Chapter Six: The Four of Cups I
AN: Rights are to JK Rowling and Warner brothers. Please write a review, feedback would go a long way to improve my work. People are reading but I don't know if they are staying or enjoying it. I still very much need a beta to help me improve on my work. We made it past chapter 5 woohoo. I realize we are past 43 thousand words and not much has happened yet, it will. I need to develop and give motive to characters, after the first week of school we can time jump to other major events, the first year of the story will not have much for adventure, that will enter in the later books in a better-established world. Stay safe everyone, these are hard times, stay home.
The Four of Cups.
The whistle sounded, and the train halted. The Carrows and Harry exchanged light farewells, but not to the standard that Harry hoped, fighting back tears, his images of a great friendship forming being crushed by the weight of four cups. Harry hefted down his luggage when Hestia remarked to him he should merely leave it. The Hogwarts Staff would know that it belonged to him and the trunk would be in his dorm that night. With his pointed hat upon his head he walked the train, an endeavor that took far longer than it should have, his fellow students bumped into with nary an apology. Harry just kept his head down, already wishing to be back in Diagon Alley. He missed the few relationships that he had, the bustle of the medical wing in the morning, the overflowing streets full of smiles. Here, on the train, he was pushed around, ignored, unwanted. A strange reminder of his former home life, which he had never hoped to experience again. Making his way to the platform, he surveyed the area. A bustling village surrounded the tracks, near as busy as the main strip of the alley, full of men and women watching the train, and more likely, its contents with anticipation. The sprawling town appeared old-fashioned, but also magic, rustic houses glittered around with buildings less gravity-defying than that of the alley, but still the small city hummed with the unseen power which was magic, it presented a comfortable feeling, warm and embracing. Since the sun was setting in the sky, the streets required lights, but apparently, they applied modified streetlamps with lightning from a ball of magic that emitted a radiant glow. He wondered how houses pumped water without power, as in the magical world he had never seen electricity anywhere. When a light was needed people used their wands, when something high they used their wands, technology stood still because of the ability to use a wand. Why invent a lorry when you can fly a broom?
"First Years, First Years over here." Harry turned to search for the source of the sound, which resonated as a deep and powerful voice. A bass singer would be jealous of the notes the man achieved. Near an outdoor stairwell stood a giant of a man. That was not hyperbole. The man reached just under three meters tall, almost as high as the surrounding lamppost. He looked like a mountain man, his hair going down his back, his curly beard carrying on for many feet in all directions, comparing this man's size to a lorry would not be unfounded. Harry searched for the comfort of the regular, turning to locate Hestia and Flora only to notice them heading the other way. He spotted them entering a carriage pulled by a strange-looking black horse with wings. A horrifying creature that resembled bones with a thin skin cover. The twins, to his regret, did not look for him.
The crowd in front of Harry shuffled forward. He went with it, hoping not to be a dinner for the great wild man. They climbed up a set of very slippery stairs with no handrails cut from the land itself, a massive stone expanse on their left, the lack of traction causing some people to stumble. The assembly continued the treacherous walk until the mass reached the apex of the hill they stood atop. A few of the students had their hands on their legs, breathing heavily from the trek they just completed. Then the group moved down, further and further down, the slick mossy floor beneath them causing all to move slow and deliberate, out some ways, near the bottom of the natural stair, a large mass of black water stretched, giving off a foreboding sense of the unknown, it gave off a powerful sensation, with many small rowboats on its bank. The clear sky above was visible upon the surface of the expense as if the universe blanketed the boats on the shore. As they continued moving Harry's skin tingled, looking ahead he saw more, something that before was invisible to his eyes. Bordering the lake, reaching over it at times, was a glorious stone keep. It possessed tall towers and massive buildings, each one lit up in yellow light. It was gothic, matching the vast expanse of forest stretching beyond. Harry stopped and stared at the beauty and power this building projected. He remembered how he had viewed Gringotts the month previous, deciding he should have taken the bet he had generated, as the castle Hogwarts was by far more beautiful and majestic than any of the halls of Gringotts. Harry was not alone as the first year's mouths gaped at the sight.
