Author's Note: First, thanks for reading! Second, this chapter is his first day of classes and an opportunity to explain some things to Cedric.

Let me know what you think. I love reviews, especially the ones that provide helpful critiques :)

Standard disclaimer about not owning anything! JK I love you.

Kaa woke Harry up the next day just in time for breakfast; it was a little later than usual but with all the recent events the snake thought Harry could use a little bit of a lie in. Which was just what he needed.

After finally waking up, Harry did need to go through his morning routine a bit quicker to make it out on time. But as Harry was heading out to the bathroom he was surprised to find two folded sheets of parchment that had been stuffed under his door.

Harry,

I just wanted you to know that I'm here if you ever want to talk about anything – us Puffs have to support one another, right? Anyways, I never got the chance to tell you at the Welcoming Feast that our parents used to know each other. My parents were Aurors and worked with your dad. My Gran says that we used to play together once or twice when we were very little. The other first years seem nice and we all have your back.

Hope to see you at classes today,

Neville Longbottom

Harry was honestly surprised: that must have taken a lot for Neville, considering how shy he had seemed at the Welcoming Feast. A smile appeared on Harry's face thinking that it might not be as difficult for him to show his face during his first day of classes as he had previously thought. If Neville had the courage to reach out to him, Harry would find it in him to show his face. He quickly checked the time and saw that breakfast would be starting soon and he pocketed Neville's missive and started with the second piece of parchment.

Harry,

I don't really know what to say. I don't want to pry but just want to make sure you are okay after everything. I'm here if you just need someone to talk to or hang out with to get your mind off of everything. I enjoyed our day together and hope that it was able to get your mind off of things somewhat.

Cedric

Harry was blushing stupidly. He couldn't deny that he had enjoyed himself immensely despite the serious matters of the previous day. Cedric had that air about him, and it was more than just because Harry found the other boy attractive. Even though Harry was more advanced than others his age, he was still eleven and his view of Cedric was more centered on Harry's hope that he would one day grow to be a similar person as the other boy.

But that was only a small part of Harry's growing infatuation with him, the main thing that drew Harry in was just how comfortable spending the day with him had been. Despite his worry and doubt at what Pettigrew's name on the map would mean, Cedric had been able to calm Harry's nerves and take his mind off of things. And then there was still the unexplained feeling that was produced when their hands met. At the very least, Harry hoped that Cedric would turn into a great friend, for he seemed very genuine and easy-going.

Perhaps he had made the right choice with Hufflepuff after all.

With the letter out of the way, Harry finished his readying himself in the bathroom and then headed down to the Great Hall.

Breakfast went by in a blur; the beginning of term thankfully took away most of what impact Rita's article had on the student populace. Whatever curiosity regarding the Boy Who Lived remained was quickly absorbed by rumors that Pettigrew had belonged to the Weasley family. Which meant that very few people paid Harry any more attention than his title of the Boy Who Lived would have otherwise dictated that he received.

However, Harry did the get the distinct impression that sooner or later people would become interested in how he was taking it after the immediate excitement and novelty of it all wore off.

While Harry was finishing his plate of food before him he did managed to catch Cedric's eyes and smiled appreciatively to acknowledge the letter. Cedric tipped his head and Harry made a mental note to at some point take the other boy up on his offer, only he did want to get settled in and into the routine of his new classes and subject material.

Towards the end of the meal, a nervous chatter became the predominant sound as most of the first years, regardless of house, picked absentmindedly at their remaining food. Many of them had not been able to eat as much as they were used to, which only elicited some helpful feedback from the upper years.

"Magic takes energy and you all better eat up to have the strength that your body will need as it adjusts to casting Magic for the first time," a fifth-year Hufflepuff Prefect said to them.

Harry whispered in Neville's ear that it was the truth and soon the majority of the on-edge first years took to their plates with renewed vigor with their remaining time left.

Now that the meal was almost over, Harry turned his thoughts towards the day ahead.

Each day had three class periods in the morning followed by lunch and then four more class periods to finish the day. On this particular day, Harry would start his Hogwarts education with a double block of Potions, which meant that he would be in the dungeon for a little over two hours. Every class was an hour long and there was a fifteen-minute break that allowed students to traverse the sizeable castle to arrive at their next destination.

