A/N 1: I know I'm taking my sweet time moving story forward. But the way I look at it, I'm trying to develop a strong base. Things will move quickly after the Christmas, even though it's 3-4 chapters away. Everytime I sit to write, something more interesting finds its way into the story and I'm too willing to add it in. Another huge chapter, I hope it was worth the effort.
A/N 2: Thanks for the reviews, you guys are awesome! I won't give away plot but I do appreciate reviews. It offers a lot of insight of what you think as well as gives nice ideas. You will find some of them incorporated. I think I may have find out how to insert a Lamia into the story.
Disclaimer: Judging from the amount of Fan Fics out there, something or the other always appears to be the same. I do strive to be original 't own Harry Potter.
Italics for parseltongue.
The anticipation was killing Harry. He was mildly amused, mildly irritated at Draco. It seemed that he had a thing for scheming. Admittedly, he too loved scheming but Draco couldn't sit still. His neck would snap towards the door, every time someone entered. Besides them, Nott, Zabini and even Greengrass were giving him curious looks. Harry had never seen this peculiar side of Draco and while it provided an insight in him it was getting irritating. Draco was sitting on the edge of the seat while his foot rhythmically tapping the floor. Harry looked up, at once when Draco gave a nudge to him.
Sure enough, Granger, Longbottom and Weasley entered through the double doors. Granger and Weasley were arguing furiously with each other while it seemed that Longbottom wanted to do nothing with the whole situation. Harry watched in interest as Granger getting increasingly irritated with Weasley as the conversation drew out.
Draco and Harry exchanged looks that clearly said: Something wasn't right with the whole thing. It didn't take them long to find out what went wrong with their schemes.
"I know it was you, Potter." Ron said giving a knowing smirk.
"Oh! Do tell Weasley…" Harry said sarcasm dripping in his tone.
"Don't play games with me Potter. I know you wanted to kill me but guess what, I survived." Ron said, his smirk deepening. Harry was now confused.
"I can see that Weasley." Harry said simply. Sniggers erupted nearby Harry and he too gave a slight smile, "I'm not stupid."
"That proves it, Potter." Ron spat the last word. His face was getting redder by the second. "You think that you can just bring a three headed dog in the school?" Ron said a bit louder than he intended to.
Harry didn't know what to say and turned to look at Draco. From the looks of it, he didn't know what in the world was Weasley talking about. They both arrived at the same conclusion together. Weasley was incredibly stupid. They both laughed out loud and Ron's smug smile slipped and got replaced by anger.
"Knew you'd gone dark Potter. What can you expect from a stinking Slytherin. Dark the whole bunch of 'em." Harry was getting a general idea about Ron. He was a loudmouth. Insulting Slytherin's at their own table was foolish borderlining on suicide! Also, Ron had forgot what Harry had said on the train. With a swift move, he grabbed Ron's collar and hissed angrily.
"You remember the conversation we had on the train, WEASLEY!" Ron looked around desperately trying to look at something else other than the green blazing eyes of Harry Potter. His courage faltered when he received similar glares from the entire Slytherin table, especially the older students.
Ron's eyes dawned in comprehension that he had done something very stupid and had the sudden urge to pee. It didn't help when the temperature around him seem to drop 10 degrees. As fast as his legs could take him, he scurried away from the Slytherin table.
"You looked a bit scary there, Potter." Draco said cautiously. Harry frowned and looked around to find the heads bobbing in agreement.
"Sorry." Harry said simply. His anger came back with vengeance when he found out that he had been pranked.
His skin was a delicate shade of putrid green and he looked around to find similar reactions. Draco's skin was similar to him except his hair- his hair was colored red and gold. He looked around and found all of them in similar distress. Harry knew what would come next before it came.
The whole Great Hall burst into laughter save the Slytherins. Harry knew, that across the table, expressions of other students had darkened significantly which matched his own. His indignation piqued when at the staff table, teachers who had just entered were barely controlling their laughter. Harry looked at Draco with barely suppressed rage. This meant revenge and they knew who their target would be. Harry stormed out of Great Hall, with his friends in tow. Behind him, the most of Slytherin table followed them out.
