10/27/03: Here's the next chapter. Thanks to everyone for the reviews!
8. The End of a Long Day
As soon as Harry heard the door open forcefully, he spun around, instinctively shielding Hermione's body with his own and drawing his wand in one fluid motion. He slowly backed away from the door, his left arm gently guiding Hermione behind him while his wand remained trained on the open door. His mind began to analyze the situation as people started rushing in.
Ron Weasley: above-average magical power, but severely handicapped by his limited knowledge and mastery of spells. Also tends to have bad aim, making him a secondary threat.
Dean Thomas: average magical power. Adequate knowledge, but his slow and deliberate spellcasting makes him a tertiary threat.
Seamus Finnigan: below-average magical power. Should be able to withstand his spells fairly easily, though can eventually be worn down by constant attacks. Still, not overly worrisome.
Lavender Brown: high magical power, but almost criminally underdeveloped. Easily startled; probably will not be able to duel well under pressure.
Colin Creevey: below-average magical power. Short stature makes him a difficult target. More of a nuisance, as usual.
Neville Longbottom: below-average magical power, below-average magical skill, at least when it comes to dueling. Appears to be very nervous, and is the least threatening of the lot.
Natalie MacDonald: average magical power. Level of magical knowledge is unknown. Classified as a secondary threat due to the unknown factor.
Parvati Patil: average magical power, adequate knowledge of spells. Her aim is somewhat erratic, but she still ranks as a secondary threat.
Ginny Weasley: above-average magical power, impressive knowledge of spells. Deliberate spellcaster, but not slow. Primary threat.
"Get away from her!" Ron snarled, leveling his wand at Harry's chest as the others fanned out around him.
Harry watched calmly as the nine Gryffindors burst into the room - all the sixth year Gryffindors along with a couple of fifth years. It was Nine against one, yet Harry felt oddly unafraid with the situation, already strategizing his first move, which would be taking out the primary threat. Protecting Hermione from injury would complicate matters, but if he was able to somehow-
"Just what do you think you're doing, Ronald Weasley?!" Hermione demanded behind him, interrupting his thoughts. Hermione's angry outburst seemed to confuse her self-proclaimed rescuers. Ron face betrayed his unease, but he recovered quickly.
"What does it look like? Getting you away from him!"
"And what makes you think I want to get away from Harry?" Hermione demanded.
That definitely confused them "Erm, well, I mean, he's Harry Potter!" Ron said somewhat lamely.
"And? I am perfectly capable of defending myself," Hermione said, apparently forgetting how she was disarmed earlier, "and besides, Harry hasn't even done anything!"
"I'm sorry Hermione," Ginny said quickly, noticing her friend's anger. "It's my fault. I was looking for you to help me in Arithmancy, but I couldn't find you. I asked Ron, and he used the thing to find you. When saw that you were alone with Harry, we got worried."
Hermione snorted. "Apparently so. What, you couldn't find any third years to help?"
Ron blushed slightly. "We were just looking out for you, Herms." Lavender and Pavarti nodded behind him.
"Well, thank you for your concern, really, but I'm fine," Hermione said more gently. "And don't call me Herms!"
"Are you sure Hermione? I mean, it's Harry Potter," Neville said uncertainly. Harry fixed him with a glare, and Neville shrank under his scrutiny. Dean and Seamus pointed their wands at Harry in response.
"I'm sure," Hermione said firmly, noticing the tension. "Ginny, I'll help you with your Arithmancy now, ok?" Hermione walked around Harry and purposefully stood in front of him, shielding him from the others.
Ginny nodded, understanding. "Ok, let's go." She gestured at the other Gryffindors, and one-by-one they left the room, a few suspicious glances sent at Harry. Hermione watched until they left, then started to follow them out.
"Hermione, wait-" Harry started.
"It's ok, Harry," Hermione said, turning. "I still believe you. I just need a little time to think things over. We'll talk again." Hermione gave him a genuine smile before leaving the classroom.
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Harry wandered the halls afterwards. He knew he wasn't in the mood to return to the Slytherin common room just yet, so instead Harry decided to take a walk outside. It was September, and the days were getting shorter, but there was still a smattering of light in the sky, at least for another hour or so. Harry stood by the lake, comforted that at least the grounds were still the same. That thought suddenly reminded him of Hagrid, and his mood lifted somewhat. Harry looked over to his old friend's hut. There was light on, and smoke rising from the chimney, so Harry decided to pay his old friend a visit.
Harry crossed the grounds and approached Hagrid's home. He knocked on the door, and was rewarded with the sound of barking. Harry smiled, thinking of the slobbering dog, and he heard Hagrid trying to calm his hound.
"Hullo Hagrid," Harry said happily when he saw Hagrid large head poke through the door, Hagrid's enormous leg holding back Fang.
"Harry!? What're you doing here?" (A/N: sorry, but I just can't write Hagrid's accent. I can't even speak it, so I have no chance of writing it)
Harry paused, taken aback by Hagrid's surprised reaction. "Er, just wanted to stop by and say hi."
"Er, Ok then," Hagrid said, looking around nervously. "Hi there."
Harry noticed that Hagrid did not move at all. Normally he would have ushered Harry inside his cozy hut with a warm smile, but instead Hagrid seemed to be very wary, almost suspicious, of Harry. "Well, great then," Harry said, feeling depressed. Harry could plainly see the distress he was causing the half-giant, and he politely excused himself and headed back to the castle. It seems in his new world, Hagrid wasn't the friend he was in his own.
