A/N: It's scary how fast time can slip by.
The Slytherin Reformation
By Spectre4hire
Chapter 3: The Snake Charmer
"Enough." Daphne announced, trying to guide her broom towards the ground.
Harry watched the struggle from above, lazily lapping around the Pitch on his Nimbus 2000 which had been a birthday gift from Moony, Cyrus, and Roxanne for his last birthday.
"What do you mean?" Tracey zoomed towards her friend on her own broomstick, "We're just getting started."
"Started?" Daphne sputtered, holding tightly to her broom, while looking up at her best friend with indignation. "I've been doing quidditch these past two hours."
Tracey snickered, "You don't do quidditch," she corrected with a roll of her eyes. "You play it."
"Whatever," Daphne shrugged away the correction, turning back towards her faulty and school borrowed broom as it descended slowly towards the ground. "It's still two more hours then I ever wanted to play in my life."
Daphne's eyes lit up when her feet neared the ground. "I mean I almost fell off my broom."
"That would've been a pity."
"Shut it, Nott," Daphne's eyes snapped up at where Theo and Neville were. They were flying back from the hoops, like her they were using school brooms.
"You were in no danger, Daphne," Harry assured her.
"He's right," Hermione was on the ground making her way towards them. She was carrying a basket of golf balls. She had been bewitching them to take to the air allowing Harry to practice as if they were snitches. "Professor Lupin wouldn't have just watched you fall."
"I would've."
"Not helping, Theodore," Hermione said in exasperation.
It was enough to make Theo look contrite and go quiet.
Harry looked towards the stands where Moony had been sitting, monitoring their practice. Now, seeing they were done, he looked to be heading towards the exit. Harry had gotten special written permission from him for them to be able to practice tonight. He would've asked his Head of House, but Professor Snape had barely spoken to him since Harry made his offer to the potions professor about viewing his memory involving his parents.
The try outs for the Slytherin team were this weekend, and Harry and Tracey had wanted to squeeze in some more practice time to better their chances at making the team. That meant recruiting their friends and having them fill in certain roles to help stimulate a real try out to better hone Harry and Tracey's skills.
"Over already?" Luna Lovegood asked, sounding sad at the idea of it being over.
She had been a last second addition, they had bumped into her on the way to the pitch and Harry had casually offered if she wanted to join them. Her face had lit up at the invitation and she readily agreed. Luna held little interest in either being a beater or the keeper so she worked on helping Tracey pass the quaffle and other maneuvers to varying degrees of success.
"I know why you were distracted."
"Please don't," Daphne cut in before she could hear Luna's reasoning. Her feet scraped against the grass, and she visibly relaxed, touching the dirt to make sure it was real and solid before clumsily sliding off of her broom. Her legs wobbled but even in her clumsiness, Harry had to admit she remained dignified.
Luna deflated, but didn't press.
Daphne sensed it, and had the good sense to look apologetic, "I just don't want to relieve the experience, whatever dangerous creature or magical apparatus that it was."
"Understood," Luna smiled at that, before guiding her broom back towards the ground.
"For someone who doesn't like flying. You were good," Susan interjected, her feet touching down, only a few steps away from Daphne. The Third year Hufflepuff who had been studying with them before dinner had agreed to help, but only after warning them of her novice quidditch skills. She had been the opponent seeker for Harry. Even though he beat her every time, she did have some raw talent, and what she lacked in skill, she made up for in effort.
"Of course, I was," Daphne said in a feign haughty voice, flipping her windswept hair over her shoulder. The antics brought laughs all around as Neville and Theodore were next to land, the two having traded roles of beater and keeper throughout the practice. In the end, they weren't great at either position, but their willingness to help and to follow instructions did serve as a great help to Harry and Tracey.
"I got more maneuvers to go through," Tracey hadn't yet landed her broom. She was hovering a few feet above the ground, her toes occasionally skimming over the blades of grass.
"If you make us stay out here, you'll have new friends to go through," Daphne warned, hands on her hips.
