Hey all! Here is Chapter seven. Cresting 10,000 words! Yay!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize. I do, however, own Rockwood and Carrlson. I do love a little OC every once in a while.

Marcus Flint, Harry decided, was not a very nice person. In addition to his attitude, he had horrible dental hygiene, and his teeth were gnarled and yellow. It was a wonder that he could speak at all, with that briar patch of molars. He had dandruff, he hardly ever showered, and he was as clumsy on his feet as a hippogriff in a wand shop. On a broom, however, Flint was truly spectacular. It was for that and no other reason was that he was captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team.

The first practice of the year, and everyone had gone back to the showers with more bruises than Harry thought should be allowed. The only thing they'd done all afternoon was get knocked around by Flint and his two beaters, Jeffery Chiles and Richard McNair. The three were the oldest ones on the team, as Fifth years. Harry didn't have to wonder why no sixth or seventh years would submit to play under the trio's regime.

As he trudged down to the dorms one evening after practice, he spotted Will Rockwood, the Slytherin prefect, coming the other way. "Hullo, Potter," the elder boy said genially. "How was Quidditch practice?"

Harry winced, pulling at his right leg. "It was...painful."

Rockwood smiled sympathetically. "Yeah, Marcus can be that way. Gives a bad name to Slytherins, if you ask me." He looked Harry over. "Would you like a healing draught?"

Harry nodded, and both of them turned towards the common room. Rockwood was silent for a moment. "So..." He trailed off, enunciating the awkwardness. "Nobody thought you'd be a Slytherin. In the same house as you-know-who, and all that."

Harry nodded once again. "I don't actually know much of anything about him, except that he killed a lot of people, including my parents."

"You don't even know why?" Will asked.

"Well," Harry murmured uncomfortably. "He was a dark wizard. Right?"

Rockwood looked like he was torn between laughing and screaming in frustration. "They didn't tell you anything, did they?"

Harry did not know how to respond to this, so he stayed silent. "The Dark Lord," Rockwood began, "was very powerful. He could get almost anyone to follow him; to do what he said. A lot of people liked him, even those who didn't follow him. He was quite charismatic." The prefect snorted. "At least, he was before he went barmy."

Harry seemed to accept this, and asked, "How do you know this?"

Rockwood turned to face Harry as they reached the Slytherin common room. He stood tall and squared his shoulders with a grim look on his face, as though he was about to reveal a horrible secret. "My father followed him," he stated somewhat curtly.

Harry scrutinized him for a moment, and then nodded again. "So did Draco's," he said. Rockwood visibly relaxed beside him, though his face remained the same. "How about that healing draught, eh?"

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The Slytherin common room was mostly empty, save for Draco, Harry, Scott Carrlson, and a few other first years milling about. All the upper grades had class this hour, save the seventh years. And they had much better things to occupy their time with than hanging around with a bunch of eleven-year-olds.

"Potter, d'you remember the incantation we learned in Defense today?" Carrlson asked. "The illumination spell?"

"Lumos," Harry responded. His wand tip lit up. "Nox," he muttered under his breath. "I keep trying for that levitating charm we were talking about, but I can't get it right."

"Will both of you quit?" Draco interrupted, bent over his books.

Harry set his wand down and glanced over at the text Draco was poring over. "Transfiguring mice into snuffboxes?"

Draco nodded sadly. "I need an eight-inch essay on changing living things to inanimate objects," he said. "I haven't even a single complete sentence!"

"I'll help you with Transfiguration if you'll help me with Potions," Harry offered slyly.

Draco seemed as though he was going to pass it up, but then he sighed in mock defeat. "Might as well. Everyone knows you need help in potions."

Harry laughed. "And you just want me to write your essay for you. You've got top marks, Draco. The only one above you is that pesky know-it-all."

His friend growled into his notes, glaring at the words on the page as though they had personally offended him. "That's the problem! If I can't beat out that stupid-" he cut himself off, before adding haughtily, "A Malfoy isn't to be bested by a mere muggleborn."

Harry sighed. This was an old fight. "Look, Dray, you gotta-"

"What did you call me?" The menacing glare turned from the notes to Harry's face.

He had apparently struck a nerve with that one. Draco's face darkened and he stepped up to Harry, grasping the front of his robes in his fist and hissing into his face. "Don't. Ever. Give. Me. Nicknames."

Harry gulped, suddenly terrified. Rather meekly, he stuttered, "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

"I am the one who doles out nicknames, and I say when they may be used." The blond went on in a quiet voice as if Harry had not spoken. "I will not be made fun of or ridiculed."

The other boy's eyes widened. "I didn't mean-"

"I understand you didn't mean anything by it, Potter, but some things must be enforced. No nicknames."

Harry nodded quickly, not sure what to do with this quiet, angry Draco. Not Draco, he realized. This boy was pure Malfoy. The Malfoy glare, the low, threatening voice and tense posture. It was frightening how quickly his friend could shift his entire temperament.

Draco released him. Harry stumbled back, a bit hurt by Draco's actions. "Sorry," he mumbled again, before turning back to his charms work. The other boys stared in shock, as if they were seeing Draco for the first time. Indeed, he was a different person in that moment.

Draco shut his book fiercely and stalked to the wall that was the entrance to the common room and left. Harry looked over at Carrlson, who was eyeing him pointedly. "Oh, fine. I'll go calm him down." He jumped up and hurried after the Malfoy.

When he finally caught up to the Malfoy boy, he was panting. "Oi, mate, wait up, will you?" He called. To his surprise, Draco turned on his heel and waited. "I really am sorry," Harry began. "I didn't know that it would upset you so much."

Draco seemed to deliberate for a minute, then nodded sharply. "You are forgiven."

"I don't mean to pry, but I did see how much it bothered you," he murmured. "You don't have to say anything, but..." He trailed off, unsure.

Draco sighed and put his head in his hands. He looked ages older in that moment than any boy of eleven should. "My Aunt Bella used to call me that," he whispered.

Harry awkwardly patted his back. He didn't know who his aunt was, but clearly it was not a good memory.

Just then, noise could be heard down the hall. A puce-colored Neville stumbled into view, his clothes and face covered with something similar in texture to baby poo. It smelled like it too, and he seemed to be coughing up even more of it.

"Neville! What on earth-"

"Fred and George," he managed, before falling to the ground in a heap.

Both boys burst out laughing. Harry leaned forward to clutch his sides. "Those two-" he sniggered. "Those two should be locked up!"

Draco agreed, trying to catch his breath. "Come on, let's get back to the common room. Chances are they'll be along soon, and I don't want to be here when they do."

Both boys snickered all the way back to the common room. When they entered, their friends stared at them incredulously, convinced that something was terribly wrong with the pair.

Here are my responses to reviews.

IRT MirrorFlower and DarkWind: I know. I want Draco to not be a mindless zombie, following his father and the Dark Lord without a thought.

IRT annirosec: thank you, love. And, I'm not telling about the quidditch team, but your idea will be considered!

IRT DarkSnakeLordess: thank you! I'm glad you like it. I hope you like this chapter as well, though I have no idea what I'm doing. Keep reviewing!

IRT emo-rocker101: something I shall clarify: the ONLY difference between the original Harry Potter and this one is that Draco and Harry became friends. Voldemort is still evil. Very evil. And now, he is also very mad that is most loyal follower's son is fraternizing with the enemy. As for the rest, you are right, reading is the best way to find out!