Blooming Flowers

Breakfast Duel And The Troll

A week after their first day of class, the children received letters from the Malfoys, and Remus and Jacob. Harry found himself smiling when he read his third letter and found it from Fenrir who asked him how his classes were, and what kind of mischief he, his friend and his sibling had gotten into, and if they were driving his father crazy yet. There was also a gift enclosed. It was a stone, at least he thought it was. It was green, oval in shape and smooth. Fenrir's letter said to hold it up to the sun when he got the chance.

"That's pretty," Hermione said when she saw the stone, they were sitting at the Gryffindor table this morning. "Who gave you that?"

"Fenrir."

Hermione smiled before going back to her own letters, it was then that Harry saw the headlines on her copy of Daily Prophet.

Gringotts Break-In Latest

Harry slid the newspaper closer and read the article, sliding it back afterward he was done. Apparently, someone had tried to break into a vault there, a surprise in itself, lucky the vault had already been emptied before that. Shrugging, Harry went back to the stone, he smoothed his thumb over it before placing it into his pocket and going back to his breakfast.

When it was time for class, he and his sister headed out of the Great Hall only to have an older Gryffindor roughly shove Harry aside.

"Okay?" Hermione asked her brother as she steadied him.

"Yeah," Harry said.

They continued onto class which was Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Quirrell was waiting for the students, and Harry was once again stuck with the feeling that there was something about the man which distracted him for most of the class. After that, it Potions with the Hufflepuffs. Severus paired them up, and they spent the class making a pimple reduction potion. Harry noticed that his father had paired his sister up with Neville, while he was with a Hufflepuff girl who apparently was very good with Potions.

"You're making the cuts too big," the girl said

"Oh." Harry looked down at his cut frogs legs. "Right."

"Cut the bigger pieces in half, it won't mess up the potion."

"Okay."

Their potion was a lighter color then what it was supposed to be, something his father obviously noticed. He told them that while potion will still work, it won't be to the full effect and thus they would not get full marks.

"I thought the child of a Potions Professor would be good at said potion," said the girl, named Susan Bones as they cleaned up.

"Me too," Harry laughed, "it's a great mystery."

Susan gave a little smile.

After Potions was their first flying lesson with the Slytherins. All was going fine until Neville lost control of his boom and got hurt. After threatening to kick them out of school if they so much as looked at the brooms, Madame Hooch escorted Neville to the Hospital Wing.

"Oh," Draco mumbled as he bent down to pick up something.

"That's Neville's," Hermione said as she came over, "it's his Remembrall from his grandmother. Give it here, I'll return it to him later."

Draco did, raising a Lucius-like brow when one of the Gryffindor students mumbled something under his breath, but he didn't say anything and just followed Hermione over to Harry and Ron. Ron was obviously uncomfortable with his presence, but said nothing. It was mostly likely due to the fact that Draco only started up a conversation with Harry about how unfair it was that the First Years couldn't try out for Quidditch.

When Madame Hooch came back, she spent the rest of the class talking about flying safety. Afterwards, the three headed for the next class they had together. They were halfway to the Transfiguration classroom when Draco stumbled. An older Gryffindor roughly shoved into him, he wasn't the same one who had shoved Harry earlier, but the fact that this was the second time this had happened and in the same day, had all three of them exchanging looks with each other before continuing on. After Transfiguration, Harry and Hermione didn't see Draco until diner. They joined the blonde at the Slytherin table, Harry sitting on his right and Hermione on his left.

"Hey Vincent," Harry greeted the boy on his other side.

Vincent nodded before turning his attention back to his plate piled with roast beef, mash potatoes and dinner rolls.

"No vegetables?" Harry asked as he loaded his own plate together with a serving of green beans.

"Don't like them."

"All of them?"

Vincent thought about it. "Just about," he answered

"Hmmm. Ray, I have a new mission."

"Sorry, Vincent," Draco grinned to the now alarmed boy.

"Do you dislike green beans?" Harry asked Vincent before taking a bite out of his chicken.

Draco and Vincent were startled when Harry made a disgusted and immediately spat out his food into his napkin.

