Gringotts Prompts Bank
(Weather Words) – gale
(Family & Friends Vocabulary) – housemates
(Instead of Said) – sneers, exclaims, announces, asks, grunts, answers, shouts, divulges, growls
Pariah
1)
"Murder in the girls' bathroom," Moaning Myrtle screams as she sees the results of the confrontation between Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. Soon, several professors are in the girls' second-floor bathroom and while most of them are comforting Harry, Professor Snape pales as he realizes the body that is rapidly losing blood is his godson.
He rushes to Draco's side, reaching into his robes for one of the many Blood-Replenishing potions that he keeps on him at all times. After spelling the contents into the fallen Slytherin's body, Severus traces the gashes across Draco's chest with his wand, chanting 'Vulnera Sanentur' in a song-like voice. While the wounds are healing, he realizes that Draco is not breathing. He frantically uses several magical spells to restart the slight young man's respiration and when they fail, Professor Snape resorts to muggle means. Despite his best efforts, Draco Lucius Malfoy is no more.
As Professor Snape conjures an emerald green shroud with the Slytherin House crest to cover the still body, Harry trembles as he realizes the magnitude of his actions. His gaze is drawn to Professor Snape and he observes how Professor Snape's eyes are full of pain and rage. Harry flinches at the naked hatred he sees directed at him and doesn't notice how Professor McGonagall moves protectively in front of him in an effort to shield him from possible physical harm from the potions master.
"Your father and godfather would be proud of you," Severus coldly sneers as he stares intensely into Harry's green eyes. "You have succeeded where they had failed – you have killed a snake."
"Severus," Minerva exclaims in equal parts shock and admonishment while the tears flow down Harry's cheeks.
Severus chooses to ignore Minerva's exclamation and Harry's tears and instead, he turns his back to them. He leaves the blood-stained bathroom, solemnly levitating Draco's body to the hospital wing, dreading the tasks ahead of him – informing Draco's parents and the entirety of Slytherin House.
2)
The Fat Lady automatically opens the entrance to the Gryffindor common room when she sees Professor McGonagall, but not before Harry can see the utter disappointment swimming in her usually jovial eyes.
"Go upstairs and gather your things. I will escort you to the headmaster's office afterward," Minerva whispers and Harry trudges through the common room, trying to ignore the feeling of lead in his stomach. He is mechanically packing his belongings when Dean Thomas clears his throat.
"Is what Moaning Myrtle saying is true? Did you really kill Malfoy?"
Harry looks up from his packing and doesn't answer, but the look in his eyes is answer enough for Dean. He steps back slightly in fear and Dean's reaction reminds Harry of how he was treated Second Year during the Chamber of Secrets debacle. Only this time, it is worse - the rumors are not rumors, but truth.
Harry comes down the stairs with his trunk and it seems like the entire House is in the common room. At his appearance, he hears the nervous chatter stutter into silence and he looks for a friendly face among his Housemates. When he sees Hermione and Ron in the crowd, Harry opens his mouth in an attempt to say something, anything in his own defense. When Hermione, the one person that has always stood by his side turns her back on him, Harry feels like a pariah.
3)
Harry knows that he should stay in the headmaster's office, but he wants to know how Professor Dumbledore is going to explain the death of yet another student at Hogwarts. Although Malfoy is not (Harry can't bring himself to think of the blond in the past tense) well liked outside of Slytherin, everyone expects that they are safe from dying (he can't acknowledge what has been done as murder) while on Hogwarts grounds.
So Harry puts on his Invisibility Cloak and uses the Marauders' Map to avoid detection as he makes his way downstairs. He follows a group of first-year Hufflepuffs into the Great Hall and stands by the door behind the professors' table just in case he has to make a quick escape. There is an anxious conversation amongst the students as they come in but Harry ignores it and instead focuses on the decorations hanging in the Great Hall. None of the House banners are hanging over their tables. Only the banner displaying the Hogwarts coat of arms is hanging, surrounded by black bunting.
One of the students remarks on the absence of the Slytherins and Harry wonders if Professor Snape has already informed his House of the circumstances surrounding Malfoy's death when they enter with a stoic silence into the Great Hall. Even from a distance, he can see the burning anger and icy despair from those clad in green and silver and more than one of them shoot a murderous glare at the Gryffindor table. After the Slytherins take their seats, Professor Dumbledore begins to speak.
"I regret to inform you that a tragic flying accident has claimed the life of Draco Malfoy," Professor Dumbledore says in a solemn tone.
4)
"That a lie," a voice exclaims and Harry (and the professors and the majority of the students) is surprised to see that the vehement objection doesn't come from the Slytherin table, but from the Hufflepuff table.
"He's right," another Hufflepuff joins in. "Malfoy hasn't ridden a broom all year and more importantly, we," the Hufflepuff gestures to himself and some other students at his table, "would have seen this 'tragic accident' if it happened, as the Quidditch team had booked the field this evening. So try again, Headmaster and this time, try telling the truth."
