Disclaimer: NOT Blonde, Not rich, not living in Britain, initials are not JKR therefore don't own. Love the characters and the setting so am just playing, I get nothing but the reviews my readers give me. Authorship shared with Darkshadowedrose. Betaed by alix33.
Trust is a Relative Thing
Chapter 9 Halloween
By Halloween Harry had settled into a routine, ninety percent of which consisted of ignoring the juvenile behaviors of ninety percent of the inhabitants of Hogwarts. It consisted on Mondays getting up working out, cleaning up, going to breakfast, getting pranked, going to class, going to lunch, going to class, going to the library and studying with Hermione and Neville, going to dinner, going back to the library, then to the dorm where the other snakes made disparaging comments or pranked him. The rest of the week tended to follow the same pattern. With the exception of Friday where at the end of Potions class the Professor inevitably said "Potter a word if you please." and as soon as all the Gryffindors were out of the room he would assign a detention. Harry ignored the pranks, he ignored the stares, he ignored the whispers. He even ignored the occasional shove.
Harry felt proud of his self-control. He had gotten very good at figuring out just how he had been pranked and how to counter it. He had earned a flight with Marcus on the pitch, and he had also found himself second overall in his year Hermione was first. In Potions despite his doubts about Snape's fairness, he was ranked fourth but he made up for it by being first in Astronomy, tied for first in Charms, Defense Against Dark Arts and History of Magic with Hermione,tied three ways with Hermione and Neville in Herbology. And solidly second in transfiguration once again shared with Hermione, Terry Boot of Ravenclaw took the honor of being first in transfiguration.
Harry spent long hours studying in the library with Neville and Hermione. He found himself teaching Neville how to study and gradually Neville had stopped letting Hermione dictate to him all the time, something about her explanations were always too similar to the books for them to always help him. Harry's explanations were always practical visualization and kinetic instead of theoretical and had given him several breakthroughs, although as difficult a time as Neville had, Harry was sure there was something wonky with his wand.
Halloween morning, an owl arrived with a parcel for Harry. Curious Harry opened the attached letter first.
Dear Mr. Potter,
First may I congratulate you on being sorted to my old house. My friend and partner Mr. Blotts was quite distraught and guilty over the last letter you sent him. I reassured him, I would take care of it. Those books on your list are restricted for sale by the ministry. But oddly enough I was buying some books from an estate sale of a retired auror and I found a stack containing those books and a couple others. Tucked inside one of those books was a letter stating he wished for those books to be bequeathed to you, but apparently he misplaced the letter to his solicitors to that effect. Who am I to get in the way of a wizard's last wishes. Since I in good faith paid his estate five galleons for the books I have billed your Gringott's account for the same. Here are the books Mr. Potter, should anyone from the Ministry ask, I will tell them what I have just told you. Keep us in mind for future purchases.
Sincerely, Mr. Jacob M. Flourish
"Yes!" Harry said with a grin. He quickly finished his breakfast before scurrying back to the dorm to properly stow his new books before class. He barely made it to Herbology on time. But he didn't care because he was so happy.
At the end of classes he headed to the library where he met Neville. "Where's Hermione?"
"I'm not sure. Ron Weasley was super mean to her at the end of charms and I haven't seen her since."
"That sucks, how did learning wingardium leviosa go?"
"Poorly."
"Okay let's break it down for you then."
An hour later it was almost time for the feast and Neville had gotten the charm to work, sort of. The two boys packed away their books and headed to their separate dorms. There wouldn't be an after dinner study session due to the Halloween feast. At dinner there was still no sign of Hermione.
Midway through the feast Professor Quirrell barged in bellowing about a troll in the dungeons before passing out. Harry sat there in shock as Dumbledore ordered Prefects to guide the houses back to their common rooms never mind that the Slytherin common room was in the dungeon. In the chaos not one of the Slytherin prefects realized that Harry didn't go with them. And not one of the Gryffindor prefects noticed when Neville slipped away or that Hermione wasn't there at all.
Neville crouched beside Harry at the Slytherin table. "What are we going to do? What about Hermione?"
"Can you keep a secret?"