Severus Snape didn't know whether to laugh or be angry at the current situation in the Great Hall. On one hand, his heart relished the humiliation drawled out by Gryffindors on Potter. What an irony, elder Potter must be rolling in the grave!
But on the other, his snakes were again the target by other three houses. He thought long and hard behind the stoic mask of indifference.
He had put a stop the bullying around the school in the past ten years. It had risen to humongous proportion after the war had ended. Slytherin's had been a constant target of the other three houses since then. Henry Garrison still had the scar across his face- an ugly reminder of just how bad the situation gotten at a particular time. Who would use a flame whip curse on a first year boy just because his parents were Death Eaters? Dumbledore had refused to expel them saying his famous saying, 'everyone deserved a second chance'.
Severus really couldn't say anything against him after that particular saying. How could he? He too had been given a second chance. It was then his vindictive side flared up in those years, if not already. Especially when those sixth years Gryffindor boys were in detention with him for remainder of the time they were here. Their hands were never the same after scrubbing cauldrons with their bare hands.
Zoning back to the situation unfolding at the Great Hall, Slytherin's would strike back and it would be with vengeance. Severus was sure of it. He was not concerned much. He had already laid out guidelines specifically for these types of situations. No, he pitied the fools, Weasley twins for the payback prank they would play. He sighed. Why couldn't the rest of the three houses leave Slytherin house alone? Was it so much to ask?
True it had been a harmless prank but Severus knew it wasn't the reason why they had walked out. No, the humiliation by the three houses had stung them. And Potter, Potter had looked up at staff table as did many others to find the teachers doing nothing except trying to control their laughter. There was a sense of disappointment flashed across their faces which quickly replaced by anger. It still stung him in his already hardened heart and wondered at the present scene clashing violently with his past.
"Oh cheer up Severus." Minerva said eating with gusto. Severus snorted in subtly while performing detection charm. He then looked across the hall and his eyes struck at the Weasley twins. They were going to regret both- Monday's Potion class as well as the prank in return the Slytherin's would plan.
Back in the common room there were conversations all around. Some older students knew who had pranked them gladly spread the word around. Really, they would just sit back and enjoy, while the younger slytherin's plot their revenge. The color of their skin was potion based and thus, wouldn't get out till its potency runs out.
Harry sat glowering in a chair while ideas bounced back and forth off each other.
"Prank all houses-"
"-A bit stretching-"
"-Definitely not possible-"
"-Prank Gryffindor-"
"-Bloody Gryffindors!-"
"Maybe we should complain to Snape." Crabbe spoke and Goyle grunted in agreement. All heads turned to them. Harry too, snapped up quite surprised and spoke same time as Blaisé did.
"They speak?" Malfoy and the others snickered while Crabbe and Goyle remained stoic.
"Won't work." Malfoy said after shaking off the shock. "Professor Snape will only help in cover up or turn a blind eye, nothing more." There was an awkward pause where everybody looked at everyone else but quickly averted their eyes after noticing horrid green color of the skin. Girls, especially Pansy was most upset with the current appearance.
"Let's get straight to the point shall we?" Harry said taking advantage of the silence. "Neither of us are good with playing pranks." He said matter-of-factly. The group looked like they wanted to protest but grudgingly admitted.
"What do you want us to do, Potter?" Pansy spoke irritated. "Do nothing?"
"I didn't mean that Parkinson." Harry replied.
"It's your fault Potter." Pansy continued. Harry shook his head in disbelief. Even Draco and Blaise looked at her in surprise.
"What?" She looked at everyone, folding her hands. "He doesn't belong here!" She spat fingering towards him. Harry gave a hollow chuckle. Pansy looked like she would burst out.
"You know Parkinson, that's exactly what Professor Snape told me." Harry said dryly. He had wondered about fitting in when the whispers were flowing around but Draco had kept his word. He did introduce to his friends and Harry liked them, to some extent.
