Sunday October 25. Harry was keeping a mental count of the days. Only six more days. Harry had felt a growing sense of dread. He didn't know why he had felt this way, but he just knew on Halloween, nothing ever good came out of it. Some Halloweens were bearable, but it was not good enough evidence to quell his dread. It made him wonder about his parents. They must have heard about him at one point. Would they come back for him?

If they did, what would Harry do? Would he welcome them with open arms? Give them one more chance? Forget everything they did and enjoy their company again? If Harry had to choose, he knew what he would do.

"Harry! Harry!" Harry raised his head partly, being brought out of his thoughts.

"Yes Hermione. You should not yell in the library."

"Oh, be quiet. I think I figured out what is going on in the Forbidden Corridor." It was now a rumor that there was something important in the school, and this little fact had circulated everywhere. It went viral when the teachers had to deny all claims, and then it was cemented as a fact since the headmaster had to also deny such claims.

"I see. What did you find?" Harry felt Hermione's aura dampen.

"Well..." she said. "It's not much right now, but I will do more research on it. I just know it has something to do with Nicholas Flamel. Oh, I've been trying to look him up!" Harry could tell she was riled up. "I just can't seem to find him. I know I must have read about him at least once in passing, but I just can not recall from where. I also know that we have to do something about this soon. We are running out of time. I have a hunch that You-Know-Who is after this object." Harry started. He totally forgot about Tom and the diary.

"Why do you make this matter sound so pressing? I have nothing to do with the dark lord. So how can you say that we need to do something about it?" Harry was shocked for sure, but he still had the need to satisfy his curiosity. He could see beyond his shock.

"Well, there are no solid facts to support my claims, but I did say it was a hunch," Hermione said backing herself from any accusations that could be pointed at her. "I hear things occasionally, and they all seem to point towards keeping You-Know-Who away from the object." Harry quirked an eyebrow. He lifted his head up all the way up from the desk and faced Hermione who was sitting in front of him.

"And where do you hear this information?"

"I'm not sure I can tell you," her confident tone was faltering more now that she was being questioned more than expected. Harry smiled encouragingly, while grabbing her hand. She didn't pull it away as he thought she would.

"Then you don't have to tell me," he said softly while stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. Harry waited. He could feel the turmoil within Hermione's aura, and he didn't expect an answer. He would wait until she had the confidence to speak.

"Dumbledore," she blurted. That was good enough for Harry.

"So, now I will believe you. Do you want me to help you out?" Hermione's aura lightened up considerably.

"I would love your help," she gushed but then paused. "But how would you help me?" Harry cringed mentally. He almost gave himself away.

"I'll keep my ears open for anything. It's not much, but it might hint to what we will be looking for."

"Okay, if you say so." Harry could tell Hermione was doubting his abilities.

"Oh, don't worry Hermione. If I do happen to hear something, I will tell you right away."

"Hmm..." she replied back. Harry mentally sighed. He could only imagine how excited Hermione would be if she knew he could read and write like any other person. Wait, he didn't have to imagine it. It would never happen, so what would be the use of imagining it. There was also the reason that Harry was blind, so the only things he could imagine were sounds, touches, smell, and tastes. Depressing...

Harry felt Hermione's piercing stare and decided to change the topic for both their sakes. "Has it gotten any better?"

"Has what gotten any better? You are not being specific." Hermione knew what Harry was talking about, but it looked like she wanted to avoid the subject.

"Has the bullying gotten any better?" he asked softly like the friend he was. There was no way around it, and this caused Hermione to sigh. Harry supposed by her reaction it would be a long story. She drew in a deep breath.

"No."

It was silent.

"Is that all you have to say about it?" Harry prodded.

"Yes."

"You are choosing to not talk about it."

"Yes." Harry exhaled a long sigh, deflating.

"I understand." Hermione lingered at the table a little longer. Between them, hung an awkward silence, that none of them seemed to keen to break. It was no surprise to Harry when Hermione decided to leave him alone and went her own way to mingle with the shelves. Harry clenched his fists and closed his eyes for the rarest of moments. "Everyone has their secrets, it seems." Harry had his own well of secrets he had no intention of sharing, but the harmless ones he shared. He had expected the same from Hermione, thinking they were quite close as friends. It seemed only Harry thought this way. There was a wall separating the two from getting any closer, and Harry knew he wanted to get past it. It's just that Harry didn't know if Hermione wanted to get past that wall or not. She had already entrusted Harry with a couple of secrets, but it seemed to him, now she was regretting it. Just what had happened to make Hermione pull away? They were getting along so fine until now.

Harry huffed loudly and sprawled his upper half of his body over the table. Harry started to doze off but could not do so comfortably with the table digging into his stomach. He pulled himself up and gathered his things. It was now mid afternoon, and it was a good time for some socializing. Now where would many first years be hiding on a cold October day? Socializers wouldn't hide in the library. It was too stifling. They would never hide in the dungeons because that is where the Slytherins preside, and no one actually had the chance against the Slytherins. Any sane person wouldn't be playing Quidditch unless they had to, and trusting the weather, no one had to play. The hallways were almost always filled, but there was the chance that he would have to tangle with the Gryffindors. Did Harry feel like dealing with the Gryffindors at the moment?

Harry contemplated this. "Nothing to lose, and nothing to gain," he quietly said to himself. He did a quick drop off at the dungeons, so he wouldn't have to carry his things around. After that he went to the ever heavily populated hallways and started listening in. To his chagrin, he noted that when he came around, conversations became centered on him. He was disappointed to hear that the rumors have gotten worse than before. It was no wonder Hermione didn't want to talk about it. From the elder students, he was hearing the worst things. Leave it to the elders to think of more horrible rumors than the younger students.

