CHAPTER TWO

Harry yawned as he sat next to Terry. It was the day that the other schools would come. He was both excited and worried. He wasn't paid much attention to, even with the cat ears, but that was because the school was used to him by now. The new schools weren't. So people were going to stare, and that worried him.

"Mornin' Har." Terry muttered into his coffee.

"Coffee stunts the growth." Harry teased, sipping his orange juice.

"Eh, I'm five eight already." The green eyed cat-boy glared.

"Oh yes, rub in the fact you're seven and a half inches taller!" The taller boy laughed, wrapping an arm around the boy's shoulder. "Have you noticed the potion isn't very popular? Only three others have used it."

"Eh, so what? That's one per house." Terry sipped his coffee again, "wonder who our champion will be?"

"Diggory." Harry said automatically, getting stares from his housemates. "What? I overheard him and Cho speaking about it. He's the only person, who isn't a Ravenclaw, that is smart enough and of age."

"Are you saying if you were of age-" Lisa Moon started.

"No way!" Harry laughed, "this is too dangerous. I'm happy with staying alive, thanks."

"Harry doesn't like those things. He's a natural flier, but refuses to be a Quidditch player. Says it's too dangerous."

"Because it is! Who wants to fly with the chance of getting hit in the head hard enough to kill someone? I don't." Harry stood, "well, I'm headed to potions. See ya!" Terry snickered as his friend saluted them before leaving. Harry grinned as he entered the Potion Classroom early, setting up his things and going over his essay. It wasn't long before others entered, and the shortened class began.

When the other schools arrived, Harry had his nose buried in a book. His housemates just snorted, realizing he didn't care for what was going around him, but about the ending of his muggle mystery book. The night passed with Dumbledore explaining in depth what would be going on until Halloween when the champions were drawn.

"Harry Potter...HARRY POTTER!" However, the teen was hyperventilating beside his friend. His anxiety kicking in. Terry paled, grabbing his friend's shoulders. "Harry, get up here!"

"Harry, mate, can you hear me? Harry? HARRY SNAP OUT OF IT!" Terry froze when a teacher grabbed him and slapped in. Harry screamed. It was so loud, it was nearly inhuman. "STOP IT!" The taller Ravenclaw pulled his friend away as the others surrounded him.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please uncle, stop!" Harry whimpered, shrinking away from the hands of the one person he trusted. "I won't do it again! Please stop! It hurts!"

"Wha- Harry, it's okay. You're safe! It's me, Terry. You're home! You're at Hogwarts!" Unfocused green eyes snapped back to reality with a choked sob. "Shh..."

"I didn't do it! People die in this, Terry. I can't do it! I'm not a champion! I'm not invincible!"

"I know, Har. I know."

"I'm just Harry, the smarty-pants."

"Yes Harry."

"I can't do this!"

"Yes you can. Because I'm going to be helping you."

"Mr. Boot-" McGonagall started.

"No! He's fourteen! The same age as your granddaughter!" The hall went deadly silent. "He isn't some superhero! He's a child. If this is related to Voldemort, I'm having my mum take him far away, where no one can find him!" Harry giggled slightly hysterically.

"You almost completely recited what my uncle said before I got my letter. 'We're going away, far away! Where they can't find us!'" The fourteen year old crackled, sending shivers down everyone's spine.

"What's wrong with him?" A first year whispered finally.

"Oh Merlin..." Severus Snape moaned as Harry's glamours fell. Bruises at all stages of healing littered not just his face, but arms and neck as well. The Boy-Who-Live fainted then and there. "Albus, he's been abused! Where did you send him!" The potions master knelt beside the boy, checking vitals as Poppy pushed her way through.

"I told you Albus! I told you that they were the worst sort of muggle!" The dark haired man looked at his co-worker sharply. "He sent him to his aunt." The man started as the teen started to come around from his bed in the infirmary.

"No! Petunia Dursley hated her sister! Why would you send him to her? What happened to the Potters?" All laughter left Harry's form.

"Potters? I have magical relatives?"

"Of course you do!" Terry said, shocked. "Didn't you know?"

"I didn't even know my powers were magic until I turned eleven! I have family that could have loved me!"

"Harry, look at me." Bright green eyes met black. "I will personally go to them and tell them that you need them. They moved to America when Voldemort fell. They probably believed you dead."

"But what about the papers? I was all over them!"

"They don't read the papers. They don't like the gossip." Severus sighed, standing. "I'll be right back." Terry come sat beside his best friend's left hand. He grabbed the hand softly.

"It's horrible. Everyone outside of Ravenclaw is calling you an attention seeking whore." Harry flinched, "my thoughts exactly. What now?"

"I fight for my life."

"I'm going to be working on a way to get you out of this, Mr. Potter." Albus said softly, eyes sad. "I promise, I'll find a way to get you out of it."

"Yeah, you do that. Can I go back to sleep now?" The adults left, but Harry wouldn't let Terry move. "Just until I'm asleep."

"Okay."