Is this even necessary? I don't own these characters, JK Rowling does, the
genius. ::in awe:: She's marvelous, isn't she? I can't wait for the fifth
book. Anyway. enjoy!
Harry folded his last shirt, placed it inside his trunk, and sighed. He'd avoided Ron and Hermione so far with the excuse that he had to finish packing. Now he'd have to talk to them. He sighed again and got to his feet. Pausing to wipe his glasses on his shirt, he left the boys' dorm and went down to the common room.
Glancing around, he noted Fred and George whispering in a corner with Lee Jordan. Undoubtedly they were planning some prank. He rolled his eyes. Ginny was watching Ron and Hermione play a game of wizard's chess. Ignoring Colin Creevy, who waved furiously at him, he walked over to join his best friends.
Ginny blushed furiously at her rescuer; she still hadn't said a word to him that wasn't immediately followed by a flush to her cheeks and a nervous twirling of a lock of hair around her finger. He smiled at her and the red deepened. With her red hair, she looked quite like a freckled tomato. Keeping the thought to himself, he chuckled and turned to watch the game.
Ron had beaten Hermione terrifically, and Hermione looked rather agitated. The Weasley had just proclaimed check mate, and Hermione was frantically checking all her possibilities. Harry grinned; she scowled back.
Finally, she had to admit to the redhead's victory. "I don't know where I went wrong, though," she frowned, "because I read a book on a supposedly unbeatable strategy."
"Robert Rookman's Mating for Life?" Ron grinned as Hermione blushed. Harry snickered at the title. "I've read the book cover to cover more'n ten times, 'Moine. It's only unbeatable if you don't know it already." He turned to Harry. "Where've you been all this time, Harry? We were looking for you."
Harry grimaced inwardly. This was the part he'd been dreading. On the outside he said lightly, "Yeah, I had to talk to Dumbledore about something." He paused. "Could I talk to you guys? Privately," he added, with an apologetic look at Ginny. She flushed.
Ron and Hermione looked at each other before answering, "Sure thing."
Silently, Harry led them to a quiet corner of the common room. It was a general rule in the Gryffindor tower that when someone was in this corner, they didn't want to be disturbed. He settled himself in an armchair; Hermione took the one across from him, and Ron sat on its armrest.
"So... what's up?" Ron broke the silence. He hated silence. "Are you doing anything special over the summer? Er- probably not, all things considered. Heh... um..."
Hermione gave the red head a look and he stopped babbling. "What's wrong, Harry?" she asked gently.
He sighed. This would be hard. "Where should I start? Hm..." Harry began. "When Dumbledore talked to me after the... incident... I mentioned something to him. Tom Riddle, who was actually Voldemort when he was sixteen, said that we were a lot alike. I told Dumbledore, and he said he had a theory. He thinks I'm connected. To Voldemort, I mean." He continued quickly, ignoring the shock on his friends' faces. "When he attacked me, when I was a baby, Professor Dumbledore thinks that maybe he unintentionally transferred some of his powers to me. That's why I can speak Parseltongue. That's why my scar hurts. That's why..." he swallowed. "That's why the Sorting Hat wanted to put me in Slytherin." He closed his eyes.
"IT WANTED TO - " Hermione quickly clapped a hand over Ron's mouth. The rest of the Gryffindor common room slowly went back to what it was doing. Ron shoved Hermione's hand aside. "It wanted to put you in Slytherin?!" he hissed disbelievingly.
"No, Ron, he made the whole thing up to freak you out," said Hermione sarcastically. "Honestly!" She turned to Harry. "Harry, that's really weird. I mean, then -" she bit her lip.
"How, then did I end up in Gryffindor?" She nodded. "I asked it to put me here," Harry explained. "I'd never heard anything about the Houses. All I knew was that I'd met Draco Malfoy and didn't want to be near him. It was a silly thing, but I was so adamant that the Sorting Hat put me in Gryffindor instead."
"Good thing, too," replied Ron. "Those Slytherins -" he sneered. You can't trust 'em Harry. They're bad ones."