With that in mind, Harry began to gather his belongings to leave when he caught Remus' glance and saw that his guardian wanted to see him before classes began. Harry waved off Neville and told him to save him a seat and hurried over to Remus as the Great Hall emptied and both students and faculty headed to their first class.

"Excited for your first day of classes?" Remus asked while leading Harry to an abandoned classroom so they wouldn't be disturbed.

"Yeah, I am looking forward to Potions and Transfiguration today. Based on what I have read so far, I also think that Charms and your class will be among my favorites. The books certainly had the most interesting discussions on magic and I am looking forward to learning more of the practical side."

Harry was finding it quite hard to contain his excitement – he was enthralled by studying magic and couldn't wait to absorb it all. The time spent in Grimmauld Place, and actually casting for the first time, was something that he would never forget; it truly was this incredible feeling when magic went through him and he kept being surprised by all that magic could do.

He was also looking forward to classes as a way to get his mind of off other things.

Therefore, it was possible that Harry was slightly overenthusiastic about the upcoming term to compensate for recent events but he really was looking forward to classes; he just loved to learn.

Remus smiled at him, happy that he seemed genuinely happy and excited – which was rare for Harry since he always seemed to be dealing with something. He hated that he had to bring this up but at least it wasn't completely bad news.

"But that's not really why you pulled me aside, is it?"

Harry asked and decided to be blunt again if it got this conversation over with. He assumed Remus didn't want to give him bad news but he had to think that if it was that bad then Remus wouldn't do it right before classes. Harry couldn't see Remus doing that.

Remus had been doing his best at breakfast to project a normal countenance but Harry had seen enough small things to know his mind was preoccupied; it didn't take a genius to discover what was the most likely cause of his musings. Harry's heart had started to speed up and even though he didn't know the man, he hoped that he hadn't suffered too much – though he could only imagine what Sirius was like after being alone for ten years. What would anyone be like after ten years in that place?

"No, I'm afraid not, Harry. Though, it isn't all bad news. Sirius was much better than anyone thought that he would be. Physically, he is in rough shape, but he is lucid and that is more than we could have hoped for at this point. Also, he seemed more or less together last night though understandably not in the best of shape. The healer's first impression of the situation is that there is hope for a full recovery but in all likelihood it will probably be at least a year before he returns to any sense of normalcy. I was expecting to hear much, much worse."

Remus was torn; on the one hand, it had been great having Sirius exceed everyone's expectation, but the reality of the situation was quite painful. His friend had been left to rot without ever receiving a trial and Remus felt guilty for not giving his friend the benefit of the doubt. He should have known that Sirius would never have betrayed James or Lily; however, they were living in a very uncertain time and even though the Dark Lord was gone, they still had to deal with some of his followers and they terror they were causing.

What happened to Frank and Alice Longbottom had unsettled a lot of people in the days following He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's downfall. It had taken a while to ameliorate people's fears after having their newfound sense of security and safety taken away so suddenly and dramatically. No one wanted their family to suffer the same fate as the Potters or the Longbottoms.

Remus had more to share with Harry of a more positive nature.

"Sirius did manage to communicate a few things with me; namely, he had spent most of his time in Azkaban in his animagus form. Apparently, he discovered that dementors have a reduced effect on animals compared with humans because of the different emotional complexities – at least that is what he assumed. The other reason he suspected that he had kept most of his mind intact was that the first thought he had upon waking and going to sleep and always the predominate thought in his head was that he was innocent. The dementors couldn't take that away because it wasn't a happy thought and so never got to suck all of the happiness and good times from him. His realization of being innocent and losing some of the people that he loved most probably helped to shield his mind from constant attack."

Remus knew that it was difficult to convey the concept that one's Godfather had been wrongfully imprisoned for ten years in solitary confinement in an unusual prison; however, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Thankfully, Harry was mature enough to recognize the subtle and overt hardships while knowing that there were some very real and key positive aspects to it as well.

