Author's Note: I do not own Harry Potter
Harry had dreams throughout the summer. Some were pained, ripping him from the land of Morpheus with a terrifying shout. Oft times would find Sirius scrambling to his room, seated beside his comfortable bed, hand in his own as he remained there to ward away the nightmares.
There were times, also, when Sirius would take a dark turn, and either Andi or Dora would come to the house overnight. These times would have Andromeda wiping the sweat and tears from Sirius' brow, while Dora would hold Harry so tightly to her breast, he became almost one with her heartbeat.
Other dreams were like ice come to life. They were sharp, full of desolation and shadow. Ever grasping at the border of his sanity and soul. A primordial force of nature that could never be comprehended. These would darken his thoughts, tearing pieces of his sanity through fitful sleep. He would never awake with a cry, a yell, or violence, but would slowly open his eyes to the morning glare of sunlight's first caresses. A hollow sort of feeling would embrace him, an internal mechanism of despair and loneliness that made him feel an emptiness that encompassed him whole.
He had been told this could happen. Professor Dumbledore had explained so much to him; Voldemort's mark had left residing influences on him, and some sort of magical development was occurring in his core. That, and what had happened a year ago that day. When the Dementor had torn at his soul, bringing his spirit to the brink of collapse through a pain so vile that his body did not deign to recognise its existence.
Harry had to keep going. He had endured too much negativity in his short life, and needed to maintain a positive outlook, or else he would crumble into dust. So, he would discuss his dreams. With Sirius, and Andi, and Dora, and Katie in his letters to her. So long and yet so short a time he had taken to open up to these people. Bringing them into his heart and allowing them a place inside.
Which made this too hard for him. To leave this sanctuary that he had had gifted to him what seemed to be so long ago…
"Hey, you'll be back for Christmas, Pup," Sirius near choked out. "And, and I'll write, and you'll write. It'll be like you never left me. Left here."
Harry nodded into his shirt. He pulled himself back, wiping away the droplets that had formed in his eyes. He could not speak. He tried but the words could not form.
"C'mon Siri, you gotta let me get in there too!" Harry was pulled forcefully into a hug from his sister, her looks still matching his. When Andi had spotted her for the first time after her now seemingly permanent features, she had been shocked to silence, then gave a watery smile before walking away without uttering a single syllable. "And mister! You better write to me too. I don't want to have to discipline my little brother when I next see him if he ignores me."
Harry laughed at her serious tone, understanding implicitly that she was overexaggerating her behaviour. She simply grinned back at him. She bent her back slightly as she pressed her cheek to his, allowing the two to revel in the simultaneous warmth they were emitting.
Harry's voice was low, but Dora heard it clearly over the din of student, parents, and the Hogwarts Express. "Thank you, Dora." His arms squeezed her body tighter, her own reciprocating. "For everything." His words came thick, and Dora softened her hidden gaze.
"It's me that should thank you though. I've never met anyone like you before, and now that I have you… well, you aren't getting rid of me that easily."
The whistle screeched shrilly on the tracks. The time to board was inching even closer. Harry and Dora separated regretfully but mirrored smiles gave them strength. Sirius quickly returned from depositing Harry's belongings onto the train with the aid of the Weasley twins, who promised to take it to a compartment they were sharing.
Hedwig was circling overhead, waiting to embark the train with her master, as she had become overly protective of late. Her bond with him had her perch on his headboard as if to watch out for him when the nightmares came.
"Sirius, I-"
The man barked a laugh, pushing him toward the train and away from a subtly crying Nymphadora Tonks. "Don't say a word, Pup." They stopped at the door to the train. "I know it hasn't been long… But… How this… this is how it should have been. I can't replace James, but to me, you've always been a son. When you were so little, so fragile. Back then I was so dumb, but James and Lily, then you… You laughed with such innocence when I became Padfoot. You would always reach out to me. Before Lily. Before James." He laughed almost crazily with his eyes following suit. As he calmed, Harry remained silent. "It would drive them up the wall. Hah! A prankster 'til the end. But, anyway, you should get on the train. Don't want to explain to Minnie what happened to her favourite student now, would I?"
"Sirius," whispered Harry. "I don't know them – James and Lily Potter, I mean – they are just stories to me. But you, Dora, Remus, and the rest. You are real. More real than anything I've ever known. My friends, something I never thought to have, mean everything to me. Remus, Ted, and Andi are the Aunt and Uncle's I wish I could have had when I grew up. Dora is my sister, and forever will be. And you. I always wanted Vernon to look at me like Dudley. For Petunia to do the same. But it never happened. And then you came into my life, Sirius. And I can never forget that. Never."
Harry was usually so reserved, and for the first time since knowing him, Sirius wondered where this growing boy had come into being. He had heard the tales of Harry Potter after his reintroduction to the Magical world, and this boy was nothing like what he had been told. Sirius clapped a hand upon his Godson's shoulder and helped him up the step on to the train.
Harry turned, closing the door behind him as he hung partially out of the window. He felt arms come round his middle and leaned into the care of Katie Bell, who kissed the top of his head lovingly. She waved at her parents while Harry bid a final farewell to Sirius and Dora.
Sirius, ever the fool, transformed into Padfoot, bouncing up and down like a dog was want to do, much to the joyous giggles of many who witnessed it. Dora blew affectionate kisses at him, waving with such an intensity that threw her off balance slightly, causing her to stumble to the sound of humour-filled barking.
The train picked up speed, and soon they became blurs in the distance, and then, they were gone.
Harry turned around, sighing slightly as he put his hands into his (new – thanks to Dora's advice) jeans, ran his hand through his thick, messy locks, and trudged down the train to the compartment that Fred and George had told him they would all be waiting in.
He was used to the stares and gaping jaws, but how the other students looked at him was completely out of character, even for his strange life.
Whenever he passed another, a hushed sense of awe would accompany them. No, he did not catch the final Snitch of the World Cup, but even an amateur had to be aware of the unyielding skill he expressed in holding off the, now considered, World's Best Seeker. Dora had debriefed him later, saying that every single pundit had determined that it was simply the length of Krum's arm that had beaten Harry to it, and that in no way should he feel despondent due to the loss. This opinion, or fact as it were, appeared to have sieved into people's minds as the truth, and it showed.
"It's him."
"Potter."
"Wow"
"Woah"
"Do you think he'll sign my shirt? Have you got a pen?"
"Your shirt? Think he'll sign my- "
The voices may have been thought of as whispers, but Harry heard them as if they were shouts.
"All hail his Potterness!"
"Seeker of the Snitch!"
"Glory of our Time!"
"Fighter of Krum!"
"Calm down you two, you're giving me a headache."
Angelina did not look impressed with the two Weasley twins, yet their grins were enough for one to come unbidden to her face.
