Chapter 3: Mr Misfortune
Harry ascended the familiar dusty stairs. It was different than before. The house creaked and groaned as normal but there was a different sensation to it all. Foggy, the imagery was far more foggy. He cautiously arrived on the second floor eyeing the familiar wooden door. This would be the part that he dreaded. He would move only two steps closer before words would be uttered summoning forth an ominous green flash. However, none of it came to pass.
"Will it be different this time?"
He didn't know, it was all so blurry. The space gradually became warm and the light filtering through grew crimson in colour. This must be him, his own body in this dream. Unlike the previous dreams. He timidly stepped closer to the door, figuring that he had never got a good look inside before. His fingertips were able to lightly graze the door. He pressed down on it but pulled away before the door could move. With his whole stance stiff, he opted to gently knock instead. There was undoubtedly someone in there, he just knew.
"It wouldn't be so easy to let you back in…"
"You're still so ignorant,"
He found himself leaning closer to the door. He didn't understand why but he felt no sense of danger. He knocked again, this time feeling desperate to go inside. That room was warm, cozy, homely even.
"Fine... I suppose I shouldn't abandon you, yet,"
With that the door softly opened on its own. He cautiously entered unsure of what to think. The space inside was dim with a red glow. Its walls pulsated with gentle movement, seemly nursing the furniture arrangement inside. It's pinky red lounge set had a texture more akin to mincemeat than fabric. Somehow the air was coloured and lingered around the space like water. But for Harry it was sort of comforting, the atmosphere felt loving. This room must have been like the heart of the home.
He moved further into the room where In the center, surrounded by the sofas, was a plush daybed. He moved closer eyeing the large cushions, quilts and duvet that adorned it. After sliding himself under the blankets, he made himself comfortable amongst the warmth it provided. He wearily admired the decorations of the space until his awareness drifted into slumber. Now, he only knew the comfort and safety of the room. As well as the gentle touch that caressed the expose side of his face.
There was a sigh but it did not come from him.
Harry opened his eyes and saw nothing other than his common room. He stretched his stiff body from its sleeping position. He must have slept rather well that night, He couldn't remember any nightmares, visions or dreams, only a cosy feeling. For once he wanted to go back to sleep.
-~o~-
Ron gulped spoonfuls of scrambled eggs down his mouth while simultaneously trying to chew buttered toast. Harry was just looking at his breakfast blankly. All he had taken from the vast spread before them was a slice of toast. Neville came to sit with them and started to get his breakfast.
"You alright Harry?" Neville asked, "You look a bit out of sorts?"
Harry regained some focus, exchanged looks between Ron and Neville like he hadn't notice they were there.
"Yeah, you're not acting like yourself…" Ron agreed with suspicion clear in his voice.
"Ahh-" Harry stumbled to reply, "I'm not sure, just a weird morning I guess…"
Neville and Ron looked at him unconvinced.
"I noticed that last night you didn't toss in your sleep, maybe you're not used to a peaceful night," Neville suggested.
"Now you mention it Neville, you were pretty quiet last night," Ron recalled. He had another mouthful of eggs before leaning towards Harry and whispered, "Did you have that dream again?"
Harry's eyes unwillingly locked into Ron's steady gaze. "Yes… No... Maybe?" Harry attempted to articulate, "I can't remember, it was a nice deep sleep… why? I don't know, is there always a reason why I sleep well? I mean… can't I have a normal night of sleep?"
Ron eased back somewhat, "Alright, alright… sure, you're allowed good dreams; we're just concerned,"
During this time Neville continued to eat his breakfast. "At least eat more than a piece of toast, you're going to see your special trainer, right? Because it's a saturday," he suggested.
Indeed, it was a saturday. Harry, once again, had opted to use Sirius's name when he told his friends about his training with Mr Gaunt. For obvious reasons he couldn't use Sirius's name with Neville, so Ron had explained that he a had 'a special trainer'. Originally he didn't want to tell them at all but after Hermione's persistent questioning, it had become necessary to do so.
"Yeah, you're probably right," Harry agreed and added another slice of toast with bacon and eggs to his plate.
Ron stretched his back slightly, "I'm a bit annoyed, my brother Charlie was here and he didn't tell us!" He began to complain, "Not Ginny, Fred, George or me! I just found out because Hagrid mentioned seeing him!"
"Isn't Charlie the one who works with dragons?" Neville asked.
