Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Despite what this chapter may imply. I do own a lot of souvenirs, though!
AN: Again, this is normally the part where I thank the amazing GetWithIt for being such a blessing. However, this chapter has yet been looked over. (Still a blessing, though!) So, please keep in mind that it's scheduled to have some changes.
I just figured you guys would like to be able to read a small snippet from our neighborhood Boy-Who-Lived.
wolfzero7: Honestly, without trying to give too much away, probably a lot. Expect some identity issues, haha.
Eliana34: Bear with me because my French is not good. Sans trop en dévoiler, quelque chose qui lui est arrivé à lui faire oublier. Elle ne se rappelle certaines parties, mais plus elle vit sa vie comme une "sorcière" plus elle oublie qu'elle était une "moldu".
Guest: Okay! Haha. Hope this chapter's good for you, too!
Harry I
Friday, December 21st
I never liked Christmas, not really. I never had anything to look forward to. At Hogwarts, things were different. One day, it was cold and wet, but manageable. The next day, my new home found itself covered in several feet of snow. The lake froze solid. I know this especially because my bed has a window right next to it that looks right out into the lake.
Imagine that. A few months ago, I wouldn't have thought that such a thing was possible. It's still so hard to wrap my mind around the fact that I'm at a wizarding school. Even months later, after piles of homework and 'extra-reading projects' that the twins 'innocently' got me into, and I can hardly believe it. There are owls that are battling their way through stormy skies to deliver mail. Of course, Hagrid takes care of them before they go off again.
I like Hagrid. I know that Draco and Thea both turn up their noses whenever I bring up going to visit him. I get that they're high maintenance. Ron's told me so a couple of times, between warnings that they're evil and going to corrupt me. Neville's pretty good about defending them without me having to jump in too much, but it does get annoying. I've been told that I'm supposed to be a Gryffindor. That's why everyone still looks at me oddly - they're expecting me to be evil and to push down Hufflepuffs or something to make myself look tougher. Blaise told me that.
Then, he told me that he wanted to see if a friendship with a Hufflepuff wouldn't produce the "most frightening partnership in the world, Potter. Think about it - our ambition and their hard work. We'd be unstoppable."
Dorothea told him to shut up and focus on our homework, but the look in her eye made him smirk smugly.
Everyone in the common room has been talking about how excited they are for Yuletide to come. Parkinson's family, apparently, is in charge of the festivities this year. The older kids are a bit annoyed that she's been "going around the common room telling people what to wear like she's the bloody Queen", according to Daphne. All the blokes I know are excited to meet her older brother and have been bugging the twins for information about him. Apparently, he's a bit of a legend. I haven't completely figured out, but I think almost everyone is going. I know the twins are, as are Draco, Neville, Crabbe, and Goyle. Blaise would be going, but he's going on vacation to Italy and "No, Parkinson, I'm not going to be back in time. Quit nagging."
I'm staying at Hogwarts. There's no way I'm going back to the Dursleys. I'd rather have a common room and a dorm room to myself than go back. Besides, Ron is staying. I won't completely be alone. We can hang out in one of the empty classrooms the twin's secured for private use this year and play chess or something. Ron's crazy good at is, but so is Draco. I keep trying to get the two of them to play against each other - to see which one is the best. Neither of them want anything to do with the other, and Thea says the only reason they tolerate each other's presence at all is because I'm their friend.
Not that she particularly likes Ron, either. He spilled pumpkin juice on the sleeve of her robes once and still hasn't apologized, so she's holding a bit of a grudge. Blaise says that Ron's "an imbecile when it comes to mannerisms, but he's not a complete waste. There's potential."
Daphne likes to think that Blaise is planning to take over the world or something with the way he's been 'collecting' people.
Professor Snape came around last Monday to take names for who would be staying for the holidays. I was the first, and only, Slytherin first year to do so. There's two fourth years, a fifth year, and three seventh years that are staying. I overheard Draco whispering to Blaise and Thea that these were prominent half-bloods and "muggleborns" that were doing well, but that Parkinson's family was too "above" inviting. They nodded like it was a known fact and continued on a larger topic as if there was nothing to it.
"You're staying, then?" Thea prods at me after Potions, frowning. "I could owl Father and ask for permission for you to come, if you'd like."