"Don't change the subject Potter!" Pansy said, her voice upping a few notch.
"No Parkinson, you are changing the subject." Harry said forcefully.
"I don't see how, it is my fault that I, getting sorted in Slytherin caused the prank. The Weasley twin's are known to prank Slytherin's almost every week." Pansy was about to retort when Harry spoke again.
"And it's about time, we teach them their place." Harry said darkly. Various nods of agreement came all around. The second years were too, listening in.
Pansy huffed and puffed but Draco spoke quietly before she said anything else.
"Shut up, Pansy."
"Not you too, Draco!" Pansy said, her face etched with shock. "Don't you see he's coming between us?" Pansy's voice cracked up. Draco didn't respond and Pansy stormed up the dormitory. The noise slowly raised around and Harry continued forth.
"So we prank Weasley's a lesson, all four of them." Harry continued as if nothing happened. Others too were willing to oblidge.
"Not the whole Gryffindor house?" Draco asked suddenly suspicious.
"We can but it'll take time. Weasley's took their sweet time planning the prank out and let's face it; it's all they ever do!"
"So what? Lay a trap?" Blaise asked.
"Yes, we prank them, where they pranked us-the Great Hall."
"But we aren't good at pranks!" Draco said waving his hands exasperatedly.
"No we aren't. But we know what we want when we lay a trap on the four of them." Harry said, a smile curling up his lips.
"Get on with it Potter." Theodore said.
"We want them humiliated with a touch of pain in it..." All heads bobbed in agreement.
"And…" Harry paused to increase effect, "We want to do in front of everyone." Harry was greeted with evil smiles all across. Even Greengrass, who looked down upon everything that moved haughtily, gave a rare smile. Harry was impressed with himself. He did have elaborate plans for all the four Weasley which included them getting expelled and humiliated.
Next morning, Harry found that Frost had disappeared. She had been busy scouting out the whole of Hogwarts, fading in and fading out at odd times which she was doing, right now. Harry didn't mind as long as she was invisible. She on the other hand used to tell him all sorts of places here in Hogwarts. Harry freshened up and walked in to the common room to find his classmates huddled near fireplace. Draco especially looked pissed.
"What's got you all gloomy?" Harry asked.
"Flying lessons with Gryffindors." Draco said sullenly emphasizing his point by throwing a large wad of parchment into the fire place.
"The old man certainly has gone senile." Draco muttered darkly and Harry chuckled. He raised his hand as Draco shot him a glare.
Harry turned his head towards the hearth which, for a moment had flared up burning up the wad of parchment to crisp.
"You know the plan, Draco." Harry said shifting his gaze.
"But that doesn't mean we can't have fun!" Draco retorted. A lot had changed last night, after Professor Snape had given potions to everyone to remove the greenish shade of their skin. The red and gold colors of their hairs were covered with glamour charms- courtesy of fifth year girls.
Incidentally, Daphne was the first to master surpassing Draco, who everyone knew for his impeccable appearance. Harry had mastered glamour charms just before Crabbe and Goyle only when he had ducked away from the crowd to say the incantation in parseltongue.
He had caught Daphne sneaking glances at him throughout the time he was in common room and ever since that he had been cautious around her. In the end, some sort of pact had formed, as far as Harry could tell. While Harry did consider them friends he was definitely careful not to reveal much about himself to anyone till he was sure.
"You're right!" Harry said finally, getting up and headed out of the common room.
Breakfast was a tense affair. People were seen waving wands over the food served while simultaneously sniffing the food.
Slytherin's all around were glaring the Weasleys in particular. The twins were visibly nervous shifting platter of food besides them to other people while grabbing theirs. Harry just smile amusingly. The plan was working. 1st and 2nd year Slytherin's eyes were constantly on them, making them nervous. The Great Hall was a bit subdued due to this particular behavior.