If anything, the more that Harry thought about Dementors and the effect that they had on people, the more he wondered how humane the whole thing was. He suspected that most people were fine with the status quo as long as they didn't have to deal with it directly, at least that was what he had read and observed in the muggle world and didn't think the wizarding world would be immune from basic human nature.

"Do you think he will make it, Remus?" Harry asked, suddenly unwilling to continue his previous train of thought.

He didn't want to think about the negatives anymore; he couldn't. If there was a chance Sirius could come out of this then that was what he was going to focus on.

"I do, Harry. And we can help him with that. I'll see what I can do about visiting him in the evenings and on weekends and perhaps the Headmaster will even allow you to visit St. Mungo's – though we should hold off on that until things settle down. I just want you to concentrate on classes at the moment. I am worried that you are dealing with a lot. In fact, what would you think about seeing a mind healer yourself? It's the wizard equivalent of a therapist – just so you could have someone to talk to about things."

Remus didn't want Harry to think he was going crazy but he had to be the responsible adult in all of this and Harry's health and well-being came first.

Remus took a moment to let Harry process his last statement.

'Well that is convenient', Harry thought. 'Remus must be on the same page that I am.'

"I saw a mind healer for many years after losing your parents and being separated from you and all of my friends. I think it will be a good thing but I don't want to force this on you."

Remus knelt down to Harry's level to look Harry square in the eyes.

"I only want what is best for you," he emphasized before adding, "and it is completely confidential. They are unable to reveal your secrets by undertaking a magical vow."

Harry hung his head in this serious moment, talking over the implications with Kaa.

'Yes – I think that is a great idea, Harry,' his snake added almost immediately since he was aware of Harry's earlier thoughts and was delighted with this opportunity.

'You need to take care of yourself and work through what has happened now rather than later. Like with your Occlumency: do a little each day. With everything ahead of you, I think this would be very beneficial.'

Kaa was giving him the sage advice and encouragement that he needed because Harry was uneasy with letting someone he didn't know in on everything and considered it quite different from opening up to someone of his choosing, but he would defer to Remus and Kaa in this regard.

In the end, he knew that this was something that he was going to have to do and with Remus suggesting it, it would make it easier on him. How many eleven year olds willingly asked for therapy?

He shared his decision with Kaa who had slightly squeezed around his arm in a show of support and solidarity.

"Okay, Remus – I'll do it. I trust that if it helped you and if it helps Sirius, I should probably do it as well. Would it be possible to arrange it with the same person that you did it with?"

He trusted Remus and it made him feel better about the entire process knowing that Remus could personally vouch for this other person. It would take away some of his concern about opening up to a complete stranger.

"I'll make some calls, Harry – perhaps this weekend we can arrange a visit in St. Mungo's… Possibly see Sirius as well, depending on how he is doing, of course. It would do no good to introduce either of you until the other one is ready. Hopefully by then the shock of this all will have worn off and all of our heads will be in a better place."

He pulled Harry into a hug and tousled his hair in an endearing gesture before telling him he better get going to Potions; Snape wouldn't like it if he were late.

Harry turned to leave but stopped at the door and hesitated exiting before facing Remus again.

"Thanks for everything, Remus – you have no idea how much it means. I do hope that Sirius recovers and can take up his role as my Godfather but if for some reason that doesn't happen… well, I'm happy I have you. Godfather or not, I still would like you as my guardian."

He smiled, feeling slightly embarrassed but knowing that it was the truth and he wanted Remus to know how much he meant to him.

Remus was beyond touched with Harry's sincere proclamation.

"I would do anything for you Harry; you are my number one priority." Remus said softly while giving his own genuine and heart-felt smile.

Harry noticed that his eyes had started to tear up. Both their eyes had started to tear up in fact.

He nodded, unable to find words that would do a response justice, and left for the dungeons.

The only thought that he focused on during his walk to the underbelly of Hogwarts was how lucky he was to have Remus in his life. And he would have to trust his opinion with this particular mind healer. If he couldn't trust Remus, whom could he trust?