"You'd have to get Theo to ask for you." Blaise snorts, shaking his head.
She shrugs her shoulder, but keeps her eyes trailed to my face. It's nice that she looks after me, but sometimes I feel like she's waiting for me to get myself into some sort of mess. Then, she gets disappointed when I don't get in trouble for anything. Professor Snape leaves me alone now in classes, now that I've partnered up with Draco. It's always a race to see who has the best potion - me and Draco, Thea and Blaise, or Neville and Granger. It used to be pretty clear who it was, but Granger has been trying harder in class to make up for the years of extra education my fellow Slytherin got.
I just kinda let Draco do whatever he wants. It's easier that way, and I don't have to hear him complain as much.
"I'll be fine." I promise her for the upteenth time. She doesn't look happy with my response, but she nods stiffly and takes it just like that. We're heading up to the library. If I had to be honest, I'd say we spend too much time there. Thea and Blaise like to take in every single fact, let alone how frantic the group seems to get when the twins are together.
I wasn't going to say anything, especially because I know it bugs them when it's brought up, but it's almost like they can talk to each other without actually looking or saying anything to the other. They just know. One time, Theo held his hand out, and Thea handed him a book all distracted. He just flipped to a certain page and started reading.
"Hi, Hagrid, want any help?" We're about to turn up to go up the staircase when I hear Ron. It's hard not to - he has the kind of voice that carries.
Draco opens his mouth to say something cutting, but Blaise elbows him with a dirty look. "Reign it in, Draco."
Thea and Daphne, who I didn't see walk with us, both give him dubious looks. By some miracle, the blonde manages to keep his tongue. He just looks pained to do it.
"Alright, Hagrid?" I call, smiling brightly and moving to stand closer to the tall man. "We don't mind helping."
"Nah. I'm all right." He grins at us, though. "Nice to see you gettin' along."
"It is nearly Christmas." Ron says very matter-of-factly.
"Tell yeh what." Hagrid nods. "Come with me an' see the Great Hall, looks a treat."
"Perhaps some other time." Thea cuts in with a chilly, polite smile. "We're off to the library to start on our homework. But, you're welcome to come along later, Harry. You already know where we'll be."
"Sure." I say, eager to look at the hall. "I'll catch you later then, yeah?"
Dorothea and Daphne link arms and walk away, whispering to each other and shaking their heads. They don't bother to look back down towards us. Draco and Blaise don't look remotely thrilled to be staying, either, and, after a second, Blaise turns and trails after the girls with an apologetic grin. Draco sticks around, but it looks like he sucked on a bad lemon.
I think the Great Hall looks amazing. There are more than a dozen Christmas trees towering around the corners of the room. Some of them had tiny icicles hanging from the branches, and the ones that didn't had the glitterings of hundreds of candles.
"How many days you got left until yer holidays?" Hagrid asks nicely.
Draco looks worse at the thought.
"One." I answer when neither of the other two do.
"An' they in the library?" He shakes his head. "Bit keen, aren't they?"
"Oh, they're not really doing homework." I lean forward a little, trying not to laugh. "The twin's have got it in their head that there's something worth protecting on the third floor."
Ron rolls his eyes with me, and actually does start laughing along with me.
"How do yeh know about teh stone?"
He has this attempt to distract us that almost worked. Ron falls for it, and I find myself doing the same. Instead, he starts trying to ask questions about Christmas. Only, that "look" never leaves Draco's face. He's calculating something, trying to place something he's heard.
He spills it to the twins the moment he sees them.
"It can't-"
"Surely, they wouldn't-"
"They aren't supposed-"
"At what-"
Then, they stop talking and start making a lot of angry gestures. Theo's eyes narrow. The next second, he's sneering and throwing his hands up in the air.
"Fine, Dorothea." He sits back down in the chair and crosses his arms, lips pressed into a thin line. "Do whatever you'd like. You always do."
She tsks under her breath and shakes her head, not sitting down. "That's not fair, Theodore."
"Will you both quit?" Draco rolls his eyes. "Enough twin drama."
They both give him long, sharp eyes. It's really hard not to be creeped out. I know they're twins. I see them every day, but they've never looked more like each other than in that moment.
"Skáse." Thea hisses. "Af̱tó den sas aforoún."