Harry again took to wandering the halls in a very gloomy mood. Part of him had believed that all of this was some kind of dream. But his talk with Hermione made it all real, and not only that, Harry was beginning to realize that being Slytherin wasn't the only thing different in this new world. Dumbledore was dead, and Voldemort had come back three years earlier. Harry stopped suddenly, all of a sudden wondering what else was different. Was Voldemort still trying to kill him? Harry didn't think so; as far as he could remember (which wasn't a lot, mind you), he had no recollections of being in mortal peril aside from the Chamber of Secrets. What was different in this reality that prevented Voldemort from trying to finish what he started all those years ago in Godric's Hollow? What has Voldemort been up to over the past five years? Everything at Hogwarts seemed so normal (aside from his new house), but surely Voldemort's activities must have an impact on Hogwarts somehow. And how did Dumbledore's death impact everything? Harry's mind swirled with unresolved questions, and he cursed his mind's inability to recollect the past. It seemed it took a prod, like Hermione's questions, to bring forth his memories of this world.
Harry's mood only darkened as he walked the corridors, caused by the fearful looks he received from the students he passed. They were all afraid of him, he knew. That's why nine Gryffindors came to rescue Hermione; Ron and Ginny were too afraid of him to come without reinforcements. Harry smiled at the thought, feeling smug. But once he recognized the feeling, the sense of triumph, he quickly it wiped away. Why would he take pleasure it inspiring fear in others? Harry began to realize that not only did he have another set of memories, but he also had another personalities that, although not very different from each other, seemed to revel in his Slytherin side.
"Mr. Potter, a word, if you please." Harry turned around and saw Professor McGonagall standing behind him, beckoning him into an empty classroom. But Harry remembered now that she wasn't Professor McGonagall anymore. She was Headmistress now, and Professor…Scott, that's his name…has been the Transfiguration instructor since his second year.
"Yes Professor," Harry said and followed her. He looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to speak first.
"I have just spoken to a number of Gryffindor students who their expressed concerns about you. They were under the impression that you had Ms. Granger held against her will in an empty classroom."
Harry stared at her. "That's not true at all, Professor! You can ask Hermione, we were just talking! I would never hurt her!"
McGonagall raised her palms. "Relax, Mr. Potter. I know; I have already spoken to Ms. Granger, and she assures me that nothing of the sort took place."
Harry looked at her confused. "Then, why are you talking to me about it?"
"I only tell you because…well, because, I…frankly, I wanted to, um…"
Harry had never before seen his normally strict and composed Transfigurations professor (as he knew her) so utterly at a loss for words. If not for the subject, he would have found the situation very humorous. "I understand Professor," Harry said. For a moment, he considered telling her everything that he had told Hermione, but he stopped himself. Professor McGonagall was clearly worried that Harry had some dastardly plan against Hermione Granger or Gryffindor House up his sleeve, and despite being the head of his House and in the Order, Harry had never felt completely at ease with Professor McGonagall in his own world, much less his new one. "Please believe me when I say I mean absolutely no harm towards Hermione. In fact, I want know her better, to be her friend."
McGonagall raised one eyebrow skeptically. "To be her friend?"
Harry nodded, trying to appear as sincere as possible. "Honest, Professor."
McGonagall regarded him a moment before sighing. "Very well, Potter. You may go." Harry nodded and left the classroom. It was, in retrospect, a rather troubling conversation: what kind of person was the Harry of this world that would make McGonagall so suspicious of him? Harry grimaced as he entered the dungeons; he had to know more about the person he was now. Hopefully his memory would clear up, or he had to have another long talk with Hermione. After giving the password, Harry entered the Slytherin common room. Most of the fifth and seventh years were either studying here or in the library, having to worry about OWLs and NEWTs, respectively. The students in the other years were mostly lounging about, and he heard his name called as soon as he entered. Looking over, he spotted Pansy running up to him.
"Harry! Where have you been? You better hurry or we'll be late for the meeting!" Pansy must have caught his blank look, for she clarified. "Hello? Prefect meeting? Sheesh Harry, you've sure been in a funny mood all day. Get your badge and let's go."
That's right, he was a prefect. Harry nodded and ran to his dorm room and spotted the glistening badge on his nightstand. He quickly grabbed it and pinned it on as he returned to the common room, where Pansy waited along with the two fifth year prefects. "Sorry about that," Harry said sheepishly. "Everyone ready?"
Pansy nodded as the two fifth years traded nervous glances. "Julie and Andrew already left. Let's go." Harry followed her into the dungeons, and they chatted amiably as they walked, hoping that the new Head Boy and Girl weren't as boring as last year and that the meeting would be over quickly. It's been a long day.
A/N: Ok, just to clarify two things that wouldn't come out in the confrontation with the Gryffindors. Ginny and Hermione became good friends through Arithmancy (Hermione tutors her). The "thing" that Ron used to find Hermione is the Marauder's Map, which Fred and George gave to Ron and Ginny when they graduated (since they wouldn't give it to Harry).
CatatonicReaction: thanks! (if anyone could come up with a translation, I'd appreciate it)
naughty little munchkin: thanks, and there's nothing like a death threat to get the creative juices pumping. Hopefully this chapter didn't end as dramatically…more like an exhausting end to a long day for poor Harry.
dragon: I hope not to disappoint, but keep in mind it's still mostly Gryffindor!Harry in Slytherin, so he'll still be a good guy, though he might give in to a Slytherin tendency when emotional…
Starre: I like Teen Titans too, though it mystifies my wife to no end why I still watch cartoons. I just tell her I watch them with my daughter to do some father-daughter bonding, but I'm stymied by the fact that my daughter's only 7 months old.