Hey cool, new chapter's been written. Pretend there's a disclaimer here; enjoy, and feedback is always appreciated.
Chapter 1
The next morning, Harry woke up with a start when he felt a warm hand gently touch his shoulder. He jumped slightly but opened his eyes, looking around for his attacker. He frowned when everything was blurry, but the hand left his shoulder and handed him his glasses.
Theo watched him sit up, an odd expression on his face. "Are you feeling alright?" he asked, his gaze straying to one particularly vicious bruise on the younger boy's arm. It was one of the larger ones, stretching up from Harry's elbow and ending somewhere underneath the sleeve of his borrowed t-shirt.
Harry deliberately ignored the question, stretching slightly. "What time is it?"
"Just after six. You've got enough time to go take a shower before the others wake up," he said, and Harry noticed that Theo's hair was slightly damp.
"Why do you wake up so early?" Harry asked.
Theo smirked. "I wrote a letter last night, and I need to send it out to my father early if I want him to get it today," he said. "The bathroom's through the door on the right," he added.
"Thank you," Harry said. He stood up, and Theo took a small step back, looking almost like he wasn't sure if the smaller boy would be comfortable with someone being in his personal space.
"There are towels and robes in the bathroom, and I'll leave some clothes on your bed for you," he said.
Harry nodded. "Could I come to the Owlery with you?" he asked quietly.
Theo smiled slightly. "Of course," he said.
Harry smiled a bit. He didn't say anything else as he headed into the bathroom.
About half an hour later, he came out with damp hair and a towel wrapped around his waist. The hot water in his shower had felt remarkable, and his cuts and bruises didn't hurt quite as much anymore.
Theo was sitting on his own bed, reading the first year Potions book. He looked up at Harry after a brief moment and set his book on the bed in front of him. "Do you want to talk to Professor Snape about some Healing salve? I'm sure he'd give you some if you asked," he said, standing up.
"I'll be fine," Harry said with a shrug. "They'll all be healed in a day or two anyway."
That answer had Theo scowling, but he didn't push the issue. "Since you've agreed to a crash course in proper Pureblood etiquette, we're going to start right now," he said.
Harry watched him for a moment, not sure if he should be frightened at what Theo was planning. "Alright," he said hesitantly.
"Good," Theo said with a smirk. "Now, the most important thing for you to remember right now is that appearance is crucial."
At that, Harry looked down at himself and flushed. "I don't think I'm going to be good at this, then," he said, his gaze falling to one of the longer scars on his torso.
"No, you're thinking about this the wrong way," Theo said, frowning. "You need to stay composed at all times. That's what I mean with appearance. You have to be confident, and not let anyone else affect you. Do you understand so far?" he asked.
Harry hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I think so," he said.
Theo nodded and handed him the clothes that were resting on the top of his trunk. "Your posture is pretty good, so we'll just focus on your clothing and masking your emotions for now," he said. "Go ahead and change and then we can find our way to the Owlery."
Harry nodded, and he waited for Theo to turn around before he started to change into the new clothes. Theo had given him a complete outfit: black pants, a lightweight, dark green sweater, even a pair of briefs, socks, and a pair of black boots. He bit back his embarrassment as he quickly changed into the clothes. "Thank you," he said quietly, not quite meeting Theo's gaze.
"Don't worry about it," Theo said, pulling his own boots on. "Are you sure it fits you properly?" he asked.
"I think so," Harry said, looking down at the outfit. "And thank you for the long sleeves," he added, this time his voice barely audible.
Theo smiled a bit. "If you get too warm in it, let me know and I'll give you something else, but I figured that you wouldn't want to risk anyone else seeing the bruises," he said. Both of them were silent for a moment, neither sure how to continue the conversation from that point. When Blaise snored a bit from his bed, the sound startled the two boys. Theo flushed slightly and pulled a letter out of the pocket of his pants.
"Are we going to have enough time to get to the Owlery and back before breakfast?" Harry asked.
"Of course we are."
And with that, the two boys tucked their wands into their pockets and headed out of the Slytherin dormitory, intent on finding the Owlery.
It took them almost half an hour, and that was only after a rather amused man in a portrait had decided to give them directions. He apparently wasn't used to seeing two first year Slytherins wandering around the halls of the third floor before sunrise, and when Harry and Theo passed by him for the third time in five minutes, he'd decided to tell them which staircase would take them closest to the Owlery.
