Disclaimer: I own nothing… boo hoo fucking live with it.
AN: what to bitch about today? Well I have nothing to bitch at the moment so I will bitch about not having anything to bitch about? How fucking gay is to have nothing going on in your life? It is so fucking shit, nothing good happens but at the same time nothing bad can happen! OMFG SOMEONE BE MY BETA PLEASE… kay thanks bye.
moving interstate sucks arse... thats the main reason its been so long to update... that and im lazy.
Chapter 2: Why are you all sheep?
Harry woke with a groan, but this was a different groan than his usual defiant groan against the world for taking him out of sleep. No this was a pain filled angry groan, the type of groan you make when you are getting kicked on the ground before you snap and attack back. Removing the warm sheets from himself he sat up and looked around the room, everyone was still asleep except for Neville who just looked at him with an emotionless face before giving him a small smile and saying under his breath,
"It was just a shock is all, I'm over it" he looked back a Harry expectantly and was received with a smile and a nod from Harry. Glad that one person was not angry at him he quickly picked up some clean casual clothes and a towel before heading off to the bathrooms.
Walking to the end cubicle he put his clean clothes on the bench and the pealed off his sleepwear, stepping in the shower he decided to forgo cleaning for the moment and just stood under the stream of hot water. Keeping silent he put his hands against the wall and let his muscles completely relax. Relaxed now he could here the door open and two people enter the bathroom. He soon recognized the voices as Fred and George Weasly, Ron's twin older brothers. Perking up his ears he tried to listen in on their conversation.
"… ucky Bastard I can not believe that he got picked –" said one of the Twins
"And one of us did not get picked, I mean we are better looking –" said the other
"Smarter –"
"More courageous –"
"Funnier –"
"but despite these oh so wonderful tributes that we both so wondrously display –"
"Cedric Bloody Diggory is old enough to enter –"
"Where we are not –"
"Which begs the question –"
"How did our littlest trouble maker succeed –"
"Where we failed!" one of the twins yelled then, listening to their conversation was so disconcerting, it seemed their halted double speech just was not for public and it was like listening to a monologue, for two people.
"Indeed my dear brother Fred –"
"What how come I'm Fred today I want be George, being George is so much better than Fred!"
"Listen dear Fred, I was Fred yesterday, so you're him today… okay?"
"Alright, alright." Harry just had his mouth open trying to comprehend that they the Twins fought over who being who for the day. He was interrupted from his confounding thoughts by a question from who he assumed was Fred, for today at least. "So Georgey boy, do you think Harry put his name in?"
"Or did he get someone older to put it in?"
"Or did Snape do it in a hopes of dear old Harry would kick it?"
"Or, someone Snapaleen who –"
"Snapaleen?"
"Yeah, some evil, greasy git, just like Snape!"
"Go on."
"As I was saying, or someone Snapaleen who wishes our Hero dead –"
"Because the Hero always needs a villain –"
"Or a deadly situation only he can solve –"
"saving the girl, getting the bad guy –"
"It is just the way things go –"
"Especially for our favorite Hero –"
"So I put to you Fred which –"
"Your Fred today don't try and trick me my trickster brother of mine, I know when I am Fred or George, and today I am a George." His brother sighed before replying.
"I know dear brother but today I feel like a George as well!" Harry did not to see that both had giant Grins on there faces now.
"I've got it!" and then in unison they almost yelled out
"We can both be George today!" it was at this point that Harry could hear some Showers turn on and presumed that the Georges went into separate cubicles and went to shower. The only problem that Harry had with this is that the conversation… duo-monologue about him being selected as a champion was left incomplete. But he could guess that by the way that they were talking they were a bit proud of him and not angry. So at the moment that was three people he knew who were not angry at him, well four if you count Dumbledore. Well he was not sure about the Slytherins they were probably happy because of the high death rate of the tournament and his chance of dying. He knew that the Hufflepuffs would be really angry, they would see it as stealing away one of their few shining moments. The Ravenclaws would probably hate him because they would see it as, he was able to get around Dumbledore's defenses, and that would just shut the whole house down.
Sighing, Harry turned off the water and then proceeded to dry himself then put on his clothes. Stepping out of the cubicle he started to head to the door to the dormitories, but as he got to the door he heard twin echoes of,
"Cya Harry!" looking over his shoulder he could see two heads over the top of two cubicles side by side, he took comfort in the giant Grins and gave one back to them.
