CH 3 Fun times are chaotic
Harry's P.O.V
Sometimes I feel like this is all a dream I am having to escape my unpleasant life with the Dursleys. The only time I'm free of them is in my sleep so its possible right? But this is not a dream its real, I'm actually siting at a table with food for me to eat with some friends. I briefly look to where Ron is, a person I saw as my very first friend. A friend who would see me for me not as a hero or a freak but regular old harry. I looked over our first meeting so many times and failed to see how I could have missed the glaring clues. The second he asked to see my scar I should have been on my guard. Only the adults made comments about my scar and how its proof that I survived an attack from that guy umm Voldemort.
Hermione was right the moment when Hagrid me told how my parents really died I should have looked into it. I wonder if she still has those books or knows where I could find them. I looked to where Hagrid was sitting and wondered if he was a part of the lie too? I really hope not he was the only adult other then the old cat lady that was ever nice to me. Shaking my head a bit I looked to where Andrew and Draco were sitting. Draco is a prat sometimes but I think he doesn't think before speaking. Had I not heard him ramble on to make his apology I would have thought Ron was right about him. Of course he was sorry about Ron leaving and not fighting with Ron but the thought counts.
Andrew on the other hand is a mystery, he acts with the same energy of a statue but at the same time he is like a wave crashing in the shore. He spoke like an adult but acted like a child, his glances and silent thoughts were loud and clear to me he was not subtle. He dismissed Ron for having poor clothes but took a shine to everyone else. Than a random thought came to me, I turned to Neville who was sitting to my right side and asked him if he knew if Andrew was a noble or rich person. Neville's eyebrow jumped at the question but Hermione understood what I was asking. She asks if either of his last name were noble descent or had any links to nobility.
"W-well I think Corwell might be one" he said after thinking a bit "I don't know for sure. But there is a way to know if he has been in a noble family."
He blushes but plows on by saying that he cannot show us not yet anyways. He claimed that noble children in the past had made a secret messaging code for them to use in every day conversation. What got me surprised was that they use it mainly during their parties or parents parties. Neville gave a quick glance around before saying he sent the message and Andrew confirmed that he is a pureblood noble by the Crowell line. Hermione naturally wanted to know the code but Neville was steadfast in denying her, stating that it must be keep a secret or everybody would use it. I asked him when we will be able to use it.
"Ah see that's the thing Harry, I could only tell you if you were a noble by birth, or inheritance but special cases had been made when person in question has noble like qualities." Neville said without stuttering I guess talking about noble culture causes him to be braver. Hermione huffs at not being able to know something but understood why she couldn't. After we had our fill of food, the plates vanished and we were sent to bed. I had to sleep next to Ron, who snored loudly. Thankfully the curtains around each bed are thick enough to block out sounds so it was okay.
A few days had passed, and we were all getting used to school life. The day after we had the feast, we received our class schedules which put a damper on all of us but Hermione. This year at least we had three class with Slytherin: Charms after lunch (everyday), double Potion on Fridays and history of magic Monday to Wednesday before lunch. In a normal school the teachers show you where to go or other students that are nice enough to help. Hogwarts however was nice enough to gave us a map but with no help from the teachers and only some of the students are nice enough to help. Some of the older students felt it was funny to mislead us or give us a "shortcut" to class. Also what doesn't help is that the castle is alive; moving stairs, having fake doors, or having fake steps appear randomly was the occasional hazard. Andrew bribed a couple of people for an accurate map that had all the shortcuts, traps, dead ends listed. While Draco used his influence to ensure that it is accurate with Crabbe and Goyle "help" despite them staying away from us claiming they needed to get good grades. With both Andrew and Draco's help we were able to get to all of our classes on time.
Normally I would have been sickened by how they used their wealth to get their way. However I learned that sometimes a little underhandedness can go a long way and be a good thing. A good example how Andrew acted during our first Potion class. He tried to sit with me at the table but Ron beat him to the punch and would not move despite me asking him to. I would have went to another seat but the professor had came in, making us stay still in fear. Andrew went to sit with Draco after Snape told him to sit down. He went to the blackboard and wrote his name Severus Snape while giving an impressive speech a little dramatic though but very impressive. He did a roll call but when he reached my name he had to give a little comment about my fame. It caused some of the Gryffindors and Slytherin to chuckle arseholes. When he finished the roll call, Snape went for the jugular and asked me a question.
"Mister Potter" he says with a sneer clearly the man has an issue with me "what would I get if I added a powered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
I had no idea, I looked quickly to my right where Hermione had her hand raised but Snape was actively ignoring her. On my left Draco also had his hand up to save me but Snape didn't spare him a glance. Neville was no good as he was behind me and Andrew was just holding his quill that strangely had a red eye near the tip up in a way that meant he wanted to answer. I was about to tell Snape that I didn't know but there are others that did when I saw that he looked stunned for some reason. It wasn't the oh god I'm dealing with an idiot here stunned look, it was the oh shite I found an excellent deal on a non Black Friday day. Then he sadly snapped out of it after a few seconds, but not before giving me a powerful hate filled glare. A glare so strong that I may not recover from, whatever stunned him had sealed my fate and not in a good way.