Harry shook his head as he stepped into the expanded compartment, his arm pulled downwards towards Fay as she hugged him from her seat. In one continuous movement, she pulled him to sit next to her, Neville on the other side. He laughed gaily, greeting them all. Fred, George, Angelina, Alicia, Fay, Ginny, Neville, and Katie who was sat directly opposite him, lightly pressing down on his leg with a booted foot and a shy smile.
"Bet things have been strange for you, Harry," Neville said, his brows furrowed as he poured over a new Herbology book.
"It's like looking at a new firstie all over again," laughed Alicia. "Bright eyes and dropped jaw… a shock to see your new fans?"
Harry's face scrunched up tightly, his looks belying his ease. "I guess? It isn't too different from how people have treated me." He let out a single laugh. "I wonder how Malfoy and Snape are going to act. I hope this stops them this year, I'm getting a little bit tired of how they act towards me."
"Fat chance there, Harry," Ginny piped up, her face reddening to match her hair as everyone's attention was placed to her. "I-I mean, th-that those two, are, you know…"
"Yeah," Fay snorted, "you have a better chance of a Goblin doing ballet than that happening." At Fred and George's identical smirk she sighed with thinly veiled humour. "That wasn't a challenge, boys."
"Still- "
"It'd be funny."
The journey continued on peacefully, Harry having settled in well, and the group chattered and spoke of the inane and humorous. The time passing quickly as they enjoyed the companies of each other. They played a strange game of musical chairs, with people leaving the compartment to seek friends only to return half an hour later to find people like Susan Bones and Cedric Diggory in their seat and the others not where they had left them. Harry had joyously found solace in Katie's arms, whining jokingly as he left the carriage when the sky darkened so as for the girls to get changed into the school robes. When he entered after they left so that the reverse could happen, he blushed brightly with a sense of confusion after a subtle wink from the girl, but shook his head to remove the thoughts.
He had keenly avoided the eating of sweets from the shopping trolley, buying much but placing them away in his trunk for later eating. This only meant that his minor hunger had grown in intensity and his tolerance for impatience was growing thinner with each passing minute. He was still a slim, tiny thing – even Fay and Ginny were a head taller than him at least. Katie, had shot up, compared to his barely reaching 5 feet, if that, compared to her being several inches taller. Andi had looked at him keenly over the summer, hmming and rubbing her chin in thought before exclaiming that he needed a better diet of healthy, and large quantities, of food to boost his height.
He endured the amused, friendly japes from the others when Katie pulled him into her lap quite comfortably when the boarded the carriages at Hogsmeade's gates. He settled there peacefully, face red, but smiling. There was a sense of serenity in the girls' arms that reminded him of the affection that Dora threw on him with zeal. He felt at home there, and a contentment blurred Katie and Dora into a single person for a fraction of a second. He could feel the heat emanating from her body, the pressure of her arms around him, her hot breath tickle his neck and ear, and her heart beating so fast…
He felt the sway of the carriage, the sight of the Thestrals, and then… the thrum of electricity that glided over his skin whenever he came into contact with that invisible wall.
Hogwarts was welcoming him home, and in this carriage, squeezed with smirking and laughing friends, he was happy.
Luckily, for Harry's sanity, by the time they managed to arrive at Hogwarts grounds, he had managed to extricate himself from Katie's lap and with a reddened face, he threw open the door and landed on the soft mildewy grass.
His feet knew where they were taking him, and the soft, smooth hand belonging to Katie, pulled him along the stone footpath to their destination. No matter at what point he saw the castle, Harry was always astounded by the beauty it showed him. They crossed under the portcullis that marked the entrance to the castle proper, moved as one order through the castle's interior grounds, and made their way into the entrance hall, and beyond that into the Great Hall. He had his head ducked down, a slight smile coming unbidden as his embarrassment overtook him.
There were faces he barely knew, and ones that were familiar. Tracey gave a genuine smile and a little wave, followed by a small wink. He responded by waving back before being pulled further down the Gryffindor table to a position nearing the middle of the hall.
"Hope Dumbles hurries this up. Starving, I am."
Angelina shrugged but could not contain her slight mirth. "Fay, I did not know you were a Weasley."
Her face went as red as that family's hair, sputtering indignantly as she was joined by the three Weasleys within the circle. "I resent that. Not that being a Weasley is a bad thing," she rushed out, "but I really am famished."
The room settled down quickly as most students appeared to be of the same mind as Fay. Harry watched with interest as Professor McGonagall led the new first years, who looked almost terrified to be there, into the dragon's den.
"Do you remember us being like that?" he asked, turning his head to look at Neville and Fay.
"I would like to say no, but I suppose that would be a lie. Heh, who would have thought how things would have turned out?"
Neville appeared thoughtful, taking Harry and Fay's as he took both Harry and Fay's words in. "I don't think I'd regret it; you know." They were talking in hushed voices, but then again, so were the majority of the hall. It was a time-honoured tradition that the new students had some sort of peace and quiet as they took their first steps, so about 500 years previous, the Headmaster at the time had the idea to cast a Silencing Ward over the tables at this moment. It did not work to shut out all noise, but if students spoke quietly enough, then it would be filtered enough not to panic and overwhelm the new ones. "We've had ups and downs, but I don't think I would ever change anything." McGonagall was speeding through the students this year, it seemed, as she was about a third of the way done already. "The Hat couldn't decide between Hufflepuff or Gryffindor. Apparently the 'bravery' I showed by being adamant in going to Gryffindor was enough."
The group around them gave hushed snickers. "Apparently I was Gryffindor all the way," Fay spoke up. "Hat didn't even have another option. But you're right. Would I change things?" She gave a look at those around her, lingering on Harry who was attempting to peer over the tops of heads to see the new intake. "Nah. Wouldn't change it for the world."
They clapped enthusiastically when the last student was sorted; just over sixty new students this year. It looked as though the after effects of the Wizarding War was beginning to right itself, as even though there were forty in Harry's starting year, apparently the one before Angelina, Alicia, Fred, and George's year hosted only eighteen starters.
"Okay, settle down." The respect that Dumbledore had was enough for people to quieten themselves. "Now, before we are all fed and watered, I do have a few announcements. First is to welcome all your new and returning faces to another year at this blessed school. I must remind you all now, that the Forbidden Forest is to remain just that, forbidden. That magic in the school corridors is not to be permitted, and Mr Filch's long list of prohibited items has indeed, once more, grown longer." His eyes twinkled merrily as he gave a side glance to the smirking Weasley twins. "I would also like to introduce our new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor, Alastor Moody."
The man did not rise and received no applause. "Mad Eye? The Mad Eye Moody?"
Harry had heard of the man – Dora would wax lyrical about the ex-Auror's talents. He had trained her in her introductory period, and he had heard all about the living legend. The tales of his battle scars were enough to haunt and man, woman, or child. But Harry had that unique, innate, gift of being able to see beyond what was on the outside to focus on within.