"Cya Georges" turning back around he took a step out of the door and heard a new conversation start up.
"I told you that would sound great George –"
"And that it does George, it soun –" the door closing cut off what ever George number two was going to say. Harry continued Walking to his dorm, and when he got there he could see Neville was dressed and was fidgeting near his bed. As Harry dumped his towel and stuff onto his bed Neville walked past.
"Um, I er… don't blame, er… I am, um… good luck for the tournament Harry!" Neville stammered along before he got something out in a rush before speeding out of the room and down to the common room. Sitting on his bed he looked at the other occupants at the room and noticed that whilst Seamus and Dean seemed to be Ignoring him, they did not seem to feel like he personally hurt them, it was almost the same why they treated him the one time he put them in the same bed, stuck the together and poured a large bucket of water all over them. They didn't talk to him for a couple of weeks but they got over it like nothing had ever happened.
Ron on the other Hand was looking ay him like he killed his dad or something, with Fiery eyes, and growled every time that Harry looked at him you could almost believe he would maul Harry if he got to close. Harry did not understand Ron, he was the only one among his brothers, even Percy, who was so fickle about money, and it was almost like money was the be-all end-all for Ron Harry just did not understand. It could have been that almost everything that he had was second-hand usually hand-me-downs from his older brothers, but the same could be said for Fred and George, and Percy as well when he was in school.
Harry was really starting to have his doubts about Ron, if he was a real friend he should have seen straight off that Harry didn't want this crap, how many times did Harry tell Ron and Hermione how much he hates being in the school spotlight, hell this was bigger than the school spotlight. Harry sensing he was not very welcome in the dorm right now sat up and opened his trunk and pulled out his Quidditch gloves, then walked to his cupboard and pulled out his firebolt racing broom, as he did not fell safe keeping it in the school broom lockers. As he was about to leave he could hear Ron say something and he stopped to listen.
"That's right go play with your expensive toys you bloody bastard, always flashes his money… wanker" Harry tensed up as he said this and almost snapped and attacked, but he heard a girls voice call his name from downstairs. Closing the door behind him he hurried down to the common room and saw Hermione standing nervously at the bottom of the stairs.
"Harry," she said a bit apprehensively "I am so sorry for how I acted last night, you really could have done with a supporting hand its just that just got so caught up in the moment that I just shut down my common sense knowing that you would of hated being in the spotlight, I am just so sorry for ganging up on you with everyone else. Can you forgive me?" it never ceased amazing Harry how fast Hermione could speak, buy the time he could say 'Hermione it's fine I forgive you' she said her piece, and fluently to.
"''Mione it's okay, I understand that you got caught up in the crowd, but as long as you are with me now it's all okay and I forgive you." As Harry finished he was pounced upon by Hermione and had a pair of arms squeezing all hell out of him. "looked I am just a bit pissed at the moment with the way Ron is acting so I am going to go fly for a bit okay? You can join me if you want."
"No, that's okay Harry you know I am not one for flying, have fun and I hope you calm down." Being released from Hermione's grip Harry walked to the nearest window and pushed it open. "Harry, what are you doing… No! you are not going to jump out that window!" Harry looked behind him and seeing a worried look on Hermione's face just gave her a smirk and doing just that.
Leaping out of the Gryffindor tower with a broomstick in hand, Harry just let himself free fall for a bit, feeling the wind whip his hair out of his face, his shirt and pants billowing in the wind. Once he had fallen half way down the tower, which only took a couple of seconds, Harry placed the broomstick between his legs and then started pulling up in a slow curve, so when he finally leveled out he could reach out and touch the grass.
Pulling up he accelerated so he was rising almost vertically and he started a slow corkscrew, reaching the set limits of the broom, he just let all power go out and felt himself hang for a split second, it was one of his favorite feeling ever, this split second where he felt absolutely weightless, it had never failed to calm him, and it was doing its job now, looking down he took quick stock of where he was before closing his eyes and starting the free fall.