"Yeah, and he could of at least said hi or something," Ron said. "Oh! Yeah, Harry!" He suddenly remembered, "Hagrid mentioned something about getting your cloak and exploring the woods with Sirius… something about a helpful hint? I don't know… He wasn't making much sense…"
Harry thought for a bit, a hint would be better than none, "Worth some investigation at least,"
Neville finished a piece of toast then furrowed his brows slightly, "where's Hermione? She's been gone most weekends,"
Ron and Harry exchanged grimaces. Hermione had once again been dragged away by the Malfoys. The three had seriously considered hiding Hermione in the shrieking shack. However, Lucius seemed to be two steps ahead of them. He was always in just the right place to find to them.
Ron made his best effort to cover Hermione's real situation, "Her family is going through a rough time,"
Neville wanted to ask more questions but the look from Harry recommended against it.
-~o~-
Mr Gaunt trampled through the forest diligently. Frequently, he glanced down to his wristwatch during his haste. Harry could only stumble along behind him lugging his father's cloak under his arm. Mr Gaunt abruptly stopped.
"I think we're finally clear," He exasperated while once again eyeing his watch, "With good time too…"
"Clear of what?" Harry breathlessly uttered.
"The school's protection wards, they stop things from entering the castle," Mr Gaunt blandly explained. "I was going to show you something, remember?" he reminded Harry.
Harry nodded back unsure of what to do. Mr Gaunt's Left arm suddenly took a firm grip on Harry's side then spun into himself, twisting Harry along with him. It was a sickening sensation like being thrown into a kaleidoscope and simultaneously spun in a washing machine. Afterwards, Mr Gaunt had to hold him steady for a decent few minutes while Harry regained enough balance to stand.
"I suppose that was your first time," Mr Gaunt sympathized, "Honestly Harrison, you've managed well,"
Harry didn't catch what Mr Gaunt said. He was paying more attention to his new surroundings: A tiny, narrow apartment. Consisting of what appeared to be a living room and two other rooms, presumably a bedroom and bathroom. It was crowded with stacks of ancient manuscripts, overflowing bookshelves and display cabinets full of curious things. The desk and dining table were practically hidden under scrolls of maps and charts. It also seemed that the massive fireplace in the corner served as the kitchen equally as much as the potions lab. Now feeling a bit more balanced, Harry stood a little straighter.
"Well, this is my home, for now at least, it always changes," Mr Gaunt reluctantly informed Harry.
Harry was a bit surprised, from the way he dressed, he assumed that Mr Gaunt would have lived somewhere fancier.
"You don't mind if I go clean up a bit first," He requested.
"Not at all," Mr Gaunt gestured to the door nearest Harry.
Harry entered the bathroom and was greeted with a strange sight. Preserves of menacing fiends cluttered the available space of the small vanity. The bathtub and backwash tiles were stained with a vast array of vibrant coloured smudges. Around the bathtub sat a collection of corked glass bottles in every shape and size. The room was full with the heavy scent of Mineral powder with a sharp tinge of sea salt. Harry hastily washed his face and tidied his hair not wanting to stay in the room any longer.
Harry re-entered the cluttered living room. Mr Gaunt appeared to be busy in the other room so he began to explore the vast collection of artifacts. His books came from all over europe, many in foreign languages, and covered areas of magic Harry had never heard of at Hogwarts. As he curiously skim-read some book spines until he came across one titled, 'Gemini: the Missing Other'. Harry's mouth tightened. Surely the book couldn't have been about gemini magic? Mr Gaunt didn't come across as that kind of wizard. However, after recalling some of his tired and drunk ramblings, Mr Gaunt didn't seem to disapprove of the idea either. Maybe, Mr Gaunt wasn't the person Harry thought he was. Maybe, he was a follower of you-know-who. He could even be an infamous Dark Wizard feared by magical society. Mr Gaunt could be any of those things and Harry was just casually standing in his house...
Harry shoved the doubts aside. At no point did Mr Gaunt force him into harm's way and he had numerous opportunities to do so. This was some evidence for his good character. Harry slid the book out from the stack. He figured that it probably wasn't about gemini magic and most likely about astronomy instead. Still, he needed to check for certainty. He cautiously opened the book and saw that behind the cover page was a handwritten message:
Fearsome Friend,
I had a vision of your coming future and although I cannot tell the details, I do recommend the passage 'the tyrant's squire'. It demonstrates how bizarre this particular art form is.
