Disclaimer: All characters, events, and references drawn from HP belong to J.K. Rowling, respectively, everything else is my own invention.
The Potter Timeline
Year 1 Episode 5 – What Friends are For
Harry threw on his shirt, tie, and robe as though he'd done it hundreds of times. He then attempted to comb his hair, though it seemed hopeless as his black locks were in frazzles from tossing and turning during the night. Gazing at himself in the mirror, Harry looked as though he had grabbed hold of a live wire. Groggy and disgruntled, the boy snatched up his morning class materials and headed downstairs toward the common room. But halfway down the steps, a voice surprised him from behind.
He turned around only to have a ghost pass right through him. Harry gasped and his body stiffened as though someone had dumped ice water over him. He then realized who it was.
"Sir Nicholas!" he scolded the spook.
"Oh! Didn't see you there, Harry. Sorry about that!" Nearly Headless Nick uttered wide-eyed after turning to face the boy. Harry shivered. He never wanted to feel a deathly cold like that again.
"Who were you talking to?" he asked the old spirit while frowning.
"Oh! Myself, actually. Practicing my speech before the Headless Hunt tonight."
"Your speech?"
"Oh, yes. Wrote it myself. 'Why Being Nearly-Headless is Better than Having No Head at All'," The ghost uttered with a smile of pride, "would you like to hear it?"
"No, I have classes," Harry muttered, "maybe another time."
Nick threw his own frown at the kid.
"Very well. Good luck with your classes, then," the ghost replied sarcastically as though Harry was shrugging off the most important speech of the century.
"Now, where was I?" the phantom then said to himself while disappearing through the wall into the nether regions of Gryffindor Tower. Harry resumed his march down the steps.
As soon as he entered the common room, Hermione jumped up from one of the armchairs with her satchel at the ready.
"Good morning," she said pleasantly before noticing something was off with the boy.
Harry frowned, not feeling pleasant at all.
"Morning," he uttered. The girl's face scrunched up.
"Honestly, Harry, you look like a mess. Are you alright?"
He really didn't feel like talking about his nightmare and he really didn't want advice on how to remedy his looks.
"…I'm fine," he fudged, trying not to look her in the eye, "shall we head to breakfast?"
Hermione threw him a suspicious look. He knew she was smart enough not to buy this. But her expression returned to pleasant, nevertheless.
"Of course," she replied and moved next to him without another word. Harry was relieved. But that relief would be short-lived as she then started up again during their trek to the Great Hall.
"I was thinking back over our potions homework from last night and I might have been mistaken about something Professor Snape said…"
She then rattled off what was on her mind. But Harry only half-listened. He simply wasn't in the mood for this. And yet, he let her continue as though nothing was wrong. She seemed so cheerful and he didn't have the heart to ask her to be quiet.
As they walked the main corridor, three first-year Ravenclaw girls passed them. Hermione barely even noticed as she continued her discourse over their potions homework. But Harry couldn't help but notice the girls glancing at the pair, turning to each other with a whisper, a few snickers, and then a backwards glare. The boy frowned.
But after thinking about the girls' behavior, he wondered if the reason everyone seemed to be shunning him was…her.
It was obvious most of the first-years disliked Hermione. It wasn't difficult to notice the glares she received when she answered a professor's question with a perfect response or when she corrected a fellow pupil, despite her good intentions. She didn't have any other friends nor did she try to make any. Harry seemed to be the only one. The girl wasn't unpleasant overall, she was just a bit starchy and proper.
But perhaps if people didn't like Hermione, and Harry hung around with her, then by default they…didn't like him either. He couldn't be sure, of course. But it was his best guess to this enigma of avoidance Harry couldn't seem to overcome. At breakfast, his suspicions over this deepened.
Having started at an early hour, Harry and Hermione were already eating at the Gryffindor table when most everyone else arrived.
"Good morning, guys," Harry said to Dean, Neville, and Seamus who were freshly arrived at the table. He hoped they would sit down with the two of them.
"Oh, hey, Harry, Hermione," Seamus replied pleasantly, Dean and Neville giving them a brief smile.
But the three went right past the empty spaces around them and sat a few feet away, entering into conversation like thieves planning a heist. Harry frowned and looked at Hermione. She seemed oblivious to this, holding her fork in her right hand while reading a book in her left. More students arrived and the pair received more stares, whispers, and snickers. Harry wasn't sure if this activity had increased or he simply noticed it more due to his foul mood. Nevertheless, it was annoying and he suddenly felt embarrassed to be sitting next to Hermione. Apparently, if he wanted to make any friends at Hogwarts, she would have to go. But he said nothing as they left for their morning lessons.