With his eyes closed he felt the wind part beneath him as he fell, time slowed for his fall and he let loose a small breath before drawing as much cold air as he could into his lungs. Even with his eyes closed, and the feeling of slowing time, he could feel he was almost reaching level with the schools towers now, and opened his eyes, and slowly start leveling out his fall. Looking to his side he could see the owlery, which was the third tallest tower of the school, and he let out a shrill whistle. Pulling up a little bit harder on his broom, he started to rise once again and flew in a large spiral around the owlery, waiting. He was on his second spiral when he saw her, Hedwig his owl, like him jumped out of one of the owleries windows before spreading her amazing wingspan and leveling out before pumping her wings to rise level with Harry.
Harry loved Hedwig, she was just like him when she flew, bloody suicidal. With a big smile on his face he begun to fly towards Hedwig at high speed, just before he got to her he dipped and pushed his arms straight before pulling up, hard, with this he went in under Hedwig and then pulled up behind her and then continued to pull to continue the flip with a half spin to end up back in front of Hedwig facing forward. Looking behind him he could see Hedwig open her beak and he could just hear a chirp over the rushing wind. When he got eye contact with Hedwig he flicked his eyes up towards the open sky and Hedwig shot up.
Harry stayed below her going in a small circle watching her go easily into the air higher than most people, and owls were afraid to go. Once up there she started coasting on the rising winds and Harry shot up to join her. Flying at speed with her, he looked at her eyes and when they locked he held out a hand with all his fingers pointing out.
"Five," he pulled one finger down and then continued to count. "Four, Three, Two, One, GO!" when he said go, Hedwig gave a mighty sweep of her wings and aim her body down towards the ground, wrapping her wings around her body to reduce friction she started to fall, fast. Harry soon joined her shooting towards the ground at top speed on his broom. They could keep almost level, but Hedwig was slowly gaining a lead, due to the fact she had almost no friction in the air when Harry had a lot.
When she was a full owl's length ahead of him he heard a squeaky kind of squawk coming from Hedwig, which he knew meant she knew she had won the race, like she almost always did. Although there was no way of him catching up to her they continued to speed towards the ground, all the while Harry was laughing his head off, and the bird was doing her owl like impression of the sound. After about forty seconds of free fall they had to make preparation for pulling up otherwise they risked injuries, Harry veered to the left a little, whilst Hedwig to the right to avoid a collusion when they finally did pull up.
Hedwig started to pull up before Harry, but she had to do this to avoid injury to her wings but even so that wasn't even one hundred and fifty meters above the ground, considering she was moving about fifty meters a second, it was a mighty effort for the bird, Harry half a second later, pushed down on the back of the broom and pulled up on the handle almost instantly leveling out his broom but the problem was that he was still falling, so he continued to pull up and accelerated forward, stopping all motion in a jarring stop. He looked down and whistled lowly, it was a new record by the looks of it, the tail of his broom could not be anymore that an inch above the ground.
Putting his feet on the ground he saw Hedwig circle before dipping down and landing on his shoulder.
"Deluxe owl treats for you my pet, have you been Practicing?" Harry said in a slightly patronizing tone whilst smiling and stroking Hedwig's feathers. He got an affirmative hoot, and he got nuzzled on the cheek and a small nip on his earlobe. "Let's go for a fly around the lake okay girl?" he got another hoot in the affirmative, then Hedwig tensed her talons on his should before flying up into the air.
Harry jumping back on his broom and followed Hedwig as she coasted over the castle and headed towards the lake before banking right to fly over the forest. Harry and Hedwig spent the next couple of hours just flying around at a leisurely pace, and now and then did some sort of aerial acrobatics, corkscrews, slow loops around each other, hard dives, and once where Harry flew up swung his legs off the broom and let go of it completely and fell down before summoning his broom back to him to pull up from the dive.
After awhile Hedwig started to flag from her tiredness, and Harry knowing she wouldn't stop until he did, flew back towards Gryffindor tower, where he hoped a window was still open. He looked behind him to see Hedwig veer to the left and start to head to the owlery before giving her a summoning whistle to follow him. As he reached the tower he could see that Hermione had moved a table and a couple of seats near the window he jumped out of, and it was still open.
Slowly down some, he flew into the tower and just hopped off his broom and smirked when Hermione squeaked. Hedwig followed him in not five seconds later and landed of his shoulder and folded in her wings in partially so they could get some air and relax. Seeing her behavior he tapped Hedwig's beak with a finger.