Tracey pouted. "Don't you want to me make it?"
"Not at the expense of me participating in more of these practices," Daphne replied.
Like Tracey, Harry hadn't gotten off his broom, savoring his time in the air. He was unable to properly explain how much he enjoyed flying and was determined to stay as long as he could.
"That's some team spirit, Daph."
"It's like you don't even know me," Daphne feigned hurt.
"Now there's a thought." Theodore was resting the bludger bat on his shoulder.
"Let me see that bat, Nott."
Tracey giggled, "Alright, alright, spare me your whining. " She zoomed her broom towards Daphne, "I'm very grateful for your assistance." She flashed her friend a smile before patting Daphne's head, "Such a good Daphne."
"Tracey!"
That only made Tracey laugh harder as she urged her broom further up to avoid the retaliating hand swat from Daphne.
"Have you all had enough excitement for one night?" Moony had finally joined them, looking around at the group with a smile.
"Excitement?" Daphne repeated dryly, "Is that what they call this?" She pointed disdainfully towards her abandoned broom on the ground.
Moony chuckled, "Quidditch isn't for everyone."
"Thanks again, Moony," Harry flew down towards his uncle. He swiftly dismounted his broom in one swift motion. Unable to shake the smidge of disappointment that the flying was over for the night.
"Don't mention it, Harry," He patted his shoulder, "Happy to help." His eyes looking down on the Slytherin patch on Harry's robes, "Listen to me, happy helping Slytherins?" He feigned dismay. "Oh the outrage the younger me would have if he were to see this." Moony's playful observation brought smiles and laughter from Harry and his friends.
Harry didn't take it seriously. Having lost count the number of times he heard this joke from Moony, once his chuckle subsided, he rolled his eyes. "Way to show your support."
"I'll be there, Harry," Moony assured him, his voice dropping when he added, "If you don't mind."
"That would be brilliant!" Harry was excited at the idea, earning a smile from Moony as well as a hint of relief in his face to know that he wouldn't mind his presence.
"Good, and I'll try my best to act impartial," he winked.
Harry grinned, but didn't comment since Moony turned his attention towards the others, "Alright, let's line up," he clapped his hands, "The Headmaster frowns on teachers who lose students."
Tracey groaned at the conclusion of their practice. She had been the last one to remain in the air, but she reluctantly flew down. Her expression morose when her feet touched the ground.
"Good," Moony then eyed the assembled cluster of students, doing a silent count, before continuing. "If you borrowed a school broom return it to the shed, and then I'll lead you guys back to the school."
Not needing further prodding, Daphne grabbed her broom, dragging it as she moved towards the shed.
"That was fun," Neville followed behind.
"Thanks for the help," Harry walked beside him. He kept his broom in his dorm room, but he didn't mind walking with his friends to return theirs.
"No problem," Neville waved off his gratitude, "I was happy to."
Daphne scoffed ahead of them, but didn't add any more of her commentary.
"This was the most fun I had since I came to Hogwarts," Luna revealed in her usual airy voice. Her hair was windswept, but her smile was wide and bright.
Harry was taken aback by both the sincerity of her words and the indication of them. It cast a poor light on her experience if a quidditch practice on a Tuesday night was the most fun she's had since she got to school. He looked around to see the others were similarly dismayed by the revealing truth of the Ravenclaw's words.
Harry quietly vowed to make sure Luna could join them more often in potential future outings. Wanting to include the Ravenclaw and hoping to provide her more fun and friendship then she's seemingly experienced in her one plus year at Hogwarts.
"You're a good flyer," Harry complimented her.
"Thanks," she replied, still smiling brightly from her previous statement. "Father let me fly back home before I came to Hogwarts."
"It shows," Susan added a friendly smile, "after going through this practice, I for one have more respect for those who fly for my house team." She sounded a bit winded. She moved her broom as she carried it, a slight wince followed, "Also more sore then you'd expect."
"Never ride a broomstick before?" Tracey grinned at the innuendo.