The room was enormous, filled quite literally to the rafters with owls. Most of them were sleeping, but one in particular hooted almost happily when Theo walked in. The dark grey owl flew down to land on Theo's shoulder, and it nipped gently at the boy's ear.
Harry watched the exchange with no small amount of fascination. As soon as he'd come into the room and saw the gaping window, he'd planted his back against the cleanest part of the wall that he could find, and he had no intention of moving away from that spot. He wasn't all that comfortable around heights, and as interesting as the owls were, he wasn't going to risk seeing exactly how far the ground was from this seventh floor tower.
"Harry?" Theo asked when he realized that Harry wasn't at his side. "Are you alright? Do the owls bother you?"
He shook his head, though his face was pale and his hands were clenched so tightly into fists that his knuckles had turned white. "The owls are fine. It's just, um, I just, I really don't like heights," he said quietly. "And that window is really big."
Theo seemed to understand. He nodded slightly before turning his attention back to his owl. He handed the letter to the bird, making sure that it wasn't going to fall out of the owl's grasp mid-flight, and kissed it on the head. "Get that to Father as soon as you can," he said, and right away the bird took flight. Theo watched the owl flying south, not moving an inch until he could no longer see the bird. Once the owl had disappeared into the morning fog, he turned to Harry, who offered him a brief, frightened smile.
The two of them headed silently back to the Slytherin dormitories, this time managing to avoid any delays.
They made it as far as the Common Room before they were stopped.
"It is far too early for two first years to be traipsing around the halls," Snape said as he murmured a spell that had the fire in the fireplace coming back to life with enthusiasm. Theo and Harry stopped mid-step, and Snape turned to face the two boys, his expression hardening ever so slightly when Harry edged himself behind Theo in an attempt to hide. "And of course, it would be you, Potter. You've decided to strut around the castle early, then? Make sure to make your presence known to every portrait and house elf in the castle?" he asked coldly, stalking over to them.
Harry didn't look up at the man. Instead, he started toying with the hem of his borrowed sweater and stared at his feet. Hopefully the professor would be like Vernon, and if Harry stayed quiet, Snape would get bored and leave him alone.
No such luck, apparently.
"Look at me when I'm talking to you, boy!" Snape demanded in a tone that sounded eerily like Vernon. When Harry still didn't look at him, the older man grabbed hold of his arm and jerked it painfully upward. "As disrespectful as your father, aren't you?" he asked, squeezing Harry's arm.
Harry bit back a whine as he felt the man squeeze one of his more severe bruises, but he said nothing. He glanced at Theo, who was watching the exchange with a slightly confused look on his face, and then back up at Snape. "Let go of my arm," he said coolly. As he spoke, he felt a wave of foreign confidence rolling through his body and he straightened himself.
Snape still held onto his arm. "I expect an apology for your disrespect, Potter," the man snapped viciously, and some spittle flew from his mouth to land on Harry's cheek.
"Then I expect the same from you, sir," Harry said with a cold smirk. The wave of confidence increased enough for Harry to successfully wrench his arm out of the older man's hold. "And we weren't breaking any rules, so where we've been is irrelevant," he said before walking back into the room he shared with the other first year boys.
Theo wasn't too far behind him, and he was grinning wickedly as soon as the door was shut behind them. "I thought you said you didn't have any sort of formal upbringing," he said, looking around the room. Draco and Blaise had gone into the bathroom, but Crabbe and Goyle were still fast asleep on their beds.
"I don't," Harry said with a slight frown. "Why?" he asked as he followed Theo to their part of the room.
"That was bloody brilliant!" Theo said with a smirk. "Keep that up and you won't actually need that much instruction from me."
Harry nodded, still not entirely sure what had inspired the sudden change in his behavior or what Theo meant. He was also unsure as to where the confidence came from, as it had an interesting taste, of sorts. One that reminded him almost of dark chocolate. He looked up at Theo, realizing the other boy was waiting for him to pull on his robes and gather his books into his schoolbag.
"There's no real rush," Theo said. "We made it back from the Owlery quickly enough that we can take our time before going back to the Great Hall for breakfast."
Harry nodded again.
As he went over to his trunk and started pulling out his books, he felt another wave of the confidence run down his spine, though this time he was able to detect a sort of presence that accompanied it. He frowned a bit and did a quick mental probing, trying to see where or what the presence was.
There is no need to fear, child, came a quiet, hissed voice inside his head.
Harry's eyes widened, but he quickly smothered any other signs of reacting to the voice. Maybe he'd imagined it. He hadn't slept well, after all, and his mind could have been playing tricks on him. It wouldn't have been the first time.
