Merge Animo - Chapter 7 - Feeling Peeves-ish
September 12, 1991
The attack on Draco Malfoy and the subsequent suspension of Pansy Parkinson, Theodore Nott, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle was not an event that occured in the previous timeline. Harry was then revelling on the greatest thing to have come out of the suspensions.
With Malfoy being in Hufflepuff, that meant there were only to first year Slytherins, Blaise Zabini and Daphne Greengrass. Harry revelled in this. Zabini was a pureblood bigot, but neither he nor the Zabinis were Death Eaters. Daphne was the sister of future-Draco's late wife, Astoria. Harry didn't know much about her, although according to Scorpius the Greengrass' were quite neutral, albeit very rich. Better elitists than a supporter of genocide, Harry thought.
This seemed to be a morale booster for all the first-year classes of the other three houses. There were no snide remarks in Charms, no sneers in Transfiguration, and coupled with Snape's new "Tough but Fair" attitude, Potions was actually enjoyable. Harry, who spent years cooking for the Dursleys and a few years more cooking for his children whenever Ginny was away on Quidditch duty and reporting assignments, was actually starting to able to make sense of it all. He didn't even need the Half-Blood Prince's Book.
It was then a surprise that when the first flying lesson came around, the Gryffindors (and Zabini and Greengrass, who maintained a 'cordial, not friendly' attitude towards the Gryffindors. There were going to spend a couple of weeks alone with them in classes after all) were doing it with the Hufflepuff's. Harry deliberately chose to get a broom opposite Malfoy.
Malfoy had spent the day after the attack in the Hospital Wing. Although Harry was sure that Madam Pomfrey had repaired all his injuries within a couple of hours, he was probably held back to rest a bit from the psychological trauma of being beaten up. Malfoy or not, an eleven-year old, especially one as protected and pampered as Draco, would not go through a beating mentally unharmed.
Malfoy had appeared at the Great Hall at breakfast the next day, sullen and quiet. Conversations in the hall had ceased the moment he came in, only to continue moments later, no doubt talking about Malfoy's attack. He had gone to sit down at his usual spot by himself when Cedric Diggory approached him and dragged him to sit down with Cedric's group. By the end of breakfast, although still pale, Draco had seemed to cheer up a bit. It was also a message from the Hufflepuffs to the other houses. No matter who the person was, Hufflepuff's take care of their own. That could only mean good things for his mental upbringing, Harry thought.
Harry felt conflicted over Draco, a feeling that he had discussed with Ginny the night before during their nightly mirror conversations.
"The fact of the matter is, Gin, that we don't actually know which Draco this will turn out to be," he started. "He could end up still being Death Eater Draco, or he could be an accelerated version of the Draco who's actually a good father to Scorpius, or something else entirely."
"And that's true. But we can't really tell can we. Hermione's plan had cause and effect results for ninety-seven percent of our actions. Draco's in that other three percent," she elaborated. "I suggest we wait and see. It might come up at Quidditch tomorrow."
Malfoy was the one who pointed out that Harry was staring at him. "What are you looking at Potter?"
"Nothing, Malfoy," Harry said. "Glad you're alright."
Malfoy gave him a sour look. "Just because you saved me does not make us friends, Potter," he said. "You two as well." He gestured to Ron and Hermione.
Ron looked sour and rolled his eyes. Hermione just nodded. Harry busied himself as Madam Hooch came to view. Luckily, he did hear what Malfoy said next. It was barely a whisper, but all three of them heard it.
"Thanks".
Of course Harry had not anticipated becoming Seeker in his first year again. With Malfoy seeming, not nicer as that was still a stretch, but less combative, he did not expect a recurrence of Neville's Remembrall incident. He even suggested during the planning of the whole thing that he wouldn't play Quidditch until the end. This was very loudly protested by Ginny. And Hermione. And Dumbledore's Portrait. Even Snape's Portrait bitterly admitted that Harry could have gone pro with Ginny if he did not choose to become an Auror.
Somehow, Neville got Harry in the team again.
It could have been the fact that they were with the Hufflepuff's, or each member of Gryffindor used a different broom than in the previous timeline, but when Neville got on his broom, it suddenly zoomed off. Unlike the previous timeline, it zoomed off straight, heading towards the direction of the Forbidden Forest.
Jumping into action, Madam Hooch zoomed off after him. Without thinking, Harry got on his broom and joined her.
Hooch was no doubt using a better broom that the stock school Cleansweep Fives that the students were using. Harry expected to lag behind her, but he was a Quidditch captain at one point of his previous life, and his wife was a Holyhead Harpy. He somehow quickly overtook Hooch and was gaining on Neville. Neville's shouts were getting louder and louder and closer and closer.