"Of course but now isn't the time!"
"No, this precisely the time. I solemnly swear, I'm up to no good." Harry said as he touched his wand to an old parchment.
Neville's jaw dropped as a map of Hogwarts appeared.
Harry touched his wand to the map again "Show me Hermione Granger." A moment later the map zoomed in to the fourth floor girl's loo. "There she is. Mischief managed. Come on."
The two boys moved swiftly through side passages until they reached the fourth floor. When they were twenty feet from the girls loo on the fourth floor, they noticed the door wasn't hanging from the hinges correctly and they could hear a low roar and terrified shrieks. They ran through the door.
Hermione Jean Granger was sure this was it, her life was over. A few minutes ago she had been mourning the fact she didn't have any friends. And now she was going to die at the hands of a giant enormous smelly creature with the intelligence of a mouse. If she had not been bent over trying to muffle her sobs she would already be dead. Her head hurt and was bleeding from where the shards of the shattered stall had hit her.
The troll raised its club, and went to step closer.
Harry in the door did the first spell that he ever learned. "Accio troll's feet!" throwing in a much energy as possible into the spell. The troll was suddenly yanked off its feet as it fell Harry noticed its club half hitting its head as it went down. Harry decided he must have thrown a bit too much power into the spell as he suddenly felt very woozy.
Neville next to Harry was terrified as his friend staggered beside him. The troll was still conscious and was moving sluggishly. Neville did the first thing that came to mind. He noticed one of the sinks that had been knocked off the wall near the trolls head. "WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA!" he lifted the heavy sink and dropped it on the troll's head. He was relieved when the troll stopped moving. "Harry?"
"I'm alright think I put a little too much in that spell. Check 'mione." Harry's voice slurred a little but made enough sense. Neville was sure he was right.
"Hermione?Are you alright?" Neville quickly called, reluctant to actually step further into a room designated girls only.
"I thought I was going to die." sobbed a slightly hysterical, bruised and bleeding Hermione as she climbed over the wreckage of broken sinks and stalls and unconscious troll to join the two boys.
"What now?"
Harry looked at Hermione, she definitely needed the infirmary. He was sure all he needed was sleep. Neville seemed fine if slightly shocked by his own daring. "Infirmary."
The three helped each other towards the door. Just as Harry was about to pull it open it was pushed open from the other side knocking him backwards and onto his rump. "Ow."
"What in Heavens name is the meaning of this?"shrieked McGonagall. "You three are supposed to be in your common room not in a girls bathroom with a troll-" she trailed off as she realized that said troll had been neutralized. "Explain. Immediately."
Neville looked at his companions then back at Professors McGonagall, Snape, and Quirell. Deciding this was no time for pride, "Ron Weasley made Hermione cry after Charms. She wasn't at dinner to hear the announcement about the troll. Harry and I came to get her. The troll was here when we got here so Harry knocked it down and I knocked it out. I think Hermione should go to the infirmary and Harry is wiped out."
Professor McGonagall looked at him in disbelief.
Professor Quirrell said "R-r-really what sp-spells did you boys u-u-uuse?"
"Harry accioed the trolls feet making it fall. And I did Wingardium leviosa on the sink there next to its head to hit it on the head."
"Miss Granger five points from Gryffindor for being out of bounds and being in the bathroom instead of at the feast. Mr. Longbottom for the courage and initiative to go and rescue a class mate five points to Gryffindor." McGonagall intoned.
"Fi-i-ive p-p-points as w-well for a w-well done le-lev-vitation ch-charm." Quirrell stuttered.
"Please escort Miss Granger to the Hospital wing."
"But-"
"Mr. Longbottom, I will look after Mr. Potter." came Professor Snape's sinister purr.
"But-"
"Go on Nev- it'll be fine; 'mione needs looking after." Harry's voice came softly.
Harry looked at his teachers. He knew better than to expect anything but point deductions. He had gotten their measure since school began. Fairness hadn't been part of his life for a long time. "If you professors don't mind, I'm pretty tired I'd like to head back to my dorm."
"I'll escort him back." came Professor Snape's voice.
