I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.

The Family that Chooses You

Chapter 5 – Internal Disagreement

"Let me get this straight, you think Harry shouldn't be Seeker?" Alicia looked up at the glowering fourth year. She tried hard to keep her annoyance from her face and she knew she failed with how the fourth year glared at her.

"He's a weedy little firstie! He shouldn't be on the team."

Alicia made a show of looking at the older boy's front.

"What…what are you doing?" he asked, confused.

"I'm looking for your Captain's badge."

His face reddened and a few onlookers chuckled. "It's because I don't have one," he said with gritted teeth.

"Oh, well that's why I can't find it," Alicia said with false sincerity. "So that means you're not Captain of the team?"

"No. I'm not."

"In that case I don't think you have anything to say about the team then, and who should or shouldn't be on it."

He slammed his hand on the table in front of her. "I'm entitled to an opinion!"

Alicia did not flinch at the gesture nor the resulting sound. "You sure are. Doesn't mean I have to listen to it or agree to it." She sighed and looked down at her work. "Why are you hassling me anyways? Do you see a badge pinned to me?" Before he could talk she cut him off. "No you don't and believe me, I know you've been looking."

His red face was now due to embarrassment rather than anger and the onlookers whispered unflattering things.

"You didn't see him practice and yes he's a first year. Yes he's new. But he's a decent flyer and The Team," she put an emphasis on the words, "thinks he'll be fine. Why do you care anyways? You don't play Seeker, Morgan."

Morgan looked mutinous. "I bet I could play better than him."

"Why didn't you try out when Wood put the notice up earlier this year?"

"I didn't know he'd be so desperate to have a firstie play. I bet the only reason Potter's on the team is he's the Boy-Who-Lived. Little spoiled git."

Alicia rolled her eyes. "That's stupid and you're stupid for thinking it. Just let Harry be and wait for us to play our first game."

"Fine, I'll wait and see us get slaughtered and be the laughing stock at Hogwarts over it."

"You're used to being a laughing stick Morgan so won't be much different for you now will it?" Alicia smiled to herself as the others laughed loudly at the angry Morgan, making him sputter and stomp off.

If she was being honest, she had those thoughts at first when she found out Harry was going to be Seeker. First years are usually not allowed on the House team to give them a chance to get used to school and to let them grow a bit more. There were also enough people who wanted to play within the House to fill the positions usually.

Ever since the legendary Charlie Weasley graduated, the Gryffindor Quidditch team had fallen on hard times. No one really wanted to take the Seeker position after Charlie and those that were brave enough to try played dismally. The team had suffered with poor captains and poor players for a long time.

Oliver had tried to turn the team around and he had done a good job overall. He was fair and passionate, some might say fanatical, and did his best to build as strong as a team as he could. Granted the team still lost more often than not, but they were much closer loses.

When Oliver had announced Harry was joining the team Alicia thought it was because of the Boy-Who-Lived influence. This boy, the ender of the First Wizarding World, had some kind of pull that allowed the rules to be bent. He must have arrived as a Quidditch prodigy, some special top of the line racing broom, and wanted glory on the pitch.

All those thoughts went straight out the window when Alicia actually saw him properly for the first time.

He had brought the broom he had received only a few days before. He was a natural on the broom like Oliver said but he was very hesitant, clearly showing his inexperience. He had asked a lot of questions about the game, showing his ignorance. His demeanor and attitude were the complete opposite of someone who had taken their fame for granted.

She bit the end of her quill, lost in thought. Then the incident between Harry and Angelina happened. Alicia had no idea what to think about that. She and Angelina were close friends and have been since they met during the Sorting Ceremony. Alicia knew her friend looked intimidating and certainly could hit hard. She also knew Angelina would never hit anyone without a very good reason.

She was going to check on her right after but saw Katie approach Angelina. Alicia had seen them whisper about something before so she thought she would wait until later that night before bed to check with Angelina. If they did not talk to her before then.

As if summoned, Angelina and Katie appeared. They sat on either side of Alicia at the table, dropping their school work. The trio began to chat as they got to work on essays and translations, the pleasant kind of talk that passed the time and made homework more bearable.

Alicia noticed Harry wander into the common room at one point. The boy had sat next to the fire and pulled out a textbook. He worked too, quietly and alone. At one point some of the older students walked up and glared at Harry, saying words that could not be heard from far away.

Harry had immediately left his place, scurrying to a corner far away, hunching down and looking like he was hiding in it. The older boys had snorted, making more comments and laughing loudly before they sprawled out in front of the fire.

Alicia had frowned at that. Morgan was one of the boys and he looked far too smug in making Harry move.

Alicia also noticed how Katie and Angelina kept looking at Harry. Every so often they would look over. She was surprised to see how concerned they were. They seemed to be showing more interest in Harry than any other first year. It was fair, since Harry was their new team mate. However, Alicia thought their interest was a little more than just casual.

"So," Alicia began as the trio started to finish up their work for the night, "Morgan was being a prat earlier."

"What else is new?" Katie drawled causing a fit of giggles.

"Fair. He was being a git about the team." Alicia saw that she had Katie and Angelina's full attention now. "Saying how Harry shouldn't be Seeker."

Angelina snorted. "Oh yeah, and who should be? Him? He can barely fly with how big his ego is. Not to mention he's dead clumsy."

"I've seen him fumble his goblet at meals more often than not," Katie said with a hint of maliciousness.

