After being declared the heir of Slytherin, Harry makes a new friend in a supportive Lee Jorden. future Slash.
Disclaimer: If you recognise it, I do not own it.
Twelve-year-old Harry Potter was sitting mostly alone in an old classroom. It was a hard year for him. Everyone had turned against him when it was revealed that he was a parselmouth. People thought him a monster. He was so tired of the attacks and it had only been days. It had been the norm for him in the muggle world being an outcast but now that he knew what it was like to have friends, it hurt even worse. Everyone seemed against him. Even Ron and Hermione had been looking at him funny.
He had chosen the abandoned classroom since everyone was on lockdown in the towers and expected to stay there. It meant he could be alone. There was an attacker in the halls but for just a moment he wasn't scared of being the next victim. His need to escape was stronger.
Seeing as the school was on a sort of lockdown after the Hufflepuff and ghosts petrification, he wasn't expecting anyone to come across him. Which is why he nearly jumped out of his skin at the voice. "Out without an escort. That could be trouble," the older boy teased taking a seat on the desk. His panic faded when he realized it Was Lee Jorden, the Weasley twins friend.
Harry couldn't help but smile slightly, one of the troublemaking trio saying he was breaking the rules seemed to be a joke in and of itself. "You going to tell," He returned challengingly. he didn't have a wand out so at least he wasn't likely to send a jinx at him. After coming out as a parselmouth others were not as kind.
"Never," Lee returned sliding up so he was sitting on the desk across from him, "I'm going to applaud you. Bravo young Mr. Potter, for joining us rulebreakers in escaping the common room. What brings you to an abandoned classroom?"
Harry shrugged not really sure how to answer it. He did not want to sound like a baby about needing to escape the people who had taken to bullying him. "Nothing really, I just needed some peace and quiet," Harry replied trying to shrug it off, "what about you?"
"People in the common room are pissing me off," Lee said bluntly. He was never one to watch his words and said things how it was. "I decided I needed some air and I will take a wild guess and say you needed the same."
The comments were getting hard for the twelve-year-old to handle. So many seemed against him. He never felt so alone even at the Dursleys. The Dursleys had always hated him but it hurt worse to have people who were once friends turn against him for something out of his control. He was surprised that the commentary was bothering someone else though. Did that mean he did not blame Harry for what was happening? The preteen could hardly even let himself hope for that. "yeah, I guess I did. I'll take that you don't think I am the next dark lord if you're around me in an abandoned area with no witnesses."
Lee scoffed at the idea that the other boy could be evil enough to be doing this. He was too nice to everyone not to mention the idea that he was a blood purist when he was a muggle-raised half-blood was outlandish. "Not at all," Lee returned with no doubt, "they are idiots for thinking it could possibly be you."
"Really," Harry asked. "You really think that?"
Lee was reminded about how hard the attacks must have been on him. He was only twelve after all. Everyone tended to think Harry was unbreakable. The boy who lived after all but Lee was reminded he was just a boy. "I know its not you. Not only were you too injured during the Creevy boys attack, I mean Lockheart vanished your arm bones. But you are also just too nice to be attacking people. You might be able to speak to snakes but that doesn't make you evil."
"Thank you," Harry said gratefully. It made him feel much better to have someone claim they believed in him.
"I think the twins are planning on getting a few hexes in. Want to join us," Lee said feeling that he deserved a chance to get some revenge in for the other student's cruel comments.
Harry was shocked by the offer. It felt nice to be included and even better to be defended by someone but he was also worried about it causing people to turn against him even more, "Wouldn't that actually prove there point."
"Hardly," Lee stated rolling his eyes. If a couple pranks in revenge were evil, he and the Weasley twins were dark lords in training. "They say things like this because you let them get away with it. If you defend yourself, they won't be so likely to turn on you. Then again I am sure I as the elder student should be saying not to do anything crazy like hexing students since its inappropriate yadda yadda yadda. Besides...pranks. I am sure the twins would love it if you joined in with us on a bit of revenge."
"I dunno," Harry said but it wasn't a denial. A part of him really wanted to take part and to feel involved with something again but the larger part of him was worried about what people would think and how much trouble he would be in.
Since it was not a straight no, Lee grinned accepting it as a yes. "Come on then Harry, pranks await."
"I never said yes," he protested as Lee drug him towards where the twins were planning in another classroom just down the hall.
The two redheaded pranksters looked up half expecting a teacher and were relieved to see there friend instead though slightly surprised to see Harry with him. "Lee, you are late," Fred stated with mock sternness. "Tisk tisk. Can't be tardy Lee Jordan. What would people think?"
"I was collecting help, see he did not say no," Lee returned smirking pushing Harry a bit further into the room. "So he's going to join us in pranking the gits in our house who seem to think he's a dark wizard."
Harry gaped but they just set off with him and didn't give him a chance to get out of it. A new pranking buddy was not something to let get away and they all felt that the second year deserved a bit of revenge. Even more importantly, he deserved a bit of fun since he had already been through too much.
After a few minutes of stuttering, trying to say why it was a bad idea, Harry stopped protesting and just enjoyed himself. After all, they claimed they believed in him. That was more then his best friends had done.