He felt his hands clench into fists. "Ron," he said through gritted teeth, "NO House is good or bad. Gryffindor isn't perfect either, you know." He frowned at Ron, who gaped at him. "What've you got against Slytherins, anyway? I mean, the House in general. I'd have thought you of all people would be last to judge a person by a name, Ron Weasley."
Ron stared at him. "Harry, you're - you're defending the Slytherins? Of all Houses? They lie, they're mean, greasy old Snape treats them better than us just because they're so cruel, they -"
Harry cut him off, "Professor Snape isn't evil, Ron. He is a Hogwarts teacher, and Dumbledore trusts him."
Ron stood up, staring at Harry like he'd grown another head. "What's up with you, Harry? Defending Slytherins and - and Snape?" he gasped out, "I think you're bonkers. Just... bonkers." He sat down again, shaking his head, but Harry was angry.
"Just because I'm not prejudiced, I'm bonkers? Do you think I'm bonkers for thinking Muggles can be good people, too? Or that money doesn't matter when I choose my friends?" Ron flushed.
"Harry, look, I'm sorry, but... Well, what changed?" he was sincerely at a loss, and Harry felt some of his anger melt away.
Hermione took the opportunity to speak up. "Harry, I don't mean to be insensitive, but... why're you telling us this?" She floundered for her words. "I mean, it's surprising, I know, but... haven't you known that for a long time? Why bring it up now, Harry?"
He pursed his lips. Should he tell them? He had intended to, but after Ron's reactions so far... Oh well. If they wouldn't have him as friends just because he was probably a Slytherin, they did he really want them as friends? His stomach felt sick, but he answered.
"This might be my last night as a Gryffindor." He waited.
The two gasped. "What... what do you mean, Harry?" Hermione's voice shook. "You've not been expelled, have you?"
"No, I'm not leaving." She sighed in relief.
"Well, then," Ron had found his voice, "what are you talking about?"
"I asked to be in Gryffindor for a silly reason. Malfoy's not that bad, in some ways." Seeing the hurt on Hermione's face and the outrage on Ron's, he explained, "It's not okay for him to call you or anyone else a Mudblood, Hermione, and he's rotten to you, Ron. But think about it. Is Lucius Malfoy really one to teach his son anything else? I think he just hasn't learned to think for himself, or, when he does, it gets him in trouble at home. It's just a guess, though. Look, I've already spoken to Dumbledore -"
"And he said you're bonkers, right?" interrupted Ron.
"- and Professor Snape," he finished dryly.
Ron could think of nothing to say to this, and let this news sit in.
"But... what do you mean to do? Certainly Dumbledore can't just remove a student because they don't like the House they're in," she said stiffly.
"Hermione, you've got it wrong. I certainly don't dislike Gryffindor, I just- I feel like the Sorting Hat knows what it's doing, and it has a reason for putting students where it does."
"Right, and it put you in Gryffindor."
"So, if I'm supposed to by in Gryffindor, like you and Ron and Dumbledore think, then we've not got a problem, see? Look, Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape have arranged it so that I'll be re-sorted next year with the first years."
Ron grimaced, "How'd you convince Snape?" He looked like he wanted to comment on the re-sorting, but bit his tongue and looked away.
Harry arched an eyebrow. "Actually, he suggested it in the first place," he told him lightly. Ron's jaw dropped. Hermione fiddled with a fold in her robes, not meeting Harry's eyes.
"Hermione, Ron," he said as gently as he could, "I've been in Gryffindor for two years. I have friends here. Maybe it's changed its mind, hm?" He hoped he sounded reassuring. "I just... I won't feel right until I'm sure that this is where I'm supposed to be. I hope we'll still be friends no matter where I end up."
Harry stood and crossed the room to climb the stairs to the dorm. He undressed slowly, then put on his pajamas and slid between the cool sheets. He sighed and closed his eyes. This might be the last time he slept in this room. A few minutes later, Harry heard someone come up and get into the bed next to his. Silence.
"G'night Ron," Harry whispered. He waited a few minutes.
