Dinner time
When the pupils of Hogwarts started feeling a bit more satiated, the sound of chatter grew louder, and the sound of clattering cutlery and plates started growing softer. This was no different at the table of Harry, Ron, Dean, Seamus and Neville.
"So which programs do the other houses follow?" Dean asked a question once again.
"Ravenclaw follows the advanced educational - aka intellectual program, Hufflepuff the arts program and Slytherin the technological program." His Irish friend answered.
Harry had made it a bit of a habit to listen in on the duo's conversations, or rather Dean's, because the boy asked so many useful questions.
"What about clubs and teams. Are there any good ones here?"
"The most popular would be the cross-country team. Around ninety-nine percent of it would consist of Gryffindors, as they're the fastest and strongest quarter of the school. They end up first place in about every tournament they decide to win."
"The football team is doing well too. If they don't end up first they end up second or third." Ron added.
"As well as the field-hockey team and the martial arts club. Swimming team comes close after that. The tennis club after that. The lacrosse team is average. The cricket team and the volleyball team are the worst of the school, and even they manage to get a prize every now and then." Neville recited as if committed to memory for quite some time.
"And the other non-athletic clubs?"
"Only a very small amount of Gryffindors ever join those. From the dubbed "Hufflepuff clubs" the best is the glee club, they've won nationals for 6 years in a row. A few other popular ones are the graffiti club and the performing arts club. Then there are a few school bands founded by students every year and a school musical." Neville continued going on about the "Ravenclaw clubs" and the "Slytherin clubs", while the others started tuning out until the subject changed again.
"Okay, I don't get it." Dean said out of nowhere, stabbing his food with his fork before releasing his cutlery and looking around at his dorm mates.
"What?" Seamus looked puzzled.
"How come I'm the only one asking questions around here? I'm starting to feel stupid." Dean pouted, making Seamus laugh. Harry noticed a small blush form on his Irish dorm mate's cheeks, barely noticeable but still there. He had no clue what that was supposed to mean, but decided to leave it.
"All our parents went to Hogwarts. It's very common in the school."
"Why's that?"
"Mostly because if your parents went here, you usually get a guaranteed spot, as long as you have a few basic requirements for the particular program you're going to take. Apart from that, your parents can teach or train you from a younger age of course. It's much harder getting in when none of your parents went. Not many make it."
"Oh no." Ron groaned suddenly.
"What's wrong?"
"Malfoy. Don't look now but he's coming to our table."
Harry turned around to see a blonde Slytherin stalking over to their table, his stony grey eyes fixed on only Harry, making him squirm.
"Hello, I'm Malfoy." The blonde said plainly arrogant, "Draco Malfoy."
No one replied.
Malfoy didn't seem bothered and instead asked: "You're Harry Potter, right? Son of Lily and James Potter?"
"Uhm me? yes- I'm Potter- Lily and James." Harry stuttered dumbly. He didn't care though, his brain was going miles a minute. How did a boy he'd never spoken to before know his parents?!
Malfoy smirked and offered a hand. "I want to offer you my acquaintances. Sooner or later you'll find out that some families are better than others. You don't want to be hanging around with the wrong sort now do you?"
Harry cast a glance at the others. Neville was looking like he would love to run away, Ron was looking like he'd punch the blonde in the face, Seamus looked like a mix of those and Dean looked just utterly confused.
The wrong sort? He was kidding right? The blonde oddly reminded him of Dudley. Obviously not in appearance or in brain capacity -Dudley was too dumb and fat- but they both seemed to love belittling others.
Taking a nervous breath he said: "I think I can make out the wrong sort myself, thanks." and turned back to his dorm mates.
A few seconds he sat tensely, terrified of what Malfoy would do. But then he could hear his footsteps which then slowly blended into the chatter until he couldn't hear them anymore. He sagged in relief.
"That was bloody brilliant!" Ron exclaimed the first.
A few praises followed but he cut them off. "What does he know about my parents?"
"What he knows about your parents? What everybody knows, Harry." Ron said.
"Well what does everybody know?"
Everybody stared. Except for Dean who was still trying to make sense of the situation.
"Just the things that are known to the public... I mean, everybody in Hogwarts knows about it because of our parents." Ron glanced around uncertainly.
"What does everybody know about my parents? What is there to know about them? Why does everybody here know about them?!" Harry was growing frustrated and everybody at the table sensed it.
"You mean... You don't know?" Neville asked carefully.
"Know what?!"
"Did you know they both went to Hogwarts? They were both in Gryffindor too..." Seamus piped up, sharing a meaningful glance with Ron and Neville.
"They- No, I didn't." Harry's frustration subsided a bit and the three other boys sighed in relief.
"Well er- they were head boy and girl in senior year. Your mom won quite a few prizes in various subjects. Your dad was the star athlete here. Everyone knows about how they died when you were still a baby. Er- how did they die again?" Ron asked. It wasn't out of curiosity though. It was something else, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
"A car crash..." He replied eventually.
Ron looked pleadingly at Seamus.
"Oh look, they're heading up to the dorms. I'm spent so er... See ya!" Seamus stood up and left.
"Yeah I'm tired too, we'll talk about this later." Ron followed.
"Sorry Harry, I really want to get a good start in school tomorrow." And Neville left with an apologetic half-smile.
"I don't get it." Dean repeated.
oOoOoOoOoOo
"How does he not know about his parents and the Death Eaters? How can he not know how his parents died?! That they went to school here? How can he not know anything?!" Ron exclaimed in anger, while the trio were rushing up to the Gryffindor dorms.
"Ron, calm down! We don't know any more than you do! What are we going to do?!" Seamus snapped back.
"We can't tell him." Ron said.
"Why not?" Neville asked him.
"Because!"
Neville raised an eyebrow.
"It just doesn't feel right to be the people to tell him. We barely know him a day! This is pretty personal stuff, maybe his relatives didn't tell him for a reason..."
"Perhaps..."
Silence.
"So do we tell him?"
The boys looked at each other for a moment.
"No."
AN: Sorry for the super-duper-ultra late update. My computer was dead for a week and after that I really didn't have any motivation to update. SORRYYY! I still don't have much motivation to continue this story. I will be posting the rest of what I have which is up to chapter 16 or 17, so unless I don't find any motivation this story will probably be discontinued then.
xxTRISxx