"He looks sad," he muttered.
"Sad? Terrifying, more like." Neville shuddered, a chill rushing into his bones.
There were agreements from around him, causing Harry to feel dejected by his peers' inability to see Moody how he did. A slight squeeze of his hand caused him to look directly into Katie's eyes where he found emotions pouring into him from her gaze. Her lips twitched upwards slightly as she exhaled slowly through her nose. She nodded her head, showing that she trusted his judgement in this matter, which lifted Harry's mood considerably.
"I also have some regretful news that this year, the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will no longer be taking place." There was silence in the room, before a cacophony of thunder erupted into the student mass. Dumbledore let the gripes and complaints carry on until he had decided that enough was enough, and with a flair, raised his wand to the air. Soon enough, there was quiet. They had all experience the noises that the Headmaster's wand could produce and even with their complaints, they would be cowed into the silence for Dumbledore to continue with what he wished to say. "On a similar note, I believe a congratulations are indeed in order for our resident professional Seeker. So, a quick round of applause for Mr Potter, if you will." This was enough for a slight distraction, as a thoroughly embarrassed Harry Potter ducked his head down to the table, shrinking into his robes to hope to avoid being seen. This was not enough, however, as the Circle were quite prominent, and the cheers and claps could easily be detected to be directed straight at him. "Yes, yes, now." Quiet descended on the Hall as Dumbledore enjoyed the rise of anticipation. "This year, instead of our fine, fine, sporting event, will host another, more prominent one. For this year, Hogwarts shall be the one to accommodate none other, than the Triwizard Tournament!"
The talk of the Tournament was all anyone could really discuss after that. The Feast began, and Harry wondered if he could possibly sample all of the delicious looking food on offer. He got some strange looks from his housemates, but they were not the worst ones he had ever had, so easily ignored them.
When the night was drawing to a close, Harry and company walked contently, as well as tiredly, up the winding, moving, staircases to the portrait of the Fat Lady and their common room.
George was the first to break. "C'mon Harrikins, spill it. We've been trying to get dad and Charlie to tell us what they knew, and it's been killing us most of the summer. Why do you look like you already knew?"
The looks were not horrible. They contained a more teasing quality over anything else, but his words had drawn a slight crowd, and the Chaser trio had moved in to protect their little Potter from the attention. Katie's glare at the redhead shut him up instantly, and the Circle decided to make their way to their 'reserved' seats by the comfortingly crackling fire.
"It's nothing too exciting. Dora had told me that there was a surprise for Hogwarts this year, and she can't keep a secret to save her life. She managed to tell me that there was some sort of event happening this year, but it was Viktor who told me, considering he's one of the Durmstrang students coming." There was silence. "What did I say?"
"Um, do you mean Viktor Krum?" Ginny asked shocked.
"Y-yeah. We've kept in contact after the World Cup. He's actually really smart and really friendly when you get to know him."
"Harry, do you not think that that may be a kind of important thing to say to someone?"
Harry blinked confusedly at Angelina, though he noticed quickly that she was only saying what everyone else appeared to be thinking. "Maybe? I didn't think it was important."
Katie slid to his side, wrapping an arm around his waist as she brough his head underneath her chin. "No one's upset with you Harry, it's just a bit of a shock." She finished her words with a feather-light kiss to his temple, creating a slight shiver to move down Harry's spine. "It's nice to see you making friends outside of us. Anyway, I have a better question. Going back to our discussion earlier, what did the hat try to choose between for you, Harry? Mine was like Fay, only Gryffindor on the cards, and I couldn't be happier with that choice," she finished, an obviousness emanating out of her that this was completely true. Her hold on Harry was always tender, but to him, it felt ever better when placing it side-by-side with Dora's affection.
"He couldn't decide between any of them. Said that I would be a good fit in all four but chose Gryffindor in the end. No idea why."
Katie's laugh was always pleasing to Harry's ear. "Why am I not surprised?"
The Weasleys proudly informed them that they would always be destined for Gryffindor too – there would never be another destination for their Clan. Angelina was Gryffindor too; however, the Hat had apparently toyed with a final destination in Ravenclaw.
"No idea why it decided against it. Maybe it knew that Gryffindor needed a competent Chaser for once."
The group let out indignant replies, but it was all in good fun.
"Slytherin, really? But I thought that…"
Alicia shook her head at Fay, "Nope, I'm technically a Half-Blood, even if both my parents are Muggleborns, so that seems to be okay. But I had heard all about Slytherin's prejudice from my mum and dad. No way was I going to step foot in there."
They talked into the night, but as Harry started to droop the sound of a cooing Fay and Katie, they decided to call it for then. Neville escorted Harry upstairs, which was easily done after Neville's summer growth spurt, and into their dorm which was not upon the fourth floor.
Harry slept easy that night. The nightmares were always dulled within Hogwarts and being near so many of the people he cared for, and cared for him, combined with the protective nature of the castle, he was able to sleep peacefully for the first time in so long.
The next morning, Harry stretched out in his bed, soaking in the early morning air. It appeared as though he may have accidentally slept in, but decided that, for once, he would simply go with the flow. He only hoped that Katie had not waited for him since her normal early wake up and had instead decided to entertain breakfast solo.
"Good morning, Nev."
"Mornin', Harry," he yawned as he entered the room, scratching idly at his hair. "Last I checked there was no one in the bathroom, so head on in. Need to see the damage for today, don't we? So hurry up so we can get downstairs"
Harry chuckled, thanking his friend as he got up, padding his way out of the door to begin his morning rituals. It was systematic at this point. A morning's series of events that require no thought or depth and was enough to get Harry's mind to begin functioning as a normal human being as the sleep defrosted from his mind, and wakefulness built up gradually.
He absently placed his school clothes on, dressing himself in the robes above them, and left to head to the common room where he found Katie chatting away with a friend from her year that he believed was named Clarissa, as well as Neville and Fay who had decided to wait for him too.
"Hey there, sleepyhead," Katie called out as she saw him. "Did you not want to get breakfast with me or something?"
Harry only giggled in response but felt an uneasiness in the tone of voice that Katie was using. There was a hint of Dora in it, and something else that he had heard elsewhere but for the life of him could not work out where from.
"Sorry, Katie. I must have been more tired than I thought. I, er, haven't been sleeping very well lately."
His heart could have melted at the concern that flashed over her features. He had come closer to her now, but she was already halfway across the common room with her hand on his forehead and eyes roaming over his face. "Why haven't you said anything? Are you okay? Do you need to see Madam Pomfrey?"
"Haha, I'm fine, Katie. Better than I was yesterday, I suppose. I just needed some sleep and being here was enough to get me a restful one."