"NO, NO, NO, PLEASE, NO, NO STOP!" he shouted.
Apparently, the broom understood the last word, as it stopped and proceeded to spin around, dumping him off the broom. Neville was now falling a great distance. Harry bent down to go faster, because he could see quite clearly where Neville was falling towards.
The Whomping Willow.
Harry could hear Hooch shouting something towards him, but he ignored her. He would not let one of his greatest friends down, figuratively or literally. He could feel himself going faster and faster as Neville got closer and closer to the Whomping Willow. Neville was just two feet away when Harry swerved up and caught his friend by the hand.
Oh I really need to work on my upper body strength, Harry thought. Neville had not lost the baby fat and was quite heavy for Harry's eleven-year old frame. Harry slowly and gingerly brought his broom down once they were far enough from the Whomping Willow.
When they got to the ground, both of them collapsed, breathing heavily, next to each other on the ground. Harry was pretty sure he heard a sob come from Neville.
"I shouldn't be here Harry," Neville said after a while. Harry felt his heart drop. Neville in the other timeline was one of the bravest men Harry ever met. To see him so insecure and unsure about himself nearly broke Harry. He was about to reply when Madam Hooch reached them.
Hooch was doing double duty. She was busy making sure Neville was not injured, while also berating Harry over his foolhardiness. Harry was too busy looking ashamed to notice that Professor MacGonaggal was waiting with the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students, who were cheering Harry. Even Malfoy was clapping.
Damn it, Harry thought. I owe Ginny 5 Galleons now.
Albus Dumbledore rounded the corner, and there he saw the entity he was looking for.
"Albus, Albus, look everyone it's Albus! The great and mighty Albus!" Peeves sang. Dumbledore chuckled. The memory of the Poltergeist was truly amazing, being able to remember the rhyme he created for Dumbledore in his first year more than a century ago. He decided to cut Peeves off before the poltergeist got to the really rude bits.
"Peeves, school business," he snapped. Peeves stopped and floated still. The poltergeist always had surprisingly high amounts of respect for Hogwarts professors.
"Peeves, Hogwarts needs your help"
The first month at Hogwarts both felt very short and extremely long. After the first two weeks filled with introduction of classes (or reintroduction, in Harry's case) and the incidents with Malfoy and Neville, the next two weeks were going along at a snails pace, filled with homework and getting used to the culture of Hogwarts.
Apparently the talk Harry and Hermione had with Ron had really helped kickstart him on an all new path of self discovery. Harry knew from experience that even though he was not overall intelligent like Hermione was, Ron was specifically good at quite a number of things; Chess, Quidditch, Catching Dark Wizards, Making joke toys and being a good father. However, Hermione, with Harry's help, had gotten Ron to understand his subjects even faster and better. They had to use analogies to make him understand things (You have to swish the wand down up and up down. Imagine you're holding a beaters bat. One Bludger comes to you and you hit it up. Another one comes immediately straight at you and you hit it down. Yes, Ron, yes that's it) but when he did finally get the analogy, he would get the theory behind the lesson and then would do very well with his homework.
Harry was also glad to see that Neville was warming up to the trio as well. After he had explained what Neville had said after the near collision with the Whomping Willow, Harry, along with Ron and Hermione tried to include Neville in nearly everything they did. He was still shy, but more often than not, he would be seen eating and doing homework with the trio. Harry suspected that it wouldn't be long before the trio would become a foursome.
As September turned to the first day of October, Harry woke up, tense and prepared. Today was the day.
At lunchtime Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville came into the Great Hall and saw that there was an extra person at the head table, sitting next to Dumbledore.
Ah, Harry thought. The idiot is here, excellent.
In the middle of lunch, Dumbledore stood up and addressed the students in the hall.
"As you can see, our Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge is here. I have personally invited him for day-long tour of Hogwarts and to discuss the strengthening of cooperation between Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic. I hope you all make him feel very welcome indeed,"
Dinner that day was the usual affair. Students were eating their body weight in food (at least Ron was), conversing about Quidditch, classes, gossip or the combination of all three. Unexpectedly though, a big clang was heard outside the great hall, followed by a small yell.
"Whee!" Peeves shouted, zooming in, throwing water baloons at the students.
"Peeves stop that this instant!" MacGonagall screamed, pointing her wand at the poltergeist. Peeves ignored her and continued throwing water baloons until he ran out. He then started zooming around, splattering food that was on the Ravenclaw table.