Percy was first to get up, from the four Weasleys and the twins soon followed the suit. Ron was confused for a moment but seeing no prank being played, began eating furiously with his bare hands. Harry watched this and came to an obvious conclusion. Ronald Weasley couldn't refuse food. This should be easy if he wanted to humiliate him as he now had a brilliant plan forming in his head. However, he snapped out of his thoughts when he felt eyes on him. A slight glance on the right proved him right Daphne Greengrass quickly began looking elsewhere. The feeling however, didn't fade and he shook his head to the left, towards the staff table. Sure enough, his head of house, Severus Snape was looking at him intently. Besides him, headmaster, Albus Dumbledore too looked in his general direction.
The mood didn't improve as they made their way to the Quidditch pitch. Gryffindors aligned themselves on one side while a group of Slytherins on the other. There was little small talk going on between the girls and Draco was saying looking at the collection of the brooms with obvious distaste.
"Bet you can't fly without a decent broom Malfoy." Ron bolstered loudly. "Too bad you couldn't bring the broom you've been bragging about!" Ron looked smug after that comment. Draco was already in a bad mood since morning and Harry took the lead.
"Thank you Weasley, for the compliment." Harry said calmly and Ron went suddenly red in the face.
"That wasn't meant as a compliment, Potter!" Harry just gave a hollow chuckle and picked up one of the brooms. Whatever response he was about to say was cut off by the arrival of Madam Hooch.
"Alright, everyone stand by a broom, go on then." Harry concealed his nervous state very well. He had never been on a broom before and wanted to stay firmly on the ground. Also, his snake wasn't with him to give his counsel. But it was a good thing as snakes didn't like to fly around. They took great pleasure in slithering on the ground feeling the earth on the skin.
In fact, Harry noted at least one or two other Gryffindors that didn't look at all eager to be standing next to a broom today.
"I thought Gryffindors were supposed to be brave," Blaise whispered, clearly having noticed the same thing. "I mean, look at Longbottom."
He pointed discreetly at a round faced boy a few brooms down from Hermione, who looked to be quaking in his shoes. Harry cast his mind back and recalled that this was the boy who'd had very little confidence in himself. He was also right in the middle of several potion mishaps. In fact, he had melt his cauldron on in the first week!
"Pitiful," Draco whispered from Blaise's other side. Blaise nodded in agreement and Harry shrugged.
"Now, stick your hand out above your broom and say, 'up!'"
"Up!" Harry and everyone else in the class yelled. Harry was pleased when his broom jumped immediately into his hand. Across from him, Hermione's broom had given a sort of lazy shudder and rolled over. Ron's broom too moved in his hand.
"Up!" Hermione demanded, and finally her broom shot up into her grasp, nearly knocking her off her feet. Few of the students had given up long ago and had simply reached down and picked the brooms up.
Madam Hooch, the flying instructor, was now walking around, correcting people's grips. When she reached Draco, she adjusted his hands and said, "No, hold your hands a bit closer together."
"I've been doing it like this just fine for years," Draco informed her.
"Well then you've been doing it wrong for years, lad." Madam Hooch re-corrected his grip once more and moved on. Ron looked positively gleeful at the whole thing.
Draco fumed at her departing back and gripped his broom his way again, hard enough to make the thing start twitching in his grasp. "I do it just fine, you old hag," he muttered darkly as Blaise and Harry nodded loyally. Vince and Greg grunted in agreement as well, and Greengrass just snickered quietly. Pansy was quietly huddled in a far corner, looking like death had warmed over.
Then Hooch was telling them to take off at her whistle, rise a few feet above the ground, land again, and so on.
"Three, two, one…"
Longbottom, who apparently had hearing problems, took off before the whistle even touched the teacher's lips. He rose rapidly with a shout of alarm, almost thirty feet in the air, before his broom seemingly bucked him off and he fell to the ground with a thud.
Harry winced. That had to have hurt.