A sibilant laughter that wasn't his echoed through his head. Rest assured, child, I am no hallucination. Nor do I pose a danger to you. I've been with you since you were very young, child, and I know everything that you have gone through in your young life. I wasn't able to speak while you were kept among the Muggles, but now that you are surrounded by magic, I can feel myself awakening.
Maybe he could speak with whoever it was the same way that he'd spoken with the Sorting Hat. You've been sleeping?
In a manner of speaking, yes, the voice said, and Harry got the distinct feeling that the voice was male. I give you my word that I will not harm you, and I will do what I can to protect you now that I am more than a powerless observer.
Harry nodded slightly, not sure if the voice would be able to recognize his acknowledgment of their promise. Just to be safe, he took a deep, steadying breath. Thank you.
There was no response, but Harry got the distinct impression of amusement from the part of his mind where voice came from. The foreign presence soon faded away enough that Harry wasn't able to feel it as much, but it was enough for Harry to know that it was still there.
"Harry?" Theo asked suddenly, pulling Harry out of his mind.
The younger boy looked up at Theo as he shoved the last of his books into his bag.
"How attached are you to your hair and glasses?" Theo asked, once again adopting a smirk. The calculating look in his eyes unnerved Harry slightly, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he just shrugged. "Not really, I suppose," he said after a moment. "Why?"
"Follow me," Theo said. He pulled his bag over his shoulder and headed out of the dorm room.
Harry scowled slightly but followed the taller boy.
They only headed down the hall, to the door to the first year girls' room. Theo knocked and stepped back - it was common knowledge that there were spells preventing boys from going into the girls' rooms without express permission, and it seemed Theo was taking no chances. He and Harry weren't kept waiting long, and soon the door opened to reveal a pretty blonde girl.
"Daphne," Theo said. "Do you have a few minutes to spare?"
"Just a few," the girl, Daphne, said. She glanced back into her room and frowned before motioning for Theo to step back. When he did so, she noticed Harry standing there, looking confused and slightly scared. "Taking on charity cases, Theo?" she asked, looking Harry over with a slight frown. "I didn't think you were the type."
Theo shrugged. "He hasn't been properly educated in the ways of our world and he asked me to teach him," he said.
She was silent for a long moment before she smirked. "And you decided to seek me out before breakfast to tell me as much?" she asked.
He shook his head. "I was hoping for your help," he said, tugging lightly on Harry's hair, which reached to the middle of his back. "This part is a bit out of my experience."
Daphne laughed quietly and stepped aside. "Come in, both of you," she said. "We'll figure something out."
Theo nodded his thanks and headed inside. Harry hesitated only briefly before following him.
Once the door was shut behind them, Daphne looked over at Harry. "Allow me to make up for Theo. I'm Daphne Greengrass," she said.
"Harry Potter," he said with a slight, nervous smile.
"Oh I know," she said. "Now, how do you normally wear your hair?"
Harry shrugged, not sure how to answer the question. Feeling like he was being cornered, his eyes flicked to Theo, hoping he would help.
When their eyes met, Theo frowned. He stepped closer to Daphne and spoke quietly with her. Harry couldn't hear most of what they were saying, but he was able to make out the words "muggle" and "abuse."
As Theo stepped back, there was a look of understanding dawning over Daphne's face. She nodded decisively. "Goodbye, Theo," she said, her blue eyes flickering over to him.
"Five minutes," Theo said, a cautious look in his eyes. He took a small step back, but crossed his arms over his chest. "No more than that."
Another girl walked up from behind Daphne, still wearing her pajamas, and smirked. "You really ought to know better than to try and rush perfection," she said, glancing down at Harry before waving to the door. "Out, Nott," she added when he hesitated.
Finally, with a scowl in the new girl's direction, Theo left.
"What's Potter doing here?" the new girl asked.
"Theo asked a favor of me," Daphne said. "What do you think? A braid?"
The new girl started circling Harry, not saying anything as she continued her inspection. Finally, after about a minute, she shook her head. "It would look too feminine on him. No, best keep it simple. If he's the last one, his appearance should reflect as much," she said.
"The Potters don't have that much of a reputation, though."
"Then we'll help him build it up," she said, pinning a shrewd look on Harry. "If your fiancé is willing to help him, he can't be as bad as the rest of his family," she added.
That startled Harry out of silence. "Your fiancé?" he asked, looking up at Daphne.
