A simple question

Chapter one

Sometimes the smallest thing can have the biggest change. It's not something that's always noticed right away, normally one only really catches it in hindsight. Often it's a combination of a few small things that gradually lead to something bigger. Like pushing a pebble down a cliff and it knocks a rock, then another, and eventually you've caused a rock slide. In this case it started with a simple question..

" 'ave you finished wiz ze bouillabaisse?" The question came from a voice Harry didn't recognize over his shoulder. It was almost musical, a light French accent with something warm almost compelling with it. Almost compelling but not quite.

Harry looked up from his food seeing Ron's face go slack and Hermione's brow deepen into a scowl. Sliding the only bowl of food he didn't know the name of towards the voice Harry spoke in a soft voice, "yeah, here you go." the bouillabaisse was picked up and a quick "merci'' was said before the girl left. Little did either know that the simple question was the first pebble, the beginning to something special.

MA

"Zey are saying zat zis leetle boy is going to compete!"

It was only with those words Harry realized she had spoken to him before, now he had a face to match the voice who asked for the bouillabaisse.

Fleur Delacour, that was her name. Tall, thin, beautifully pale with silvery blond hair, she was almost glowing to harry. However, beauty aside, she did just insult him, so his opinion of her fell quite a bit.

The rest of the evening just kept going down hill, life didn't take its time when Harry was involved.

First his name came from the goblet of fire, then being called a little boy and being grilled by the school staff if he had entered his name on his own. Followed by being insulted by Snape in front of them and having no one stand up for himself. Finally after all that when Harry got back to his common room it was erie quiet as gryffindor house sat all around, hateful and jealous eyes staring at him as the portrait door closed behind with a click.

Ron was the first to approach "Harry mate, how did you do it?" Much more of a demand than a question.

"I didn't put my name.." but before he could finish Harry was cut off

"Common you can tell your best friend"

"Ron, I didn't.."

"Fine keep your secrets!" Ron folded his arm over his chest and turned away, clearly not going to listen having already made up his mind.

Harry stepped forward into the common room and wanted to wither and disappear. It was obvious that Ron wasn't alone in his anger or opinion. Harsh silence and angry stares met him by all. The older years angry that Harry was chosen and not them and the younger ones staring at him for taking all the attention once again.

"Bastard"

"Glory hound"

"Attention seeking"

"Liar"

"Cheater"

It started as whispers but soon gained volume, harsh whispers soon turned into frenzied shouts as Harry tried his best to make it to the stairs. Old teammates and other housemates alike shouting and demanding how he put his name in the cup.

"I swear.. I didn't.. No it wasn't" but Harry couldn't even get a couple words out before someone would cut him off with another accusation. Looking around for the rest of his friends and spotting them nearby at a table Hermione had a thick tome in front of her but wasn't reading and instead looking at Harry and scowling. Neville sitting beside her wouldn't look Harry in the eye instead preferring to look at his lap. Fred and Gorge had serious faces, but looking closely had small smirks threatening to break out. As one both of the girlfriends placed hands on their shoulders and the trace of smirks vanished.

Does this mean they were on his side? Maybe they couldn't show it because of Angelina and Alicia? Or did Harry just imagine the smirks?

To many questions and no clear answers.

Taking a calming breath and stepping towards his friend "Hermione?.. You.. you believe me right?"

A silence followed the question for a moment before a soft reply came "I need time to think about it. I'm not sure what to think" for a moment there was no sound before the thump of her heavy tome closing, the chair scraping back on the floor before soft footsteps heading towards the stairs of the dorms.

Hot tears built up behind Harry's eyes and threatened to fall and before they could Harry took off towards his own dorm intending to hide away behind the curtains of his bed before the tears could spill fourth.

MA

Over the next couple days none of Harry's friends hadn't spoken to him, instead they chose to keep their distance. On the other hand the rest of the school had no issues speaking their words of hate and accusations.

It was dinner in the great hall, Harry was sitting alone, all of his housemates refused to be close to him unless it was to say or do something less than friendly.