Mikaela
The book seemed to be a gift for Mr Gaunt. That made Harry feel a little better about it. However, it did make him wonder about the person who gave it to him.
"Good read?"
Harry's shoulders jumped. He hastily placed the book on top of the nearby stack.
"Um, ah... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…" He stumbled to say.
Mr Gaunt strolled over to the book stack to see what Harry had read.
"Still wondering about gemini magic?" He recalled, "Read it if you want Harrison, nothing wrong with a little curiosity,"
In an attempt to change the topic, Harry Asked, "So, what did you want to show me?"
"Ah, yes…" Mr Gaunt presented a dark coloured box before Harry.
"Made of ebony wood, a pricey box indeed, fortunately the seller didn't know anything of its real value so I obtained it for a steal," Mr Gaunt fondly recalled, "But naturally it's what's inside the box that makes it so special,"
Harry leaned over the box to examine it better. "What's inside it?" He asked curiously.
"Can't say, but give it about…" Mr Gaunt glanced down to check his watch, "One more minute, and it'll open by itself,"
"Really?!" voiced Harry. Once again he looked the box over and noticed it didn't have a lock or an opening at all. It was an unopenable lump of dark wood.
Mr Gaunt wandered over to the fireplace and began to heat a kettle of tea. "It took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out how to open it," He continued, "Turns out it was charmed to open today for whatever reason… and I thought we could see the surprise together,"
Harry took the cup offered to him and Mr Gaunt casually sipped his while watching the box. Harry joined him, although the box itself was doing nothing, thinking about how it might open was very exciting.
A little while pasted before a sound chimed from the box, like a tinkle of bells but with a ticking rhythm. The top split in two and sprung open. A soft melody sung out from within the box. Something golden flew out, catching Harry by surprise. At first Harry assumed it was a snitch, however, it didn't wiz around like one. Instead the golden object fluttered around Mr Gaunt's cluttered living room chirping a sweet tune.
Mr Gaunt stretched out his free hand and whistled a tune of his own. The object answered by swooping past Harry's head and landing on Mr Gaunt's hand. Now that it was still, Harry could see that it was a brass bird. It was a very delicate looking object with many thing components entwined with each other. The brass exterior, which mimicked a bluebird, was beautifully sculpted and engraved with blissful imagery. It's tiny head flickered between Harry and Mr Gaunt like it was curious about them, then began to chime the tune Mr Gaunt had whistled. It sounded delightful, Harry couldn't help but smile at the wonderful object.
"It's a songbird," Mr Gaunt said as the bird fluttered over to Harry's hand to continue its melody. "Very difficult to create and enchant, only a handful exist in functioning condition,"He explained.
Harry smiled at the bird, something about it filled him with warmth and happiness. "Do you know what they're used for?" Harry cheerfully asked.
Mr Gaunt smiled at the sight of Harrison's naive wonder. The bird was used to distract young heirs of dark families, to prevent children from noticing something they wouldn't understand. It seemed that this bird was doing that job perfectly.
"It's like a living music box," Mr Gaunt told him.
The bird had stopped chirping and ticked its head from side to side as if waiting for a new song. Mr Gaunt came over and gently spooned the bird from Harry's hand. The bird relaxed in Mr Gaunt's palm as if it had fallen asleep. Then was carefully returned to its box.
"Unfortunately, it's a bit too delicate to be the seventh piece," Mr Gaunt muttered to himself, "Although, I would like to have another piece with a mind of its own…"
Soon after Mr Gaunt rummaged out a stack of books that he thought could be of some help to Harry. From there onwards they started practicing a vast variety of spells. As expected, Mr Gaunt went off on tangents. They would be practicing conjuring useful tools then end up looking at an ancient scroll on dangerous magical fish.
Harry enjoyed exploring magic with Mr Gaunt. He would be shown all kinds of magic that he would have never encountered in Hogwarts. Mr Gaunt's passion for the magical arts was even starting to rub off on Harry. Thoughts were provoked in Harry's mind making him curious to learn the real limits of magic.
After some time, the pair sat behind the table talking about nothing especially important or meaningful. Suddenly Mr Gaunt cocked an eyebrow at the folded fabric sitting on a crooked stool behind Harry.