She nodded, brushing a stray locke of hair behind her ears. "Our fathers arranged it when Theo and I were still in diapers. Most Pureblood families have similar arrangements. Pansy here is almost engaged to Draco," she said, picking up her schoolbag.
"Almost?" Harry asked, looking over at Pansy.
"The Malfoys are notoriously difficult and Draco is their only son, so it was only to be expected," she said with a slight frown. "My father hopes to have everything finalized before we come of age, but there's a lot left to be done before we're close."
"Am I, um, did my parents ever?" Harry asked, his voice trailing off. He wasn't sure how to phrase the question, but he also wasn't entirely sure that he wanted to know the answer.
Pansy shook her head. "The Potters were blood traitors for a number of generations. They haven't engaged in the practice for over a hundred years," she said, her tone gentle enough to prevent from offending Harry but no so much that her feelings toward the Potters went unknown. "Though your magical guardian will have no doubt received plenty of proposals on your behalf, given your family and your fame. Hold still," she said, picking up a brush. She brushed all the tangles out of his hair, pulling it back into a low ponytail and tying it with a dark green ribbon. "You really ought to let me do something with your hair when we've got some free time. I'll make it a bit easier for you to manage," she added, ignoring the few bruises on Harry's neck and the top of his shoulders.
"Theo's probably going to have a cow if we stay here too much longer," Daphne said. "I'll see you in the Hall, Pansy."
She nodded. "It was good to meet you, Potter," she said. "Do come back someone, won't you?"
Not sure how to respond, he just nodded a bit and followed Daphne out of the dorm room.
Theo looked around for a moment, not saying anything. He did look impressed when Daphne had Harry turn around.
"Pansy and I are going to work with his hair when we've got some more time," she said. "But it doesn't seem like it'll take too much effort to have him looking like a proper Heir."
Harry stayed silent, not sure how to respond. He pulled his bag up over his shoulder and looked over at Theo. "Shouldn't we go to the Great Hall for breakfast?" he asked.
Theo nodded slightly. "You're going to deal with people who aren't happy about you being Sorted in with us," he said, sounding almost hesitant to bring up the topic. "You can't show any signs of reacting. Even a twitching eyebrow will give away a weakness on your part, and that's something that you can't afford. Weaknesses are going to hurt your cause, and they will be used against you if the opportunity should arise," he said. "Adopt a mask."
"A mask?" Harry asked.
"Show no emotions. Find a neutral expression and keep that on your face no matter what you're confronted with," Daphne said. "If you're confused, just watch some of the older Purebloods in Slytherin. Observation will help you learn quickly, little Lord Potter," she said with a slight smirk.
Theo chuckled quietly. "I thought I was the one with the weak heart, Daphne," he said. "Taking on charity cases and whatnot."
"Hush, you," Daphne said with an indignant look on her face - though there was the hint of a smile playing on her lips.
Harry straightened himself as best he could and pulled on what he hoped was a bored look.
"Perfect," Theo said suddenly. "Keep that up and you'll be fine. Make sure you ignore everything you hear, and don't react to the stares you'll be getting," he said.
Daphne laughed quietly as she looped her arm around Theo's elbow. "Stop mothering the boy, you twit," she said. "I'm hungry and we've got to make sure that Potter has enough time to eat," she said. Without giving him the chance to respond, she started walking down the hall, pulling Theo with her. Apparently she was stronger than she looked.
Harry was quick to follow the other two, and he made sure that he wasn't walking behind them for too long. Once he was sure that he was walking beside the young couple, he took the time to look around the halls. It wasn't as bleak as it had seemed the night before, but he was much less confused. There were a number of portraits of men and women that watched them as they headed through the halls. One man in particular appeared in the background of a few portraits, and it almost seemed like he was following them, but he was being discreet enough about it that Harry couldn't really see what the man looked like. Momentarily putting the portraits out of his mind, he allowed himself to be swept up in the sheer magnificence of the castle. "This place is incredible," he breathed out quietly. Judging from the lack of response from the two others with him, they hadn't heard his admission.
You haven't seen magnificent yet, child, the voice said, making a sudden reappearance in Harry's mind. It was a credit to the boy's resilience that he showed no reaction, other than a slight furrowing of his brows. Once you meet the Great Snake that resides in the Chamber, you will learn the true meaning of magnificence, and your most beautiful memory will fade into oblivion at the beauty that I will present to you, the voice practically purred, sending an odd, uncomfortable shiver down Harry's spine. The man's tone was intimidating enough, but for him to promise such luxury was downright terrifying.