"It seemed our newest celebrity had the gall to try to control my mind in a effort to not answer a simple question." I did what now? I was about to defend myself when Andrew started to laugh, good to know he had my back on this. Maybe Draco had some dirt on him they were in the same dorm for a month now. But I took back it when it was clear that he was not laughing of his own free will. I mean I would not be laughing when professor Snape is asking me to explain myself.
"S-sorry p-professor I think t-hat it was haha my quill that caused your hehe mind control, its haha cursed." Andrew says while trying to keep himself from laughing, dude looks like he is in pain. Draco agreed but the quill repelled him hard across the room when he tried to take it away. Snape tried removed it with magic but the quill was using Andrew as a meat shield. Annoyed Snape went to Andrew and tried to take the quill with force. This time the quill glowed bright red before exploding pushing both of them back a bit.
Andrew took a sigh of relief before saying " Thanks professor, that is the last time I take something from a Weasley."
Everybody in the classroom tuned to look at Ron who immediately denied everything. Andrew clarifies that it was his two older brothers who gave him a quill that they say could write by itself. Then Andrew said that Ron probably had some in his bag as the twins were thinking of selling them. Surprising enough there were ten cursed quills in Ron's bag, ten victims or was he planning to using them all on one person? Tried as he might Ron's proclamation that he was innocent and he was being framed went unheard especially when there's no evidence proving otherwise. I felt worried that someone like him was sitting next to me. Although that changed to murderous rage when Snape decided to take away thirty points from Gryffindor for the intent on his life and awarded thirty points to Slytherin for Andrew finding about the devious plot.
"Professor I think Potter was on it" that traitorous backstabbing prat known as Andrew said, while ignoring my death glare "he and Ron shouldn't sit next to each other, I'll take one for the team and be paired up with Potter."
That crazy brilliant friend of mine, though I kept my death glare on him to keep the act up. Snape agreed and forcibly made Ron switch with Andrew. However since he and Draco are naturally enemies Ron was forced to sit alone up front next to the teacher's desk. Andrew sat next to me and asked the professor for another quill. Snape gives him one and began the lesson without me answering the question. Well its no skin off my back but I can't help but wonder how he forgot it when he was out to get me. The lesson passed quickly after that and I found out that potion making is like cooking but a little more fun. After the lesson Snape took Ron with the ten quills somewhere mostly likely the head master's office. We stayed back a bit to talk when I heard the most frightening thing ever.
"I don't know why he will think the quills will be the same by the time they reach the head master." Draco says weirdly, how would he…oh no please god tell they didn't.
"A mild compulsion charm was placed on the quills." Oh sweet Merlin they did "It will make anybody who touches them to be compelled to giving them to the head master."
Why would they do this, I was about to ask them that very question when I heard Hermione saying something shocking. "So why did you need the Weasleys laughing quills? You could have used any old quill right?"
"It was more of a place holder Hermione" Et tu Neville? "The charms used on the quills were dark in nature, so the school is actively purging them out. By the time they reach the head master it will return to being laughing quills. Keeping the blame on the Weasleys rather then on Andrew who had them."
I'm ninety percent sure what they did was illegal and yet they act as if they did nothing wrong. "Hermione I thought you of all people would not approve of students attacking a teacher." I said to her quietly I don't want them to get trouble.
She tells me that she is overlooking it because no teacher should ever play favorites. All her life she had to deal with bullies her own age but the worst offenders were the teachers who saw it happen and did nothing about it. We share the same scars but still that doesn't mean I would do this anybody when I see happen, right? Neville remarks that the only thing the head master is going to do is give the twins a lunch dentation just for the laughing quills. He cannot blame them for the mind control as there is no evidence of it in the quills. Ugh I'm so confused on one hand it makes me like the bullies I grown to hate, on the other hand it was effective in keeping Snape away from me.
Draco tells me that Snape has a personal vendetta on my father which he is taking out on me. Before he could tell me more, Andrew tells him to stop because it was not the time or place and we had another class to get to. I was about to say damn the rules I wanted to know what Draco knew about my parents. When I saw him looking at some people in the portraits that just appeared, then I bitterly understood; they were starting to spy on us. I tell him that we will finish this later, which they whole heartily agree stating that was always the plan.
They left us to catch up with the other Slytherins while we rushed to do the same. Ever since I came here all I heard was that I look like my dad but I have my mom's eyes. I'm so sick of hearing of it, what else am I? Do I have anything else in common with them? I don't know nobody is willing to part any other information about them. It is only now that I have one link to my parent's life and I'm going to squeeze every drop of info out of him. The rest of the day past by slowly but good thing its Friday and tomorrow and Sunday is a free day.