"Sorry girl didn't mean to run you that hard" Harry cooed to Hedwig with a small frown. He received a tired hoot from his owl and she swayed a little. Harry smiled again and put his arm up to his shoulder for Hedwig to hop onto before he set her on the back of a chair. "Be back in a second girl, hi Hermione"
"Good to know that you know I'm here Harry" Hermione said with a mock hurt voice but with a smile of her face.
"Course 'Mione" Harry quickly run up the stairs to his dorm, to see that Ron was still in bed, but everyone else was gone. Ron just scowled when he saw Harry enter the room and rolled over so he couldn't see him. Harry pulled off his gloves threw them on his bed then gently put his broom back in its place. Grabbing a small dish, a packet of deluxe-gold owl treats, and a small leather case, he left the room and sat down next to Hermione, and clucked for Hedwig to come to his lap. Once she was there he put the dish onto the table and spelled some water into it, before opening the leather case to see a number of different types of clothes.
Harry picked up a rough looking blue cloth, which was used for cooling down a bird and removing any bits of debris, seeing Harry pull out the cloth Hedwig spread her wings wide, and Harry started to methodically wipe and rub all the feathers of her wings, then he started on her back then her chest and finally her tail feathers. Putting away the blue cloth, he pulled out a smoother yellow cloth and started the process again; the yellow cloth though, cleaned her feathers and had an added effect of preventing Hedwig getting any feather rot or anything similar. Taking out a small green cloth now, he started to wipe around Hedwig's face, and near her eyes, cleaning the soft downy feathers there. Hedwig cooed softly as Harry did this and nip the tip of his finger when he was done. Taking out the final white cloth Harry again rubbed down her wings and body and tail, this cloth keep her feathers shiny looking and cut down a little bit on drag when she was flying. Putting all the clothes back into their spots, Hedwig folded her freshly cleaned wings into her body, and put out her right foot. Picking up a pair of clippers Harry systematically trimmed all of her talons then filed them down, so that they were still usable to hunt but did not looked frayed and cracked. Taking out a small vial he pulled off the top before rummaging around for a clean piece of plain of cloth, and put some of the solution onto it. Using the moist spot on the cloth Harry started to wipe around the flesh of her legs, cleaning of any dirt, and leaving them nice and cleaned. Picking up a very fine strip of abrasive cloth he started to shine Hedwig's talons and finally beak.
Putting everything back into the case, he zipped it up and leaned back to look at Hedwig. She was there sitting on his knee with her chest all puffed out with her freshly cleaned feathers reflecting the light and a self important look in her eyes.
"Stupid vain bird," Harry said with a chuckle as he pulled out some of the owl treats and put them on the table with the water. Hedwig seeing this gave a funny hoot and jumped onto the table and started ripping into the food laid out.
"You made her that way Harry with all your pampering" Hermione said with a huff
"Hello Hermione and how are you this fine weekend?" Harry said in a high sing song kind of voice.
"Well you are awfully happy for someone who has pretty much been given a death sentence!" Hermione's voice took on a harsh and bitter tone, whilst looking down at her work and scribbling angrily on her parchment. Frowning now, he sighed a bit too loudly and leaned back into his chair to stare at Hedwig eating her food. "Oh no, oh Harry I didn't mean to bring it up… oh shit!" Harry chuckled darkly at that and gave her a look.
"It's okay Hermione, I mean it's perfectly alright that you just destroyed one of my rare good moods, I'm cool." he saw Hermione react badly to his cool tone before she looked up to see his small half smile as he looked her in the eye. She gave a small laugh before giving him another 'sorry Harry' and went back to her work.
Looking back at Hedwig she looked like she was jumping up and down in excitement, or giddiness, she somehow got into the bag of owl treats, and not just the few he laid out for her, and ate all of them, to be fair there were not many remaining but she knew she wasn't meant to do it. He looked at her face and saw that there were crumbs and moist bits all around the sides of her beak and some dusting her chest. She gave a couple of hoots before jumping back onto his knee and shimming her way up his leg until she was nuzzling her head against his chest.