"Harrison," He began, "You know, I was so distracted that I completely forgot about the intriguing robe you brought along,"
Harry suddenly remembered the conversation over breakfast. "Oh- right! My friend mentioned that somewhere in the forbidden forest is some sort of clue for the first trial, So I brought my father's invisibility cloak so we could find out what it is," He explained.
A shimmer sparked in Mr Gaunt's eyes. "An invisibility cloak? Brilliant!" He enthused, "How long does it last for? no, no, that doesn't matter… what about some charms? Any protections woven in?"
Harry smiled at Mr Gaunt but was a bit confused about what he meant.
Mr Gaunt carefully unraveled the cloak and examined it's fabric. His excitement only increased the more he admired it.
"Harrison, forgive me, but we have to use this cloak," He said with determination.
Harry chuckled at his reaction. Mr Gaunt looked as happy as Harry did on the christmas it was given to him. Mr Gaunt gracefully swung the cloak over his shoulders. It fitted him well, unlike with harry, who was far too small for the cloak. He then pulled the magic fabric over his head and disappeared from sight. Harry sharpened his hearing and tried to sense what Mr Gaunt where might be but he couldn't pinpoint him. Mr Gaunt revealed himself at the other side of the room only to repeat, "Harrison, we must use this cloak,"
With that the pair gathered their things. Soon after, Mr Gaunt ushered Harry to take his arm so they could apparate into the forbidden forest.
-~o~-
Hidden under the invisibility cloak, the pair stalked threw the forest. It did not take them long to discover what they were looking for. In fact, Harry should have known the moment Ron's mentioned his brother. Its roars echoed throughout the woods. The closer they came to it the more menacing it sounded. A heavy weight was forming in Harry's gut, he knew what was waiting for them but he didn't want his suspicion confirmed. Mr Gaunt hadn't said anything, although, Harry was fairly certain that they were thinking the same thing.
A clearing opened out before them, in the center loomed four violently rattling cages. Each containing a single large dragon cramped inside a cage. The dragons were not impressed with being caged up. Anytime one of the caretakers came close to them, an orange flame would spit from the dragon's mouth. The fire nearly reached Harry and Mr Gaunt, who stood on the cusp of the tree line. Harry eyed, each cage. There was a different dragon in each cage. Unfortunately, Harry couldn't recall their breeds. He felt his stomach twist, he'd probably would have wanted to know that information.
Seeking some reassurance or maybe confirmation, Harry whispered, "Mr Gaunt, do I…"
Harry was shushed. Mr Gaunt was completely focused on the dragons, studying them. After some long time, he guided Harry away. They came to a secluded edge of the lake and removed the cloak. He was certain now, Harry would have to fight a dragon in his trial. He didn't know if he could slay a dragon. He kind of hoped Mr Gaunt would say they were for the seventh year students. Mr Gaunt however, was silent but the concern in his expression said enough. They were both quiet for a very long time. Now and then, a dragon roar would reach their ears. Each time Harry would shudder at the sound.
Mr Gaunt voiced a deep hum before finally speaking, "There's something more to this..."
Harry focused back to Mr Gaunt. "They're wild dragons Harrison, that's why I'm certain they're for the tournament… very angry too, probably hate the tight space," Mr Gaunt recounted like he was listing his known truths.
"So… how do I defeat them…" Harry nervously asked.
"Distract them would be more accurate… those dragons are angry for a reason… they must want them to fight..." Mr Gaunt continued to deeply analyze the information.
"Distract a dragon?" Harry repeated to himself, "Distract an angry, fire breathing dragon!?"
No matter how hard Harry tried, he didn't feel optimistic. He may have dealt with Norbert relatively alright, but that was a baby dragon and he was just carrying the cage. This time, he would actually have to face a fearsome adult dragon. Mr Gaunt may have said 'distract' but to Harry, fighting them was inevitable
"How could you distract an angry dragon?" Harry blurted out in slight panic.
"That's what I'm trying to figure out, Harrison," Mr Gaunt bit back.
Harry left him to his thoughts. Mr Gaunt was going up and beyond for him, Harry didn't want to ruin that. He himself, was too distracted about worst case scenario: Fighting off the dragon alone, with no external help. Just him against a fire breathing dragon. Honestly, the idea of fighting Voldemort sounded nicer by comparison.
Mr Gaunt let out his breath, "Harrison, I don't think we can cheat the system with just this information alone… so you need to make use of your guaranteed tool: your wand,"
Harry's mind ran a blank, "My wand? What could I use my wand for?!" he asked.