"C'mon first years, keep up." The gigantic man shouted, vibrating the very steps the children walked upon, "We're a'most there." Collectively the first years began the march down being led to a docking station on the shore of the massive lake, with more than a handful of boats shaped like rowboats but without rows, and appeared large enough to seat eight people comfortably, a far cry from the tiny things they looked from the hill. "A'right, no more than four to a boat now, and be sure to mind your head over there." His kite of a hand stretched out to an overhang which held a collection of stalagmites hanging from it and a draping plant, not unlike a curtain. The students started sitting in the boats, most choosing to do so with friends they made on the train, Harry was not that lucky. He sat with a group of three boys. Each introduced themselves, they were Justin, Ernie (you can call me Macmillan), and Terry. He offered himself as Harry and the four talked about how excited they were. Terry and Justin started in a compartment together, and later Ernie joined them. The three bonded over a mutual love of sports, though different games for each boy. Harry felt his opportunity of friendship sinking faster than the titanic, his inability to connect with his peers squishing him of emotion.
They docked after the rough ride through the cavern, everyone got out and collected their bearing's in the underground harbor, which was their destination, through the stalagmite cave and beyond. The giant, after making sure each person was standing, started walking up more stairs. A groan sounded from a substantial portion of the group. The wild man stopped and waved for everyone to follow. Climbing a spiral stair led them to a huge oaken door that the giant pushed open with ease, allowing the crowd to walk into a magnificent hall.
The entrance had two separate enormous door sets, not including the one they previously exited, as well as two grand staircases one going up, one going down. The stair going up had four tall hourglasses flanking it. From left to right they were red, blue, yellow, and green. The giant then wished everyone luck and walk up the stairs, leaving the bumble of children alone and unsupervised. Harry stood with the boys he had been on the boat with, pretending to be part of a group as the sounds of delightful conversation and petty arguing overtook the hall. Until a regal woman entered from the next level.
She was an older woman with thin lips and a wrinkled face, but they were tight wrinkles not droopy. Her eyes were hiding behind thick square glasses and atop her head was a hat that crooked to the side. Her robes were an emerald color. Maybe an homage to the green hourglass? She cleared her voice and moved down the steps with a grace belonging to someone much younger, despite how light the footsteps looked they echoed in the now silent hall. "Hello students, I am Professor McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress, Head of Gryffindor, and Transfiguration Head." She paused and surveyed the group. "Today you shall begin your first year at Hogwarts, the finest school in all the world." She let the statement hang over the room, brimming with pride. "Now, we will head into the Great Hall to be sorted and to start the feast. The sorter will describe the houses so pay attention to his words, for they will decide your fate for the next seven years of your lives, perhaps further."
"So, we don't have to fight a troll." The orange-haired boy yelled out. He looked down, his cheeks reddening at the glare that he received, the teacher's eye looking down on him hard and vicious.
"No, you don't. As I was saying your house should be like your family, and at Hogwarts the most respectable school in the world we also would like to know which family is the best, in the school." She added the last part with haste as if they could misinterpret it. She then held her arms out to display the hourglasses on either side of the stairwell, "These glasses keep track of house points. Things of merit gain points. Things of consequence lose them. At the end of the year the house with the most points gains the house cup, which carries with it privileges such as priority on scheduling for house events and an overall bump of 3% to all of your final scores." Chatter built up in the hall again after that announcement. "In addition," she started, calming the group down again, "the student who gains the most house points in each year receives another 2% and will have this merit noted on transcripts. Now, let us enter the Great Hall and get you all sorted." The surprisingly springy professor strolled through the students without another word and walked to the second biggest set of double doors.