Excluding Dumbledore and Fudge, who were looking with bemused looks on their faces, the other Hogwarts Professors stood up and tried shooting spells at the Poltergeist, who was zooming around the hall. It was only when he saw that Professor Quirrel had run to the middle of the hall, cursing him, when Peeves made his move.
The poltergeist, with all his speed, swooped down low and pulled Quirrel's turban off his head, before zooming off out of the Great Hall, turban in hand.
The whole hall was silent. The student and teachers who were behind Quirrel could see it. Cho Chang screamed.
Quirrel turned around and Dumbledore saw it. He took out the Elder Wand. "Voldemort," he said. It was barely a whisper, but was heard all over the hall. Quirrel had his wand up. So did the teachers and the students who had not retreated to the side walls of the Great Hall in terror.
"Do not move!" Quirrel shouted. "Anybody who moves, I will kill!"
"Hello, Albus," a voice hissed, cold and sinister. "It is lovely to see you again."
"You are alive," Dumbledore said. It was not a question.
"Of course. Do you really think a baby could have killed me? I was merely, lost," Voldemort whispered.
"What are you doing here Voldemort?" came an unexpected voice. Quirrel turned around and the face of Tom Riddle was looking at the source of the unexpected voice.
"Ah, Harry Potter. How nice to see you again," Voldemort sneered. The boy, small for his age, was standing upright, an angry look upon his face.
"You killed my parents!" he shouted. Harry's scar was throbbing with pain.
"They were a meddlesome duo, just like your beloved headmaster over there," Voldemort said, as Quirrel's hand gestured at the head table. Fudge had decided to hide under the table.
"Now, the blasted Poltergeist has foiled my well crafted plan. Quirrel and I will make our leave, and none of you shall impede us," Voldemort warned.
"They'll stop you," Harry replied. "Hogwarts professorts are rather good at magic. You're just a face at the back of a head."
"Ah, young Harry, just like your father James. Foolish and rash. His weakness, however was his love," he spat the word, "for your mother and his friends. I have a feeling the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
Quirrel moved his wand, "Accio Longbottom!"
As Neville zoomed towards Quirrel, Harry's heart stopped. He did not expect this. This was not part of the plan. He had to move quick.
He ran as fast as he could towards Voldemort. As Quirrel was busy summoning Neville, there was a blast of spells coming from the teachers, which somehow seemed to all miss. Harry reached Voldemort, jumped and pushed his hand over Voldemort's face.
Both Voldemort and Quirrel screamed as they started burning from Harry's touch. Harry faked a look of comprehension and pushed harder and the professor and his succubus collapsed.
Neville Longbottom, who had fallen down a feet away from Voldemort, Quirrel and Harry, saw Quirrel's hand grasping for his wand, finally grabbing it. Neville then proved to everyone, especially himself, that he was a Gryffindor, even though he was not really thinking it at that moment. He jumped and landed on the hand, ensuring it could not move and could not cast anything to anyone.
The screaming reached a crescendo as the floating candles of the Great Hall dimmed for a second, before bursting into fire. The body of Quirrel and Voldemort seemd to spontaneously combust, and after a second, the only things at the centre of the Great Hall were a pile of dust, clothes that used to belong to one Quirrinus Quirrel, and a gasping Neville Longbottom and Harry Potter.
Number Four Privet Drive was very normal, thank you very much. So who on earth was knocking the damn door on a Saturday!
"We don't want any!" Vernon roared when he opened the door, only to be greeted by the sight of two men who did not look like salesmen or Mormons.
"Hello," said the man to Vernon's right. He had short greying hair and was wearing wearing a simple brown shirt with brown pants. "You must be Vernon."
"We're you're new neighbours," said the man to Vernon's left. He had a goatee, and was wearing a white jacket with a red shirt underneath, and leather pants. "Just bought number seven across the road".
"We just wanted to say hello. Maybe we'll come visit one day," the greying man said.
"Or do visit us. We'll set the drinks," said the man with the goatee.
The two turned to walk away, but stopped. The goateed man then said something that would haunt Vernon for a very long time.
"We'll tell Harry that you send him your regards. I'm seeing him in a couple of weeks. I'm his godfather."
Vernon purpled with fear. He had stopped breathing.
Godfather, godfather, godfather…
"Well do come visit one day, Vernon. You and your whole family," Sirius continued, starting to walk away. "I haven't really talked to any Muggles since I got out of prison."
Godfather, godfather, prison, godfather, prison, godfather…
A/N: I'm gonna change my summary of the story. This has deviated way too far from canon already.
Thanks for all your kind reviews. I seem to be getting the hang of this. Who knows? I might be able to reach double digits in terms of chapters before Valentine's day.