When he arrived to Potions, he quickly joined the empty seat next to Neville and very quickly his thoughts shifted to excitement about all they things that they would learn about in this classroom. Professor Snape soon gave a very dramatic entrance into the room with his silky black cape billowing behind him that stood still only when the Potions Master turned to face the class. A serious expression took over his features.

"Welcome to Potions. I will warn you right now that this will be a difficult class unless you put in the work. And anyone not paying attention will suffer the consequences because you could injure not only yourself but others as well."

It was a very serious and solemn start to their wizarding education but it needed to be given. Snape let those words sink in for a few seconds before continuing.

"Now, Potions is one of the oldest branches of magic. Our ancestors were mixing magical ingredients before waving wands around and what I can teach you here can be some of the most powerful magic that you will ever learn. This is a subtle art though and not everyone has the predisposition to understand the magical essence of different ingredients and the specific ways they can combine and augment the properties of others. At the worst, I expect an 'Acceptable' from everyone on their O.W.L.s, or Ordinary Wizarding Levels, at the end of fifth year, and will only take those with a serious aptitude and 'Outstanding' for years six and seven."

He needed to emphasize what was at stake and this is where he got his less-than-kind reputation: Snape expected hard work and did not tolerate laziness in his classroom. He was true to his word and was known to kick students out of his class, permanently.

Harry gave a slight nod to the professor when his name was called for attendance and he noticed that Snape acted very differently in front of the classroom, but he figured that his interactions with the man had been under very extenuating circumstances. He found Snape to be an amazing teacher who had a demonstrated mastery of the subject and had practically salivated at the thought of being under his tutelage for the next seven years.

Pairing up with Neville allowed Harry to calm the other boy's nerves, for it seemed that Neville that heard quite a few stories about Snape and he was terrified of the man. Harry attempted to allay his fears: he pointed out that Snape seemed dedicated to his craft and would brook nothing less than someone's best.

"As long as you put in the effort, you have nothing to fear," Harry then explained, relaying some of the advice Remus had given him as well as reiterating what Snape had told them in the beginning of class.

In the end, they had managed to turn in a very reasonable potion – one of two exceeds expectations awarded to their class. The other was awarded to a Ravenclaw pair that included a girl with brown hair that was slightly on the frizzy side but pulled into a passable ponytail. Harry understood what having untamed hair was like.

They were quickly introduced to each other, and he was looking forward to meeting this Hermione Granger in the library later in the week for a study group they had arranged on the spot, which Neville was also invited to. It turned out that Neville and Hermione had met on the train and she had helped him locate his wayward frog, Trevor.

At the end of class, Snape asked Harry to stay behind and Hermione and Neville said that they would wait for him outside since they all had Transfiguration next anyways.

"Harry," Snape began when they were the only ones in the room. He was now much friendlier and acted like he had when he was at Grimmauld Place.

"How is everything so far?"

"About fifty-fifty, to be honest, Sir. I feel like I'm fitting into my house and making some friends but I am a little shaky with this whole Pettigrew/Sirius thing… I am really looking forward to classes, though. I think it will be nice to get my mind focused on other things. Great lesson by the way."

"That is about what I expected to hear. Just know that my door is always open. It would seem you have your mother's talent and skill for the subject."

Harry nodded appreciatively. He still had to relay what his mum had asked of him, but now wasn't the time.

"Now, you better get going to your next class."

Harry moved towards the door.

"Oh, and by the way, great job today. Very few people manage an E on the first assignment."

A rare and small upturn of his lips indicated just how pleased Severus was that Harry had seemed to inherit some of his mother's knack for potion-making. Harry had made a very solid start in his opinion. It was getting easier and easier for him to disassociate the boy from James Potter and focus on the large part of Lily that Harry seemed to possess.

The trio had then walked to their next class together and Harry was pleased to see that Neville was starting to come out of his shell a little.

Harry was quite content to discover Transfiguration and was hooked instantly. It was another class that they had shared with the Ravenclaws and it had the added benefit of being taught by Minnie. Though Harry was repeating, 'Minerva, Minerva, Minerva,' over and over again in his mind so as not to mistakenly call her 'Minnie' in front of others.