"What happened?" Draco asked.

After swishing pumpkin juice in his mouth to wash out the sour taste, Harry turned to his friend only to stop and look a little further down the table. Two older Slytherins were snickering with each other. When they noticed Harry looking at them, they smirked and went back to their meal.

"Oh," Draco said softly.

"Want to tell your Dad?" Vincent said when he realized what had happened.

"No proof," Harry said before taking out his wand and casting the counter spell over his plate. "Not to mention, where's the fun in that?"

While he only knew the boy for a few days, Vincent couldn't help but feel pity for not only the two Slytherins, but anyone else who messed with the Snape kids and Draco.

~.~

Something was here, deep within the school, guarded so carefully.

It was in danger now. In danger because of….someone? A person, but not a person?

Danger, danger, danger.

"Harry!"

Harry blinked, jumping a little when he saw how close he was to Ron.

"Ron?" he said bewildered, "what—?" He stopped and looked around to find he wasn't in the dormitory or even in the Gyffindor common room. He looked around at the snoozing portraits on the walls. "Why are we on the third floor?"

"I think you were sleepwalking or something," Ron said after a moment, letting go of the boy's shoulders, "I woke up to use the loo and when I came back, you were walking out the room, barefoot and all."

Harry looked down and indeed found he had no shoes on "Oh," he said, wiggling his toes on the cold stone floor before looking back up at Ron.

"I tried asking you where you were going, but... well you were just acting weird... well, weirder than usual. Anyway, I followed cause I was worried. You know, with the Professors, and all."

Harry tilted his head as he wondered why Ron had turned a little red, and why he looked embarrassed for being worried. "Anyway, when you tried to get into the door we weren't supposed to go into, I tried waking you."

Harry looked over his shoulder and saw that it was indeed the locked door the Headmaster told them was forbidden. His brow furrowed when he felt the tingle of Hogwarts. He wasn't sure how to describe what it was trying to tell him, probably because he was still a little befuddled from sleep.

"Thanks," Harry said, turning back to Ron. "Though next time, you shouldn't try and wake a sleepwalker."

Ron looked like he expected more than just that, but he nodded, his expression one of uncertainty.

"We'd better get back before we're caught or something," Harry said and grabbed Ron's arm who looked startled.

They got back to their dorm without incident, and the moment his head hit the pillow, Ron was out like a light. Harry couldn't help snorting a bit at that. Instead of following Ron's example, he went back down to the Common Room. The fireplace was still lit and he settled down in one of the chairs.

For as long as he could remember, he was always able to do this... 'trick' as his sister called it. Able to feel magic, and well, talk to it. And according to his family, no one has been able to do so. At least there was no written proof, not that Harry ever cared. He just thought it was so cool that he was able to do so. And Hogwarts, built by magic, was really happy she finally had someone to talk to; gladly sharing secrets with him during the night, or giggling in his ear at some of the silly things her students did.

"She's trying to tell me something," Harry thought, "there's something behind that door..."

And whatever it was, was in danger.

~.~

The next morning, Harry told Hermione what had happened once she was awake, and their father was well out of hearing range.

"I think we should tell Daddy," she frowned.

Harry scratched the back of his head, looking uncertain. "I guess."

"But?"

"Well, there is a reason the door is off limits. There's something in there that whoever put it here, mostly likely the Headmaster, doesn't want us to know about it."

Brown eyes narrowed at him.

"You think Daddy will lie."

Green eyes blinked at her.

"When has Dad ever lied?"

"Right, tell half-truths then."

Harry nodded. Hermione went thoughtfully quiet as she crossed her arms over her chest, and slowly, her expression became knowing.

"You want to know what's behind that door, don't you?"

"Well," Harry's eyes turned a little mischievous, "if only to find out why Hogwarts wanted me there in the first place."

Hermione shook her head. "Alright, we can start after dinner, though where exactly, I have no clue."

"I might" Harry said when a thought came to him.