Susan's face matched her red hair as the implication seeped in.
"Tracey," Hermione scolded, sounded equally dismayed and flushed at her friend's lewd remarks.
"Oh, lighten up, Hermione," Tracey rolled her eyes. "It was only a joke. No need to take house points away from me."
Hermione huffed at that, but the twitching of her lips betrayed the lack of seriousness of the look.
"Finally," a relieved and excited Daphne said from up ahead having reached the broom shed. She was quick to open the door and drop her broom at the first available spot. Clapping her hands together when she was finished, pretending to wipe away any lingering essence of the broom from her touch.
Harry found himself standing beside Daphne as the others went in to return their brooms. Looking sideways at her, unable to help but notice how her dark, windswept hair made for quite the sight. He felt his stomach stir in a way that he's been experiencing more often as of late. Or the confusing feeling that lingered in his chest when he found himself looking at her.
"Daphne," he said, surprised by how dry his throat sounded to his ears.
"Yes?" She turned towards him.
While he observed how pretty she looked in her current attire, bathed in starlight with her windswept hair and parted lips; he pushed it aside not wanting to be distracted or come across weird or worse.
"Thanks for tonight," he smiled at her, hoping it didn't look as goofy as it felt. "I know how much you don't like any of this." He gestured vaguely, "I just appreciate it."
She looked at him, but didn't respond right away. What he wouldn't give to know what it was she was thinking in those brief heartbeats, while he silently squirmed fearing he did something wrong.
"Tracey is too," Harry quickly added. Hoping by including their friend it made it less awkward between them and Daphne more inclined and less pressured to give him sort of response.
"I was happy to help you, Harry," She smiled, eyes shimmering as she did.
The mixture of the two made Harry warm and happy, as he returned the smile. While in the back of his mind, he realized he probably looked like a dazed idiot, but he couldn't find the energy to care.
"Nervous?"
"Very," Harry and his friends found themselves sitting in their usual spot at the end of their house table that Saturday morning. Quidditch tryouts were finally here.
Theo patted him on the back before piling up some toast and bacon onto his plate. "Nothing to worry about, Harry." He took a bite of the crispy bacon. "You'll do great."
Harry looked down at the food, trying to will his stomach to stop doing somersaults so he could eat something without fear of sending it all back up.
"For once Nott is right," Daphne agreed, adding a dramatic wince to her delivery, from where she sat across from Harry. She was cutting up her eggs, but her eyes went from Tracey to Harry. "You two should eat something."
Tracey sipped some juice, looking pale and sick. Harry was sure he looked the same to her.
"Tracey," Daphne sighed, grabbing some toast and putting it on her friend's plate. "Eat."
Theodore put some bacon on Harry's. "Come on, Harry," he urged him. "When has bacon ever steered anyone wrong?" He finished up one of his slices. "I mean is it even possible to get sick eating bacon?" He asked them, taking loud and crunchy bites.
"I'm getting sick watching you eat," Daphne replied.
Theo responded, by opening his mouth to show the rest of his bacon.
"Gross!" Daphne gagged, "Even for you, Nott."
Pleased with himself, Theodore simply smiled and went back to his food.
Harry looked down at the bacon on his plate. The aroma of it wafting under his nose, momentarily quelling the nerves in his stomach. Taking that as a good sign, he picked it up and took a small bite of it. The taste exploded in his mouth. It seemed to be the best bacon he'd ever had. He swallowed, in the heartbeats that followed, he waited and feared how his stomach would react, when it didn't threaten to immediately send it back up. Harry took a few more smaller bites, and found himself adding some toast, and orange juice to wash it down.
"See," Theo sounded proud, "Bacon never fails."
"If only the same could be said of you." Daphne turned to Tracey ignoring Theodore's glare, "Now how about you?"
"I'll eat something," she said softly, sounding groggy. "But only if you two stop bickering," adding the last word with a small smile.