"Harry?" Daphne asked, apparently having noticed something of the boy's dilemma. "Are you alright?"
He nodded. "Nervous, I guess," he said.
She offered him a fleeting smile. "There's no reason for your concern," she said. "Just embrace the Slytherin that's lying dormant somewhere inside you and give yourself a chance to use your skills. The Hat wouldn't have put you with the snakes if you weren't one yourself," she said. "Besides," she added quietly as they turned a corner. "You've already done something to earn Theo's respect enough for him to help you. The other first years won't be too far behind, and once they acknowledge you properly, you'll be set," she said.
Hesitantly, and not as ready to believe her as she clearly hoped he'd be, he nodded.
Good, the man said. Being aloof will help you, and take care before you accept any offers of assistance, he said. You are going to be watched, and your every move will be judged by everyone around you. Prove yourself capable, but do not show your true potential until you are prepared to deal with the scrutiny such actions will beget.
Harry frowned minutely. How do you know what my true potential is?
I have been with you since you were an infant, child. I'm willing to wager that I know more about you than you do yourself, the voice said, sounding almost smug at the statement. And I would not have allowed myself to wither away in the mind of an inferior wizard. Your power is impressive, given your young age, and I intend to help you cultivate that power.
Glancing over at Theo and Daphe, Harry found them engaged in a quiet conversation that had something to do with Daphne's summer trip to Iceland. Satisfied that they weren't paying too much attention to him at the moment, he went back to the conversation with the entity in his mind. Why would you help me? Especially right after warning me not to take random offers of acceptance from Slytherins? he asked.
Smart child, the man said, and somehow he made the statement reassuring rather than patronizing. I have nothing to lose and quite a bit to gain from your success. Since I have no way of leaving your mind to regain my own body, I see no reason to disallow myself from helping to... improve your education. As I recall from my years there, Hogwarts is sorely lacking in a few key subjects that will be necessary for you to be completely successful.
Harry was silent for a moment, thinking over his choices and doing his best to ignore the fact that he could still clearly feel the man's presence in his mind as he reviewed what he'd just said. Finally, and feeling more than slightly uncomfortable with the oozing smugness he felt from the man. What should I call you, then? he asked cautiously. In the seconds before the man responded, he reasoned to himself that it would be incredibly unnerving to learn from the man if he never introduced himself.
You may call me Marvolo.
...
Breakfast had been something of an interesting affair. Harry noticed a number of glares directed at him, most of them from the table of Gryffindors on the opposite side of the Great Hall. One particular glare, coming from a redhead that Draco acerbically identified as the youngest son of the blood traitor Weasley family, had Harry a bit worried. Draco seemed to have picked up on Harry's slight concern, because he leaned closer to him and quietly promised that he would have the Slytherins keep the Weasley away from Harry. The soft smile that Draco received in response only seemed to increase the redhead's ire.
Snape had handed out the schedules for the first year Slytherins - which were, unsurprisingly, all the same. When he handed Harry his schedule, though, he'd accompanied it with a quick, sharp glare. Harry found himself unconsciously returning the look, leaving the Slytherins who'd noticed the exchange confused and intrigued. Marvolo had been positively delighted at Harry's response, mentally praising him for his refusal to be cow-towed by the Potions Master.
"Transfigurations is our first class," Theo said with a slight frown, pulling Harry out of his mind.
"Is there something bad about that?" Harry asked quietly.
Draco looked up from his schedule. "McGonagall teaches that class, and she's the Head of House for Gryffindors. I've heard that she doesn't put up with much, but the lions are usually able to get away with more than they should, according to my uncle," he said. At Harry's curious glance, Draco motioned slightly toward Snape. "He and my father are close."
"Close?" Pansy asked with a cool smirk. "You like to brag that he was at your birth, and that he's your godfather as well as your uncle," she said.
Draco seemed unaffected by the prod. "The Malfoy family does not brag," he said pointedly. "We merely have an appreciation for knowledge and power, and when we find someone with some quality that impresses us, we praise them justly and make sure that our kinship is valuable to them," he said, with a much less than subtle glance in Harry's direction.