He hated worrying others. Despised it, even. That part of him that was getting smaller and smaller each day (month? year?) refused to accept that he was deserving of help and acknowledgment. However, it was times like this, when someone as caring for him as Katie showed how much she cared… His heart would seem fit to burst with the joy it could bring.
She let out a 'hmm' at his words, a sense of disbelief lacing her worry. "Well, if you're sure... But I want you to promise me that if you feel bad later, you'll go to the Hospital Wing."
"Yes, Katie, I promise. No, I will! Really!" He initiated the hug this time, pressing against her tightly to show her that he had listened and taken on board what she had said to him.
In a dark corner of the common room, away from windows and candlelight and the fireplace, Ronald Weasley sat glaring out of the shadows. His fists clenched and teeth gritting together painfully. "How is this fair?" he whispered to no one. Frustrated tears came unwanted, and he rose to leave for breakfast. Guilt was eating at his insides, and shame rotting his mind. He gave one last glance at the group of cheerful Gryff's, sniffled once, and left.
Harry had seen this, and his heart ached for the boy. He had tried, once, but all he could see now was what he used to be. What he could have been.
Reaching out for help, only to be ignored.
Alone.
11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111
They entered the Great Hall as a group; Harry waved and smiled at those who greeted him, paying extra attention to his favourite staff members. Professor Vector was as bubbly as always with a bounce in her step and a playful nudge at him as she walked by him to set herself up for the day.
"Welcome back, Mr Potter," said McGonagall as she made her way to him and his friends as they were seating themselves in preparation for a hearty breakfast. "Always a pleasure, and I have not been able to congratulate you in person yet, so I decided to kill two birds with one stone, as the adage goes."
"Thank you, Professor," he replied.
"Your timetables, boys and girls. I expect you all to show the competing schools exactly what makes Hogwarts students as good as they are perceived globally." She gave a hard look at the Weasley twins as well as a lighter one to Neville. "I would hope dearly that Miss Bell and Mister Potter's work ethics would have rubbed off on you, so get preparing."
Harry chuckled at the indignant look on Fred and George's face, his action creating a ripple down the table as everyone knew what the duo were like.
Harry unfolded the piece of parchment, straightening it out to fully read it. "It doesn't look too bad…"
Monday: Defence Against the Dark Arts – 11am-2pm, Care of Magical Creatures – 2.30pm-5.30pm
Tuesday: Charms – 9am-11.30am, Transfiguration – 12.30pm-2pm, Potions – 2.30pm-5.30pm
Wednesday: Astronomy – 11pm-1.30am
Thursday: Arithmancy – 2pm-5pm
Friday: Herbology – 1pm-4pm
"Tuesday seems to be a bit heavy, but the rest of the week seems okay."
Neville bit his lip, a hesitant look crossing his face. "Harry… I enjoy the positivity, but I can't handle Charms, Transfiguration, and Snape all in a single day."
Harry knew that his friend still had issues with his confidence in magic – he could accept that probably greater than anyone else. Yet he was determined to see Neville flourish far greater than he was at that time. McGonagall's words had some merit, in fact, and the skill of his friends had indeed grown since he had started the current closeness with them all.
"C'mon, Nev. Fay's wandered off somewhere. Let's go find her and go out to the grounds for a bit."
He bid farewell to the Circle who had gathered in the Hall. Katie's gentle caress of his hand as he walked past her. They shared a smile as their eyes locked, and Harry had to fight to tear himself away. Shaking his head imperceptibly, he focused on Neville's annoyed, self-depreciative moaning.
They walked around some Slytherins as they entered, Tracey among them. She was deep in conversation with her friend, Lily, and only noticed him when she almost barged straight through the two Gryffs.
"Ah, my apologies, Harry." Her face was redder than Harry had ever seen it before – a trait that he was becoming all too familiar with, though he did not understand why.
"It's okay, Tracey."
"Trace, come on," an impatient sounding Lily Moon muttered from beside her.
Tracey nodded at her diminutive friend – the other Slytherin was possibly the only person he knew within their age range who was actually smaller than he was. "Yes, I know, Lily." She sighed as she turned to speak to Harry. "We can catch up later, Harry. Just send me a letter if you wish to talk. Besides, at some point there is something I wish to discuss with you, yet there is no rush as of now."
She walked off with a smirking friend to a table of frowning Snakes who had witnessed the brief display. Harry looked at her retreating back, slight confusion setting in, as he ultimately decided to push this interaction out of his mind for now and focus on his ailing friend.
He caught up with Neville halfway to get outside the castle, almost laughing at the lost look in the boy's face which changed to relief when he realised that he had not lost Harry.
"Neville," he said with humour lacing his words, "you might need to pay a bit more attention."
They found Fay a few minutes later, her hair singed slightly and a scowl on her face she cursed audibly at a retreating Peeves the Poltergeist. Harry drew his wand, fixing the damage done, much to the thanks of his friend.
They once more had Herbology with the Badgers, though Harry and Fay were slightly put off when Neville was to work with Susan and Hannah for the lesson, whilst they were to be with Justin Finch-Fletchey. They had nothing against the boy personally, but he seemed to exude a true essence of 'rich boy behaviour' that reminded Harry of a lesser version of his cousin, Dudley.
He was polite though, so Harry responded in kind. He had not really had much interaction with Justin before, but Harry would always attempt to see the good in people, and was having to balance the slightly arrogant boy with the growing annoyance of one of his best friends beside him.
"Listen up, everyone!" Sprout called out. "These groups are only temporary; I want everyone to have working with different groupings by the years end, and I will be keeping an eye out for repeated formations." She walked to the centre of the greenhouse, her wand coming to her hand as she moved. "Now, though dangerous flora are abundant in the magical wilds, there is usually only a few that will affect you in your day-to-day activities outside of school. However, this year will be less of a 'hands on' approach, and more a learning experience that I can only provide by showing you. You may still be involved in practical learning, but the danger of this year is better shown to you. Now," she flicked her wand at a set of pots in front of her, "we have here 3 variation of the same plant, but each one has had different upbringings. The one to the left has had extremes of sunlight, nutrition, and magic. It is harmless when brought to human touch, however, if the necessary functions brought to it are removed…" Sprout cast a spell, removing the light shining on to it. The plant appeared to grow spikes all around it, twisting itself until an audible crack was heard. The Professor muttered some spell that he did not know, and what appeared to be a rose formed beside it. "As you can see," she said as the class witnessed the original tear the new one to shreds, "It behaves almost humanlike; when placed into a different environment that what it is used to, it behaves with aggression and destroys something as harmless as this rose.
"Now this second one has been raised as a normal plant would have. Note the standard behaviour." She summoned a new rose, placing it beside the magical plant that appeared identical to the first. "In a sense, this plant behaves more like a magical creature. It has no recognisable name, as it is the same plant down to its basic fundamentals, but its outcome is unique dependant on its environment. We, in the United Kingdom, simply call it the 'Chameleon Weed' in lieu of a better name." She pointed at the magical and non-magical flower. "And as you can see, they are appearing to coexist with no differentiation in behaviour. This is the truly standard norm for this plant when grown as a common houseplant, but as you can see there is no interaction.
