Harry Potter and the Fifth House

Chapter 8: Blaise is a retard and also QUIDDITCH!

When Blaise entered the headmasters office the first thing he heard was the shattering of glass followed by a high pitched, "You will put my son in Slytherin or I'll be take him somewhere else!" For what was hardly the first time, he wanted to turn around and run away from his mother.

"Ms. Zabini there's simply nothing I can-" Dumbledore was cut off by more shattering.

Blaise wasn't surprised when they emerged into the actual office to find his mother standing in a ring of broken vases and Dumbledore on the other side of the desk with a frown on his face.

His mother's hands slammed against the desk and she leaned close to Dumbledore. Her voice was a low hiss, "I don't care if you're breaking laws, I want my son put in Slytherin where he belongs."

For a moment Blaise wondered why his mother couldn't just be okay with this like Draco's. Then he remembered – just a bit bitterly – that his mother was a cold blooded killer and Narcissa Malfoy was a mother. Narcissa would do anything to make sure Draco was happy and his mother would do anything to make sure he became who she wanted him to be.

"Professor Dumbledore," Blaise said, cutting off anything the man might have responded with. His face was blank of emotion, something he was all too good at making happen. "I'd like to be moved to Slytherin as well."

"Oh, Blaise," his mother declared, whirling around. "Hello dar-"

"Very well," Dumbledore interrupted, his eyes boring into Blaise's own. "If this is what you want Mr. Zabini, I'll inform Professor Burbage and Professor Snape of the transfer. Take the rest of the day to move your things."

His mother straightened with a board smile on her face. She flicked a strand of hair from her eyes, "Well then. I really must be going, my husband will be waiting for me." She breezed past Blaise and out of the room with practiced elegance.

(-)

"Professor, do you know where Blaise is?" questioned Neville as the group entered Charity's class. Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors filled into the classroom behind them.

Hermione bit her lip, hands clutching her books tightly, "Professor McGonagall took him to the headmaster's office during potions earlier to talk to his mother and he never came back. Have you heard anything."

"Guys, Blaise is…well…" Charity looked each of them in the eye before licking her lips nervously. "Blaise has been moved to Slytherin."

There was a moment of silence before Ron said, "But I thought that was impossible. Dumbledore told me it was impossible to switch houses."

"It should be." She spoke carefully and slowly, not wanting to freak any of them out more than was necessary. "Apparently there are special circumstances. I know how important he is to you guys – he's important to me too – but-"

"I'm going to kill him," Draco muttered, rather loudly, before spinning on his heel and stalking out of the door. Harry made to move after him but Hermione grabbed his sleeve.

"Stay," she said softly. "Draco has the best chance of breaking through to him. Draco is for Blaise's, Ron – someone who your closer too then the rest of us."

Harry bit his lip and his eyes darted back towards the door. "Are you sure? I mean this is really-"

"Trust him," Neville interrupted softly. "I want to…knock some sense into him too, but Draco and Blaise have been friends for a very long time. If anyone is going to get through to him it's going to be Draco."

Reluctantly, Harry allowed Hermione to pull him to the seats Ron had taken for them. Softly, he asked, "What if Draco can't get him to see sense?"

"I don't want to think about that," she responded, her grip tightening ever so slightly.

(-)

Draco strolled into the dormitory in a calm fury. He opened his mouth – ready to throw a lot of less than calm words at Blaise – when he was cut off by the offender speaking.

"This isn't up for discussion, Draco," Blaise declared, barely glancing at the blonde. "Professor Dumbledore only let this happen because I agreed. I told him I wanted to transfer – this wasn't all my mother."

"But it was," Draco exclaimed. "I thought….Your happy here aren't you?"

"Of course I am," Blaise exclaimed. "I can't remember ever having anyone care about me and I finally have that. But I can't- She may be a manipulative bitch and not give a flying fuck about me but she's the only family I have Draco." Flipping his trunk closed, he made his way past Draco. "I'm going to the common room."

(-)

Several days later, the table was oddly quiet as Harry poked at his eggs.

"Harry," Hermione spoke softly, "please eat. You're going to need something in your stomach."

"Yeah, Harry," Ron declared, bumping his shoulder against Harry's. "It's your first Quidditch game after all."

"It doesn't feel right. Blaise should be here too," Harry muttered, pressing just another so the eggs broke and yolk spilled out.

"Blaise is a giant pillock," Draco muttered, stabbing his fork into his sausage with a little more force than necessary. The resulting clack made Hermione flinch. "A giant stupid pillock."

"Draco, do not use that kind of language," Snape chastised. The group looked up to find him standing near Hermione. He nodded at Harry, "Good luck today, Potter. Then again now that you've proven yourself against a troll a little game of Quidditch should be easy work for you."