She tapped her wand on the massive gates, wide enough for the train to penetrate, causing them to swing open revealing another spectacular room. It was the most magnificent thing Harry had ever been in, with stained glass windows stretching many meters high. The long hall housed five long tables, four of them housing students, each sat one of the four colors on their own, completely segregated, the last table hosted many regal-looking figures, as well as the giant on the far end. Directly in front, centered in the room, positioned before a throne-like chair, with a man who seemed older than Mister Olivander and who possessed a beard longer than the giant's hair, was a simple three-legged stool with a hat on it. As he followed one window up, Harry saw the sky, as the ceiling opened into the world beyond letting it breathe on the inside. At the master table Harry recognized Quirrell, Sprout, and Fillius. His former tour guide gave him a cheerful wave which he returned, blushing at the attention he gained for it. Getting lost in the splendor he bumped into the boy in front of him. They all seemed to have stopped, and McGonagall was standing next to the hat, which made shapes, on its own.
Then it sang.
Its words rhymed as the hat projected its voice over the hall. It spoke of its appearance and general intelligence. Of its superiority. Then the animated fabric described the houses.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends.
With its final verse, it wrapped up its song.
After the male voice stopped singing clapping broke out over the hall. Wasting no time, after the applause finished, Professor McGonagall shouted out a name. "Hannah Abbot." With that, the sorting began. After the girl walked up, took off her cap, with Professor McGonagall putting on the talking one, the assembly sat in anticipation. After a few moments, less than 15 seconds, it yelled out Hufflepuff. She went to the table on Harry's right, which was standing up and applauding. This would take forever if this happens every sorting as roughly fifty students were in waiting. Which it did. Harry stood in boredom as person after person went up to find their new family.
All the while Harry wished to see the house he belonged to, but he didn't know if he could be sorted. He wasn't brave, nor loyal, nor witty, nor cunning. But he supposed that real friends sounded nice. "Harry Potter." The previously applauding room became silent, a pin could drop and the echo would persist for eternity. He gained tunnel vision to the seat and ambled, not having to fight past anyone as most of the children had been sorted before him. Harry watched people strain their necks in his peripheral sight to look at him. A slight buzz of gossip arose. He focused on the stool which behind it bore an ancient man with kind blue eyes, not unlike a sapphire. His robes were purple with actual twinkling stars on them, more dazzling than the ones in the sky. He smiled at Harry and the pressure immediately lifted.
Harry turned to face the school, which looked back with anticipation as he removed his hat and sat down. Then he felt it on his head, the hat falling over his eyes, blinding him to the world, trapping him in his thoughts. Then something entered his head, like when he witnessed what people did, but different, as if he was giving someone that instead. "Hmm, interesting, difficult, very difficult." The hat spoke, but not out loud, but within. Like an itch within his head. "You have quite the mind in you Mr. Potter, but where to place you." He remained silent to the hat's query; it knew all the answers to its questions. "You are quite right; I do know the answers. Which makes this tough. You've experienced hard work, but dislike it, you are brilliant and a brilliant study, but shun the results, you are courageous but cannot see that, and you have an ambition that you reject. You are a walking contradiction and thus are so troublesome to sort."
Harry let the hat go. It saw the truth, hiding facts would not work, and conversing would achieve nothing. "That is a Ravenclaw tendency you know, working that out," the hat pondered over its statement, "but you would reject them if I put you there, you would become isolated." It stopped again. The pair sat in silence as Harry's mind was open for his audience of one to witness, "I think Slytherin should be your home, for they would help you grow." A wave of euphoria hit on that, that was Master Harris's house, the house of the Carrows, the house of friends. "Very well then, SLYTHERIN." The word echoed in and out of his head, staying in the hall, reverberating on its walls.
He did not hear applause.
McGonagall removed the hat. No one cheered.
He almost cried, even now he was not accepted, coming to a fresh world changed nothing, he was still a useless boy meant for the cupboard.
Until a faint patter arose behind him, the old man stood from his throne with a large smile upon his face and applauded, alone in the entire hall, for the boy, then Sprout joined, and Quirrell, looking to the Slytherin table showed the Carrow's giving him courteous looks and clapping, the rest joining with them till the hall filled with cheering, not only his house but by all the houses. As tears started moving down his face as he moved to the table, Happy to feel accepted for once in his life.
Take that Four of Cups.