"He's not going, to tell the truth. He won't acknowledge that his Golden Boy is a murder although he and his Order of the Phoenix cohorts accuse all Slytherins of being so," Theo Nott announces from the Slytherin table, and the bitterness so thick in his voice that Harry can taste it.
"So what really happened," a first year Gryffindor asks timidly and the question is echoed throughout the Great Hall. Professor Dumbledore and the Heads of Houses attempt to quiet the students, to regain some sort of order, but everyone wants answers.
"Another good question is where's Potter," Crabbe grunts as he comforts a tearful Millie Bulstrode and the Slytherin students nod and mutter in agreement.
"Professor Dumbledore probably has him hidden somewhere," Zacharias Smith answers swiftly and Ron shouts defiantly –
"If he is hidden then it's none of our business! Besides, I am glad that the ferret is dead! One less Death Eater to worry about, as far as I am concerned!"
A dead silence falls upon the Great Hall as a response to the redhead's words before utter chaos breaks out. Wands are drawn and more than one hex comes from the Slytherin table in retaliation for Ron's words. It's an all-out brawl and for once, it's three-fourths of the school against the Gryffindors.
Harry leaves the Great Hall quickly. His cloak only prevented him from being seen, not from getting hit from misfired spells.
5)
Harry is spirited away to #12 Grimmauld Place and after two weeks of being there, he now understands why Sirius was miserable. With Walburga Black's painting screaming insults, Kreacher's ill-temper and the presence of the Blacks' family tapestry that will not let him forget the reason why he's there and not in Gryffindor Tower, Harry feels like he is slowly succumbing to the madness he was accused of during the Fifth Year. He tries to write his friends, but he doesn't know where to start.
Various members of the Order are in and out of the house but none of them are really speaking to him. When he comes into a room, conversation either ceases or the topic is abruptly changed. He has the impression that they are hiding something from him, but it isn't until he overhears Molly and Arthur Weasley before knowing what it is.
"I don't know how he's going to accomplish defeating He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. Any allies we had in the Ministry are no longer standing with us. They're afraid that Harry has proven he has the potential to be the next dark lord," Arthur divulges in a worried tone.
"Do you blame them," Molly asks. "Despite our questions, he still refuses to tell us what happened that night and Dumbledore is elusive as ever. The only testimony we have is coming from a ghost and based on that, people are coming up with their own conclusions."
Harry tries to listen further but Molly's and Arthur's voices gradually become softer as the couple moves to another room. The seriousness of the Weasleys' words finally sinks in. Harry knows that a number of allies willing to fight were already few in numbers and if those allies believed that he was evil, then his task of defeat Voldemort and the Death Eaters has become that much more difficult.
He exceedingly wishes that had listened to Hermione and disposed of the 'Half-blood Prince's ' potions book.
6)
"Where's Hermione," Harry asks when Ron and Ginny arrive at #12 Grimmauld Place. The siblings look at each other and after a silent conversation between the two, Ron responds to Harry's question.
"Things got kind of tough at Hogwarts after you left, mate. Those closest to you . . . well, we were targeted a lot and not only by the Slytherins. Hermione decided to withdraw from Hogwarts."
"But she's still going to help me, right," Harry asks although he already knows the answer.
"Hermione and her family have left the country," Ginny reveals. "Dumbledore says that it's for her safety and our own that we don't know where."
"Are you still with me," Harry sputters.
"Of course I am, Harry. I don't care that you killed Malfoy. The prat deserved it," Ron responds with a cocky grin on his face.
"Get out," Harry growls.
"Ron, what an insensitive thing to say," Ginny exclaims.
"Both of you get out, get out, GET OUT," and Harry's magic produces a gale inside Sirius' old bedroom.
The Weasley siblings quickly leaves, not bothering to close the door. Once Harry sees that he is alone, he collapses on the bed and finally succumbs to the tears he has wanted to shed since that terrible night.
7)
By a sheer miracle the war against Voldemort is won and after the last of the Death Eaters are convicted and confined to Azkaban, the wizarding world slowly rebuilds. Life gradually returns to normal for all, except for Harry.
Despite being The-Boy-Who-Lived-and-Triumphed, a small, vocal majority feels that the reason why Harry defeated Voldemort is so he can try to take over the wizarding world. Those he once thought of as friends actively avoid him, those who claim that they are still his friends are cautious around him and there is an over-all feeling of mistrust all around him.
Because of his status as The-Boy-Who-Lived-and-Triumphed, the Wizengamont declines to bring charges against him in the matter of Draco Malfoy's death. This, of course, causes all sorts of rumors of Harry using his 'dark powers' to control the judicial body of wizarding Great Britain.
Harry tries to rebuild his life, tries to rise above the gossip that follows him. Yet it becomes painfully obvious that the talk will never completely die and soon remaining in the wizarding world becomes unbearable for him. So he disappears into the Muggle world, a place where he is no one special and he is not defined by his past, somewhere he's anonymous and no longer a pariah.