"'Night, Harry," came the quiet response, finally. Harry smiled.
Harry folded his last shirt, placed it inside his trunk, and sighed. He'd avoided Ron and Hermione so far with the excuse that he had to finish packing. Now he'd have to talk to them. He sighed again and got to his feet. Pausing to wipe his glasses on his shirt, he left the boys' dorm and went down to the common room.
Glancing around, he noted Fred and George whispering in a corner with Lee Jordan. Undoubtedly they were planning some prank. He rolled his eyes. Ginny was watching Ron and Hermione play a game of wizard's chess. Ignoring Colin Creevy, who waved furiously at him, he walked over to join his best friends.
Ginny blushed furiously at her rescuer; she still hadn't said a word to him that wasn't immediately followed by a flush to her cheeks and a nervous twirling of a lock of hair around her finger. He smiled at her and the red deepened. With her red hair, she looked quite like a freckled tomato. Keeping the thought to himself, he chuckled and turned to watch the game.
Ron had beaten Hermione terrifically, and Hermione looked rather agitated. The Weasley had just proclaimed check mate, and Hermione was frantically checking all her possibilities. Harry grinned; she scowled back.
Finally, she had to admit to the redhead's victory. "I don't know where I went wrong, though," she frowned, "because I read a book on a supposedly unbeatable strategy."
"Robert Rookman's Mating for Life?" Ron grinned as Hermione blushed. Harry snickered at the title. "I've read the book cover to cover more'n ten times, 'Moine. It's only unbeatable if you don't know it already." He turned to Harry. "Where've you been all this time, Harry? We were looking for you."
Harry grimaced inwardly. This was the part he'd been dreading. On the outside he said lightly, "Yeah, I had to talk to Dumbledore about something." He paused. "Could I talk to you guys? Privately," he added, with an apologetic look at Ginny. She flushed.
Ron and Hermione looked at each other before answering, "Sure thing."
Silently, Harry led them to a quiet corner of the common room. It was a general rule in the Gryffindor tower that when someone was in this corner, they didn't want to be disturbed. He settled himself in an armchair; Hermione took the one across from him, and Ron sat on its armrest.
"So... what's up?" Ron broke the silence. He hated silence. "Are you doing anything special over the summer? Er- probably not, all things considered. Heh... um..."
Hermione gave the red head a look and he stopped babbling. "What's wrong, Harry?" she asked gently.
He sighed. This would be hard. "Where should I start? Hm..." Harry began. "When Dumbledore talked to me after the... incident... I mentioned something to him. Tom Riddle, who was actually Voldemort when he was sixteen, said that we were a lot alike. I told Dumbledore, and he said he had a theory. He thinks I'm connected. To Voldemort, I mean." He continued quickly, ignoring the shock on his friends' faces. "When he attacked me, when I was a baby, Professor Dumbledore thinks that maybe he unintentionally transferred some of his powers to me. That's why I can speak Parseltongue. That's why my scar hurts. That's why..." he swallowed. "That's why the Sorting Hat wanted to put me in Slytherin." He closed his eyes.
"IT WANTED TO - " Hermione quickly clapped a hand over Ron's mouth. The rest of the Gryffindor common room slowly went back to what it was doing. Ron shoved Hermione's hand aside. "It wanted to put you in Slytherin?!" he hissed disbelievingly.
"No, Ron, he made the whole thing up to freak you out," said Hermione sarcastically. "Honestly!" She turned to Harry. "Harry, that's really weird. I mean, then -" she bit her lip.
"How, then did I end up in Gryffindor?" She nodded. "I asked it to put me here," Harry explained. "I'd never heard anything about the Houses. All I knew was that I'd met Draco Malfoy and didn't want to be near him. It was a silly thing, but I was so adamant that the Sorting Hat put me in Gryffindor instead."
"Good thing, too," replied Ron. "Those Slytherins -" he sneered. You can't trust 'em Harry. They're bad ones."