Maneuvering to the table, down the small stairs which led to the sorting area. His first thought to sit with the Carrow twins, as they were familiar, lasted until he saw them surrounded. He could possibly squeeze in, though they would probably consider it rude. As he moved further down the table he spotted people who had been sorted with him, half a gaggle of girls, the other a gang of guys. They all sat on the far end of the table, behind Harry Francis Prewitt was being sorted, causing Harry to have trek all the way down. By the time he made it to his seat, Hufflepuff sounded. He sat next to a bay who introduced himself as Theodore Nott, as opposed to the rude elven boy from the train.
Theodore Nott was definitely someone commonly described as attractive. He had crisp brown hair and stunning hazel eyes. His face appeared hard, but not rough, with shoulders which would broaden into a large chested powerful man. Harry introduced himself to a resounding "We Know," which was not at all strange given how he was just sorted. The group watched with a brief conversation as the sorting continued. Harry found it odd how other houses seemed to get a larger number of students, considering how since his name sounded no one else went to Slytherin. It took until the last person, Blaise Zabini, to get another member. As he looked down the table it seemed less crowded than the others. The groups around the hall had burst into many quiet conversations as if everyone was waiting for something, then the moment Blaise sat down, the elderly man who clapped for him stood. His robes glistening as much as his eyes.
"Welcome, Welcome all." His voice resonated, powerful but kind. He sounded as a professionally trained singer, and he delivered as if an entire band stood in front of him. "Another year at Hogwarts, yet, it still feels new." He spoke slowly as if every moment was dear to him. The aged man looked off until Professor McGonagall tugged on his robe with a glare. "Sorry about that, I was remembering my first day and my sorting, which no, was not performed by the founders." His eyes shown full of mirth as he launched a false glare at the Gryffindor table. Laughter sounded throughout the hall. "Now, as I am sure we are all very hungry, despite our school being located in Scotland." Various people chucked around the chamber thou, not as many as before, the loudest amongst them being Fillius. Professor McGonagall continued her glare. The old man, while looking around the room, acknowledged her murderous look and held up his arms in mock surrender. "I shall introduce myself, I am Professor Dumbledore, the Headmaster of this amazing school, and whilst I only teach one course, I wish for you all to know that my door is always open. Finally, we must always stick to tradition so: Nitwit. Blubber. Oddment. Tweak." As he finished the words, a feast appeared on every table. He smiled at the room and sat on his way down taking a sizeable chunk of a blue pie, seemingly not getting the rules about dinner before sweets...
Harry looked at the cornucopia in front of him. Assembled before him was an extensive selection of meats, stews, and casseroles. Reaching out he began adding the freshly prepared food to his plate, weary that someone would yell at him, though it never came. He started to eat, savoring every precious bite, carefully using utensils as he had learned during his stay in the alley. As he looked up, he noticed that the group of boys surrounding him were not as solitary as Harry. They laughed and bantered within the gathering as if they had been long time friends, even the girls sitting a few seats down were engaged in their conversation. The strangest part was the groups formed independently and yet had merged perfectly, as if they knew how many would be sorted. It was odd as their table appeared the only one with such a separation, the rest having clumps of students all interchangeably sat with gender.
"So, you were not lying on the train, I guess I owe those bloodsuckers an apology, names Draco Malfoy." The petite boy said over the chatty hall, his voice sounding practiced. Harry pushed down his anger at the probable insult to the twins he had spent so much of the day with despite not being friends.
"I'm Harry Potter." He replied in his soft voice.
"Ya, sorry for not believing you and all, no hard feeling right."
Worm, this disgusting leech, this horrible beast should be put down right now, take your knife and end him. "Ya, it is ok. That happens more than you would think."
"Names Blaise Zabini." Harry studied the new boy. His voice sounded quite effeminate, matching his general appearance. One would call him pretty, even. He was a dark boy with chestnut eyes and long straight black hair.
"Harry Potter."
"I know that it's hard to not know that you are Harry Potter." He replied, giving Draco a loathing glance.