Mr Gaunt remained quiet. Harrison was a lot like him but a much younger version. The boy who came straight from the orphanage and head first into the wizarding world. New and alone, determined but uncertain, Harrison was a mirror image of his past self. All Mr Gaunt hoped to do was to guide Harrison the way he would have wanted at the boy's age. Previously, he had reasoned that nothing troublesome could result from this. At minimum, he would gain a loyal follower. Of course, what he actually wanted was for Harrison grow powerful like himself. The boy had enough magic in him, it would be wasteful for him not to reach that potential. However, that was Harrison's future, His present self needed a lot of work.
In the mists of his thoughts and ambitions, the small nervous boy before him became his child-self. Harrison was Thomas. He wasn't going to watch himself get destroyed by a dragon. He needed to survive and only one area of magic housed the solution. He knew it well, used it on many occasions. He reached out to Thomas's shoulder, showed him a soft encouraging smile and assured him, "You can do anything with a wand, it's just a matter of knowing your power,"
Harry smiled back at him. It was exactly what he needed, Mr Gaunt's collected confidence. The greatest thing Harry admired about him. Mr Gaunt kept his calm and carefully rationalised things out. Harry sometimes wanted to be like him, instead going head first into a situation and hoping it turns out well.
"Do you have any suggestions?" asked Harry, imploringly.
"Dragons are more than troublesome to subdue, the magical forces impact them differently; the best I can think of right now would be the emerald perception," suggested Mr Gaunt.
Harry obviously didn't have any idea what he was talking about, so Mr Gaunt further elaborated, "It's one of the seven perceptions, you use them to see something you yourself wouldn't notice. Yellow focuses on emotion and personality; Orange is for details; Blue provides solutions; Pink reveals damage and Green is environmental,"
The seven perceptions sounded useful but Harry didn't fully understand Mr Gaunt's recommendation, "But why use green if the blue gives solutions?"
"You won't have time for the blue eye to analyse the situation and the emerald eye is conveniently flexible with its uses," Mr Gaunt explained his reasoning.
"Harry!" A loud voice shouted from behind Harry followed by rustling leaves and heavy panting. Harry knew the voice right away, it was Ron.
"Harry!" Ron yelled between pants, "Harry… get away from him! That's… that's not Sirius!"
Harry rushed to Ron and attempted to calm him down. Mr Gaunt on the other hand, raised a curious brow at the redhead who was brandishing a wand at him.
"Ron! It's fine… Mr Gaunt is a friend… he's helping me!" Harry tried to explain, however, Ron was committed to driving Mr Gaunt away.
"A friend! Harry! How could you even know this man… and where's Sirius?" Ron exclaimed.
Harry felt a weight grow in his chest. He would have to confess everything about Mr Gaunt. With some reluctance he said, "Sirius isn't here… it's been Mr Gaunt the whole time…"
"What?" Ron uttered with some insult, "Why would you lie? Harry! who is that man?!"
Mr Gaunt gave an awkward cough, "Well, uh- Ron? I am as Harrison said, Mr Gaunt…" He pleasantly offered Ron a handshake, completely unfazed that Ron's wand was still pointed at him.
Ron looked at Mr Gaunt disgusted, "You introduce yourself just like a Malfoy!" he shouted.
"You're probably a death eater too! I'd bet on it!" he started to ramble, "You fit the bill alright! And then you go off recommending things like the dark perceptions… that's how they get you Harry, trick your trust then manipulate you…"
Mr Gaunt struggled to maintain his charm. Without doubt, Ron had been raised by phoenix supporters. He didn't want a fight, he could lose Harrison and that boy needed his guidance. However, he couldn't allow a child to spit on his pride.
"I may study unconventional practices, but I assure you Ron, I am no death eater," He explained with a smile as he raised his sleeves to display his bare pale arms. "See?" He happily concluded, "No mark,"
The gesture was enough to convince Ron But he still eyed Mr Gaunt suspiciously. He glared back at Harry then stormed off. "I'm telling Hermione!" Harry heard him call, "And Mcgonagall… Then Dumbledore!"
Harry took a deep breath, this was a big mistake on his part. Mr Gaunt, however, simply watched Ron wander away with an amused grin on his face.
-~o~-
Accompanied by Mr Gaunt, Harry came to the courtyard entrance. He was left in a bad mood. Not only was he once again on bad terms with Ron but he now had the impending knowledge that he would be facing a dragon.