"And the third, and final one, I will be showing you, is this." She picked up the rose and moved it over to the last plant. Within seconds, the flower had wrapped itself around the rose and was pulling it in to itself, opening its petals and stem to fuse it to its body. The end result appeared to be a hybrid of the original and the rose. To Harry, it appeared quite pretty. "This one is one that has had a mixture of the first's environment, and, as it has grown, has had that positive growth interrupted. And as you can all see, the final flower has grasped the rose and made it a part of itself – a new plant has been created. Sometimes, this can be good, other times, bad. I believe that this has turned out quite beautiful. No one knows where this flower comes from, but it pops up every now and then, much to the surprise of the garden's owner!"
Harry and Fay left Neville to his two Hufflepuff friends when the lesson had (finally) ended, smirking good-naturedly as they went.
"It's good that he has friends other than us," Fay chirped.
Harry nodded his assent at his friend's words. "I'm glad." Fay glanced sideways at him, her eyes remaining forward as she walked. "I mean it! Yeah, he's meant to be my best friend alongside you, but if I got upset every time one of you talked to someone else, I would be…"
She put an arm around his shoulders, her other hand coming up to muss his already unruly locks. Neither of them had actually sat and discussed Harry's history, but she was simply… there. For him. And for that he was thankful. She knew about what he was to say before he stopped himself, and the unspoken words were communicated through the output of each's emotions. It was the comfortability that had evolved over the last three years that had enforced the creation of not one, but two best, and most amazing, friends.
They arrived in the Great Hall quickly, their companionable silence speeding their perceptions of time up without their realisation. As they sat down, they were experiencing the current sixth years waxing lyrical about Professor Moody.
"Is he really that good?" Harry sceptically asked George.
The boy vehemently nodded his head. There was an awestruck look there that Harry had never seen before on the boy. "All that, and so much more, Harrikins. Just you wait! The guy really knows his stuff." Quieter, he said, "And, I know that Lupin was great and all, but he was you know… what he is. That, and the two before… just keep an eye and ear out."
The weekend came and went, and before Harry knew it, he was sat within Moody's Defence classroom with a roiling gut and burning headache. His hand and arm and forehead felt like they were on fire.
"CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"
The shout did not help matters. Fay, who was seated beside him, wrapped her hand around his, a look of concern on her face as she stared at him.
Their professor has been explaining the year's upcoming teaching and was now directing their attention to an enlarged spider placed upon his table. The lesson being taught to them was all about the Unforgivable curses. The Hufflepuffs in the room had remained silent when Moody asked them if they knew what the three curses were, but Ron Weasley, of all people, answered the first.
Moody had then performed the Imperio curse upon the spider, and that was when the pain began in Harry's head. He would normally have been able to at least attempt to comfort Neville after his knowledge on the Torture Curse, but when it had been performed, the Dark Magic had become a beacon of pain.
"Avada Kedavra," a voice whispered in the silent room.
This was repeated by their Professor, and all pain vanished. There were eyes directed upon him, but he was so relieved that the agony had ended that he simply did not care.
"Only one has ever survived this curse." Moody came to his desk, a look of unease on that scarred and grizzled face. "However, there is a caveat to these curses, being that they are no longer illegal if consent is ever used. And by consent, I mean from sound, unchanged minds. Albus Dumbledore has allowed my uses of the Imperius Curse upon students who wish to have it performed upon them. I will never use the Torture or Killing on a person; it is ethically wrong, and I personally find them distasteful. Yet I see the logic in trying to get you to fight off mental control. So, all who wish to do so, LINE UP!" He was almost gentle in his speech when he spoke to Harry while everyone else was moving to the wall. "Potter, if you don't mind, I would like a word with you some time this week. Go. I believe you have Hagrid next. Longbottom, I see you are still frazzled. I am allowing you to leave this class for the day. Relax for now. A stressed mind is good for combat, but a wounded one, which is different, will only harm you."
Neville and Harry were mute, but their expressions seemed to placate the man. The two packed their things away and traipsed out of the room, all intentions to speak to their large friend if at all possible.
It appeared as though he was finishing up the first lesson that the new third years would have, as evidenced by the awed looks and happy comments as they left a waving Hagrid, who was stood next to a preening Hippogriff.
"'Arry! Neville! Goo' ta see ya. Jus' bear with me a few minu'es an' I'll be righ' with ya."
"Take your time, Hagrid," said Harry, exhaustion lacing his tone.
The duo watched as the man began to herd the Hippogriffs away and down a path into the Forbidden Forest. They stood in a companionable silence as they awaited Hagrid's return.
"Alrigh' you two, inside now. I'll pu' on a spo' a tea and we can 'ave a cha'."
Hagrid did not ask why they were there – Harry was a frequent attender at his hut, and more often than not would drag his friends with him on his visits. Neither decided to leave the cosy inside to return to the castle for a bite to eat and instead decided to brave Hagrid's rather Spartan cooking attempt.
His first Care of Magical Creatures for the fourth years went off without a single hitch. Not that Harry believed that this could have happened; Harry trusted his large friend to do right by his students. Yes, he could be… absent minded at times, but never would he have a student harmed in his presence.
"Hagrid, do you have Manticores by any chance?" Harry inquired. Though he should have been terrified by the prospect of the incredibly dangerous creature being nearby, Harry's innate curiosity regarding magical creatures got the better of him. He looked down at the small, shelled creatures that dotted the singed grass around them. "Because they seem to be a lot like them."
"Hahaha, no, 'Arry. Well, no' round 'ere I don'. Can' tell ya exac'ly where I go' 'em from tho'." Hagrid used a finger to point at the side of his nose, winking at Harry as he did. "Trade secre' an' all."
Harry let out a silent chuckle at his friend's behaviour; the 'Skrewts', as Hagrid had named them, were not appealing to look at, and seemed to enjoy terrorising the other students, were almost docile in Harry's presence. His mind reflected back on Fawkes, sitting on his perch as he looked after the Headmaster, and to the Basilisk, which was most likely still rotting away in the Chamber. Two different extremes of creatures, yet both had a large impact in his life.
"Harry," groaned Fay, "The lesson is over, can we please leave?"
Moody definitely knew the workings of human psychology. Harry felt almost a hundred times better since his leaving the classroom. Hagrid, Neville, Fay, and soon the others too, would all be there to pick him up from the ground. The tingling sensation that scratched within him was still prominent from the residue of Dark Magic that Moody had created, yet compared to his history, this was almost nothing now to worry about for the young Potter.