At lunch they joined Draco at his House table, and after a quick low conversation, the blonde agreed to meet them in front of the library after dinner. When the bell rang for the next class, the trio headed to Charms.

"Hello, Hagrid!" Harry greeted upon seeing the familiar wild black hair.

The large man looked over his shoulder and smiled upon seeing the three. "'Ello, off ter yer nex' class?"

All three children nodded, looking up at the large man.

"How are yer three likin' Hogwarts so far?"

"It's really great, the classes are so interesting!" Hermione said excitedly.

"Glad ter hear tha'. I won' hold yer three up, but come join me fer tea sometime."

"We will," Draco reassured him.

After saying goodbye, the three hurried up off to class, taking note that the whisperings which had died down was back up again. Hermione suppose it was odd, considering that as the gamekeeper, Hagrid had very little interaction with the students, if any. They, on the other hand, had known Hagrid since they were smaller. The gamekeeper occasionally visited, mostly to see Hedwig and bring her treats, which only deepened her crush on him.

After dinner, the three of them met in front of the library doors.

"So, what are we doing, and are we going to get in trouble?"

"Depends on what we find," Hermione shrugged, "though I don't know how, we don't know what was in the vault?"

"Vault?"

"The one that was broken into at Gringotts," Harry said, though he said nothing more on the subject, mostly so no one could over hear them. "Last night, I ended up sleepwalking to that door on the third floor. Ron woke me up, and we went back to our dorm. But the thing was, I felt Hogwarts, she was urging me on."

"The castle's a girl?" Draco said surprised.

"Yep! Anyway, there's something there and since Hogwarts wanted me there, I want to know why."

"Well, let's get started then."

"First things first, we need to figure out where," Hermione sighed.

"We should start with the Headmaster," Harry suggested "I mean he has to authorize whatever it is."

"Good point."

~.~

Aside from a rather impressive resume, they found nothing about the Headmaster that caught their eye. Before they knew it, two months had gone by and they were waking up to Halloween morning and the delicious smell of baking pumpkin wafting through the corridors.

"You okay?" Harry asked his sister during lunch, "you've been rather quiet today."

"It's nothing, just didn't sleep very well."

Harry frowned, but went back to eating once he realized that his sister wasn't going to say anything else. Inwardly, he wondered if something had happened. After all, they weren't always together, not to mention Harry didn't know what went on in the girls' dormitory despite being able to go up there. There was also the fact that Hogwarts hadn't warned him about anything aside from whatever was behind that door. Then again, Harry had the impression that magic didn't understand emotions very well as it were.

They were having Charms with the Slytherins, and a lot of the children were excited because Professor Flitwick announced that they were ready to start making objects fly. Harry was partnered with Seamus, while Ron was working with Hermione at the next table over. The redhead looked a bit uncomfortable which was becoming a norm with him when it came to them. Well that, and bewilderment.

After giving them instructions, Flitwick let them have at it. While Harry easily got his feather up, Seamus set fire to his and had to put it out.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Ron shouted at the next table to Harry's, waving his arm like a windmill.

"You're saying it wrong," Hermione said, glaring when Ron nearly hit her in the face with his wild limb. "it's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the 'gar" nice and long."

"You do it, then, if you're so clever," Ron huffed, red in the face.

Hermione did just that and her feather hovered above their desk.

"Oh, well done, Miss Granger!" Professor Flitwick clapped.

Behind his sister's desk, Lavender whispered to her partner and both girls giggled. Hermione didn't flinch, but she did lower her head a little, something that did not go unnoticed by Harry or Draco who glared at the girls. Hermione was quiet for the rest of the class, and when they were dismissed, Harry and Draco had to rush to catch up with her. They were just in time to hear Lavender talking to her friend, not even bothering to keep her voice down.

"I suppose she has be good at something," Lavender snorted, "I mean, have you seen her hair and her teeth?"

Hermione rushed past them, and both boys were startled to see tears. They watched her disappear into the crowd, Harry then turned around to glare at the still laughing girls. He walked up to them; vaguely aware of Draco behind him.