"Good Morning, class," she welcomed them to her classroom and began instructing them on laws they needed to follow.

They were so important that she told them to write them down and write them as lines to be turned in next class. She was almost as severe as Severus but didn't have quite the menacing reputation that he did.

Harry had been quite impressed by how strict she was with the rules; he could see that it piqued not only his attention but those of several others as well. Most assumed that magic with a wand would be easy and not have many consequences for danger. She described just how serious this branch of magic was and how she had no reservations about asking those with a proclivity for joking around to leave her class until they had regained the proper attitude for serious learning.

Harry had to stifle a laugh, as her bun was as severe as he had ever seen it. The more he had seen Minerva in her element at Hogwarts, the more touched he had been that she had literally rushed to his house when they had been dealing with the Horcrux.

It also didn't hurt for endearing her to some of the students that she had followed up her serious spiel with a demonstration of epic proportions. Seeing someone transform into a cat and back and then proceed to transfigure animals out of desks and even works of art was more than enough to fully capture everyone's undivided attention. They couldn't wait to perform that, though she did remind them that not everyone could be an animagus and the spell work was N.E.W.T. level. They still thought it was wicked.

Their lesson for the day soon began in proper.

"The first bit of transfiguration that we are going to pursue is a basic changing of one substance into another. Each of you has a match and I would like to see you transfigure that into a needle with the incantation we have been practicing as well as the wand movement described in detail on the board… Remember that transfiguration is more than just following the proscribed movements and speaking out loud, you must use your mind to make the change as well."

She set them off to perform the task and Harry had taken a moment to see the majority of the class struggling and not knowing where to even begin. The only success he had even seen so far was that Hermione Granger had managed to turn her match silver.

Channeling the words from his mum, Harry concentrated more on envisioning the match turning into one of the needles that Petunia had been fond of using rather than on the mechanisms of the spell itself. He became so engrossed with imagining the wood turning into metal in his mind that he imagined what it would feel like to prick himself upon the needle.

To his amazement, the match transformed in front of him into the very needle he had been thinking about seconds before. Granted it was a very basic needle, but a needle nonetheless.

"Oh ho!" Minerva practically gushed. She was hovering over Harry's table with enthusiasm.

"Well done, Mr. Potter. Take five points to Hufflepuff for getting that on your first try. Do you feel up to trying to transfigure the needle back into a match? It is the same spell, now mind you, and the key is again visualization."

Others had stopped their own attempts to look in Harry's direction. Hermione had a determined and competitive look in her eyes.

Harry focused his mind again, but instead of visualizing the same exact match that he had transfigured the needle from he imagined a wooden match that was a miniature version of his holly wand. At once he felt the magic traveling through him and leaving the tip of his wand and kept his mind engrossed with this and only this task. The metal needle slowly changed into an exact replica of his wand, except that instead of a flat tip, there was the match head.

"Outstanding, Mr. Potter! Take ten points to Hufflepuff this time. Very few students manage this transformation on the first day, and I can count the number of pupils on one hand who managed to transform it back. Excellent work."

Her eyes were full of pride and he had to resist once again calling her Minnie. It just flowed off the tongue, and he was starting to regret, very slightly, finding out his dad had ever called her that. He knew it was only a matter of time before he slipped and uttered that in front of others. Part of him just wanted to get it over with.

Minerva had told him to see what else he could do and turned around to give assistance to other individuals.

"Harry!" Hermione practically whined as she went over to him. Neville was giving him a puppy dog look as well.

"How did you do that? I am concentrating on the spell and I'm sure I am performing the wand movements perfectly, as demonstrated in the text and on the board. What am I missing?"

Harry would soon learn that once Hermione had set her mind to accomplish something, she wouldn't stop until she had achieved it satisfactorily. Which to her meant perfectly - but that was a minor detail.

"Hermione," he started, knowing that Neville was listening intently as well,

"The key to this is your mind as Professor McGonagall told us – but you have to have a clear picture in your mind of what you want it to transform into. You have to give the spell intent, a purpose if you will. Your magic gives the spell life and you have to ignite that spark with your will. If the magic doesn't have a clear form to take, the spell will never work properly."