As the evening wore on, his mind looked back on the comparisons of lessons he had had so far. He felt so drawn to the flowers that Sprout showed them, establishing an intrinsic need to understand how they worked. Fortunately for him, Neville was just as, if not more, interested that he, so Harry left his trust in his friend blossom out and take hold. The Dark Magic of the Unforgivables were just as poignant to Harry, but for a different reason. Whereas the Herbology lesson was intriguing to Harry's need to understand magic, the three curses, even if only named, set his hackles rising and his mind into overdrive. The adverse reaction his scars had to them only hastened his want to forget that such things even existed.
His conversation with Mad Eye Moody came the next day. After his first Charms lesson had finished, from which Harry was ecstatic that he could experience once more the teachings of his favourite Professor, he had left the room to see the intimidating visage of their Defence teacher.
"Potter," he snarled gruffly. "About that discussion."
Neville stepped closer to his friend; an act that had Harry's eyes soften in appreciation. Tracey Davis, who was exiting the room behind them, stopped, and stared at the scene, and Harry noted out of the corner of his eye that she was subtly drawing her wand.
"Professor…"
"I just wanted to talk to you, Potter. But it's good to see that you have loyal friends by your side." His fake eye swivelled in its socket wildly. "Don't think I don't know you're there, Dunbar. I can see your magic swirling. I'm not going to harm a hair on the boy's head."
"It's okay, I knew that the Professor would want to speak to me. He said so yesterday, I'm just a bit shocked that you would turn up here though."
"Yes, well, I think it an important conversation we need to have."
Harry's lips thinned as he looked at the man. Dora would always sing his praises, stating that the man was a living legend of an Auror. That even Voldemort thought twice before facing him. Not that the Dark Lord ever did. In the last war, Moody and Voldemort had never come to blows, much to the ex-Auror's complaints, according to Harry's big sister.
A stray thought entered his head. "Where to, Professor? Are we okay to walk and talk? We've got Transfiguration in an hour and I would like to be nearby, if that is okay with you?"
A glimmer of something different entered the man's eye, followed by a terrifying grin. "Come on then, Potter."
Harry bid farewell to his wary friends, assuring them that he would be seeing them later where he would be safe and sound, and turned to follow the clunking sound of Alastor Moody's prosthetic leg.
"I want you to listen, Potter. Do not talk. Do not respond. Not until I'm done." Harry nodded his head, his smaller legs working to keep up with the erratic haste of Moody's pace. "Something is coming this year, and Albus seems to believe that you will be caught up in it all. No. Don't answer that, not yet.
"This 'Triwizard Tournament' that the Ministry are using to exploit themselves," he let out a very Sirius bark of laughter. "What a joke. Three years and you don't go looking for trouble, and instead, this year, such an event will only bring trouble to you. I don't know how. I do not know when. I only know that all variables must be looked at. They call me paranoid, but it isn't paranoia when they're actually out to get you." Moody stopped in the hallway, turning to face a wide-eyed Harry directly. "Potter, I knew your mother and father. Never trusted that woman not to do something selfless. Sure, she was loyal, but sometimes loyalty can be a curse. One that dragged James Potter down with her. If not for her loyalty, could they still be alive? Bah, I'm getting off track. The reason why I am talking with you now… I need your help. Your scars are born of Dark Magic, and it seems as though severe usage of it in your presence can act as a warning. A beacon of sorts. Now, Nymphadora speaks highly, and non-stop, about you, so I hope my faith in you can be rewarded.
"I don't trust easily. Blame it on years of betrayals. But I trust Albus. And Albus' phoenix trusts you. And if you cannot trust a phoenix of Albus Dumbledore's then who can you trust? Dark Magic has a more disastrous effect on those who are most attuned against it, did you know that?" He took Harry's silence as a means to continue. "The fact that such a use of the Imperius caused such pain in you… I have used Dark Magic before. I have used the Killing Curse, Potter. I used it to put down rabid dogs that trailed in the wake of a Dark Lord that used terror to establish a Magical Kingdom that spread throughout the world. Do I regret corrupting my magic and soul to save the lives of hundreds, if not thousands? Not for a minute.
"Potter… Harry. Albus has told me what became of you. To face down the Dark Lord, even in a weakened form, to face a Basilisk and survive, and to live the way you have lived… What you have endured." Respect. That was what shimmered in that real eye. Harry felt his breath hitch in his throat. "Your life is cursed, Harry. Cursed to be a magnet for this kind of trouble. And I see it in your eyes. I see that you constantly look in the corner, that your back is never to a door and you always try to know what exists behind you. That you have people you trust and care for but still hold them at arm's length, only letting them in when they have earned your trust. But believe me, Harry, opening yourself up to too many people is never good for your survival."
"But, sir, does that mean I shouldn't trust you?" Harry did not know what made him say that. Maybe it was the jab at his Circle that created a bravery that he did not realised he possessed.
"CONSTANT VIGILANCE! Of course you shouldn't trust me!" Moody was grinning now, his mouth set in something less of a grimace, and more of a true smile. "Ha! Nymphadora was right about you, Potter. Returning to my original point. When the Tournament begins, I need you to be my eyes and ears. My radar - yes, I know Muggle technology so wipe that look off your face – to detect the danger before it strikes. Can you do this for me?"
Harry stood still, his mind moving a mile a minute. "What do you need me to do?"
"Hah! I wonder if my trust can be placed onto you, Potter? There will be so many unknowns, and so many possibilities with the influx of people. There have been stirrings on the mainland. Rumbles of an evil trying to return, and I do not like it one bit. I need you to be my spy in the ranks, Potter. I can see many things with my eye, but you, and your detection could be an early warning system. The ambient magic in the castle can dull this, I am aware, but I will take a day, an hour, even a minute's warning, over no time at all."
"I'll help you, Professor. Though I can't promise much."
Moody and Harry stopped walking, with the man eyeing up the door to the Transfiguration classroom like it could turn around and eat them both.
"I just need enough, Harry. Enough to come out on top. Enough so that nothing else need be sacrificed." A jolt went down Harry's spine at the words. "Some of us aren't allowed to enjoy the purity of life." The murmur was self-reflective, and Harry was not sure if he was meant to hear. "Some of us are cursed to wander the depths of Hell so that others can frolic in Paradise." He turned to walk away, clapping Harry on the shoulder as he walked by. The action shook Harry, and he flinched as if to cower away. "Harry Potter. The Boy-Who-Lived… I wonder if it should have been 'Survived' instead. 'Lived' implies so much more."
The words spoken clung to him throughout his next lesson. His attempts to alter the state of what was before him did not falter, and he did not hesitate to perform to the standard that McGonagall expected of him. Yet his mind was not there. He wondered if Moody's moniker was for more than just his eye.
"Mr Potter, take 10 points for Gryffindor." Harry shook his head, eyeing up the Transfigured mouse that was now flopping about his desk as a fish. "Though I would have to say that maybe I should have taken some for your distracted demeanour instead."