Mr Gaunt gave Harry some final words, "Harrison, you will have to use unconventional magic for this trial so take that cloak and make use of the restricted section,"
Harry smiled hopefully, "I'll figure it out," but he was still uncertain about using dark magic.
"Good, good," said Mr Gaunt, "Also, about Ron… I wouldn't get too bothered by him, friends change and move apart, there's not much point keeping someone who won't listen to you,"
After a long back-and-forth of farewells, Mr Gaunt walked back towards the forest. Presumably, to apparate back to his small apartment. Harry watched him leave for a bit with a pleasant warmth growing in his chest. Despite what Ron thought, Harry knew Mr Gaunt was trustworthy.
"So-" Someone announced. It was clearly Draco Malfoy, a boy who was far too talented at ruining things. "That's the infamous Mr Gaunt who made the Weasley so angry," He continued, "I must admit Harrison- he is the strangest man you've ever stumbled on,"
Harry rolled his eyes and ignored him. He walked right past Draco for the castle entrance.
"Now, now! Harrison! Wait up!" This time it was Pansy Parkinson who spoke. She stood in his path and was soon joined by Crab for support. Draco and Goyle strode up to join them. Harry knew this was going to end with trouble but frankly with everything that just happened, he was inclined to wait it out then tell Mcgonagall when it was over.
"You know, I can't wait to see him again!" Pansy proclaimed, "You've found yourself a very handsome mentor,"
"Certainly cleaner looking than Harry," Draco added, causing Crab and Goyle to Chuckle.
Bizarrely, Pansy entwined her arm with Harry's. "I wouldn't say that about Harrison," She began, "It's not like you've done anything remarkable,"
Harry pulled himself away from Pansy and somehow found himself next to Draco, who was extremely angry. "Well, at least I'm not some power mooching leech," Draco spat in response.
Pansy sneered back and Crab and Goyle looked a bit dumbstruck. Harry had no idea how it came about, but he was strangely inclined to take Draco's side. "Suddenly, you find out Harry's got an impressive friend and now you think he's worth a flirt; you'll just disgrace your family with that behavior," Draco sneered.
Harry gathered from the blank looks from Crab and Goyle, they were oblivious to what was really going on. Harry suspected that Draco and Pansy were actually having a feud of their own.
Pansy marched up to Draco to stare him down. Draco stood his own, maintaining his iconic look of disgust.
"I wouldn't waste your time with this boy, Harrison, you've always been better than him," Pansy calmly suggested, "Besides, I've found some books that would help you for the tournament,"
Draco loudly snorted and was about to say something when Harry stepped in front of him and stared right into Pansy's face. "Mrs Norris would be more helpful than you, Pansy!" He spat out before grabbing Draco by the arm and dragging him into the castle.
Draco was stunned, he was certainly going to get some common room snubbing because that interaction, but the look of shock on Pansy's puggy face made up for the social damage. In fact, Draco ambitiously wondered if the loss of influence amongst the slytherins could be regained with his father's approval. He had formed a bizarre interest with the gryffindor trio but refused to tell Draco any details claiming that the topic was intertwined with very dangerous creatures.
Harry's mind was busy unpacking the whole interaction. He turned his attention to Draco, "What was that all about?!" his question exploded from his mouth.
"Okay, okay," Draco attempted to calm Harry a bit before explaining, "It all started because Pansy presented me with a love letter a few days back; she gave it to me right in front of all the slytherins and well… I told her bluntly that I wasn't interested, you can imagine the backlash I got…"
Harry tried his best to give Draco a look of empathy. However, he honestly found it hilarious that Pansy publicly gave Draco a love letter. It was even funnier that Draco didn't hesitate to decline her. It must have been a memorable thing to witness.
Noticing the entertained look on Harry's face, Draco tried to defend himself, "Look, Every Slytherin is out for their own backs, those of us who are pure may include our families interests, but as a rule we put ourselves first,"
Harry didn't say a word. He just let Draco continue his explanation because that was far more amusing.
"We don't have friends the way gryffindors do, there's always a reason behind it," Draco tried to reason, "For example, I'm friends with Crab and Goyle for protection, Pansy… Well, Pansy was just there because she wanted me… I didn't want any bit of her nonsense"
"Wait?" Harry started to realise, "So… Pansy was trying to befriend me? Why would she ever consider doing that?"