Giving a ghost of a laugh, he reopened the grooming kit and took out the, blue, yellow, green, and white cloths. Giving her chest a quick flick of the blue cloth, he then gave her a wipe with the yellow down her chest, and then shined her up again with the white. He got a big smile on his face before getting Hermione's attention by snorting loudly then ignoring her, picking up the green cloth he wrapped it around his finger and put a little bit of spittle on the tip before wiping the crumbs off Hedwig's face with a tutting sound like a mother would a toddler covered in his own food with a large indulgent smile.
Hermione gave a hearty laugh at his actions and he just gave her a bright smile, "You are so whipped Harry it is not funny!"
"That is of course is why you are laughing, and its not my fault Hedwig is just a big chick, in the baby bird kind of way," he said directing Hermione a smile whilst stroking Hedwig making her coo softly and rubbing herself along his body ruffling up all her clean feathers. "You do this just so I have to groom you again don't you" she just gave a string of hoots, and started jumping up and down. She moved to his knee and started pecking at the grooming kit before spreading her wings not even bothered that some of her feathers were at some very awkward angles. Giving a sigh, and in a defeated voice, " Fine stay still you silly bird, you always get hyper when I feed you the gold treats… your going back on the blue, they make you tired and complacent not hyper."
"Whipped!" Hermione said in shaky voice as she laughed hard once more. Harry set about grooming Hedwig again first by resetting all of her bent Feathers and then wiped her down with the cloths forgoing the blue cloth though. As he was carefully wiping Hedwig's tail feathers with the white cloth he was interrupted as someone knocked him removing Hedwig from her perch where she was enjoying the feelings of being cleaned.
Hedwig gave a mighty screech as she was launched from Harry's knee; she landed on her feet on the ground before she took flight and clipped the head of the offender, which in this case happened to be Ron. Hedwig being the fabulous owl she was could sense the animosity between he two boys, and knowing her master was not going to take out any of anger out on the other boy did it for him. Hedwig continued for some time just flapping about Ron's head clipping him now and then on the head and scratching his arms when he put them up to protect himself.
"Get off me you ruddy bird! OW!" Ron gave a yell when one of Hedwig's talons cut his arm open a little bit, it was a shallow cut but they sure as hell bleed a lot.
"Hedwig, Hedwig! That's enough girl," Harry said in a voice which was laced with command. Hedwig sensing anymore fighting would only aggravate her master even further. "Come here will get you sorted again." Hedwig gave a coo as Harry picked up the yellow cloth, and she settled back onto his knee, gave a chirp, and then turned to stare at Ron intently.
"Look at this Potter! Your damn bird just sliced me open, if you don't bloody control it I am going to go to McGonagall." Ron, being a git, said in a cold voice even as he winced as he touched his arm. "And 'Mione what are you doing with a bloody betrayer like him anyway? Is he harassing you?" he posed the last question in a stage whisper and Harry couldn't help but scoff and Ron's stupidity.
"Don't call me 'Mione Ronald, I don't like it. No Harry is not harassing me, you might want to go to the hospital wing to get that cut sorted, it could leave a scar otherwise." Hermione put on edge by the 'Mione comment, she only ever let Harry call her that and only in Private, spoke to the table and didn't look at Ron.
Ron just blinked his eyes a bit before directing a sneer at Harry and heading out of the common room.
"Hedwig my dear, do not attack anyone ever again, you could get hurt, and what would I do then? I would have to tote to your every whim to make sure you would be happy, and as much as I love you, you just take up to much damn time, I mean common I have groomed you three times in the past hour and a half, how do you expect me to keep up with your shenanigans." Harry was muttering to himself quietly and would occasionally raise his voice to make a point as he went about cleaning Hedwig up again.
Quietly cleaning Hedwig, again, Harry was interrupted from his thoughts when Hermione spoke,
"Seeing you missed breakfast with your life threatening flying earlier, and don't think I didn't see you dive from the clouds and pretty much hit the ground, because I did and it looks like you are losing control. Anyway would you like to get some lunch?" giving Harry a stern look in the eyes, she put down her quill and leaned back into her chair giving him a questioning gaze.