The other boy hadn't noticed the look, as he was speaking in hushed tones with Theo about an editorial in a spare copy of The Daily Prophet, naming Potter the Boy-Who-Lived and urging him to make sure that his task was completed before anyone else had to die in vain. The piece, which hadn't escaped the notice of the other Slytherins - or any of the other Hogwarts students, for that matter - was written anonymously, but most of them paid no mind to it. The editor's note at the top of the article managed to quickly and efficiently explain that, due to threats of legal action, the Prophet had been obligated to run the editorial and keep its author unnamed.
"It's nothing, really," Theo said. "Rubbish like that has been getting published since we were all children. You were kept out of the public eye, and your magical guardian released an official statement claiming that it was for your protection, as the Dark Lord may not be dead and would seek you out for vengeance if that was true," he said.
Harry frowned, looking down at the editorial with a growing disgust.
Marvolo was sneering at the thing, and though he didn't share his distaste with the boy, he knew that Harry could feel it lurking in the back of his mind. Hopefully the boy would adopt his Slytherin persona quickly, and then he would be able to more effectively teach him what he needed to know. There was no way the Dark Lord was truly dead, but Marvolo's years with Harry had seen the end of his hatred for the boy. No; instead, he had great plans in store for the child. It would just take some... elaborate persuasion on his part, and Harry would be like putty in his metaphorical hands.
Or, so he hoped.
"Who's my magical guardian?" Harry asked suddenly. Though the question had been quiet, and only asked to Theo, and perhaps Daphne, most of the Slytherins within hearing range fell silent.
One of the older Slytherins, a slim blond boy, leaned forward to catch Harry's attention. "You don't know?" he asked. "Your guardian is supposed to ensure that you have all the knowledge to ensure a smooth transition to Hogwarts from your safe house," he said.
Before Harry had the chance to respond, Daphne spoke up smoothly. "There were certain legal terms ignored in the case of his custody," she said, sounding every bit the well-bred young woman she was raised to be. "He hasn't disclosed how, exactly, and when I asked for more information, he merely requested privacy on the issue," she said, sending an oddly reassuring look in Harry's direction.
Theo scowled, glaring at Daphne, but remained silent. Both Draco and Blaise directed similar looks in the blonde's direction, but they too maintained their silence.
Harry, on the other hand, was completely lost. He looked between his two friends and the other first year Slytherins, not sure why Draco and Blaise were suddenly so irate with Daphne. Marvolo? he asked tentatively, not wanting to become so quickly dependent on the man but not sure who else to ask.
The blonde twit just shared the fact that you suffered some kind of abuse in your home. She did it rather politely, I suppose, but it is not information that is shared in public, nor is it acceptable for someone to share the information on behalf of the victim unless they are both under certain legal obligations, he said in snipped tones. Harry had the feeling that, if Marvolo had eyes, he too would be glaring at Daphne.
"Leave her alone," Harry said calmly. It was not a request, and the authority in the quietly uttered command did not go unnoticed. At the curious looks he got in response, Harry merely said, "It is information that would have come out soon enough, I suppose, though I hope that further discussions on this issue take place only behind the privacy of Slytherin walls."
Silence reigned for another few seconds before the Slytherins who'd been listening returned to their previous conversations. A few of them nodded slightly in Harry's direction, but nothing more was said on the topic.
Daphne looked over at Harry, a light blush staining her cheeks. "It was not my intention to share your secrets," she said quietly.
Harry shrugged. "Don't worry about it too much," he said. "Just don't let anyone else find out about it, please."
She nodded, but said nothing. She looked down at her plate of half-eaten eggs, the flush still on her face.
Well done, boy, Marvolo said with an unmistakeable tinge of pride in his voice.
Don't call me that, Harry said suddenly, getting defensive at the use of that particular pet name. Child is fine, and you're welcome to use my name, but I will not respond to you if you call me boy.
Marvolo hummed quietly but didn't say anything for a brief moment. Then, as his presence was once again fading to be only barely noticeable, he chuckled. Your wish is but my command, little Lord, he purred before falling completely silent.
Not hungry any more, Harry pushed his plate away and looked over at Theo. "I'm going to get my Transfigurations book," he said quietly. "I'll meet you in the classroom."
Theo nodded, still working on his breakfast.
As Harry stood and left the Great Hall, his departure did not go unnoticed.
A small group of students watched his every movement, and as soon as the doors shut behind him, they rose almost in unison and followed the petite Slytherin.
Harry didn't make it too far into the dungeons before he found himself suddenly surrounded and shoved into an empty classroom by invisible assailants. Without thinking about it, his hand strayed to his wand. Before he had the chance to use it, though, he heard someone snarl "Stupefy!" and everything went black.