Draco could tell Harry was struggling to see the full picture, so he tried to break it down to make it more obvious, "Harry Potter, the-boy-who-lived, somehow rigs the triwizard tournament and is now getting help from what looks like a very impressive wizard with an even more impressive family name… It suggests you've got powerful connections and even better, connections that will listen to you… that and you've got Dumbledore wrapped around your pretty finger,"
Harry didn't know if he should laugh, be offended or confused. "I did not rig the goblet of fire," Harry clarified.
Draco shrugged him off, "someone did and that someone wants you to win,"
"Or die! And as for Mr Gaunt, he's a kind man who just wants to help me," Harry tried to remind him.
This time Draco snickered, "Oh- Harry you don't know do you?". Draco had broken into muffled laughter. Harry had to watch him struggle to recompose himself before he continued, "I need you to tell me about how you met that special Mr Gaunt of yours!"
Harry eyed him for a bit. If he told Draco then he would know more about Mr Gaunt than Ron. Yet another thing that would rub Ron the wrong way. On the other hand, Draco clearly knew something… Something that Harry didn't know, which made him wonder if he truly knew anything about Mr Gaunt.
"It was before the quidditch world cup, we sort of dueled then talked afterwards and he invited me to his movement's meeting," Harry sheepishly retold.
Draco's eyes widened, "I'm somewhat speechless Harry, You must have made a really good impression on that man, and a movement? He could have been responsible for that attack, you never know..."
"No! Mr Gaunt is too nice for that! All he wants is some justice because the ministry failed him and many others…" Harry loudly declared.
This resulted in a shocked look from Draco, "You actually went to see what that movement was about, I can't tell if your stupid or brilliant… and he's training you as well?" he continued to exclaim, "Boy, does that wizard want to recruit you!"
Harry was angry, he didn't appreciate how Draco was dismissing all of Mr Gaunt's good qualities. Harry knew he was a good man, who wanted fairness for his fellow wizard. He was even prepared to going above and beyond for Harry. Mr Gaunt was a good wizard.
"You obviously don't know anything about the sacred twenty eight, because the name 'Gaunt' should have been the first red herring; it means He's a direct descendant of Salazar Slytherin, however, Gaunts are known to be a strange family, I was under the impression they had died out but apparently not," Draco informed him, "so do yourself a favour Harrison and make the most of him while your on his good side,"
Draco was far too happy for Harry's liking. He didn't know why he spontaneously decided to defend Draco but he would not be so quick to do it again. Without saying a word, Harry wandered off to seek refuge where Draco couldn't bother him. However, Draco followed him, rendering the snub meaningless. He persisted to talk to Harry as well, taking no hint from the lack of reply that Harry wasn't interested. Then, like cruel karma, Harry turned a corner and came face to face with Ron. Ron glared at Draco, his enemy, and Harry, his best friend, who stood side by side having a friendly chat like they were best of pals. In Ron's mind it was clear that Harry was intentionally trying to hurt his feelings even further.
Stuck between Draco's arrogant pride and Ron's rapidly growing disdain, Harry remained expressionless. Draco however, looked on at Ron with victorious a grin across his face. Ron sneered at them, sliding his glaze to Draco then back to Harry. No one said a word. Although Harry was grateful for that, he knew harsh words would be said later. Slamming into Draco's and Harry's shoulders, Ron pushed his way between the two and strode off.
"He's always such a brute," Uttered Draco.
Harry didn't respond, despite desperately wanting to remind Draco that his longest lasting friendships had been with two peanut-brained lumps. With that said, Harry also remembered that slytherins apparently don't have real friendships so obviously that example wouldn't count.
-~o~-
It was tuesday. Hermione had returned and Ron wasted no time to inform her about Harry's weekend. She was bothered about Mr Gaunt and obviously annoyed that Harry had lied about Sirius. However, Tuesday morning she had forgiven him and was no longer bothered about Lucius's weird behaviour. In fact, she wasn't bothered about anything, which was concerning. Given that on monday, she was silent with concern. She refused to talk to anyone, even the teachers. Today, she seemed as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. by lunchtime, she was happy to chat about anything, Including Mr Gaunt's training.
"I guess it was unreasonable for me to jump to conclusions about someone I have never met; I'm sure he's wonderful, since he's willing to help you with the tournament," She expressed.
"I'll bring you along next time; I'm sure you'd really like him, his house is full of books about ancient magic" Harry enthused.
