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

Note: Warning, this chapter has a bit of violence and is a little rough.

The Family that Chooses You

Chapter 11 – Cry for Help

The game had done wonders for Harry.

Despite wrestling with a cursed broom, one that Professors McGonagall and Flitwick had carefully examined after the match and declared it free from malicious intent, despite nearly choking himself by accidentally inhaling the Snitch, he felt better than he had in weeks if not longer.

He had still managed to stay on his broom. He had still managed to catch the Snitch and win the game for the team. All his hard work at practice, the time he spent working hard with his team mates, had borne fruit. No one could say he did not earn his place on the team. While his natural talent helped, it showed that he deserved to be Seeker.

No one complained anymore in Gryffindor, at least not audibly or around Harry and the Team. They cheered him and his efforts with the rest of the team. Some of the students from the other Houses, save for Slytherin of course, had congratulated him on a fine first showing.

He felt more at ease now. He was doing well in classes, thanks to Hermione and the girls on the team. He was used to the practices and the general life at school. For the first time in his life, he felt normal. For the first time he had friends that he was sure were actually his friends.

Not even learning about Nicolas Flamel and wondering what Fluffy the three-headed dog was defending could bother him right now.

Walking back to Gryffindor tower, he felt safe to lower his guard. He and Ron and Hermione had left class but the girl had left something behind. She was agitated because she wanted to meet with a professor, so Harry offered to go get it for her. Ron was desperate to return to the tower so Harry had gone alone. He felt he could navigate the castle by himself with little trouble at this point.

Unfortunately, like most things, his timing proved to be his undoing. That and the machinations of others.

While walking, carrying Hermione's book and quill in his arms, something grabbed an ankle and pulled hard. He clutched the items to his chest, preventing himself from breaking his fall. He twisted awkwardly and fell, his whole-body landing on his knee. Unfortunately, it was one of his bad knees, one that his Aunt Marge's dog took to once and ever since it was weaker. It cracked and he cried out in pain.

"Clumsy aren't you?"

Harry twisted, trying to stop himself from crying. He looked up and stared at a burly boy, much older than him, clad in black trimmed in green. He had his wand out and he leered unpleasantly at Harry.

Harry looked about desperately. There were other Slytherin House students there and they watched with a hunger in their eyes that Harry was afraid of. He recognized that look. He saw it enough in Dudley's eyes, in the eyes of his Dudley's friends, in Uncle Vernon's. There were some Ravenclaw students too, also upper years. They lacked the predatory hunger but their eyes held the utter disinterest in the situation, as if not seeing him at all. Something Aunt Petunia did a lot.

Harry tried to crawl away, tried to ignore his protesting knee.

"I thought Gryffindor's didn't run," the Slytherin said. He made a motion with his wand.

Harry was dragged back to the boy. An inescapable force pulled on his leg with the broken knee. He cried out in pain.

"Look at him crawl," another scoffed. "He's trying to pretend to be a snake!"

Harry heard the Sorting Hat's voice in his ear, the one that said he belonged in Slytherin. Faced by such cruelty, Harry felt like he did not protest enough that night. He started to shake but he held onto the quill and book. "I wasn't doing anything to bother you," he said as bravely as he could. "Please let me go."

"'Please let me go'," the first boy sniggered, mocking Harry. The others laughed. "How pathetic. And a liar. You did plenty to bother us. Like cheating at the Quidditch game."

"I didn't cheat," Harry retorted. "I caught it legally. Besides, if anyone is a cheat it's Flint who scored while we were on time out!"

The Slytherins scowled and the boy pulled on Harry's leg again.

This time he did not cry out but only just, biting his lip fiercely. He thought about getting his wand out but then he would have to let go of Hermione's things. He also did not think he knew enough magic to defend himself against an upper year that knew more than he.

"Not very smart of you Potter," the boy spat. "Outnumbered and still spouting off? Guess you were put in the right House. Stupid and reckless."

"Better than stupid and cruel!"

The Slytherins went quiet. The boy's face twisted. He stepped down on Harry's leg.

Harry grunted in pain.

"You need to learn your place Potter. Learn to respect your betters."

"He can't learn," the second Slytherin boy said. "He's a dumb wide mouthed freak that doesn't even know how to catch with his hands."

Freak.

The word burned Harry's ears and his mind. It had been weeks since he last heard the word and for a brief blissful time he had forgotten about it. He whispered to himself.

"What was that?" The first Slytherin asked. "Speak up Potter."

"I'm not a freak," Harry said unconvincingly.

The Slytherins laughed and the Ravenclaws said nothing, simply watching.

"Oh but you are a freak, a weird unnatural freak. You're the Boy-Who-Lived. There's nothing more freakish than that!"

Harry's heart beat harder each time the word was uttered. He was breathing heavily, gasping for air. He summoned his strength and kicked out with his good leg. "Let me go!"

The boy's face turned ugly and he stamped down hard.