Madam Hooch rushed forward, leaning over the boy before helping him up and setting off toward the castle. As she led him away, she called over her shoulder, "All of your feet are to stay firmly on the ground. If I find out that any of you was riding a broom, you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say Quidditch!"
Malfoy started laughing and picked something from the ground, "Look, it's the thing Longbottom got at breakfast today!"
The round glass ball glittered in the sunlight.
"Give it back Malfoy," said Ron holding out his hand to Malfoy.
"I don't think so Weasley, I think I'd leave it up a tree for you to get," he said sneering at him.
Weasley turned slightly red and mounted his broom as well. "We'll see about that!"
"Ronald, no!" Hermione said, marching over when she saw Ron about to take off. "You'll get in trouble!"
He gave her a condescending sort of look before turning back to Draco.
"Harry, come on!" Draco yelled from the sky. Blaisé had already taken off too. Harry sighed and mounted the broom mimicking Draco before pushing off and soaring into the sky.
It was the most amazing thing ever. Blaise whooped and Weasley nearly fell off his broom as Harry came to an abrupt halt smack between him and Draco.
"This is great!" Harry yelled enthusiastically. Draco grinned at him.
"Told you!"
"Give it here Malfoy!" Ron said a half scared half angry.
"Here Ronnie." Draco said in a high pitched girly voice. This proved only to enrage Ron further. He charged forward towards Draco. Draco, lost a bit of color and threw the ball back to Harry. And so it began. Ron chasing the Remambral all over the pitch while Draco, Harry and Blaise played catch.
Suddenly a very familiar memory intruded Harry's mind as he watched Weasley chasing the ball around them. He was six years old when Dudley had played a similar game with him. He was running around trying to get his lunch back from the Dudley's gang. Add to his injury, and that was the only piece of lunch he would be getting for the whole day. The parallels were astounding.
Had he became what he hated? A bully? Harry sat on the broom, a bit dazed from the event. The remembrall streaked back and Harry missed it. He sprinted towards the remembrall which was quickly accelerating towards the ground.
Harry was too focused on the shiny object to hear the shrieks of the students from the ground below. He neared the ground and pulled up hard on his broom, skimming the grass with his toes, the glass ball in his hand. Draco, Blaise and Weasley's mouth hung open for some reason.
When they landed, he held it up and asked, "What d'you think it is?"
All three boys were staring at him, silent. Weasley's mouth was still hanging open.
Harry was feeling a bit uncomfortable. "What?" he asked.
Weasley snorted, and Blaise glared at the intruding Gryffindor disdainfully. He opened his mouth to say something scathing, only to snap it shut again and pale slightly. Before Harry could turn around to see what had shocked his friend so, a voice spoke behind him.
"That was quite the performance, Mr. Potter."
Harry froze. He could perfectly remember that smooth tone with a touch of disdain. It was the voice of Professor Snape. He turned around to face the professor with a sinking feeling in his chest.
"I'm sorry sir," he stuttered, looking up at the Professor unhappily. Professor Snape had a slightly irritated, yet calculating look on his face.
"I asked you if that was your first time on a broom." Harry was a bit momentarily confused. He was too shocked to give a response. Harry nodded dumbly, aware of Draco and Blaise's worried presence at his back, along with that Gryffindor that had been with them.
"Follow me, Mr. Potter. I will deal with you three later."
As Professor Snape turned on his heel and swept away, Harry turned back to his friends and received two worried, apologetic looks in reply. Ron's face had a smile despite the prospect of being 'dealt with' later.
Professor Snape led him into the school, walking rapidly. Harry had to nearly run to keep up with him.
Snape said suddenly, "Showing off your skills, Potter? Your father was the exact did the exact same thing back in his first year." Harry gritted his teeth. He hated his parents now more than ever. Damn, that potter blood!
"You are to understand that what you did was a direct violation of rules, Potter. Your father was able to get away with it, but you won't. Not very Slytherin of you Potter." Snape said, egging him on. "You will have detention for a week," Snape said suddenly.
Harry started, thoughts of expulsion exploding like confetti. "Yes sir." Harry asked cautiously.