During McGonagall's class, Hermione gave a short dissertation on why it was impossible to transfigure a living creature the size of an elephant into a suitcase. Harry heard groans and snickers coming from several students as McGonagall praised Miss Granger's astute and thorough answer to her question.
In Snape's class, despite Hermione's correct answer to a question of what common illness could be cured through a potion of Bitter Milkwort leaves and salamander saliva, the professor accused her of cheating with an open book on her desk. Though Harry was perturbed at Snape both for this and for Hermione losing 5 points from Gryffindor by challenging him on the cheating, he couldn't help but notice the ill looks the girl got from various pupils and open laughter from the Slytherins, to no one's surprise.
At least in Flitwick's class all was silent as the students completed their first written test on object-moving spells. Of course, Hermione finished first and waited outside until Harry finished his test. The pair then were heading back to the dormitory to change books before lunch and the last class of short-session Friday: Professor Binns' History of Magic.
"Harry, how did you answer question four? I thought it was obvious that the mobili spell moves an object from its center rather than its edges…"
She then went on without even waiting for Harry to respond. Harry's foul mood, his rude encounter with Sir Nicholas, the glares, the whispers, the snickers, the avoidance, all began building frustration in the kid. His annoyance with this girl now added to it. But he held it back as best he could.
As they moved through Knights Hall corridor, with its fine display of old suits of armor, Harry decided to take a shortcut back to Gryffindor Tower through the upper courtyard. It would be faster than the usual method of walking through three different hallways and up two flights of stairs. And at this moment, the less time with Hermione, the better.
At the middle of Knights Hall, Harry moved into the courtyard with Hermione beside him. But as soon as they stepped through the entrance, Harry saw he was in trouble.
Groups of students from all Houses were loitering in the green space during the pre-lunch interval. And these included several Gryffindors. To make matters worse, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle stood with Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini under the blue willow tree.
But it was too late to turn back.
With Hermione next to him, the courtyard now transformed into a fiery gauntlet Harry would have to get through unscathed. Keeping his head down, he marched briskly ahead. Hermione remained right by his side, oblivious to Harry's embarrassment. He hoped to get to the other side without incident. But that hope was quickly dashed.
"Well, if it isn't Potter and his know-it-all girlfriend! Don't they look cozy," Malfoy mouthed with sarcasm.
Hermione threw a mean look at Draco. Harry's face turned red as nearly everyone in the courtyard now stared at him. Snickers erupted from several students, but most gazed at the boy as though he had committed some crime for having this girl by his side.
Harry's frustration reached the breaking point and Draco's comment finally set it off.
"She's not my girlfriend, Malfoy! She's just someone who keeps pestering me, that's all!" he shouted in an attempt to defend himself.
But as soon as he uttered the words, he regretted it.
Hermione stopped. He also stopped, slowly turning to look at her with dread.
The girl's eyes went wide with shock as she threw a deeply hurt look at Harry. Her shock turned to sadness as her shoulders hunched forward and she dropped her head in shame. She then slowly walked away from him. Laughter erupted from all around as Harry stood there, stunned, watching her leave the courtyard and disappear.
Harry dropped his own head in shame.
He felt lower than the dirt under his feet.
The boy let his frustration get to him and in the process had most likely lost the only friend he had.
He felt…horrible.
"Your girlfriend didn't look too happy there, Potter! You might want to run after her," Pansy taunted.
But Harry didn't care. He despondently gazed at the courtyard exit and walked to it, ignoring the whispers and snickers. After leaving, he looked left and right for any sign of Hermione.
Nothing.
He then continued toward the Tower, hoping he might catch a glimpse of her somewhere along the way. But walking the stairs to the Fat Lady's portrait and through the short hall into the common room, Harry never saw her. He proceeded up to his dorm room feeling like a rotten toad.
Once there, he went to exchange a few textbooks on his bedside table and grab his history book for Binns' class. When he got to it, the boy looked down and felt even more rotten. Next to the bed, he saw Quidditch Through the Ages. Just the sight of it filled him with guilt. Harry forlornly exchanged his books and headed back out.
When he walked into the Great Hall for lunch, Harry immediately glanced at the Gryffindor table.
No Hermione.