By the end of the class, both Neville and Hermione had achieved different degrees of success with the spell and Minerva was quite pleased with the progress.

At the end of the lesson, Minnie also called upon Harry to remain and told him how proud she was of him before making sure that he was coping with the events of the previous day. Afterwards, she sent him on his way and Harry rejoined Hermione and Neville who were again waiting for him in the hallway.

The rest of the week passed in the same manner. He was correct with his initial assessment of Charms and DADA being among his favorite classes. Professor Flitwick was one of the more entertaining personalities he had ever encountered, and Harry had immensely enjoyed his first lecture.

They had started with the theory of what made a charm different from a transfiguration or a curse. Charms were characterized by infusing a small amount of your essence temporarily into something else to give it another quality that was determined by the incantation and the belief you had in it. Initially, Charms was seen as a favorite to most students because it was the easiest branch to start with; however, the more advanced the charms became, the more difficult it was to power them and few ever possessed the right qualities needed in becoming a Master of Charms. Some of the most sophisticated and detailed Magic was the higher-level Charms. Harry sincerely hoped that he would do his mum proud and was dedicated to trying as hard as he could.

He thought it would be weird having Remus as a teacher, but he was so easy-going and likeable that it never really became an issue. Remus was one of the most popular teachers because he had this way of teaching that made the learning process fun and not really feel like work. DADA combined elements of the other branches of magic and started with developing problem solving skills since the students needed to have a basic grasp of their other classes before they could start studying practical applications in earnest.

While he saw the point to Herbology and liked tending to a garden in general, he saw it mostly as an offshoot of potions and not distinct enough. Something with which Neville disagreed with him on. He enjoyed it, certainly, but it wasn't something that excited him as much as some of the other classes. In a way, he found the time that he spent in class relaxing as he just enjoyed getting his hands dirty. It was therapeutic to him.

He didn't really like History of Magic and neither did anyone else. It was dreadfully boring and that ghost just droned on in that monotonous voice that would put the entire class to sleep.

Astronomy was perplexing because it was so far behind what the muggles had done that most muggle-borns were left bewildered but had no trouble with the class. Wizards seemed to be more concerned with what the state of the planets and constellations meant for life on earth and how it would affect their lives. They really didn't care, or believe, that muggles had been to the moon. What would be the point? Harry, and the majority of the school, didn't really care for the subject and it was quite difficult being up that late.

And before he knew it, the weekend arrived. Over the course of the first week, his budding friendship with Neville and Hermione had continued to grow and they were fast becoming inseparable.

With the weekend's arrival, however, also brought Harry the time that he needed to catch up with Cedric.

During the week he had been debating what to share with Cedric. He knew that Cedric would have questions about how Harry had known that Pettigrew was in the castle, but Harry didn't know how honest he could be with the other boy. It wasn't like he wanted everyone to know about his map. Though, Cedric had been more privy to certain elements of the story and Harry thought it likely that he would soon put the dots together with the piece of parchment that he had showed Remus that first night in the castle.

Ultimately, Harry had decided to follow his heart and trust in the connection he had felt when their hands had touched, much the same way he had been directed to Kaa and Hedwig. He didn't even have to think about adding them into his life and had accepted it because it just felt right.

After that was decided, Harry just had to wait to catch Cedric alone. The map was put to good use as Harry waited until the commotion in the common room had died down before going and visiting Cedric. He decided that he would bring Cedric to his room - he didn't want everyone to know that he had the map or overhear their conversation.

Cedric was sitting in the corner of the room reading one his class books when Harry suddenly appeared next to him, startling him slightly.

"Hey Cedric," Harry spoke nonchalantly while removing his cloak as if appearing out of nowhere.

"Harry!" Was all Cedric could get out while grasping his chest.

"Oh, sorry – I can be really quiet when I want to be." He probably should have not risked the cloak but a part of him just couldn't resist seeing if he could pull it off.

"Want to go to my room?"

"Okay, let me just get my stuff," He replied, putting his book in his bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

They walked to Harry's room and he closed the door behind both him and Cedric, slightly nervous about how this little chat would go. He could only hope he was right to put his faith in him.