Ron watched them wide-eyed. "You two have completely lost it, this whole ordeal with those crystals have been way too much trouble than they're worth. Just get rid of them and that stranger, Harry, before any real damage is done," Ron exclaimed almost pleadingly.
"Ron! The pendulum deal was harmless, I went to read the note myself and found no curse or hex; Dumbledore and Professor Snape were there too and they both agreed the note was meaningless," defended Hermione.
Ron looked at Hermione like she had lost her senses. "You actually think Harry's better off getting advice from a stranger," he remarked almost dumbfounded.
Hermione continued to defend Harry, "He's not getting help solely from a stranger Ron, he has us as well… besides because of Sirius's situation I doubt there's much he could do,"
"Mental… the both of you… completely mental…" Ron uttered before leaving to sit with Seamus and Dean instead.
Harry has honestly been surprised that Hermione still wanted to talk with him. After the hallway incident with Draco, Harry had basically lost all the good opinion Ron had for him. Although, one thing that did persistently bother him about Hermione was that she had stopped telling him about her trips with Mr Malfoy. Whenever he'd bring it up, she would simply say, 'Don't worry, it's fine,'.
"Harrison-" once again, Draco decided to make an appearance. "How's your homework going?" He asked with bizarre fascination.
Harry glared at him, this time he was without Crab and Goyle. Somehow that made him worse to deal with. "We're in the same classes Draco, if you want help with homework you'd be better off asking a professor," He responded.
"No, I meant… Mr Gaunt's assignment… He would want you to prepare something? Especially with the trial coming soon," Draco clarified.
"What has Mr Gaunt suggested you do for the trial?" Hermione asked as well.
Harry didn't want to say, he himself didn't know what to think of Mr Gaunt's suggestion. "Well…" He began, "He wants me to sneak into the restricted section and research something about a green perception,"
Draco snickered. "Oh- that's dangerous… but it's actually a really good idea," he admitted, "I'll ask my father about it,"
Harry was expecting some sort of reaction from Hermione but instead, she had spontaneously started to study. This was an example of her recent strange behaviour. She would either be completely ignorant to strange happenings or refuse to acknowledge them at all.
Hermione eventually said, "I thought that kind of thing was dark magic but I'm probably mistaken,"
Soon lunch came to an end and Harry, Hermione and Draco left the great hall to go to potions. Just on their way to the dungeons Harry caught sight of someone. He rushed ahead of Draco and Hermione to catch up with him. Cedric saw Harry coming over to him, He wasn't keen to talk with him. Harry may have claimed that he didn't put his name in the goblet, but he had gotten in somehow and that raised important questions.
"Uh… Harry I have to go to class," Cedric hushly insisted.
"Yeah, I know but…" Harry muttered quickly, "dragons, it's dragons,"
They came to a halt in the hallway and checked around them. Fortunately, there wasn't anyone in listening distance.
"Really? Dragons?" Cedric exclaimed with slight shock.
Harry fully understood the rising fear in Cedric's eyes. "Yeah… four of them; a dragon for each champion are hidden in the forest," Harry tried to further inform him.
"Oh, Uh… well, I should get going…" He said somewhat stumbling away. But before he went too far he stopped. He turned his head to look at Harry and said, "Thank you, if you ever want help or something... feel free to talk to me,"
Harry smiled at him, "Thanks, but I should get going before Snape…"
Cedric chuckled, "Yeah, see you around,"
They parted ways and left for class. Draco wasn't too far away lurking in the next hallway over.
"You shouldn't have done that," He warned Harry, "You've given away your advantage…"
Harry only shrugged his shoulders in response.
That afternoon, Potions turned out to be a very weird lesson. Hermione as usual was helping neville to salvage his brew to an acceptable state. Ron ended up being partnered with Crab because he refused to work with Harry. Draco was all too pleased by that and seized his chance to be Harry's partner. Which was when oddities began to snowball. Snape caught a single glimpse of Harry next to Draco then ignored them for the entire lesson. Instead of scrutinizing Harry, he mocked Neville and Hermione then went to glorify Pansy's potion. It was like He and Draco were invisible to Snape, which at first was nice but also disconcerting. Harry wasn't sure where the feeling came from but there was something churning in the back of his mind telling him that life at Hogwarts was changing.
A/N: Happy New Year! Thank you for all the support and I've it my new year resolution to publish more than two chapters.
Have a more wonderful or less terrible 2018 everyone!