"Oh, you must have paid fantastic attention to the sorting then, to be honest, I forgot almost everyone's names while they were sorted, even yours." Harry attempted to joke.
The boy's eyes narrowed in a glare, and he turned away from Harry, instead, conversating with Draco. Was he offended?
"So, Potter, where have you been all of these years? I read your last one, it was good." Theodore spoke to him with a bit of awe in his eyes. Read his last what?
"I don't exactly understand what you mean?" Harry questioned.
"Who do you live with? It never really says."
"Oh, I lived with Vernon and Petunia."
"Who?"
"Vernon and Petunia, my aunt and uncle." The words went against his years of training, but he needed it to explain to his fellow Slytherins. A glance around showed Harry as the object of attention to his fellow first years. Though not the twins, they held conversation elsewhere.
"What family were they." It was a girl who asked that she was pretty, except for her upturned nose.
"The Dursley's?"
"I don't know that family." Theodore entered again.
"Oh, they are, how did Professor Sprout say it, muggles." Silence hung over the table until Theodore laughed loudly.
"That's funny Potter, that is funny." They kept calling him Potter, maybe he should call them by their last names. Harry gave a slight smile, not knowing the reason for his laughter, but happy he had brought joy to someone. A glancing investigation revealed Draco and his followers giggling as well, and most of the ladies. In fact, the only members not smiling were Blaise and a blonde and brunette female pair. The three looked at Harry with abhorrence. Harry just smiled into his food, happy to eat with his new family.
Take that Four of Cups.
After the entire hall had seemed to eat their fill and dissolve into talking about the upcoming classes or what they did over the summer Dumbledore rose again. A slight wave washed over him as the chamber focused on the ancient man. "Yes, Yes, now that everyone has eaten their fill, we can officially begin the year. And what would the year's start be without rules?" He gave an enormous grin at that. The far table gave a collective groan.
"Now, as I must mention every year, the forbidden forest is, as its name describes, forbidden. Unless you wish to face death at the hands of a XXXXX beast, you shall not stray without the aid of a teacher." Despite the joking nature of the sentences start, he became serious at the end, "To add to that we are doing a bit of magical research in the 3rd-floor corridor on the right-hand side of the grand stairwell, thus it is out of bounds, for if you are there without teachers aid, well, that is a folly I wish upon no one." He was somber, his gaze lingering longer on the Gryffindors again. "As a reminder, magic should be performed in the classroom only, we have many unused rooms if one wishes to lay ownership to one abandoned classroom be my guest, but please be mindful of others. And finally, to end on a high note it seems that all house teams wish to have Quidditch tryouts two weeks from today, we have assigned the pitch to the first day of the week starting with Gryffindor and moving across the hall. All other clubs will have notices in the Entry Hall for sign-ups, I myself am looking forward to Professor Flitwick's Dueling Club. Now off to bed everyone, after the school song."
Harry did not understand what the school song was, he didn't know he needed to memorize it. Until the chamber inflated with the tune, and the words and melody entered his head, it was strange, he felt if he tried he could stop it, by why should he, it was just a harmless tune. He smiled along with everyone else as the song swelled in the hall. There was a power to the music, a beat that brought hope with it. He swayed and sang, negative thoughts seemed to vanish from him as he chanted the wonderful number.
"Ah, music, magic old as time." The headmaster spoke out, a shimmer of tears upon his face. Harry had to agree.
The tables rose, the center aisle first with Ravenclaw being the first out, then Hufflepuff, then Gryffindor, and last, Slytherin. The group walked together with some minor conversation, the older students leading the way. When they made it back into the entrance hall the older Slytherins all took off down the stairs, leaving only the first years and a single pair of students, one boy, and one girl.
"Welcome to Slytherin everyone, you did it, you got the best house." The girl spoke up, prompting a cheer by the group she was escorting. "Now, as most of you already know, I am Gemma Farley and that is Damian Cunningham. We are the two fifth-year prefects." She was beaming with pride at that. "Now, the Slytherin common room is located on the second sublevel of Hogwarts, now follow close as I will show you the most direct route." The pair of students started maneuvering the castle like the back of their hand, going through long empty hallways and down dank staircases. As they were going down one such hallway one girl in the group screamed. Looking towards her saw the culprit for her action. Harry, along with a few others, joined.