Snape took a turn, leading him down into the dungeons. Harry nodded quickly, before realizing Snape couldn't see him.
"You are in no way above the rules, is that understood? You are just another student at this school, and you will be treated as such. If I find that you are getting a big head, I may rethink your punishment."
"Yes, sir." Harry couldn't imagine ever getting a big head.
"Having said that," Professor Snape turned to face him suddenly, just outside the entrance to the Slytherin common room. "You will try out for the Slytherin Quidditch team.
The door slid open and Snape led him inside, saying, "Flint!"
Marcus Flint rose from the table he'd been sitting at and strode over.
"Yes sir?" he asked, eyeing Harry curiously. Harry kept eye contact. He knew him well enough, and he was was struck dumb by the whole incident. He wanted to see Marcus' face when he found out.
"Potter, here has some skill on the broom. Test him out for the different spots. Seeker especially." Harry blinked, wondering how on earth Snape had gotten that idea into his head. Not that Harry was complaining, of course.
"As you say sir." Marcus looked at him again, confused.
"I won't have brought him if I didn't recognize the talent Flint." Snape said as an afterthought. Marcus, suddenly much more interested in the little first year.
"Yes sir. Next practice?"
"Why don't I write you a pass for the field tonight?" Snape suggested with a smirk.
Marcus grinned and said, "That would be perfect, sir." Harry was both happy and confused. No doubt, his popularity in Slytherins would increase significantly if he did that but on the other hand, he fumed as it served as a reminder of his talent being recognized as one of his father's.
All in all, Harry was relatively happy when he made his way to the infirmary to give back the remembrall back to Neville Longbottom. He hadn't done anything wrong to him and it was no reason for him to be a bully. A bully like Dudley, Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia.
Snape's smirk was evident throughout the lunch and when he entered the teacher's lounge. Few minutes later, Minerva entered the lounge, in tow with Pamona and Fillius. Snape was still smirking resolutely whenever he would look at Minerva in particular. He was itching to rub it in.
"What gives Severus?" Minerva said after a while. "You look quite cheerful today." Minerva said carefully. He would have that same look when he would catch students, especially Gryffindors in a tight spot.
"Indeed, Minerva. Pleasant day, today isn't it?" Severus said nonchalantly. Several heads spun his way. It was those rarest of the times when they would find him doing something other than brooding. It was almost uncharacteristic of him to smile. Although, it looked good on his face.
"It is?" Minerva asked confused.
"Of course it is, Minerva." Severus said his smirk deepening. "Slytherins might just have the Quidditch cup this year."
"Oh…" Minerva said, starting to wonder why in the world people like Albus and Severus were her colleagues as well as friends. Always playing the mysterious act did become a bit irritating after a while.
"The first years this time are quite good at least when it comes to quidditch." Severus said calmly.
"Did Potter…" Minerva said and stopped herself. She was disappointed when Potter didn't get sorted in her house. She was also disappointed by the lack of skill in transfiguration. Though it was too soon to tell, but James was a natural.
"Yes and quite a good seeker if I might add." Severus said. Minerva was jealous.
"James too was a natural in quidditch." She said wistfully. Severus smile soon turned to sneer.
Albus Dumbledore entered at the exact time Snape said, "Yes, 'that' Potter was."
"What's this Minerva?" Dumbledore's eyes twinkled madly. He really was a sucker for silly tit-bits of information.
"Nothing, Albus. Just Severus rubbing in the obvious talent of Potter in quidditch." Minerva sighed.
"Oh, do tell." Dumbledore's twinkly increased further, if that was possible. Severus rolled his eyes.
"Nothing, Headmaster. I may have solved the problem of finding a decent seeker for my Slytherin Quidditch team, in Potter. Our current seeker has too much on his plate this year, with N.E.W.T's."