"Well I was trying to get closer to the ground than I normally would; today it seems I broke the old record from under a foot to an inch… or so. I might have lost a little control but hey, it was a new B.P." Harry said to Hermione's earlier comment, and ignored her sharp intake of breath at the word 'inch' and decided to override her 'That is very irresponsible' talk, that was on the way by saying, "Lunch sounds good," looking away from Hermione Harry directed his gaze to Hedwig in his lap, "and you miss Bird, would you like to accompany us or head back to your humble tower with all your bird friends." Taking on a patronizing tone when talking to Hedwig in front of others she just gave a dull hoot seeming to hit the drop after her initial hyper streak, and was lifted up onto Harry's shoulder.
"To lunch we go." Harry announced now that he was standing and gave a look to Hermione before she to got up and led the way around the corner into the common room. Harry seemed to notice his surroundings now. Being so close to the stairs to the boy's dormitories, their table was out of site from the Gryffindor common room, turning the corner now both Harry and Hermione were assaulted with cold stares and colder shoulders, as they walked to the portrait hole leading out. As they reached the hole to leave Harry picked up a couple of words which sounded greatly like Ron.
"Bloody traitor" with these two words Harry could not help but jump out of the portrait hole and gave a big sigh of relief being out of the accusing stares. He looked behind him and saw the portrait swing shut with Hermione barely out of the way. Harry then noticed all the stares from the portraits, he was used to the stares of many kinds now, hate, jealousy, anger, fear, a wide range of them and before now he always knew the reason behind them, well not for the first half-hour in the wizarding world but after that. But this was one time he did not understand, he knew all the portraits were connected, they had more information than the students they must know he did not choose it but here they were staring at him like some kind of side show. It made him grateful that only some of the portraits could actually talk.
Looking at Hermione, Harry's previously straight back slumped a little his head hung, and a frown appeared on his face. With a dejected look in his eyes he gave his head a flick in the general direction in the Great Hall and food, he forgot that Hedwig was on his shoulder and accidently pushed her off his shoulder with his head. Hedwig gave a shrill squawk and launched off of Harry's head clipping him one, like Ron.
"Sorry girl forgot you were there." Getting no reply from the bird now sitting on a widow sill, he continued on, "don't be moody now, I mean I have cleaned you how many times today? And you are just going to fly off just 'cause I accidently head butted you?" all traces of his patronizing tone was gone and it was like he was talking to an actual person. Still getting no reply he grumpily stomped off towards the Great Hall. "Fine."
Having lost Hermione to a fit of laughter Harry was now striding along the halls by himself, without the distraction of Hermione or Hedwig Harry could now take stock of his surroundings, or more accurately the surrounding people.
Every face that Harry saw had one of three expressions, disgust, confusion, or hate. It took a while for Harry to work out why they looked like this, he did not think there was something that could effect the student body like this, but then he saw where those looks where directed, at him.
Harry almost missed a step as this realization came upon him, could the whole student body be that stupid? Could they honestly think that he put himself into that kind of situation? Looking more closely at everyone's faces he tried to discern what made each think like that.
The Hufflepuff's were easy to figure out, it was very rarely that they as a house got any real fame, for the last fifteen or so years they had always come last in the inter-house cup at the end of the year, or no doubt sixteen years ago they more than likely just came third. Harry could see it now, all the fame for the tournament would be pushed to him as the illegitimate champion.
Most of the Ravenclaw's the witty house just had a general look of confusion, mixed in with some hate and disgust. Most would still be trying to figure out how Harry supposedly got around the age line and would not be surprised if some of the Seventh years would make a real project out of it.
Slytherin house… well they always had the hate and confusion written onto there faces when ever they looked at Harry but it just seemed to of magnified since the night before. A select few had a face of neutrality but the tightening of the lips and eyes gave away there feeling if one was to look closely.
Harry's own house, Gryffindor, the students had all three mixed in the students, those younger just looked confused, the students who were old enough to enter the tournament stared on with hate, and the rest just looked disgusted with him.
Harry slowed his steps and drew in on himself and veered to the left to walk along side the wall, making him less obvious. Harry taking more precautions to go unnoticed shook his hair and made it cover his scar, the looked into the wall, making him more or less an anonymous Gryffindor. Harry did not slow his steps and the students further down the corridor did not even glance at him. With all his fame Harry had learnt how to walk about by himself without being noticed and even in a packed corridor he could traverse it without being spotted.
Out of the corner of his eye he watched the students go about there business most heading the same destination as him, the great hall for lunch, but some where just standing about talking about this and that, most likely him and the tournament. One student caught his eye though, and he dared turn his head to get a better look, making sure not to look at anyone as that just gets peoples attention.