"My Dad," Harry said when he was upon them, startling the two, "always said I'm not supposed to hurt girls or anyone in anyway, unless I couldn't avoid it. Consider this a warning, don't talk about or do anything bad about my sister."

"Not our fault she's stuck up, just because she's a Professor's child. Your Dad probably gives you guys all the answers to your homework, and I bet he just gives you passing points and all on quizzes and tests too."

Harry's eyes narrowed.

"First of all, our homework, quizzes and tests are graded by another Professor. So get your facts straight first, because ignorance is just another word for human stupidly. And second, my sister is the smartest person you'll ever meet."

"Are you calling Lavender stupid?" said Lavender's friend.

"Is that what you get out of all that?" Draco drawled.

Lavender's face turned red, and she finally snapped at Harry, "Says the son of a Snake!"

The crowd that had been watching went hushed as they waited for Harry or Draco to answer. The two boys glanced at each other than back at the girls.

"Like you said, I'm the son of a Snake, but remember, so is my sister."

And with those words, the two left to find Hermione, Lavender looked a bit worried.

~.~

When they couldn't find Hermione, Harry and Draco headed to the Great Hall, it was already dinner time so the place was full. While Draco waited by the door, Harry went up to the teacher's table to tell his father what happened.

Suddenly, Professor Quirrell rushed past him, turban askew and terror on his face. Everyone stared as he reached the teacher's table, slumped against it and gasped, "Troll—in the dungeons—thought you ought to know."

He then sank to the floor in a dead faint.

There was chaos, and it took a while for Dumbledore to get everyone calm. He then ordered the Prefects to escort the younger years to the dorms.

"Dad!"

Severus, who was following the rest of the Professors, stopped and turned.

"Harry, go to the dorms with your—"

"We can't find Hermione!" Harry blurted out once he was before his father. "After Charms, she had run off and—" he trailed off and tilted his head just slightly.

"Harry?" Severus frowned when he saw the familiar far-off look on his son's face.

Finally, Harry blinked.

"She's in the third floor girl's bathroom!" he blurted out and turned to hurry to said destination... only for his father to grab the back of his robe.

"I will go get your sister. You will go back to your dorm with your classmates."

"But—"

"I will not repeat myself."

"Okay."

~.~

After explaining the situation to Minerva, Severus hurried to the girls' bathroom. He got to the corridor, his nose instinctively wrinkling when it was hit with the most horrible odor; while his heart clenched with terror. He hurried on quickly, stopping and slipping into the shadows when he heard the shuffling of gigantic feet. He watched as a troll emerged, walking along and stopping to peer into a doorway.

"Pass it," Severus urged in his mind, his heart racing.

The troll went into the girls' bathroom.

Cursing, Severus hurried inside. His daughter was huddled up against the wall while the troll advanced towards her.

"Stupefy!"

It didn't hurt the troll, but it did gain it's attention. The troll turned and stared at Severus with confused eyes. Apparently deciding that Severus wasn't interesting enough, it turned back to Hermione who was running towards her father. The troll roared and swung its club. Both ducked, Severus grabbing Hermione and dashing out the bathroom. Flicking his wand over his shoulder, he closed and locked the door behind them as they stumbled to the ground.

"Alright?" Severus panted as they laid sprawled on the floor.

Inside the bathroom, it sounded like the troll was having a bit of a temper-tantrum.

"I—think so," Hermione's voice was shaking a little and she flinched at the sound of a loud crash.

"We'd best leave. We need to get you to the Hospital Wing, and I need to inform the Headmaster."

Hermione insisted she was fine, but Pomfrey made her stay in the Hospital Wing overnight. Despite having to shoo them away in what felt like every five minutes, the Healer couldn't help the smile on her face every time Draco, and Harry appeared and promised to come back later. That same smile grew when she looked back at the girl, and saw how happy she was from each visit.

The staff got the troll out the bathroom, however, it was out of use for a while.

~.~

It was early November when Harry finally convinced Draco to join him and Hermione at the Gryffindor table for breakfast.