Harry laughed, "I'll eat to that." Holding up his piece of bacon as if to toast the idea.
Tracey smile turned into a giggle, grabbing a piece of bacon and mimicking Harry's movement. The two friend's tapped their pieces of bacon together as if they were glasses, laughing as they ate it.
Theodore snorted, "whatever you need."
"I hope you understand the sacrifice I'm making, Trace," Daphne said with a dramatic sigh, before raising her fork and pointing it at Theo, "I mean come on."
"Daphne," Tracey said in a feigned warning voice.
"Very well," Daphne frowned and went back to her food.
The friends ate quietly amongst themselves for the next few minutes. Something Harry didn't mind since he was more preoccupied with his internal thoughts then being able to keep up with any conversation. As he managed a small breakfast despite his stomach's protests and his own fear of what could happen with his nerves on a full stomach.
"Excuse me."
Harry turned to see a handful of first and second years had tentatively approached them, all of them Slytherin, "Erh, yes?"
"We just wanted to wish you two luck," A second year girl told them. A name came to him through the haziness of his nerves: Stacey Ross. Looking around the other names of the Slytherins came to him, but his attention couldn't cling to the information as he had other pressing matters on his mind.
"We know you're trying out," she gestured to her friends. "We really want you to win." The gaggle of students behind her nodded in agreement while some voiced theirs.
Harry turned to Tracey who looked equally stunned at this show of support by the younger years, and to her credit, Tracey rallied first. Sitting up in her seat and offering them a smile. "Thank you."
"We'll try to make you proud," Harry found himself adding.
"You're already doing that," Stacey told them. "Well we won't keep ya," she waved at them, "We'll be cheering as loud as we can," she promised to the murmuring agreement of her friends and classmates.
"Show our house what," she paused, closing her eyes as if fixing up the courage to speak, "us half-bloods can do." Opening her eyes with a wide smile. That got a louder reaction of buzzing not just from her crowd in agreement, but some of the Slytherin onlookers.
Harry watched them leave, finding the nerves in his gut alleviating. "Huh," he found himself saying, turning to Tracey who looked equally boosted by the show of support from their fellow Slytherins.
"Are you guys ready?" Hermione and Neville had made their way to their table. Both were dressed warmly and in their house colors.
Harry looked to meet Tracey's eyes, who nodded, a look of determination on her face.
"Yeah," Harry answered. "I think we are."
"You know there's a party down there, and you're one of the guests of honor."
Harry looked over his shoulder to see Moony had caught him. He had snuck up into Moony's office during the festivities, the reason was the picture frame he was currently holding that had been on his uncle's desk.
"I'm sorry," he apologized sheepishly, turning back to the picture to see the smiling faces of his father in his Gryffindor jersey. To his left was a younger Moony and to his father's other side was a young Sirius Black, both of them grinning and waving at the camera.
"He would've been proud of you," Moony was standing behind him, looking down at the picture. "He would've bragged about how good you were for days," he chuckled, "but probably weeks, telling everyone he knew or met."
"Really?" Harry perked at that. Even with his brief conversation with his father. He still craved to learn more about him, to know how he'd act or react to Harry.
"Oh yeah," Moony confirmed, "He was quite obnoxious about you." He tussled Harry's hair, "And that was when you were just a baby."
Harry laughed.
"Your mother too," he added. "They'd floo me when you learned to crawl, or sit up, or just babble, I can't imagine what James would do if he learned you made the Quidditch team." His voice hitching slightly, as he fondly recalled his friend who he dearly missed. "He probably would've taken out a page in the Dailey Prophet," he smiled, "Front page of course."
Harry smiled, looking down at his father's smiling face. Imagining what a picture would be of him and his father standing together in Harry's quidditch uniform after having won the cup.
"Found that in storage," Moony gingerly took the picture from Harry, his blue eyes looking down at the three smiling faces of his younger self and friends. "One of the few of Sirius that didn't get blasted." He put the picture down back on his desk.