Before the girl was a translucent man, his body was all grayscale, even the blood dripping from his abdomen that floated up into the room as a dissipating mist when contacting a solid surface. He wore a wig and had a large mustache. And a sword that dripped similarly. He sniffed the air, "New Blood, make us proud." He then entered the wall and leave the room.
"Well, that was the Bloody Baron, the Slytherin ghost. Don't worry, he can't harm anyone." She spoke, calming down the assembly. Harry wasn't sure about that. As translucent as the ghost looked, his sword appeared deadly.
The group continued, Harry almost slipped on the spot where the spirit had been moments before, looking down displayed a patch of blood below his foot. The cluster settled on an unassuming bit of wall after a few more moments of travel. "Ambition." The male of the duo talked his voice even. Turning to the crowd he spoke again, "Our common room is password protected, in addition to this only Slytherins are allowed to know its location or its password, Balor greets you if you are the reason someone finds out both. Curfew is at 8 o'clock for you folk first semester, and students can leave the common room after six in the morning, no earlier." As he spoke, the wall behind him faded into a door. He opened it into a beautiful and large room with an ornate chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The room had a bit of a green tint to it, walking into the room saw fishes swimming above the group, it appeared the common room was under the lake.
After letting the crowd gape at the room, Gemma spoke again. "Professor Snape will hand timetables out at breakfast tomorrow, there will be the other school rules on the back of it, and a map with your marked classrooms, wouldn't want anyone to be late now, would we. The school classes don't start until Tuesday to allow everyone to find where their classroom locations. Questions?"
The silence answered her question. "All right, girls up, boys down. Each room has randomly picked pairs. Changes you want to make may be submitted after a month. Now, off to bed." She spoke, and the groups walked to their corresponding staircases.
The first rooms they passed housed older students' names on the front. They followed Damian, taking a right at the first intersection showing doors on both sides. The first read Theodore Nott and Draco Malfoy, the two smiling, the second displayed Blaise Zabini and Gregory Goyle. The last room was for Harry Potter and Vincent Crabbe. Wishing everyone goodnight, each pair entered their room. It was when they had invaded the room, he realized that he never had talked to Crabbe, and Crabbe hadn't tried talking to him. When Harry tried starting up conversation Crabbe moved to the bathroom, after waiting Harry did the same. By the time he left the loo, Crabbe was sleeping. Harry, whilst trying to do the same, was introduced to a loud snoring beast. He finished his day making no true friends. With the Carrow twins being his last hope.
Curse the Four of Cups.
The next day started as the previous day ended, with his roommate pretending that he didn't exist. Harry awoke later than normal because of the interminable day that preceded it, and the loud sleeping situation. As a result, he sat in his bed, with no light, only holding his wand. For the hour until six he attempted the 'Lumos' charm from his textbook, a simple spell the book had said, very easy to do. Yet despite that nothing, no glow appeared. When it was six, he dressed and waited in bed, waiting for Crabbe to wake up. When the boy stirred, his wand sprouting out noise at half-past six, Harry tried to converse, voicing out a morning greeting.
The bigger boy just ignored Harry, going to the bathroom with his clothes. When he had finished his business, he left the bedroom forgetting Harry alone again. Harry, after a moment, followed him, working to the common room he witnessed the first years moving out, leaving only him behind. Picking up his pace he quickly made it to the assembly, following in step behind them all, but never a part of the collection. In front of him, they talked about the classes they were about to do, how it would compare to what they knew from prior learning, which teachers they would like the most. The entire trip to the Great Hall, Harry said nothing. In the Great Hall they sat as a group, Nott and Malfoy chatted about some event their dads were doing together with the three other boys listening with excitement. Harry, no matter how hard he tried, obtaining no entertainment in their boasting contest. He looked at the ladies sitting a few seats down and discovered a majority of them leaning in as well, again it was the two girls who had glared at him the previous meal who had no concern in the current conversation, instead, talking to each other. Perhaps they discussed an enjoyable subject, more than how the head of what not was visiting Malfoys house. He would most likely agree, as he would have found staring at the stairs of his youth more interesting. It was then he was kicked in the shin, looking up at his assailant, retreating inward he saw the dark-skinned boy glaring at him.