Harry screamed.

"Aww what's the matter?" He taunted. "Crying out cause you hurt your leg? Crying for your mummy Potter? Well she isn't here! Maybe if you scream louder she can hear you from where she is. Go on. Scream again freak!" He raised his leg high.

He suddenly flew back from Harry. A high impact Bludgeoning Hex had struck directly in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him and knocking him back, slamming him against the wall. He slid to the ground, unable to keep himself up.

Katie stood at the beginning of the corridor. Her eyes were opened wide. Her body trembled but her arm and wand were unmoving.

The second Slytherin boy brought his arm up.

She jabbed with her wand. A second Hex flew out and struck the second Slytherin boy. He crumpled forward, clutching his stomach.

The second year girl stalked forward. Not once did she think twice about approaching a group of older students. She did not hesitate. She did not tremble from fear, but from rage. She had left her classroom a corridor away and had heard a cry. She had walked closer to investigate, coming close enough to hear a scream.

A scream she recognized.

She came running and saw the boy about to stomp down again. She had heard him call Harry a freak. She heard him taunt Harry about his mother.

Her spell had exploded out of her.

The first boy shook his head slowly, drunkenly. He raised his arm, pointing his wand at her.

It was his turn to scream as his arm flopped at a weird angle. The Bludgeoning Hex caught him fully in the arm and between the hard spell and the rock stone wall, his arm broke. He dropped his wand with nerveless fingers. He crawled back, sobbing, cradling his arm.

Katie was tempted to go further when she heard Harry whimper, heard him sob. She dropped down beside him. "Harry, Harry, I'm here. It's okay, I'm here!"

The boy was lost in his terror and pain. He brought the book over his face, trying to hide. "I'm sorry, I'm a freak," he repeated again and again in a broken tone.

"Harry!" Katie tried to pull the book away so she could look into his face. "You're not a freak! Please let me help you."

Finally she was able to pull the book down enough to look him in the eye. "Harry, it's Katie. You're okay, I'm here."

"Katie?"

She hated how defeated he sounded, how broken. "Yes, it's Katie, your friend."

"My friend." His face twisted and he tried to hide again. "No, I don't have any friends. I'm a freak. Freaks don't have friends."

"You are not a freak. You are Harry Potter. You are the Gryffindor Seeker. You are my friend." She placed her hands on his cheeks. "Please listen Harry." She tried to keep the panic from her tone. To keep herself from breaking like he did, was. "Tell me what's wrong Harry."

"I fell. Hurt my leg. He stomped on it."

She tried to keep the fury from her voice. She must have failed to keep it from her face because Harry flinched away from her. He tried to hide again.

"No no no I'm not mad at you Harry. Really. I'm going to help you. Let's get you to the Infirmary. Give me the book and quill."

He clutched them to his chest. "No, they're Hermione's. I promised to get them. She trusted me." He held onto them like a lifeline.

"Okay, okay," she said as soothingly as she could. "Can you walk?"

He tried to get up with her help but the moment he put any weight on his hurt leg he cried out again. He would have fallen if Katie had not held him up by his arm.

Katie started to panic. She had to get him away and to safety. She could not carry him. Despite being taller than him and him being especially small, she could not move him by herself. Movement caught her eye and her wand came up.

One of the Ravenclaw boys flinched back. "I was going to offer to help," he said, sounding insulted.

She bared her teeth and he took several steps back. "Like you offered to help before? When it was just Harry?"

He had the grace to look ashamed.

Katie looked back at the beginning of the corridor. There were students clustered around, looking down the hallway with interest. They milled about, trying to see what was going on but did not want to get involved.

A familiar face briefly appeared, framed by long black braided hair.

"Angelina!" Katie screamed out.

The head turned. The tall girl pushed her way through the crowd. "Katie? What's go-Harry?!" She ran over. "What happened?"

"They did," Katie snarled, pointing at the crowd of Slytherins, two of which laid on the ground.

Angelina growled. The sound was low in her throat, a sound that promised pain. She did not even bother pulling her wand out. She rolled her sleeves up and took a step forward. The crowd of boys scrambled back, leaving their House mates lying on the ground.

"No! Leave them! Harry's hurt. We have to get him to the infirmary but I can't carry him."

Angelina's desire for retribution faded, replaced by her need to protect. She knelt down by the still crying Harry.

"Careful, he hurt his leg. I think his knee," Katie said.

The tall girl nodded. "Harry, I'm going to pick you up. It's going to hurt but it's the fastest way for us to get you to Madame Pomfrey. Is that okay?"

Rain swept emerald eyes stared up at the two girls.

"Help me," he whispered. "Please?"

Angelina scooped him up in her arms and he stifled a whimper. He wrapped his arms around her neck, trapping the book and quill between them, and buried his face in her neck. Katie grabbed Harry and Angelina's bags and settled them on her back. She ran in front of Angelina and Harry. One look from her scattered all the students in their way and the girls ran.