She seemed to be a small Ravenclaw girl, dirty blond hair that look like it was tousled in with some dirt, what caught his eye though was that she seemed to be painting the wall. The strange thing was that she was missing the paint, and the brush. She was making the right movements though, Harry recognized the smooth long strokes that were used, he had painted at least one room a year since the age of seven at the Dursley's, and when he first started he had to do it over and over until his uncle approved of it, it took him one and a half months to just paint the second toilet correctly.
The display itself was what first got his attention but looking at her now, it grew even more interested. There was nobody with her, this ruled out trying to get a laugh from a friend, or as weird as it sounds, demonstrating how to paint, she was in an alcove cutting her off from three-quarters of the student's eyes, ruling it out as a way to get attention. Harry just concluded that she was doing it for a reason that he just could not discern.
Looking away breaking his eyes away from the strange girl he continued to walk towards the great hall. As he got closer the throngs of students grew in size and intensity, people fighting for their friend's attention, the Hogwarts students walking wide of the foreign students with awed and excited looks on their faces.
Being in the shadows his body hunched over his head down Harry got almost no attention from the crowds except the occasional glance from a student here or there. Reaching the large foyer outside of the doors to the hall Harry caught sight of Hermione running past looking for something, most likely him, but he stuck to the shadows not wanting to gain anyone's attention.
With a quick but thorough look around Hermione bit her lip and looked as though she might stamp the ground before rushing into the hall herself.
Following her example Harry joined the groups of students moving into the hall for lunch. Moving to his houses table he sat at the end and saw Hermione walking down the length of it looking into people's faces then moving onto the next person on the table. Reaching the end, this time she did stamp the ground and start up the other side of the table.
Knowing that discovery would be unavoidable now Harry sat up straight and flipped his head back to remove the hair from his forehead. A split second later he gained the attention in the people coming into the hall, being seated next to the doors, half the Gryffindor table an some of the Ravenclaw's at their table.
Those at his own table started to shuffle away from him while shooting fugitive glances at those around them before sneering at Harry. Many of the students either gave him a cold shoulder or stared angrily at him. The cold shoulder's had no effect seeing as Harry knew hardly any of them but the angry stares made him confused.
How the Hell could they be angry damn it, it's not like I want this crap. The students unaware of Harry's inner turmoil continued to stare at him. Looking at the staff table most of the teachers had neutral and guarded expressions when they meet Harry's eye, Snape though had his usual sneer but it had an extra tightness to it that was not normally there.
Can't they think for themselves? Are they so stupid that they cant see that someone put my name in that damn Goblet?
He gave the students a sneer of his own before he begun to systematically shut them out of his thoughts. Not five seconds after he revealed his scar to the Hall did he feel a flop of air to his side and the presence of someone next to him. Looking to his side he could see Hermione with a red flush to her cheeks, sitting in the seat next to him.
Waiting for her to calm down before speaking to her he soon realized that instead of getting under control her blush started to deepen from the shocked and angry stares from the student populace. Giving a sigh Harry started o open the conversation.
"Yes Hermione? You wanted something?" expecting her to clam down with him opening the conversation, he was surprised when she started to fidget and squirm in her seat. It seemed that the stares were affecting her in a very big way.
"Uh… not really Harry" she quickly spun round and just stared across the room at nothing, incidentally away from Harry. Opening his senses he looked around the hall he could see a large number of whisper circulating the hall. Concentrating on his ears he tried to listen in.
" – somehow put his own name-" " - paid a seventh year–" " - glory hungry – " " - attention seeking – " " - delusional –" " – touched in the head –"
So many of the same whisper from some many different people, all of the same whispers all of the same people… sheep that is all they are they have no original thought of their own, moving around in throngs not doing anything different from each other, all the same, following the same thought pattern… just sheep.
"What ever… I'm not hungry anymore I will see you later Hermione." Standing up from the table he could here those closer to gasp in a breath as though he stood for the first time in the history of man before continuing their whispers in a more hurried but rushed tone.
Striding through the halls paying no mind where he was going, he somehow ended up on the other side of the rear of the great hall. Seeing some stairs leading down he followed them down. Smells of all kinds rushed up to meet his nose, the smells of a kitchen.