"So, I bet you are probably wondering how I knew Peter Pettigrew was here; I just ask that you keep this between us?"

He looked to Cedric hopefully, "am I wrong to trust you? I just feel that I can."

Cedric looked down at the ground. He couldn't explain it but he had been captivated by Harry Potter since he first had laid eyes on him at the feast; there was just something about him that drew him in.

And then there had been that handshake! What was that? He had felt this electric spark spread all throughout his body, and this connection to another person he had never felt before. It was like rediscovering something you had thought you had lost but at the same time was something that you never knew that you had ever possessed; it was familiar but also entirely new. He may not have known what this was that was going on between them and why he felt so comfortable with someone he had just met; however, he wasn't going to run away. Harry could trust him and he, in turn would trust Harry.

"I have been wondering about Pettigrew, Harry… I don't know why you want to but you can trust me. Though, I don't want to pry into your personal life."

Cedric had moved closer to Harry though there was enough distance to maintain a healthy personal space and was soon towering slightly over the younger wizard.

Harry had followed his approach and looked up into his gray eyes.

"You were there for me that day and didn't ask too many questions… and I really appreciated that. I don't know… I just feel comfortable around you and feel like I owe it to you to be honest."

"You don't owe me anything Harry." Cedric hesitated slightly, aware of just how awkward that sounded. It was like something greater than himself was compelling him to act.

"I just… I can't explain it, but I feel the need to protect you, if that makes any sense. Ever since we shook hands and I felt this shock run through me, I…"

Harry cut in at that.

"You felt that too?! It was like this feeling that was slightly overwhelming all of a sudden… but I felt safe, comforted. Is that weird?"

"I think this whole thing is weird, Harry. To be honest, I have no idea what is going on and it scares me a little. But I am not afraid of it; it's more unsettling because of the intensity. If anything, I feel this need to be like a big brother to you."

Harry was momentarily dejected on the inside. He didn't like hearing the words that Cedric felt brotherly towards him, but he was a little young for these kinds of feelings. He knew it had something to do with whatever it was that had passed between them, but was more than happy that Cedric considered him in a positive way at all.

Harry didn't know what to say so instead he retrieved the Marauder's Map and activated it and then proceeded to completely blow Cedric's mind with what the contents of the map showed.

"My dad made this with his friends when he was back in Hogwarts. It never lies and even shows some secret passages that we should check out sometime."

Harry paused and waited for Cedric to process the map and what it could do.

"This is how I knew. I saw Peter's name in Gryffindor tower and I went to Remus. Aside from being by guardian, he was good friends with my dad and helped make the map with him."

"Wow, Harry, I … I don't know what to say. This map is incredible on one hand, but on the other, to find out that way…"

He looked at Harry concernedly.

"My parents had left me letters detailing some of their final events, they told me that Peter was the Secret Keeper and I had shared that with Remus. But Sirius would still have been guilty of the other murders so the information really wouldn't have done anything. But after seeing Pettigrew's name… I knew that there was something off about everything. If he was alive, there was a chance that we didn't know everything about that day in the street."

Cedric had such emotion and concern in his eyes when he looked at Harry that his knees felt week because of the intensity. And he had only known Cedric for a week; it was frightening.

"It's okay, Cedric… I made peace with what happened that night." Harry spoke with a quiet conviction.

Cedric reached out and patted Harry's shoulder in solidarity and the same spark occurred, albeit less intense. Both of them felt it and locked eyes with each other.

At this point, Kaa just had to say something. He had been listening to their conversation and trying to discern as much as he could about this other boy that Harry was putting so much faith in, but that spark had been the last straw and he needed to know more.

'Harry, let me look into his eyes. I am fairly certain with my conclusion that he is trustworthy and would never betray you, but I need to look into his eyes to confirm it. I realize this will risk your ability but feel it prudent if you continue to reveal things to him, as I know you want to.'

'Are you sure, Kaa? … I suppose you are right… Do you think this is weird? Am I wrong to trust him… I need your input.'

