team -,"

"And this is how you treat us?"

Neville and Harry sighed, the twin's twin-speak would be the end of them! Harry started nervously, "Do you not trust me - after everything?"

The twins shrugged, "At first we didn't think you had it in you…"

"But after Ron talked to us we weren't so sure…"

Harry nodded, wondering what kind of thing Ron could have said to sway the twins' strong minds. Neville continued, "Do you guys know what an oath on someone's life and magic means?"

The twins nodded, "Yes, sure -,"

"- we do."

Solemnly, Harry announced, "I, Harry James Potter, swear on my life and magic that I did not enter my name into the Goblet of Fire or ask anybody else to enter my name into the Goblet," and he cast "Lumos!"

As soon as Harry finished, an indignant voice shouted, "He must have fooled the oath somehow - and only dark wizards can do that! Malfoy was right! Potter is a dark wizard!"

The two twins grabbed their foolish prat of a brother and pulled him into the hallway. "You stupid git!" was heard by both Neville and Harry before they burst out laughing, not trying to hear what the twins were doing to their brother. If Ron wasn't such a git, well, they would have felt bad for him.

In a few minutes, the twins were dragging Ron back into the room, and an awkward silence ensued within the room. "Well, Ronniekins here has something to say,"

"If he can gather up his minimal courage,"

"And act like a true Gryffindor, like Harrikins here," finished the other twin.

Ron turned Weasley red, before mumbling a muffled "Sorry" and dashing out of the room.

** Ron's POV **

Why did Potter get everything? And him nothing? Why? It wasn't fair! Potter had all the fame, all the girls in Hogwarts, all the money: everything! And he? He had nothing of his own; his robes belonged to one of his brothers, his trunk his dad's, and his rat Percy's. Well, it wasn't even a rat.

Storming out of the room, he entered the common room where everyone stared at him. "What happened" gushed Lavender.

"You look well… upset," quirked Parvati.

"Potter just swore an oath on his life and magic that he did not enter the tournament and that he did not ask someone else to enter for him. He must have faked it, I know it!"

The expressions of the Gryffindor changed from disbelief and surprise to anger at themselves for not believing the Boy-Who-Lived, to anger at Ron for acting like Malfoy and Snape as well as an idiot who doesn't think. How Ron was a master of strategy at chess was unknown as he displayed none of that intelligence when related to real life.

Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet, and Katie Bell, the three Gryffindor chasers, stomped over to Ron and slapped him in the face, before rushing to find Harry.

Ron, in shock, that those who he thought to be some of his biggest supporters just slapped him, remained rooted. Soon, almost all of Gryffindor house had slapped him in the face, just as Hermione had slapped Malfoy in the face less than a year ago. Ron noted that the Creevey brothers just kept coming back for more. Hermione remained nowhere in sight.

** Harry POV **

"So Harrikins -"

"What do you want"

"From the two greatest pranksters"

"Hogwarts has ever had?"

"Candy to fake illness?"

"Pranks on our 'brother' Ron?"

Harry shook his head, laughing at the twins' antics. "No!"

Neville took up the explanation, asking the twins what they knew about the room of that had a time function.

"Well -"

"That's confidential."

Neville sighed, "Don't you feel like you own Harrikins here" at this Harry glared at Neville, "a favor after supporting Ron for a bit and not believing Harry?"

One of the twins, Harry thought Fred, said, "Give us a moment."

They backed quickly into the hallway and discussed the situation in hushed tones. Harry and Neville could hear snippets of their conversation, but not the whole thing: "Well, we do owe Harry something," "but after all, it took for us to find the location! We still don't have the room, we don't know how to open it! We just tell them we don't have it, and that's the truth!"

Soon, the twins came out, and Harry and Neville just crossed their fingers. "We only have our suspicions on where it is -"

"Just don't tell Lee we told you -"

"He would kill us -"

"We'll tell you -"

"As long as if you get in -"

"You'll tell us."

The two boys nodded eagerly, and waited for the twins to continue, "It is located -

"Drumroll please."

The boys sighed, impatient, but complied. "It's on the seventh floor -

"Across from the -"

"tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy."

Harry nodded excitedly, "I think I know where that is!"

"And I guess this is where we leave you -"

"You fine gentlemen -"

"On this fine day -"

"We wish you boys -"

"The best in opening-"

"This room."

The twins bowed dramatically, earning applause from Harry and Neville, before leaving.

Neville sighed, "That took a lot of effort."

Harry laughed, "Well we now have the room, we just need to figure out how to open it!"

Neville sighed once again, "It's probably much harder than it sounds."

Harry's silence only meant agreement. "When should we go?"

Neville repeated the old Muggle saying, "There's no time like the present," and moved towards the door.

"Wait!"

"What Harry?"

"We probably don't want to be seen heading there, perhaps we should use my invisibility cloak? Also, in case we end up staying past curfew?" (nota bene: I'm assuming that Neville knows about Harry's invisibility cloak since first year, as he sees them leaving the common room to save the Sorcerer's stone.)

"Great idea!"

Harry and Neville ran back to the dorms dug through his trunk, and Neville commented, "Perhaps during the next Hogsmeade weekend we can get you a better trunk."

Harry didn't respond but kept digging through his trunk, in search of his invisibility cloak as well as his dad's map. "Found it!" he called.

Walking over to Neville, he asked, "Ready?"

With a flourish, he hid both him and his friend underneath the cloak and muttered the phrase to open the map. "Well, Mrs. Norris is outside the fourth-floor corridor, so we'll be ok, and all the teachers are in classes, wait… Where's Moody?"

Neville noticed Harry staring a map, "What's that?"

Motioning to the map, "My father and a few of his friends were pranksters back in the day, and they created this map. It can see through invisibility cloaks and any magical disguises and shows the location of all the people in Hogwarts."

Neville squinted at the Map, "What's Crouch doing at Hogwarts?"

Harry looked where Neville pointed and shouted, "He's teaching DADA…. So he must be under polyjuice! We should go tell Dumbledore?"

"Tell Dumbledore what?" asked a sage voice.