As Snape moved to walk away, Hermione elbowed Harry sharply and gave him a pointed look.

"U-Um Professor!" Harry exclaimed and Ron flinched away from the noise in his ear. "Hermione said you knew my mother and I was just wondering if…if maybe sometime you could tell me about her? I don't…My aunt doesn't talk about her."

Snape stared at them but didn't say anything. After a moment, Charity popped up behind him, hands on his shoulders, and gave Harry a wave, "Are you excited, Harry? First Quidditch match and everything."

Harry smiled slightly, "I'm really nervous, Ms. Burbage. I've had plenty of practice with Oliver and the team but this is the first time I've played in a game…"

Charity reached around Snape and ruffled his hair with a bright smile, "I'm sure everything will be fine. You're an excellent seeker." She nudged her elbow against Snape's hip. "You're team better watch it Sev."

"Potter is still a novice, Charity," Snape responded with a hint of annoyance.

"Oh relax, Sev! It's just a game, we're supposed to be having fun." Draco watched the exchange with pursed lips – he'd never seen anyone but his mother treat his godfather with such familiarity. Charity clapped her hands together, "Well then! We'll let you guys finish your meal in peace. Go Gryffindors and such!"

Before she pulled Snape away, the potions master looked at Harry. "Come to my office when you have some free time."

As they watched them leave Harry hummed, "Well that explains the blood."

"Blood?" Hermione questioned.

"Listen, last night I'm guessing Snape let the troll in as a diversion so he could try and get past that three headed dog. But he got himself bitten."

"That's ridiculous," Draco huffed with another brutal stab to his plate. "There's no way he would ever put any of us in danger. He cares about his students."

Neville hummed, "And why would anyone go near that dog?"

"The day he took me to Gringotts, Hagrid took something out of a vault. Hogwarts business. Very secret."

"So you're saying-?" Hermione began.

"That's what the dogs guarding. That's what Snape wants."

"This is ridiculous," Draco exclaimed, standing up. "It's all theory and you're a bloody retard, Harry."

As the stormed away, Ron huffed, "He's been so huffy since Blaise switched houses."

Hermione fixed a sharp glare on Ron, "Don't act like you're not as hurt by him switching as the rest of us are."

(-)

"I still can't believe Professor Snape would do that…" Draco muttered as he collapsed onto the sofa in the common room. His head thunked into Hermione's lap and she moved in hair in a circular motion in his hair – nails digging lightly into his scalp.

"I know, Draco. I'm sure there's an explanation. Until we know what it is though," she glanced over at Harry whose hands were scrapped and bleeding from gripping his broom so tightly, "I hope you'll avoid being alone with him."

Harry opened his mouth to answer but was cut off by the common room door slamming open. All of their heads turned to find Blaise standing in the doorway, red in the face and sucking in large breaths of air. He took a look at Harry's hands, cradled in Neville's as the other rubbed a cream on them, before crossing the room in three strides.

"Are you okay?" he rushed out. "I was so scared when I saw you jerking like that, I wasn't sure you could fix it and jesus fucking christ if you ever do that again I'm throwing you into the Forbidden Forest and-"

Ron placed a hand on Blaise's shoulder, capturing his attention, "He's okay, mate. A few cuts but fine otherwise, Neville is patching him up right now."

Blaise let out a sigh, "Stupid Potter. Making me worry like that."

Harry smiled slightly, "In all fairness, you've been making us worry too."

"We miss you Blaise," Neville spoke softly as he rubbed the cream into Harry's wounds – making the boy flinch. "You're one of us."

Blaise was silent for a moment before tears began to well up in his eyes, "I know, I know. It's just that…My mom is the only family I have."

Hermione reached out and pulled Blaise onto the couch with her and Draco, "That's not true. You have us."

E/n: Originally that last bit was the beginning of the next chapter.

But I hadn't reached the intended word limit yet so I threw it in here – making the Blaise situation a one chapter thing. Do not fret though; this is nowhere near the end of Blaise's drama.

Trying to figure out something to put a bit more Neville in these – seriously lack thereof right now – so is there anything you'd like to see involving him? I've put Neville and Hermione kind of in the 'parenting' position of the group. Of course, Charity is there as a mother figure to all of them and Snape has, so far, reached actively out to Blaise and Draco (and I've set up the beginning of a relationship with Harry and Neville a few chapters back) but Hermione and Neville understand better what they're are feeling.

And…OH! I'm not saying Charity and Snape are going to happen, since it was kind of implied Draco saw something there earlier, just leaving the door open for me if I decide to make it happen.

Do any of you know how to spell Nicolas Flamel? As I've mentioned before my books are packed and I find you guy are often a better source then the Harry Potter wikia.

Next time: Hermione and Blaise put there heads together to find out who Nicolas Flamel is while the others wrap up from last minute things.