Despite giving in, Draco was nervous. While for the most part, the first years in his House were getting used to Harry and Hermione sitting with him during meals or randomly popping up in the Slytherin dormitory, and his friends' own year House were no longer giving the two looks, it didn't mean it was the same for him. His family name had a reputation, and not the good kind either, but then again so did they. Not to mention that out of the three of them, Harry was the easiest to get along with. Draco saw - more than once - people falling under of the spell of those big green eyes and ready smile.

Still, Harry and Hermione had insisted, and promised nothing bad would happen. So, one morning, Draco waited for his friends by the Great Hall door, smiling at seeing the sleepy Hermione. Together they entered, and sit down at Gryffindor table.

"Morning," Harry said to Ron.

"Morning," Ron said, giving Draco an odd look.

Draco gave him a look back before turning to the food, and for the most part, there was no problem. Fred and George even came over to join them, though he noticed a few of the older Slytherins, mostly Mathew and his group, glaring at him. It isn't until the older Gryffindors arrived that anything happened, four of them looked at the three and headed over.

"Okay," said a boy, who apparently the leader, "that's it."

"Pardon?" Harry blinked, while Draco inwardly sighed.

"We've ignored it up to this point."

"That's what you call ignoring?" Draco mumbled, recalling the numerous times he and Harry had been roughly shoved while in the hall. And not just by the older Gryffindors, or Slytherin in general.

"But that's it, we're Gryffindors and you're Slytherin," the older boy pointed at Draco, and apparently ignoring the part about Harry and Hermione being children of a former Slytherin, "and need to stay on your side. We don't need your kind here."

Draco frowned. Around them, some of the students and a couple of Professors were taking notice.

Harry for his part, blinked, then looked at his friend in mock horror.

"You're a Slytherin?" he whispered loudly. "You lied to me?"

"Me?" Draco said, catching on. "What about you? You never told me that this was a Gryffindor table, if anyone's the liar, it's you!"

"How dare you insult my honor!" Harry stood, unused butter knife in hand. "En garde!"

By this time, they had drawn attention from the rest of the students and Professors. At the teacher's table, Severus stopped his colleagues from standing up, assuring them that nothing bad was going to happen and that they would most likely would want to place bets.

"En garde yourself!" Draco laughed as he too stood, "I will give you the honor of a quick and painless death—not with that, ah ha!" after switching his spoon with butter knife, Draco held it at the ready.

Harry lunged and Draco blocked, both sliding close to each other as though their "blades" had locked.

"Any last words?" Draco growled.

"I will cut you to ribbons."

"Ha, such mediocrity," Draco sniffed as they broke apart, "let your sword do the talking!"

"I will, and it will be loquacious to a fault!"

The boys continued dueling while giving playful taunts and insults as they lunged and block with style.

"Go, Harry!" Fred cried when said boy twirled out of the Draco's attack.

Soon, the hall was echoing with students cheering, some for Harry and some for Draco, becoming especially loud when the blonde did a spectacular backflip.

"You fight like my sister!" Harry taunted as he jumped back from an attack.

"I've fought your sister," Draco grinned, "that's a compliment."

Said sister was currently face-planted on the table, still asleep.

Somehow, the two boys ended up climbing onto the Gryffindor, feet twisting and jumping over plates, goblets, food and Hermione. The students didn't mind as they continued to cheer, crowding the table to watch. Even some of the Professor had started to root for their own duelist.

Draco ducked when the knife came a bit too close. "Not the face!" he scowled.

Harry gave an apologetic smile, then winked. Understanding, and with practiced ease, both boys' knives clashed, twirled around each other before sliding forward and at each other's neck. There was an anticipated silence as the two stared at each with serious expressions. Finally, they both grinned and turned to their audience.

"Gentle wizards and witches, we've decided it's draw," Draco said.

"Thank you all for coming," Harry said. "You've been a great audience!"

As one, both gave dramatic bows.

The Hall erupted into cheers.

At the teacher table, the Professors were exchanging hands.

Thanks goes to my Beta YenGirl :)

Review Please!

The dueling quotes are taken from DreamWorks the Road To El Dorado, I love that movie lol.