Harry thought it was a bit risky leaving the picture out for others to see especially since the magical world was convinced Sirius Black was a Death Eater and a murderer. He wondered if it served as a reminder for Moony, to keep trying and looking at finding and helping his friend. Remus' need to undo all the toxic thoughts and curses that he had stewed over for more than 12 years towards Sirius only to learn his innocence and the truth of the true betrayer in their tight knit group of friends.
"You were great out there, Harry," Moony clapped him on the back. "Tracey too," he added, leading him back out of his office and to his classroom where Remus had insisted on throwing a small party to celebrate Harry and Tracey making the Slytherin Quidditch team.
At the top of the small stairwell that led from the classroom to Moony's office, Harry looked down at his friends who were mingling down below. Remus had put the school desks to both sides of the wall, and had a single long table placed, with platters of sandwiches and other delicious foods being brought from the kitchen with bottles of butterbeer.
Tracey hadn't stopped grinning since Marcus Flint named her the team's new chaser. She was talking with Susan and Neville. He didn't have to read lips to know Tracey was regaling them with a blow by blow of what happened during the tryouts. Clustered in another group was Luna Lovegood, Theo, Hermione, and Daphne the three sharing a look of bafflement over something the second year Ravenclaw was telling them. Knowing Luna she was probably explaining to them something from her father's magazine.
"Harry," Daphne greeted him with a strained smile, looking grateful for an exit in the conversation. "Where did you sneak off to?" She questioned him, with an annoyed look when she came to greet him.
"Afraid I'd abandon my own party?"
She rolled her eyes. "I'm trying to be nice to Luna," She stressed quietly, "But some of her stories," She paused, closing her eyes and letting out a breath, "are…" She pursed her lips trying to find the right word, "unusual."
Harry chuckled on her choice of word. "You're a witch, Daphne," he reminded her as they walked over to the table where sandwiches and butterbeers were waiting. "We live in a world where the unimaginable happens every day," he grabbed himself a butterbeer, "How can one of her stories be beyond belief?"
She sighed, "Whatever," annoyed, but he saw the twitch of her lips. "I forgot to compliment you," a bit of red came into her cheeks and her eyes widened at her choice of words, "I mean," Clearing her throat, "your flying," she recovered. "I wasn't really sure what was happening, but it looked like you knew what you were doing," she rambled, "And that you were good at it."
"Thanks," Harry responded with a grin, amused at how she had described his tryouts.
She returned the smile, looking relieved.
"Harry," Theodore had joined them, ignoring Daphne's scowl. "An impressive collection you have here," he grinned, piling some sandwiches onto his plate. "A full set," he winked.
Tracey who had been listening to Theodore from where she was standing matched his grin, and gave the two a thumb's up while a confused Neville and Susan watched on.
"A full set?" The Hufflepuff asked, looking around at them. "What does that mean?"
"Just ignore them," Hermione suggested.
"That's the smartest thing I've ever heard you say, Hermione," Daphne raised her butterbeer in toast, before drinking.
Theodore frowned, but had decided to eat instead of respond to her barb.
Harry noticed the conversations had stalled. And all of his friends were making their way to the table, surrounding him and Tracey.
"I just want to thank you all for your support for Tracey and me," he felt Tracey put her hand on his shoulder. "It meant a lot to us, as did your help."
"To Harry," Theodore raised his bottle of butterbeer.
"To Tracey," Daphne added, mirroring his movement.
The others joined in, chorusing their names.
"To Tracey," Harry said,
"To Harry," Tracey replied, their bottles clanging together, they traded smiles as their friends from Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw cheered the two new members of the Slytherin's Quidditch team.
In seeing it, Harry felt a sense of pride that rivaled his recent quidditch accolades. Knowing how far he and friends had come since their first year to reach this point. This diverse group of friends that didn't allow their different houses to be barriers, but bridges for new friendships to form.
"I'd rather hear Tracey talk about quidditch then listen to another one of Luna's stories," Daphne joked, as the four Slytherins made their way back to their common room.