"Sorry, Professor."
"Never you mind, just see that you do not lose focus again." She paused before she started to walk away. "Maybe a quiet word before you leave, Mr Potter. Professor Moody and the Headmaster have explained some things to me that I find quite disconcerting."
Harry nodded his agreement, turning his head to see what his friends were up to, only to see a mocking face of Draco Malfoy.
The sigh was audible but seemed to only spur the Malfoy scion on as he began making mocking gesture toward him. "Potter," he hissed. "Teacher's pet, eh? Maybe there's a reason why your wand wont work." The sniggers of the Snakes surrounding him caused their Professor to look back with a stern expression. Malfoy decided not to say anything further, instead returning to his failed attempts at Transfiguration.
"It's like a schoolboy crush," Tracey tittered from Harry's right.
"Please don't put that image in my head. I think Draco would probably never leave me a moments peace if that were the case."
They shared a united laugh, quietening down as the room's noise did.
"So, what did you want to talk to me about? It seems as though everyone wants to talk lately."
"Maybe tomorrow night, Harry. We share Astronomy, so it would probably be better then, if that's okay?"
Harry nodded his agreement, wary of the hard glare that McGonagall was giving them.
When the lesson was over, Harry remained in his seat after packing up his things.
"Mr Potter, Harry, I do not wish to keep you long. I only wanted to inform you that you know that my door is always open to you. Filius wants to extend this offer, as well as Septima, too. We only want what is best for you, and if that requirement broadens to further discussions, well, then it only seems right to do such."
"Thank you, Professor. But I-"
She shook her head, "It is fine, Harry. I do understand. I wish that I could understand to a greater extent, but I cannot. So, if all I can do now is wait for you to need us, then that is what I shall do. Please though, Alastor is a good man, but his views on the world have been tremendously warped. He means well, but… take his words with a pinch of salt. Now, off with you. Severus will be annoyed - more annoyed – if you are late to his lesson."
Harry bade her thanks and sprinted off to the dungeons, hoping that Snape would be better this year than the last.
His wishes were not granted.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Mr Potter, to think that you believe that your fame would be enough to grant you a free pass in my class is… idiotic, to say the least." The drawl and sneer and smirk were solely directed upon him. The vast majority of the Slytherins in the room were loudly guffawing at Harry's misery. "Well, what more can one expect from a Potter, and one such dunderhead who graced my classroom. Tut, tut. What a pity your scar did not improve your brain power. Merely reduced it to a fragment of its worth, I believe."
Harry's hands were shaking in his lap. A warmness spread behind his eyes. 'I will not cry. I will not.' He refused to give the Snakes and their vindictive teacher the satisfaction. All he had done was stir the potion they were making clockwise instead of counter clockwise. Tracey had been his guide throughout the potion making, and he thought he was doing so well.
"Harry, calm down," Tracey whispered with her hand in front of her mouth. "I know. But you have to keep everything cool before you do something you regret."
Harry breathed in long and deep through his nose. He held his breath for a few seconds, then released the air out of his mouth in a long, drawn out, exhale. The world became silent as he repeated this several more times, then, when he had calmed down, his eyes removed the glazed look, and he focused his attention on their teacher. 'I still don't understand why Professor Dumbledore doesn't just get rid of him.' Snape looked unhealthy, deprived of sunlight, unkempt, but most of all, he looked angry. Not at him, but more like at the whole world. He had always contemplated the reasons why Snape appeared to single him out above all others, but decided to trust Dumbledore's final judgment. Even if he disliked the outcome. The Headmaster stated once that Severus Snape will be one of the most important players in the future game, and that he would be required at Hogwarts above all else, even his own peace.
"Yes, Professor Snape," Harry grit out. Harry found difficulty in being angry. Sometimes he wished he could find it deep in the wellspring of his heart to produce a rage so foul that all negativity could wash away. Yet he could not. Images would swim in his mind's eye of blood and the dark and the sounds of his screaming and begging for help. No. Harry had seen what rage does to people – he had experienced it first-hand – and the mental blocks he had placed there was something he would make sure to never let loose.
By the time the lesson was over, Harry was ready to crumble to the ground. So much of his improvement would almost be rejected in favour of the derogatory behaviour of their Potions Professor. Improvement would start, once again, with the comforting of Fay and Neville; Katie and the rest would come after. It was almost as if Sirius' newfound freedom had been taken as a personal offence by Snape, and his vindictiveness and hate would be taken out on the young Potter instead of a broken man he could not touch.
"I-I think I'm going to the owlery," Harry said to his friends. "I'm not that hungry, and I need to reply to Dora anyway." Woe betides the man if Harry decided to let his sister know of how Snape acted around him.
She had told him the month prior, that parents had been pushing for Snape's removal for years, but it was the likes of the Malfoy, Greengrass, and Nott families that pushed political pressure forth, that kept him on. Albus Dumbledore was simply a cog in the machine to keep the burden known as Snape at Hogwarts.
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?"
Sinistra had left them to do some group work; identifying marks made upon the Jovian Moons. Naturally, as they were placed into pairs, Tracey had dragged Harry off and together they placed their telescopes side by side.
"Ah, yes." Tracey fidgeted. "Well, I need to tell you something. Something… important. I-"
"Davis! I would have thought that you could have had a better choice than Potter, but I guess even the most presentable still have flaws."
The girlish laughter would never had been prevalent if Professor Sinistra were there. Harry took a quick glance around the Astronomy Tower and could find no trace of her. 'Can I not have just a normal week? Is that not too much to ask to be a student for once?'
"Shut it Parkinson. I can be friends with who I wish to be friends with. I, unlike you, have some form of independence."
The other girl burned bright red. "This is neither the time, nor the place."
"Why? Because we are in public? Malfoy is always spouting nonsense as he questions Harry's bravery. Funny that he cannot say that right now and has to have his girlfriend fight his battles for him." Tracey's nose was upturned, and her magic was crackling the air.
Harry could see Lily Moon making her tiny frame even smaller as she stood next to Lavender Brown, refusing to be a part in the events occurring within Gryffindor earshot. Malfoy, his two goons, and Blaise Zabini were clumped together, making a slight racket that Harry was sure was to distract their Professor when she returned. The rest were stood in front of him.
Tracey had taken an almost defensive stance, wand out and her back flush against his front as she covered him from view. The darkness was such that he could not make out her features, but he could sense her anger and hostility.
"Come now, Davis. To defend a Gryffindor, and a Half-Blood blood traitor? Do you not have any shame?" Daphne Greengrass had a shrill voice and was said to only have her looks going for her, if her poor grades and slow wit revealed.
"My blood is thicker than your own, Greengrass."
"Why you jumped up bint-"
"We have nothing against you, Davis," Nott interrupted. "Nor against Potter, really. But you know how it is. Politics and all."