'This is why I want to look in his eyes… I can't say this is weird because the feeling is very similar to the one I experienced with you before we bonded. I just felt something I couldn't explain and just went with it.'

Harry considered it for a moment and turned his attention back to Cedric.

"Cedric, I don't want you to freak out but I want to show you someone who is very dear and important to me… He is a snake… and he is bonded to me and won't hurt you. His name is Kaa and he just wants to look into your eyes."

Harry was trying to lessen the shock by speaking slowly and carefully.

Cedric looked at him questioningly while bringing one hand to rest on his hips while holding his chin contemplatively processing what Harry had just said. His grey eyes were looking over Harry, trying to think about where a snake could be hiding on him or somewhere else in the room.

"A snake… how do you know it wants to look into my eyes?"

Cedric wasn't that alarmed and the only emotion that Harry could detect was an honest curiosity.

"I'm a Parselmouth."

Cedric shook his head and snorted. He shouldn't have been surprised. This was Harry Potter and he had just been shown a map that could indicate where everyone was that was in the castle. Why wouldn't Harry have other abilities or fantastic possessions!

"All right," he said, allowing himself a moment to process all of this.

Harry nodded and Cedric removed his hands from his thinking pose and was led to sit on Harry's bed. They were sitting cross-legged on the bed, facing each other.

Kaa slithered out from Harry's left sleeve and coiled in the space between them on the bed.

Cedric's eyebrows rose slightly but he didn't seem to be too afraid; if anything his curiosity was building.

"He is very handsome, Harry… Can I have his permission to coil around his wrist and then if he would hold me up to his face – I promise not to hurt him."

Harry relayed the message to Cedric and said that when they were not attached they had to speak out loud, but when they were attached they could communicate telepathically. He briefly explained about their bond, and again, asked Cedric to keep this between them.

"Of course," Cedric nodded.

Cautiously, Cedric laid his right arm next to the snake, who slowly – so as not to alarm him – coiled around his wrist. Cedric felt a very faint sensation that reminded him of Harry's touch and lingered in place for a moment before gently raising his wrist to eye level to allow Kaa to gaze into his eyes. It was a very weird and peculiar image.

They stared at each other for quite some time. Kaa was almost as content on Cedric's arm as he was on Harry's – and he could only sense honesty and a building curiosity behind Cedric's gray orbs. He was searching for anything that would indicate him as a threat to his bonded but he couldn't detect anything nefarious. The more he was in contact with the other boy the more he wanted to trust him. He was beginning to see why Harry wanted to tell him everything and was even starting to agree.

Cedric had something that was very genuine and sincere about him that just made you feel good on the inside. Kaa could only hope it would serve Harry well in the future; he would need all the help he could get. Harry needed someone that was his age that he could trust.

Eventually, Kaa had asked Harry to tell Cedric that he wanted to be put down and slithered over to Harry to mentally share everything with him. Cedric was watching the silent exchange and was relieved when a smile appeared on Harry's lips and his eyes flickered to meet Cedric's. He relayed that Kaa had found him trustworthy and, again, Cedric said he would not share anything that Harry didn't want him too.

Satisfied with Kaa's assurances about making Cedric aware about some of Harry's secrets, the two young wizards spread out the map between them and spent the rest of the evening deciding on secret passages they would check out or places of the castle that Cedric hadn't known existed. They occasionally commented on people that they saw out and about and Cedric would add a detail or two about the people he knew.

They both blushed as they discovered the clandestine activities of some of Hogwarts older couples.

It was a very tired but happy Cedric that had left Harry's room later that night to head to his own. He hadn't been bothered by anything that Harry had revealed and was certainly looking forward to exploring the castle with him.

He may have been initially startled by finding out that the Boy Who Lived was a Parselmouth but it was evident after watching the interaction between Kaa and Harry that both were very loyal to the other. It was clear that they were a team and, deep down, Cedric was slightly jealous that he would never be able to have that level of closeness and complete understanding with someone. But he was happy for Harry, and if anyone deserved to be able to have a companion like that - it was Harry. Cedric could only hope that someday he would get a fraction of the intimacy that Harry had found.

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