Once they were out of earshot of the other professors, Snape started. "Stupid, foolish boy. If it weren't against my principles I would remove a hundred points for you acting the Gryffindor. But that would unfairly penalize your housemates. But you will pay for your stupidity. Those weekend detentions you seem so fond of will continue until the end of the fall term. Half of them will be with Filch. Hopefully you'll wake up to the fact you are supposed to be in Slytherin.
"Too bloody proud of your own stupidity? Your have all the arrogance of your father, without any redeeming qualities. You're just like he was minus the honesty that made him a Gryffindor. You are worthless, a burden on all who know you. The Headmaster had such high hopes for you, but he wanted a perfect Gryffindor. Instead he got you, a stupid boy who can't even exemplify the best of his own house, disgusting.
"But how to teach you what is expected, detention obviously isn't enough... To that end I think I'll ground you if you are not in class or at meals or in detention, then you will have to be in the dorm."
"But sir-"
"Slytherins don't rush into danger they use their brains to avoid it, you are a disgrace to your house... and to your family." They were approaching the top of the stairs to the dungeons "Your father must be rolling in his grave, a Potter in Slytherin. I wonder if he would've followed the example of your dammed mutt of a godfather's family, and disowned you. How I would enjoy the look on either of their faces, the horror and shame I'm certain would be there... "
Marcus Flint was frantic, he had done a head count once they returned to the dorm. It hadn't sunk in when Dumbledore had given the order that it moved the Slytherins into danger to follow it, that was until they were already halfway there. He had tightened up the stragglers and had prepared one of the more lethal hexes his father had taught him in case the troll showed up. They got to the dorm safe and sound minus one young, serious minded, Slytherin. He headed back up to the main castle to see if he could find the missing boy or the Professors to let them know. As he approached the stairs he heard Professor Snape's voice there was a note he had never heard before in it. Professor Snape was snarky and sarcastic that was a given, but never in his hearing had this taunting cruelty been part of it. He climbed the last few steps only to see the Professor and Harry. Harry was pale and obviously exhausted and the Professor's last words crept through the darkened hallway and made Marcus flinch. He decided to break into the conversation. "I see you found him sir."
"Yes, Mr. Flint I found our wayward snake. He is to stay in the dorms when not in class or at meals until he learns what it means to be a snake."
"Sir?"
"He ventured off to play hero, he spends too much time with those two lions."
Marcus was appalled. Here was his revered professor attacking a child through the means of taunting him that the boy's dead family would be ashamed of him, and doing his best to sever the only emotional ties the isolated boy had formed at school. This was not the man he respected, this was not the person he looked up to. These words and actions were petty and bitter towards a child who had been nothing but respectful. Furthermore to condemn the boy to the dorms would also deprive the house of the points Potter was earning by being well-versed in his schoolwork through studying in the library with the two lions. What was worse was that Harry seemed to accept such behavior from the Professor as his due. "And if he needs the library for his schoolwork, sir?"
"Why do you care Mr. Flint?"
"He earns the house more points than any other first year, sir."
"Hmm. I suppose he can be in the library if you are there as well Mr. Flint. But there will be no more of the unsupervised interaction with those two lions. He needs to build ties in Slytherin house."
"For how long sir?" Marcus couldn't believe that the Professor really didn't see how dangerous that was for Harry. Having closer ties in Slytherin would make the powers that be that were already nervous over the boy's sorting even more uncomfortable.
"Until the end of fall term at the very least, Mr. Flint."
"Yes, sir." He was completely disappointed in his professor. Surely the man understood how dangerous for Harry that would be, was he trying to endanger him? Mentally he started to make a list of potential contacts he could encourage that wouldn't endanger Harry. He didn't know why he felt so strongly about protecting Harry, but something told him it was the most important thing he would ever do, un-Slytherin and blood traitorous though those thoughts and and feelings might be. Marcus reached out and grasped Harry's shoulder. "I'll see to it he learns his place sir."
Marcus steered Harry through the dungeon corridors to the Slytherin common room then into Harry's own room. The boy promptly pulled off his robes, and changed to pajamas. "What happened Harry?"