"Do you like them scarhead?" Malfoy asked, stepping up to him with a group of slytherin in tow. The usual group Crabb, Goyal, Nott, Zabini, Parkinson, Bulstrode, All with their own smirks like someone just told an inside joke. Yellow and black circular badges pinned to their robes.

Malfoy pressed the badge on his robes forward reading it out loud as he did "support Cedric Diggory. Even though he's a hufflepuff he didn't cheat his way into the tournament so I've made these to help him. Want one?" Harry eyed it warily, Malfoy wouldn't just offer something like this to Harry without some extra reason. Before he could either accept or reject the offer Malfoy pressed his badge and the picture spun and changed into -Potter stinks- in a sickly green. The rest of the slytheins laughed and pressed theirs too making Potter stinks show up with the little spinning motion.

"Well at least I'll always know when to shower." sighing Harry got up from his half finished meal looking at the head table and seeing that professor McGonagall had a frown, almost like she wanted to do McGonagall looked at Dumbledore but he shook his head. At that moment Harry felt a heated rage spark with him inside.

He's letting it happen! Dumbledor isn't allowing the other staff to do anything! Then I'm on my own. Nobody is in my corner, at least during the heir of Slytherin I had Ron and Hermione. Fine! I'll make do..

Harry pushed past the slytherins one shoving him from behind as he did. He gave one last look in the head table before walking out the doors going to his dorm.

MA

Between classes the other students had taken to doing everything they could to show what they thought of Harry's name coming out of the goblet of fire. At first it was just the taunts, name calling, and mostly harmless pranks like spelling his clothes different colors or causing Harry's ink bottles to open in his bag ruining his work. The pranks grew exponentially into more malicious and harmful acts. Tripping jinxes, stinging hexes cutting curses made to rip clothes.

At first it was only the odd student per group and the rest would watch but the more days passed the braver the rest of the students would get until almost everyone would say or cast something at Harry. The older years were the worst with their greater knowledge and more experience with magic. Spells Harry had never seen before and didn't know the counter measures causing more than one trip to Madame Pomfrey in need of help.

One really bad incident caused Harry to start carrying his fathers cloak and the marauders map at all times in order to avoid everyone between classes. Someone cast something to tie Harry's legs together as he was heading down stairs towards the great hall, he managed to reach out and catch the railing but before he could think to remove it or even look at his attackers everything happened too fast.

"Hurry up potter, don't block the path" a foot slamming into the center of Harry's back, the rush of air as he plummeted down the stairs bouncing off them as he went before the sudden stop at the bottom.

Flashes of living with the Dursleys flew through Harry's mind. Punches, kicks, screams, beatings, frying pans, knives, belts, Dudley and his gang. The bruises, scabs, broken bones, the hours of agony in his cupboard trying to heal before it all started again once morning came.

Grabbing those memories and stuffing them deep in the confines of his mind one thought came to mind.

I wont show any pain! The Dursley's no longer get a reaction and these people will have to do a lot more than this to get one.

"Champion yeah right! Potter can't even get down some stairs without hurting himself."

A group of laughter followed that statement but Harry knew that voice. Looking up from his position on the ground he saw Marcus Flint the slytherin quidditch captain. Standing with him and laughing at the statement were most of the other slytherin players and upper years.

Taking a quick inventory of his own condition Harry stood up albeit shaky from the pain.

Pain he was very familiar with came from his left arm and some ribs on his right side.

Broken then, he thought pulling his wand out and holding it defensively in his right hand.

None of the slytherins made any indication they were going to do more and after a moment Harry turned to start on the next flight of stairs intending to find some unused classroom to see how badly he was hurt. Harry got two steps down the stairs when over his shoulder he heard "Depulso!" shouted from Flint.

In the half second before the spell hit Harry all he could think was Banishing charm!

The charm hit in the same spot he was kicked earlier but the force of this was easily ten times harder. Instead of being shoved this time he was thrown. All Harry could do while flying through the air towards the ground floor was a simple Damn. Don't turn away next time.

*crunch* and harry knew no more as his world went black.