He had always wondered where the kitchens where but never knew where, he knew the twins knew where they were but they hoarded the location like a gold mine. Continuing down the hall he reached a dead end where just a few portraits hung. Confused for a moment wondering why there weren't any doors before remembering the whole concept of magic, ergo portraits meaning one of these had to be the entrance.
Reaching up he tapped onto the surface of one painting, feeling the canvas push in before hitting something solid behind it. Moving on the next painting he tapped it again, it was several painting later when he got to a bowl of fruit that he was greeted by a hollow sound. Spreading his hands across the painting he began to run he hands up and down the painting before something giggled and a door knob appeared where a pear used to be.
Reaching for the door knob he twisted it open and was blasted with a wave of hot air followed by the smells of freshly cooked food.
"huh… guess it wont be too bad" seeing a great many house elves bustling around the large kitchen with five large tables located in the centre of room in the same positions as the Tables in the great hall. Taking another couple of steps into the kitchen Harry was suddenly bombarded with House elves pushing up on his legs looking up at him, squeaky voices mixing in together making it impossible to tell what they were saying.
"Um… could you maybe speak one at a time?" Harry spoke out, confused by the House elves reaction to him.
"Yes sir, is sir wanting anything sir, Dopey will get it for you sir, sir!" one little house elf exclaimed as it jumped around with a somewhat constipated look to its face.
"Yeah could I get some lunch? Maybe a sandwich with some chips?" Harry asked with a curious and somewhat confused face. A number of house elves squeaked and went rushing back in towards the large kitchen tables, and the one called Dopey clicked his fingers and suddenly there was a table and a chair in front of him.
"Would sir like anything to drink sir?" the one called Dopey said.
"Yeah could I get a butter beer?" another elf went running off and not two seconds later a plate with a huge club sandwich was placed in front of him with a bowl of potato wedges, and a pitcher of Butter beer was placed on his table.
"This is great!" Harry said with a huge smile on his, reaching into his robe he pulled out two small vials, "Thanks guys this is awesome." Uncorking one of the vials, one filled with a whitish blue substance within it, Harry poured it down his throat before taking a swig of butter beer followed by the other vial.
The House elves ecstatic with Harry's praise ran off back to their stations and left Harry to devour his lunch in peace
After Harry finished his lunch he set off back to the Gryffindor tower intent of just relaxing in the common room. As Harry traversed the empty halls he once again passed the Ravenclaw girl that seemed to be painting the wall… with nothing.
With a frown appearing on Harry's face he veered off to the side and slowed his walking until he passed the girl before stopping and turning back to her.
"What are you doing?" Harry said with an honestly curious expression. The girl slowly turned her head revealing radishes hanging from here ears, and a necklace which seemed to be made up of butter beer corks, she blinked slowly with large eyes before opening her mouth… and then closing it again.
"I'm protecting the castle from Nargles" she said after a period of silence, with this statement Harry's ignorance of the wizarding world became very apparent as he spoke next.
"What are Nargles?"
"What!" the girl seemed to gain some clarity for a moment looking very confused up at Harry before a dazed expression reappeared on her face. "Well Nargles are invisible creatures which feed off of teenage hormones and sucks out the brains of little wizard's and witch's"
"O…kay" Harry said as his eyes became glazed unsure as to how to take the news, the existence of Nargles seemed very farfetched considering what it could apparently do. "I think I'll leave you to your protecting then… maybe we will speak again… um…?" Harry stuttered at the end searching for a name to the face.
"Why of course Thunder Boy… we should really talk about the new breed of White Snorkacks, its very riveting something that the rotfang wants covered up…by the way my code name is Looney… Looney Lovegood." As she walked off Harry stood there very confused as to what was said in the brief thirty seconds he was in contact with the strange blond girl, especially the part about Thunder Boy, what disturbed him more was in the way she said it, it was like a proclamation, like when in a villain in a bad TV show calls out, Batman, before the screen flashes with the words BAM, WHACK, KICK, and then the villains tied up and you see Batman standing heroically camp above him.
Still very confused Harry headed off back to the tower his mind thankfully not full of thoughts about the upcoming Tri-wizard tournament.
AN well that took some fucking time sorry all… I especially like the by play between Harry and Hedwig… its very cool isn't it.