"I was sodding stupid, alright. I'm about to fall on my bloody nose cause I'm wiped out. I'll talk to you in the morning." Harry gave Marcus a halfhearted glare.
"Fine I'll be waiting for you in the common room at dawn." Marcus knew that unlike most the Slytherin firsties Harry was always up early.
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Harry woke slightly before sunup not that that was hard at this latitude at this time of year. He shivered slightly and pulled on his sweats. He grabbed both his bo and his bokken, before going to the common room. Marcus was waiting for him.
The older boy yawned widely and gave Harry a semi-disgusted look. "How can you look so awake at this hour? It's obscene."
"Habit." Harry managed to bite back his grin for the benefit of the older boy. "Why did you want to meet this early if you don't like mornings?"
"Fewer ears."
"Ah. Snape said I was grounded to the dorm unless you were with me. Are you willing to come to the classroom I use for exercise?"
"I suppose, if you make it worth my while and explain what happened last night."
Harry nodded. They went up the stairs to an unused classroom on the first floor where they were joined by Neville. Neville and Harry warmed up with tai chi then Harry did a series of katas while Neville repeated the tai chi. Harry told Marcus everything that happened from the time he met Neville in the library before dinner until Snape had passed him back off to Marcus as he moved through his exercises.
"Man that sucks. I mean if you were any house but Slytherin they'd have been falling all over themselves to give you points I mean a first year casting a fourth year charm. And helping another house to boot. This is so unfair."
Neville, who'd been quiet, chimed in, "Tell us about it. McGonagall has already asked me to drop Harry as a friend. Thanks Harry, I'm done. See ya later."
After nodding to Neville as he left. Harry said, "Welcome to the story of my life. I didn't fall into their predestined mold of boy hero, golden boy of Gryffindor so now they look at everything I do from this microscope of "is he dark? Why is he doing this? Do we dare reward this behavior or will that make him evil or is he already evil and just trying to lull us into a false sense of security?" It's just so much bullshit. I want to be my own person, you know make my own decisions. I went with Neville after Hermione because she's sort of a friend not a great one, I'll grant. The girl doesn't have the street sense God gave a goose, but her heart is in the right place. Once I pointed out how much nonsense the Boy-Who-Lived hype is, she's treated me like a person which is more than ninety percent of the school population can say. And Nev, well he's the closest thing I've got to family in the magical world. It may be Gryffindorkish or Puffish of me but I would stand beside Neville against anyone."
"Did the hat want to put you in Gryffindor?"
"That was one of my options."
"Why Slytherin then?"
"Dumbledore. If I went to Gryffindor or one of the other houses, he wins. And if there's one thing I don't want, it's for our esteemed Headmaster to get what he wants." Harry's emphasis made it crystal clear he meant the opposite of his words.
Marcus sensing Harry wouldn't say more without assurances threw up some hasty privacy wards. "Why the dislike?"
Harry shook his head no.
Marcus debated briefly the wisdom of doing what he was about to do. His father would throw a fit, and if he did this he could never follow the path his father wanted him to, not that he wanted to follow his father's path. "My oath as a wizard what you say will remain just between us."
Harry's green eyes acquired an intensity Marcus found hard to meet. "Can you guarantee it Marcus? Against everyone, even someone who can read your mind?"
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Up in Gryffindor tower, Neville was ready to spit nails. Harry had saved Hermione from the troll, and here he was listening as Fred and George plotted their latest prank against Harry. And McGonagall didn't give Harry any points last night. Instead she sent him away with Snape, who anyone could see hated Harry. Harry was in fact being punished for helping Hermione. It was just wrong. Harry just accepted it as if he didn't expect anything different and maybe he didn't, but Neville wasn't raised that way. His Gran had taught him right from wrong. And the way Harry was treated was just flat wrong. Neville decided he would write Gran. She needed to know what was going on all of it the good and the bad, she would know what to do.
He started by writing about the train ride the things Harry had said and done on the train and all the times they had spent together since. Emphasizing what had happened in flying class, and how Neville felt that the prejudice Harry faced because he had been sorted into Slytherin was just wrong and what was her advice on how he was to help his friend and godbrother.