"Don't stare at people, it's rude." Blaise hushed his tone such that the other boys couldn't hear it over their obnoxious drabble.
"Sorry," Harry said, ducking his head in shame. This only irritated Zabini more. Harry was about to apologize when a swooping figure appeared behind Zabini. The man had moved silently, with ease of moment expected from a practiced dancer. The man stood short and pale. His eyes laid deep inside his head, and his lips thin as a line. The man's nose was enormous and drooped over his nostrils, giving him a bird beak appearance. His hair sat shoulder-length, shiny, and hung all around his face, framing it. He took his arm from within his cloak and gave Zabini a paper, then he took off down the table his wrap burrowing behind him, with his grace added to it he was like a bat in flight. He made the round to Harry.
The two made eye contact, and something strange happened. Harry sensed two emotions entangled with each other, remorse and resentment. Then nothing. From the corner of the man's eye, Harry saw a tear form. Then he gave Harry a piece of paper, revealing his schedule. As the man started walking away Harry shouted a thank you after him. He stopped and looked back wide-eyed before continuing out of the Great Hall.
"Why would you thank him for doing his job?" Nott questioned.
"Dunno felt like the right thing to do," Harry said, looking down at his plate of half-eaten food, deciding he was no longer hungry.
"Whatever. Say I'm gonna explore the castle and look for the classrooms. Who wants to come?"
"I have to write father."
"Same with mother."
"I'm going with Draco."
"Me too."
"I'll come with you." Harry finally spoke.
Nott appeared uneasy at the prospect but traveled with Harry all the same. As the boys split in the Entrance Hall, Harry and Nott walked to the Grand Stairwell. It was an exceptional expanse, with a jigsaw of stairs moving, twisting, turning, expanding, shrinking.
"Well, should we start with Monday," Harry suggested.
"Sure, why not, let's see, Charms is on the second floor." As the two walked up the stair's others shifted. Following the provided steps, they had made it to an opening with a large two on the mouth. The boys wandered in silence, bumbling through the hallways and getting twisted around. It was a painting on the wall that solved their problems, a Sir Anthony, escorting them to the correct room. Once walking back and forth from the stairs to the room a few times the pair was confident they could repeat it, focusing on transfiguration which was their next class, and located on the ground floor.
The day continued similarly. Throughout it the pair talked more, laughing at the absurd things they found, even stumbling into a wall that was not a wall. They laughed and jested at painting, even had a chat with an eccentric bathroom ghost. The pair had even skipped lunch. As dinner approached, they began the trek back.
"So, Potter. Who did you really grow up with because I have not seen you anywhere?"
"Well, I wasn't lying, I grew up with my aunt and uncle."
"I thought your dad was an only child."
"I don't know if he was, I grew up with my Mums."
"You grew up with muggles?" His voice carried shock.
"Ya." Harry was meek with his response.
"Let me get this straight, your mom was a mudblood, and muggles raised you. You are essentially a mudblood yourself." He sneered at Harry. The kind boy of the last hours disappeared. In his place stood an angry wolf. Harry shrank back. "You had me tricked Potter, not that I expected better from one of your kind, filthy no matter what you have done, or maybe that's why you did it." Despite the Great Hall not being far away, Nott put a lot of space between the two of them, leaving Harry alone again.
Following behind him, they entered the hall full of laughter and a tasty aroma. As Harry walked to his normal seat Nott glared at him. "That spot is taken." Harry sat further down the table, seated by himself, lightly picking over the food in front of him, never looking down the table. Another silent proceeding followed until sleep. Harry had brought out his book, holding it close to his chest, a single tear escaping his normally blank face.
The Four of Cups.
Should I do endnotes? Fic suggestions?