"Oh, did you hear about the Granger girl?"

"Oh! Oh! I did. What did you hear?" a shrill voice asked.

"Well, I heard that she only hands around that Potter boy because he gives a good fucking." Harry could really object to that. He was blind. Enough said.

"What? Are you serious?" the shrill voice asked.

"Yes, that's what I heard."

"Well, that's weird. I heard that Potter had placed Granger under his power somehow and is using her to maintain his grades." Harry was fine without Hermione. He was smart enough to hold his own ground in class, with or without the help of Hermione.

"Oh! I heard that Potter was letting Snape fuck him, and that's the reason why he is the top of his class," some other girl piped in. Harry winced. He never knew that girls could be so crude to use these vulgar words. And it also made him wonder if they were so desperate to get into his pants. It must have been a wise idea to talk of sex when he was walking by. It made Harry shake his head slightly. Really the things the populace thought of!

"That makes me so angry," a staccato voice cut in. "Just because that brat is blind doesn't make him special!"

"I know right! I really hate Potter. Using his body to get what he wants. It's so immoral! I swear, if I ever catch him in the act... I would use it to blackmail him." Harry didn't know what to feel. He wanted to shudder in horror because of this person. Really, if he was in a relationship with Snape, it would be kept under wraps. Not that he was in a relationship with said man. And he also did not want to think of what blackmail could be used on him. What could such a sadistic sounding person think of doing to him? It was too much to think of for an eleven year old boy such as Harry.

That aside. Harry wanted to be angry and tell everybody to sod off. He wanted to laugh because everything that was circulating around was so damn ridiculous. He wanted to run and bury his head into his pillow because it was embarrassing. He wanted to scoff because he was only a first year. It was too early for him to think of sex, let alone attempt it. All these conflicting emotions made his face shut down and form a into a scowl that could maybe rival Snape's on a good day.

Harry continued on walking through the hallways. Socializing didn't look like an option if he didn't want to deal with the rumors. Well, if not now, then never he reasoned to himself. Harry started in the direction of some Hufflepuffs that had vacated the space when they first saw him. As Harry got closer, he could tell they were carefully inching away. He enjoyed that he could make them so scared, but it wasn't helping his mood. The one time he manages to stop acting like a menacing young man, is the time when they decide that he really was so.

"Don't move," Harry said aloud barely suppressing a sigh. The Hufflepuffs were made to be frozen to their spots. It was the choice to face Harry's wrath now, rather than later.

"Wha-what do you want from us?" a timid sounding girl asked.

"I just wanted to inquire about the happenstance. I have been cooped up for so long that I seem to be not with the present. Could you perhaps tell me of the events I have missed?" The Hufflepuffs were blinking in surprise. Harry Potter had come to them for the news?

When the shock wore off, the people scattered with a "Run for your lives! Harry has gone bonkers!" Harry tried to not laugh at this but a small grin escaped. It was amusing at best.

"You've scared the poofs away." Harry turned around at the new voice. It was an annoying sound to his ears. It was almost shrill, but it wouldn't be mistaken as a girls. Or maybe it could. Harry shrugged.

"And who might you be?" Someone tugged on Harry's sleeve, and it was a Hufflepuff girl. Harry lowered his head allowing the Puff to speak.

"That's Ron Weasley. He thinks he is the next great thing since his brothers had entered the school, but really, he's just a buffoon."

Harry smiled. "Thank you, miss?"

"No need to thank me." With that, the Hufflepuffs that had remained with the one girl departed accordingly. Harry turned back to the Weasley.

"Do you care to tell me the news? No?" Harry asked lightly. Harry sighed dramatically and turned away to walk off. He decided that this was a waste of time and that it would be better spent in his dorm. Draco was there anyways, and that Malfoy sure did have a big tendency to gossip with the girls.

"Turning your tail to scamper back home? You coward!" Weasley yelled.

"I believe the right word should be slither since I am a Slytherin afterall." Harry said this over his shoulder.

"Ron, I don't think this is such a good idea," someone pleaded with Ron. Harry assumed it was one of his friends.

"Besides," Harry paused in his walking. "Talking is not a fight, Mr. Weasley. And besides the point, I wasn't aware that we were fighting at all." Harry continued walking after this little tidbit. He had his ears open and cringed when he heard a yell.

"I will get you one day. You and all your Slytherin cronies! You lot of good for nothings deserve to die and rot in hell!" Harry quickened his pace feeling around for magic. It seemed that the yell was more an anger outburst, and no magic was headed towards him. Harry smiled knowing that none of them was coming after him at the moment.

AN:

So it's a little longer this time than my usual chapters. Ok. I got a question for you readers. Who was sitting at the computer last last Sunday (the 10th) and last Sunday (the 17th) for an update?

Well, I'm sorry about that. I don't really have an excuse, and I don't expect anyone to accept "Writer's block" as an exceptional excuse. So... -nervous chuckle- sorry? I never made a schedule to update, so you have to give me that. And if you read my profile ever in your life (I'm not telling you to visit it), it says that I update monthly. And I'm pretty sure some people can protest to that, but I try my best. I may not be the best writer, but I am a writer. I know I messed up...

A big SORRY to all readers that were waiting patiently for an update. I plan to update as soon as possible (don't expect anything though). And I plan to work through my writer's block. Ehehehe... -scratches head- So thank you and I hope you enjoyed this new chapter. If not, feel free to flame me. I love any form of reviews. (And yes I am that desperate to hear from you lovely reviewers. :D :P If you don't like this, then feel free to not review. No one is obligated to do anything.)