"I'll remember that," Tracey grinned, rubbing her hands together.
Daphne frowned at her friend, a finger raised in warning.
"What was she talking about?" Harry asked, knowing Daphne well enough by now to ignore her theatrics when discussing other people.
"Some large dog," Daphne explained. "She claimed it was near the field."
"A dog?" Tracey snickered, "That's what has you so annoyed."
"It's not that simple," Daphne began, as the two friends' descended into bickering. "She said it had wrackspurts or something," she shrugged, clearly annoyed, "It was just weird, okay?"
Harry nearly tripped over his feet at Daphne's reveal. A large dog, remembering what Moony had told him about Sirius, and how he was once called Padfoot. A secret that Moony had asked to not tell his friends, when he had revealed it to Harry. It had been difficult since he hadn't liked keeping secrets from them, but in the end he agreed, when he saw how much it meant to Moony.
He knew he had to tell Moony about this. It was too late to tell him now, but he knew first thing in the morning, he'd go to him and let him know what Daphne had said. Thinking back, it sounded odd to his ears, the idea of a dog watching him fly, especially when he added, a dog who was secretly his godfather, and a prisoner who escaped Azkaban, and a man framed for murder. And there he was hiding in the stands, watching Harry fly, under everyone's nose.
It was enough to make Harry chuckle.
The playful bantering between Tracey and Daphne ended when they reached the hidden entrance to their house's common room. Theodore gave the password, as the door slid opened and the friends walked in.
It was crowded, over the heads Harry spotted Alexius standing by the fireplace, hand resting on the mantle where two stone servants slithered from either side while the banner of their house hung proudly above the hearth.
"Great," Daphne murmured, "I wonder if he stayed up to say good night to us."
Theo snorted, while Tracey giggled, Harry smiled, but they made enough noise to garner interest as heads turned to meet them. Looking at their faces , Harry recognized them to be the fourth years with a few fifth years sprinkled it. He also didn't have to look far to find Crabbe and Goyle. The other students who remained in the common room were younger and in their own groups off to the side.
"Our new Quidditch players," Alexius held out his hand to them, "Half-bloods," he sneered, earning mutters, "the depths this mighty house has fallen into." He shook his head, "Filth that shouldn't be on our boots let alone wearing our colors."
"Allow me," Harry put up his hand to stop them from responding. A gesture that didn't go unnoticed by Alexius, a smug smile spreading across his face. "You talk a lot about our house's glory," Harry pointed out, realizing every eye in the common room was now on him. A fact that made him incredibly nervous all of a sudden, and one he wished he hadn't noticed. Trying to calm his nerves, he ignored the attention and focused solely on Alexius.
"We've done our part to win this house's glories." He gestured to his friends. "It was our work that won us the House Cup, two years ago." His confidence boosted when he noticed nods from those in the common room, "You blind us with this dribble." Harry stepped forward, "You'd bind us to the past," He ignored some of the glares that were sent his way at that, "This house is about greatness," Harry agreed, "But greatness that's achieved through merit, not blood. It should be measured by the talent in the individual not in the purity of their line."
"Pretty words," Alexius seemed unbothered by them, "but that's all it is- just words. It doesn't change the fact that you don't belong here."
He moved his eyes past Alexius, ignoring the fourth year's stare. Harry focused his attention on the stone snake. He pictured it moving, slithering across the stone mantle, remembering his conversations with the snake in Hagrid's garden. Harry opened his mouth and spoke, earning gasps and even a shriek or two as he spoke parseltongue.
Alexius had leapt back in shock. The smirk wiped off his face. He had gone pale.
"That mean's good night," Harry explained to the stunned Slytherins. Without another word he headed to the dormitories, his friends behind him.
A/N: Sorry for the delay. Laptop issues and whatnot.
Hope this chapter was worth the wait.
Let me know what you think by dropping a review. Knowing there is still an audience for this story and hearing them does help to keep the muse invested in this story.
Until next time,
-Spectre4hire