"Oh, I disagree." Her brother says immediately. "I think it involves all of them."
It's the most unimpressed I've ever seen her. "I'm not going to do anything."
"Sure." He says unbelievingly. "Listen - Dorothea thinks it's the Philosopher's Stone, too. It's got to be some sort of bait. That's why there's a cerberus on the third floor, why Professor Snape was especially angry that week, and why the troll suddenly went missing, despite no one seeing it being taken out of the castle. The professors must have come up with some sort of protections."
He shuts up and looks around, waiting for someone to do something.
"And?" Daphne gives in finally, flatly.
"Erm." I start, slowly. "This is going to sou-"
"The philosopher's stone is a legendary stone, Potter." Blaise starts in. "It's supposed to be capable of turning metals into gold and it gives the owner the elixir of life. Whoever has the stone will never die. The only one in existence belongs to Nicholas Flamel. That's why it doesn't make sense that it's here, Nott."
He's directing his gaze at Thea.
"Oh, I think it's a false stone. There's no way Flamel would be stupid enough to leave such a valuable artifact here." She states. "I also think we have better things to be focusing on than this. We don't have enough information - Theodore - and it doesn't do us any good to be going out on limbs. Also, what are we supposed to do about it if we do? Get the stone ourselves?"
"Why not?" Draco grinned. "Why couldn't we?"
"Because you're not rich enough, Malfoy." She slaps her hand down on the table. "We don't need it. We don't even know if it's really here."
"So, why wouldn't we go see? You know how to get past a cerberus." Her twin says back just as hotly. "You know you're curious."
"Curiosity killed the cat, Theodore."
"Meow." The look on his face is so deadpan that Thea's immediately flushes.
She doesn't stay a second longer, stuffing her books into her bookbag and gritting her teeth together. "If you idiots want to go through with that, fine. Be my guest. I'm not going to risk my life for a curiosity. If you'll excuse me, I'd rather listen to Parkinson complain about the stupid ball than any of this nonsense."
Daphne scrambles after us, but the rest of us stay here. Theo's face is passive only until she leaves, and then he massages his head.
"Sometimes, she just makes me want to hex her." He says slowly before grinning at us. "So, what do you think, gentlemen?"
"I think you're bonkers, and that you know better than to fight with your sister." Blaise says immediately.
I agree with him completely. I've never had the...chance to see Dorothea Nott really angry, but I know that it's not supposed to be a good thing. Besides, I'm a little confused about it. It's not very well known - because, after all, we're only first years - but Thea and Theo were said never to seriously fight. There were always a couple of playful arguments that normally had to do with academic work where they disagreed, but never I'm-leaving-because-you're-being-a-prat.
"She'll be fine. Think about it. There's got to be something worth getting down there." He waves her off, turning towards me with raised eyebrows and a grin. "Didn't you say the hat almost wanted to put you in Gryffindor? Think of this as an adventure."
"You want us to die." Blaise shakes his head.
"If we were to go with you, and I'm not saying we should," Draco says slowly, face schememing. "We'd have to come up with some sort of plan."
"Right." I agree. "Hope for the best, and prepare for the worst. But, also, I resent that you'd say that. I'm very much a Slytherin, thanks."
"Sure, sure." He shrugs. "I'm as much a Slytherin as you are a Gryffindor, so. You know. If it makes you feel better, we'll even somehow rope in the girls...And your Gryffs."
He waits for us to say something. Both my companions seem to weigh all of this together before nodding.
"Fine. We'll use the holiday to come up with some sort of plan. We'll be busy most of the time. Potter - do you think you and Weasel would be able to figure out way to beat a mountain troll that doesn't involve any of us being crushed?"
"Don't call him that, Malfoy." I sigh, but nod my head.
Great. More homework. I just hope Thea and Daphne aren't mad at me so that I can owl them with questions.
AN: And, here's another chapter for you guys. Let me know if you'd like to have some more chapter's from the point of view of others. It was kinda fun to step out of Thea and Theo's perspective. Just remember that most of it will be from the twin's point of views. (Also, let me tell you that I very much pictured and wrote the scene for the twin's fight, haha.
Skáse - Shut up.
Af̱tó den sas aforoún. - This doesn't involve you