'Malfoy', Harry thought to himself.
"Well, you can tell him that his man-crush has to stop interfering with my friendship." Harry could have found this situation funny if he were not in the middle of it all. Seeing Tracey defend him like this from her housemates… "I can befriend who I want, and Draco Malfoy is not going to stop that even if he throws a hissy fit. Please find it in yourselves to remind your oh so fearless leader, that the Davis family is from older and wealthier stock than his own. You all know the reason why my family is not within the Sacred 28, and it has nothing to do with blood purity or gold."
They gave her dark looks but left all the same. Harry slipped his hand into her own, smiling slightly when she laced their fingers together. Katie always made him feel better by doing this, and he was glad that he was able to do the same to his friend. "You didn't have to do this for me. But thank you. Wont this backfire later?" he asked concernedly.
She shook her head. "No, Draco may like to talk the big game, but my family has far more allies within the House than he does. Politics is constantly on the table in Slytherin, and Malfoy only believes he is top dog, when he is only a mongrel. Barking at the moon and thinking himself victorious when the sun rises."
"While you are pedigree? Watching the moon for what it is but anticipating the dawn?"
Her laughter was bell-like, chiming, and pleasant to his ears. "I think my verbosity and intellect may have rubbed off on you, Harry." Her laughter continued good-naturedly, putting his mood up throughout the night.
By the time Harry's head hit the pillow early in the morning, he had forgotten that Tracey had something important to discuss with him.
When Harry sat down in his Arithmancy class the next day, Septima Vector was there waiting for him. Once more she greeted him with verve, but inside lay a sense of foreboding.
She had spoken to the Headmaster the previous night, laying out her fears and worries before him. Though she left with a lighter heart, her concern was still large for the boy that reminded her so much of Lily…
He had her predilection for gathering allies and friends to him as a flame attracts a moth. He had even drawn in a Slytherin that would look at him with the same reverence that a boy had done so long ago.
There was even a comparison that could be made between herself and Harry's self-styled 'Circle'.
'I wonder. I bet you are as clueless as Lily was, aren't you? She never knew her full worth, and she had the poorest luck I think I have ever seen apart from your own. Enemies and friends, love and hate. Though, she won in the end, did she not? There is only regret that lives down that road.'
She could have hated the boy. She could have been so much like Severus that pain would all she would have ever been able to inflict. But that would be an insult to Lily Evans. It would be an insult to the happy memories she had shared with the fiery, passionate girl, who was so full of love and affection that it blinded all others who stood near her.
'Lily… What could have become of us that day if things had gone so different?'
It was a question she asked herself often.
But she taught the boy, and all the others, and over the full year she knew him, all she could see was what she missed out. What was taken from her. What had been ripped out of her grasp and then thrown in her face as if mocking the what ifs and sleepless nights wondering. What she never had.
His smile was hers.
He looked so much like James, but there were so many little things that only she could pick up on. Their smile, their eyes, their expressions, their mannerisms.
People had oft told her that Harry Potter was nothing like his parents. Sirius would be the one to ask about James but could see a new Lily in his seat. New, but so different.
'He is so full of pain. Of hurt. I wish I could drag it all out of you, Harry. But… I am not strong enough. My time is over now, and it is down to the new generation to ease your suffering. That Bell girl, and now Sirius, and even this Tonks character. I guess they'll just be the beginning.'
Tracey was leaning in close to him, he could see his flushed face and confused eyes, and almost felt like smirking herself. She clapped her hands together, signalling the attention of the class.
'I can only make a wish. I wish that your life becomes better than ours was. I think, no, I know, that you have sacrificed too much already. There is no need for any more. Not now.'
11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111
Harry lay across the sofa, the fireplace roaring as it sprang forth a comforting heat upon him. The Common Room was hushed as students quietly chatted away. Harry's head lay on Katie's lap, the blush on his face had long since receding, while his knees were brought up so his feet were placed upon the sofa cushion on the middle space. Neville sat at the end; his face scrunched up in a confused grimace as his potions essay was placed before him half finished.
The Twins were off in a corner, serious looks on their faces as they scribbled on a parchment furiously, whilst their sister was laughing quietly at the antics of her friend, Luna, who she and Hermione had smuggled into Gryffindor Tower. Many knew of her House's predilection for making the girl's life uncomfortable, so the Lions had decided to turn a blind eye to her entering their Den.
Angelina was talking with Katie as she perched on the armrest of the sofa, and Alicia and Fay were playing Exploding Snap on the floor; Fay's singed fringe and ashen face revealing her frequent, and annoyed, losses.
He sighed as Katie ran her fingers through his hair, idly scratching at his scalp as his eyes closed contentedly. The first full week was over now, and the discussions around the coming schools and eventual Tournament, were on everybody's lips.
His thoughts returned, as they had done since he and Moody talked, to the anticipation of horror in the coming year. He knew that Moody was most likely correct in his assumptions, even if Fay and Neville had stubbornly refused to have anything to do with it. Instead claiming that correlation and causation are two separate things… At least, this was stated in their own words.
But they trusted him, and he trusted them. Harry understood the desire to protect these people. This Circle that had formed with he in the centre of it all. They were united in their care for each other, and Harry had latched onto them desperately in the dark. Clinging to the life raft in desperate hope to stay afloat.
He would be damned if he were to sink again.
So he revelled in their touches. Their presence. Their oneness in aspirations to keep the bonds they had formed together.
The past of his story seemed to ebb away with each passing moment. Old nightmares beginning to lose momentum as these new fantasies became more and more real.
Life was forming into a sense of normality that had almost deliberately avoided him for so long… There were still scars, both revealed and hidden, that would torment Harry forever, but these people were the balm to soothe him, and he knew that he would fight for them if he had to. To keep this peace that he refused to let go.
And so he sighed, stretching himself out as he embraced the gentle heat of happiness that he felt in that moment. The rush of adrenaline, and joy of his performances in the heat of Quidditch felt as though a fleeting moment, compared to that of this constant that made him feel so complete.
'This might not last forever, so, before the darkness comes once more, I will enjoy this peace while it lasts.'
Author's Notes
Not much I can say in this one. A filler chapter of sorts, but one that has brought Harry back to Hogwarts, and introducing the important side of Year 4. We see Harry has a place in the world now, though he is fighting it subconsciously. It is another long chapter as well, compared to most of mine, and I think that may be for most of them from now on too. Which is good, I suppose.
Ron is practically a lost cause in this fic. I don't really like his character in general, but there will not be an excruciatingly bad ending for the guy. I've mentioned in a previous chapter that there will be some bashing of characters who I believe deserve it. Ron Weasley is not one of them, he is just going through a rough patch. It happens to some of us more than we would like to admit.
Next Chapter: Another Terrible Halloween