He slouched over and sat down, not caring whether anyone would sit with him or not. After a steaming Shepherd's Pie appeared on his plate, Harry took a few bites, but mostly poked at the food. The mind was a funny thing, he pondered to himself. Not a half-hour ago he was annoyed and embarrassed with Hermione next to him. Now, in a strange twist of logic, he found he missed her not being there. The boy's face saddened and he wanted to kick himself for being such a stupid git. But in Binns' class, things didn't improve. Hermione didn't show and Harry was miserable. He couldn't get that hurt look on her face out of his head. It was tearing him up inside.
From the moment he met her on the train, the girl had been nothing but good to him and he treated that with contempt by betraying her. As Binns boringly went on about the development of the Wizengamot, Harry mused over Hermione repairing his glasses, helping him with his homework, enlightening him with more understanding of their class lessons, the book on Quidditch, and most of all, staying at his side while everyone else treated him like he had Dragon Pox. Which of the students had acted like a true friend since he arrived at Hogwarts? Them or her? Harry knew the answer and it made him sick.
He tried to focus on the class lecture, but it was like the ghost was simply mouthing words with no sound coming out. Frowning, Harry tried to read over his class notes. But it was like he was gazing at blank sheets of parchment. Nothing could assuage his guilt until he found Hermione and made this right again. If she never forgave him, he'd understand. But at least he'd apologize to the girl…somehow.
When the class mercifully ended, Harry headed back to the Great Hall. Short-session Friday meant no final class of the day and Harry was grateful to not have to listen to Professor Quirrell stutter for an hour. Instead, students were encouraged to attend an afternoon study session in the Great Hall, allowing them to compare notes and work on assignments in groups if they wished.
When the eleven-year-old entered the Hall, all four tables were nearly full of students already at work, some in groups, some by themselves. But there was no mixture of House members – each House pretty much kept to it's table and fellow House mates. Professor Snape sat at the High Table, acting as chaperone for today's session while doing paperwork. The man looked even more disgruntled than usual, as though Dumbledore had assigned him to babysitting duty. But when Harry turned to the Gryffindor table, he was stunned to find…Hermione!
His heart raced and he felt nervous, glancing at the fluffy-haired girl sitting by herself with textbooks and parchments surrounding her. Swallowing hard, Harry moved in her direction.
This was the moment…the chance to redeem himself.
But as he drew near her, the eyes of many fell on him again. No doubt news of the incident in the courtyard already spread through the student body like wildfire and Harry's cheeks went red in embarrassment. As he reached Hermione, he lost his courage and…walked right past her, sitting down several feet away. She never looked up at him. He didn't know if she was ignoring him now or if she was just engrossed in her studies. Whatever the case, the boy felt horrible all over again. Slowly laying his class materials on the table, Harry glanced back at her.
Her eyes were puffy. She had been crying…because of him.
That was all he needed to feel even worse.
Harry managed to open his transfiguration textbook, pull out some parchment and a quill. But after several minutes, he got nowhere. He just didn't have the motivation. All he could think about was her and the pain he caused her.
"Did you get what Binns was going on about today?" Ronald Weasley suddenly asked his friends at the Hufflepuff table rather loudly, "some law passed by the Wizengamot in 1972 or something regarding…the use of magic in muggle places."
"I don't get what Binns is going on about any days," Sean McManus replied. Several Hufflepuffs laughed.
"Yeah, well, we better find out since it's supposed to be worth major points on our exam," Ron uttered with a frown, "do you remember what page it's on in our history book?"
The friends around them shook their heads and rummaged through their books. At that moment, Harry noticed Hermione look up. She was staring at the Hufflepuffs as though dying to answer a question she knew the answer to. Harry frowned and hoped she wouldn't do what he thought she might do. Unfortunately, he was right. She stood from the table, still looking at the boys.
"No, Hermione, don't!" Harry muttered under his breath.
But she couldn't help herself. The girl walked around the end of the Gryffindor table and over to the other.
"The answer to your question is on page 73 of A History of Magic, if you want to know," she informed the group, "it lays out the 1972 law and all its particulars."
At first, the Hufflepuffs gawked at Hermione in astonishment. But then they looked at each other in annoyance.
"Who asked you?" Ronald threw at the girl with a rather ugly tone and ugly look.
"Yeah, no one wants your help here, bookworm!" Sean added.
"Go back to your own table, Miss Know-It-All," another Hufflepuff threw in, echoing Malfoy.