I avoided asking Draco about my parents during dinner, instead I asked how Hermione was able to learn the secret messaging code before me. I knew that was the only way they were able to issue an attack without me noticing it. Not that I was jealous or something but yeah we should have been able to learn it together. But the way Hermione had a victorious gleam in her eyes it might have been underhanded. It was made all too clear with Andrew looking like he ate a sour lemon, he trade the info for a book. The guy is an addict towards any type of book a bit unhealthy in my opinion. Hermione and him are barred from the library despite it being only a month since they got here. The way I heard it the librarian claimed that she had them on a list of students who are obsessive readers. Until they were cleared they cannot take any book out nor stay in the library for no more than an hour, they could get up to three hours if it was homework related.
Andrew told me that it was probably for the best, but not before threatening the librarian with her life. Hermione just begged for one book but when she was denied she too went for death threats. The librarian was made of sterner stuff because these two and at least five others are still being kept from there. I would joke that maybe I should use Hermione's way and get him a book but I still value my life so I won't. Draco told me that tomorrow I will be taught and I will be hearing my parents history. Neville says that he sent an owl to his grams to see if she had any knowledge about my parents and Andrew says that he knows something that he will reveal tomorrow.
With that out of the way we decided to move the conversation to something else. Hermione and Neville worked together in teaching us about the power of herbs which is useful. Especially in potions where herbs are used the most. After dinner we went back to our dorms, I felt drained from today's events so I headed to bed early after saying goodnight to Hermione and Neville. I woke up with my arms stretched out in front of me as if I was blocking an attack. Damn another nightmare I hope that I didn't cause anyone to wake up. That hope was dashed when Neville pulled back the curtains surrounding my bed wide awake. Thankfully it was just him as I could hear Ron snoring and the others often went to sleep with something covering their ears and curtains drawn up.
"Follow me" he says with a softness that was kind of unnecessary because of the loud snores next to us. It was pretty early when we went down to the Gryffindor common room, the sun was just raising. He led me out of the castle to a hidden corner next to the lake where Draco and several first year Slytherin are circling Andrew. Andrew was sitting crossed legged on the ground with his eyes closed and a large book opened in front of him. There were some strange symbols floating around Andrew and the other Slytherins all coming from the book. I was about to say something when Neville motioned me to be quiet which turned to be a good idea as Andrew started to say a spell.
"Oh great mother of the sea grant me thy wisdom and heal this book from its decay." He said while pouring a jug of water over the book.
"Oh great mother of the earth grant me thy blessing and restore this book from its decay." While he said this Draco handed him a pile of dirt which Andrew placed over the book.
"Oh strong father of the sky heed my call and renew this book from its decay." When he said this the air swirled and danced around us making a small twister on the book before disappearing.
"Oh strong father of the flames answer my call and reignite the passion in this book save it from decay." After he said this the circle of Slytherins one at a time threw a small lit candle on the book yet the book didn't catch on fire. In fact the flames just went into the book leaving the candles unlit.
"Four elements combined as one, together the greater power, forces of nature I invoke thy ancient strength, awaken now and restore this book to its former glory, so mote it be!" he shouted out loud while opening his eyes glowing with a bright gold color.
A strong gust of wind pushed all of us back except for Andrew, who the winds had encircled with the book. A thick line of water from the lake joined the wind, leaves from the trees and clumps of dirt combined with each other and then made a pentagon like cage around the circle. The sun itself seemed to turn up the heat because it felt as if we were on it, and the leaves caught on fire and drifted to the strange symbols. The strange symbols started to morph into letters and went in to the book flipping the pages back and forth rapidly. Andrew still stayed crossed legged and his eyes did not lose that golden color but he seemed to be fine. After a few minutes his eyes returned to his normal ruby and sapphire color and the page flipping slowed down. Once the pages stopped flipping and the book closed itself, the circle vanished in a wispy kind of way.
That's one of the coolest forms of magic I had ever seen. It felt primal, something out of the middle ages. Neville told Andrew that I had nightmares every night since we came to Hogwarts when I was distracted. Not cool man and in front of people I don't even know, I never wanted anybody to know about this. Then I realized what he just said, he has heard me waking up roughly every day. How many of the Gryffindors knew about and stayed quiet? How many will tell a teacher if he did this? No don't overthink this, blame Neville and then worry about it. I was about to tell Neville off for telling when Andrew spoke "Neville that was out of line, everybody forget what he just said and leave us, go get breakfast or something."
They all leave like a single unit and Draco gave me a look that said that he will be asking me about it. Great now look what Neville has done, I don't need people butting in to my private life. Neville meant well I guess but this is something that nobody can know. Neville justified his actions by saying it was for my own good, that I would never tell anybody, suffer in silence and holding it in until it kills me. It still doesn't mean that he could share it with the world, I know he is looking out for me but couldn't he have did it in way that was more private like? Andrew nods his head in agreement, tells Neville to be more discreet before telling to leave me with him.
Neville does that, he also gives me a look that says he was not sorry and I gave one in understanding. He went for the old "a rock and a hard place" route either Andrew does something or the others will. Either way I'm no longer alone in this.