He felt his hands clench into fists. "Ron," he said through gritted teeth, "NO House is good or bad. Gryffindor isn't perfect either, you know." He frowned at Ron, who gaped at him. "What've you got against Slytherins, anyway? I mean, the House in general. I'd have thought you of all people would be last to judge a person by a name, Ron Weasley."
Ron stared at him. "Harry, you're - you're defending the Slytherins? Of all Houses? They lie, they're mean, greasy old Snape treats them better than us just because they're so cruel, they -"
Harry cut him off, "Professor Snape isn't evil, Ron. He is a Hogwarts teacher, and Dumbledore trusts him."
Ron stood up, staring at Harry like he'd grown another head. "What's up with you, Harry? Defending Slytherins and - and Snape?" he gasped out, "I think you're bonkers. Just... bonkers." He sat down again, shaking his head, but Harry was angry.
"Just because I'm not prejudiced, I'm bonkers? Do you think I'm bonkers for thinking Muggles can be good people, too? Or that money doesn't matter when I choose my friends?" Ron flushed.
"Harry, look, I'm sorry, but... Well, what changed?" he was sincerely at a loss, and Harry felt some of his anger melt away.
Hermione took the opportunity to speak up. "Harry, I don't mean to be insensitive, but... why're you telling us this?" She floundered for her words. "I mean, it's surprising, I know, but... haven't you known that for a long time? Why bring it up now, Harry?"
He pursed his lips. Should he tell them? He had intended to, but after Ron's reactions so far... Oh well. If they wouldn't have him as friends just because he was probably a Slytherin, they did he really want them as friends? His stomach felt sick, but he answered.
"This might be my last night as a Gryffindor." He waited.
The two gasped. "What... what do you mean, Harry?" Hermione's voice shook. "You've not been expelled, have you?"
"No, I'm not leaving." She sighed in relief.
"Well, then," Ron had found his voice, "what are you talking about?"
"I asked to be in Gryffindor for a silly reason. Malfoy's not that bad, in some ways." Seeing the hurt on Hermione's face and the outrage on Ron's, he explained, "It's not okay for him to call you or anyone else a Mudblood, Hermione, and he's rotten to you, Ron. But think about it. Is Lucius Malfoy really one to teach his son anything else? I think he just hasn't learned to think for himself, or, when he does, it gets him in trouble at home. It's just a guess, though. Look, I've already spoken to Dumbledore -"
"And he said you're bonkers, right?" interrupted Ron.
"- and Professor Snape," he finished dryly.
Ron could think of nothing to say to this, and let this news sit in.
"But... what do you mean to do? Certainly Dumbledore can't just remove a student because they don't like the House they're in," she said stiffly.
"Hermione, you've got it wrong. I certainly don't dislike Gryffindor, I just- I feel like the Sorting Hat knows what it's doing, and it has a reason for putting students where it does."
"Right, and it put you in Gryffindor."
"So, if I'm supposed to by in Gryffindor, like you and Ron and Dumbledore think, then we've not got a problem, see? Look, Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape have arranged it so that I'll be re-sorted next year with the first years."
Ron grimaced, "How'd you convince Snape?" He looked like he wanted to comment on the re-sorting, but bit his tongue and looked away.
Harry arched an eyebrow. "Actually, he suggested it in the first place," he told him lightly. Ron's jaw dropped. Hermione fiddled with a fold in her robes, not meeting Harry's eyes.
"Hermione, Ron," he said as gently as he could, "I've been in Gryffindor for two years. I have friends here. Maybe it's changed its mind, hm?" He hoped he sounded reassuring. "I just... I won't feel right until I'm sure that this is where I'm supposed to be. I hope we'll still be friends no matter where I end up."
Harry stood and crossed the room to climb the stairs to the dorm. He undressed slowly, then put on his pajamas and slid between the cool sheets. He sighed and closed his eyes. This might be the last time he slept in this room. A few minutes later, Harry heard someone come up and get into the bed next to his. Silence.
"G'night Ron," Harry whispered. He waited a few minutes.
"'Night, Harry," came the quiet response, finally. Harry smiled.