Hermione promptly turned with a red face and walked back to the Gryffindor table, plopping back down to her books. Harry felt bad for her – she was only trying to help. But the Hufflepuffs weren't finished.
"Mental, that one is."
The Weasley kid didn't even bother to say it quietly. But then he wouldn't stop either.
"Probably sleeps with her books in her bed."
"I wouldn't go near her if I were you. You might get ink smeared on you…"
Ron's pal Sean and several others were laughing at all this. Harry glared at them and then glanced at Hermione.
Her cheeks red, her eyes filled with tears, and a hurt look on her face, she stood from the table, grabbed her things, and promptly stormed off toward the entrance to the Great Hall, sniffling. As soon as she disappeared, Harry's gaze shot at the boy from whom the ugly comments erupted.
He had first hand experience with being picked on by Dudley and his gang and nothing set him on fire like seeing it happen to others.
Harry was seeing red.
The boy stood abruptly, getting stunned looks from the Gryffindors near him. He then shot around the end of the table and marched right up to the group of Hufflepuffs. At first they were oblivious to his presence until the boy reached across the table and grabbed the black and yellow striped tie of the 11-year-old jerk. Harry's face became something fierce. Ron Weasley's eyes grew large as saucers at the unexpected yank of his tie and the boy with the lightning-shaped scar glowering over him.
"Listen, you!" Harry uttered with gritted teeth, "insult Hermione one more time and I'll knock your lights out! GOT IT?"
Weasley's face went pale.
"…er…okay, mate…we…we were just having a bit of fun, that's all," the kid muttered back.
"If you call hurting someone's feelings a bit of fun, then you're in the wrong House!" Harry shot at him, "maybe you need to go sit with Malfoy and his Slytherin friends!"
Harry let go of the redhead and stood back, glaring at him. The entire Hall had gone silent as everyone watched this row unfold. Professor Snape stood from the High Table, squinting his eyes at the pair. He pursed his lips, shook his head, then slowly sat back down, returning to his paperwork as though nothing had happened.
"And I'm not your mate, you prat!" Harry finished while returning to the Gryffindor table and grabbing his things.
He then turned, stormed past several stunned first-years, and bolted out of the Hall, eager to find Hermione.
Looking left and right, he saw nothing. On a hunch, he decided to move toward Tower Hall, thinking she might head to the Gryffindor dormitory. Running full out and skirting around a group of third-year boys, he just caught sight of her walking up the stairwell toward the Tower.
"Hermione!" he yelled out.
She stopped on the landing and turned. Harry double-stepped the stairs as soon as he hit the first one. He came up to the girl and saw her tear-streaked face as she gazed at him with sad eyes, still sniffling.
"Hi," he uttered.
"Hi," she replied with a broken voice. Harry's heart hurt at this.
"Look, I'm…sorry for what I said earlier. That was wrong of me. You don't pester me. You've been nothing but kind since we met and I've deserved none of it. I hope you can forgive an ungrateful git like me."
Harry waited desperately for her response. Hermione looked at him with tearful eyes and slowly nodded, though she said nothing. Harry felt relieved. Silence came between them. But he was still desperate.
"Can I…walk with you?" he asked her.
Hermione threw him an uncertain look and the hurt expression returned.
"Are you sure you want to associate with a 'mental' bookworm like me?" she asked meekly.
Harry smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"You're my friend. And I'm happy to associate with a smart girl like you."
Hermione's face brightened, a few more tears falling down her cheeks. Harry then stood back.
"Besides, if you're mental, then Professor Snape is the warmest, most kind-hearted person at Hogwarts."
Hermione laughed. Harry smiled at this. She wiped the tears from her face and the two walked toward the stairwells in the direction of Gryffindor Tower.
But before they reached the first one, Hermione leaned over and gave Harry a quick peck on the cheek. The boy flushed red and looked at her in surprise.
"Thank you, Harry…for being my friend."
From that moment on, Harry had no problem hanging out with Hermione, even if she was a girl. He didn't care what anyone said and Hermione could talk his ear off if she wanted to. Harry swore to himself he'd never let her down again. And no one from Hufflepuff insulted the girl again, at least not in front of Harry.
But to his surprise, Hermione became less bossy and a bit quieter. Maybe she was afraid of getting hurt again. But it made her more pleasant to be with - Harry found they could talk on more equal terms. This made him happy.
The boy who never had a real friend before finally realized he had a good one all along.