Another fit of giggles.

"He reckons Harry's spoiled. Something about being the Boy-Who-Lived giving him airs," Alicia said.

"He's not spoiled."

Alicia looked at Katie with surprise. The other girl did not shout, she did not sound angry. She had said it plainly but with utter conviction. It was stated like a fact like the sun rose in the east.

Alicia looked at Angelina and she saw her friend nod in complete agreement.

"You're sure about that?" Alicia asked.

"I'm sure he's not spoiled. I can't say for sure if he's…" her voice faded for a moment. "I know he's not spoiled."

"You two have met some of my relations," Angelina said. "Some of them are really spoiled. Act all high and mighty. Harry doesn't act like them at all. No way he's spoiled. He doesn't look like he thinks he's entitled to anything."

"No he doesn't," Alicia agreed thoughtfully. She looked at her friends. Katie looked at the boy with concern, her eyes sad. Angelina looked anxious, her eyes filled with guilt. "What happened earlier?" she asked Angelina.

The tall girl told her what she saw from her perspective.

"Angelina, you did nothing wrong," Alicia said, taking the girl's hand in her own. "You were being an excited team mate. You couldn't have guessed he'd react like that."

"But why did he?" Angelina's words were desperate. "I've never seen a reaction like that from a complete stranger before. It made me feel awful."

"I don't think he meant to do that either," Alicia said.

"No, I don't think he did. But why was that his immediate reaction? What happened to him to make him be like that? Especially when he said he's been hit harder." Angelina's voice hitched as she repeated Harry's words.

Alicia did not like the implications of that thought process. "Have you tried asking him?" she asked.

"I don't think he'd just say it outright. Not right now. I don't think he trusts us yet," Katie said sadly.

The dark hair girl looked at her two friends, and then looked back at the lonely boy. "Alright then."

Angelina and Katie looked at Alicia. "Alright then what?"

"Let's give him a reason to trust us." Alicia cleared her throat a little and called out, "Harry!"

The boy looked up, startled.

"Don't worry, you're not in trouble. Why don't you come over and join us? That corner's awfully dark."

Harry looked indecisive. At first he looked he would come over but his eyes fell on the pack of boys sitting by the fire. At their look he shrank back into the corner and shook his head.

Alicia kept her face calm as she waved her hand. "Ignore them, Harry. Come on. Us team mates," she emphasized the words, "have to stick together. We want you to join us."

Katie and Angelina nodded eagerly and that broke through Harry's hesitation. He gathered his things and walked over, standing at the table awkwardly.

Angelina smiled. "Let me get you a chair." She rose and walked past the boys by the fire. No one but them saw her expression but it made all of them look away, some sweating and pale. Angelina walked back with a chair and set it between Katie and Alicia, patting it encouragingly.

Harry sat down, fidgeting and looking noticeably uncomfortable.

"We're not that scary are we?" Katie asked, pretending to look hurt.

He shook his head wildly.

"I'm just teasing you," Katie said, trying to reassure him.

"Yeah, relax Harry," Angelina said. "We want you to sit with us."

"You do?"

The girls did not miss how hopeful he sounded, how his words dripped with disbelief. They did not miss how he instantly stopped fidgeting, how he no longer looked like he wanted to hide.

Angelina fought down the stab of pain deep in her stomach. "Yeah of course we do."

"Oh. That's nice of you. Thank you." Harry's voice was low, almost a whisper.

Alicia coughed awkwardly. "What're you working on. Potions?"

He nodded.

"Oh I remember that essay from first year. It's a rough one. I'd be happy to give it a look when you're finished."

"I wouldn't want to keep you from your work," he murmured.

"No it's fine. It'll be good for me to remember the basics."

The now quartet worked diligently. The girls still chatted and every now and then they would ask Harry questions about how he was finding Hogwarts. They purposely did not ask him anything too personal. As they worked Harry relaxed more and more. He started asking them questions first, talking without being prompted.

By the end he was almost like any other first year. Still painfully shy and reserved, but he no longer shook like prey in the presence of predators. He no longer looked hunted. He looked like a normal first year boy.

Alicia smiled warmly as she handed him back his essay. "Good job Harry. I think you'll get a good grade on that. I barely had to suggest any changes."

He smiled back at her while taking the essay. It was a tiny smile but it transformed his face. His thanks was lost in a giant yawn.

"You should probably run up to bed," Angelina said. She looked around, expecting to see a disapproving girl glaring at her. "If you can stand me telling you what to do of course."

Harry giggled and the girls were struck by the rare sound. "I don't mind. You said you were looking out for me earlier." His face reddened and he looked down. "I haven't had anyone do that for me before."

Angelina gripped the table, trying to keep her face from contorting from the growing pain in her stomach. "Don't worry Harry, the whole team's looking out for you. Right girls?"

Katie and Alicia nodded in agreement, not trusting themselves to speak.

Harry's smile grew. "Oh. Thank you. I really appreciate it." He waved shyly before walking up the stairs to the dormitory.

Three sets of eyes watched him leave and they kept looking at the stairs long after he disappeared from view.

"That was a good idea Alicia," Katie said. "Thanks for doing it."

"Of course," Alicia replied softly. She sighed heavily. "Something's not quite right with Harry."

The other two nodded.

"That's what we think anyways," Angelina said.

"What do we do?" Alicia asked.

"Whatever we can," Katie said.