"That's quite noble of you Severus. It takes a lot overlook the obvious resemblance of James to actually look at Harry." Severus scowled and then turned pensive. Severus nodded dumbly in return. He recalled the meeting he first had with the Potter and the one now where he had purposefully rubbed in his father's misdemeanors in quidditch field. Both times, the boy was angry in return. Though, he hid it well it was obvious. The question remained, to whom the boy was angry at? Him, or his father?
Minerva too was wondering if she should pay more attention to Harry to see if she could something of the Potter child.
It was the strangest of feeling Harry experienced as he stepped into the hospital wing. The air was as fresh as outside with just a hinto of odor of potions amongst other things. If there was a place harry could relate to being too clean, it was his aunt's and uncle's house. Thus, Harry hated this place on principle.
There was that barest hint of illness and the foreboding in the room which made Harry never to enter the place anytime soon. It was a very exposed Harry Potter that met the curious eyes of Neville Longbottom.
Harry's face quickly adopted the blank mask, he had often adopted while face with someone new or in unusual situation. He could almost hear Walburga reprimanding him, for his behavior. Unbecoming of a pureblood indeed!
He walked swiftly towards him, and Neville raised his bed sheets over his chest hoping to hide in them. Harry rolled his eyes. Was he that fearful? It almost amused him.
Harry eyed him carefully. His arm had a slave applied which glistened against light. Harry sniffed the air and it reminded him of milk and rotten eggs. Wordlessly, he placed the crystal white ball near his bed and walked away. He wondered at this newfound desire to apologize.
'Damn it!' Harry cussed at his passed.
"T-Thank y-you."
Harry froze. No one had ever thanked him for anything. Eventually, he had just shrugged off. Being called 'Worthless Freak' had that effect on him.
Now, after Walburga had practically raised him for a year, Harry felt some self-worth. He was something, and he liked that feeling. But the years of past didn't get away by that one year he had devoted cultivating some self image. The past influences outweighed the present state, he had developed. He really needed to get out of here and clear his head.
"I'm not doing this out of goodness of my heart Longbottom!" It came out more as a grimace than a sneer. His heart wasn't in it. Harry left promptly out of the wing to avoid any further 'strange' outbursts. He really needed to sleep and get all the disturbance out of his mind.
Draco, Blaise, Theodore and other Slytherin were patiently waiting in the common room awaiting the verdict of Harry Potter.
"How much trouble do you think he'll be in?" Theodore asked, breaking the silence. Pansy, faced away from them was gloating on the whole scene. She did warn them to stay away from the Potter but they didn't listen! And now, they all were in trouble.
"He can't be expelled, can he?" Daphne said, butting in the conversation.
"He should be!" Pansy spoke before she could stop herself.
"Nah! He won't be." Draco said, after giving Pansy a disturbed look. "We too were in the air, remember?"
"Of course, he won't be expelled. They'd have to expel us too!" Blaise said, confidently.
"Impossible for us to get expelled. My father…"
The common room's door swung open to reveal a solemn faced Harry Potter.
"So…?" Draco said, anxiously. All heads craned for an answer.
"Nothing… Just a detention for a week." Draco and Blaise exhaled the air they didn't know they were holding.
"Hope you didn't loose any house points Potter!" Sneered, Pansy Parkinson.
"I didn't Parkinson." Harry said calmly and walked towards the dormitory.
"What's bothering you, Master." Frost said when she appeared immediately on his arm.
"The past, Frost. Nothing more." Harry said sadly. Harry wondered if Occlumency would help in shoving away the past. He needed it now, more than ever. He didn't want to pour his heart out on somebody or need their pity or... love. That was just gross. Yes, Harry didn't even fathom the idea of that ever happening. Also, he didn't want to burden Frost of his past memories. That would just agitate her further and she would be out seeking revenge.
No, Harry did what he could in this circumstance-hide in shadows, like he often when concealing his hurt. He didn't know what was about the shadows that seem to comfort him. He liked to think that shadows as a blanket, where he could hide away from the world. His only comfort was the snake which was looking at him curiously.
A/N: Leave a review. It takes only a moment and helps me to write better.
