10/28/03: Daily updates! Gah, I think I'm writing too much; no wonder my work is piling around my ears. Anyways, I love reviews! More reviews, or else no updates for a day and a half! ß just kidding!
9. Adjusting
Harry walked into the classroom that would serve as the Prefect meeting room and looked around. He saw that, despite Pansy's fears, they still had a few minutes before the meeting would begin (that Pansy, always afraid of being late). Harry walked over to the table of refreshments that had been set up, pouring himself a goblet of pumpkin juice and making a small plate of snacks. Turning around, Harry observed the room. Almost all the prefects were there, fifth through seventh years. The Head Girl, a Ravenclaw, was already seated at the table, apparently going over a few notes; the Head Boy was nowhere to be seen. What stood out, though, was the fact that all of the houses were mingling freely with one another, all except for the Slytherins. Hufflepuff talked with Ravenclaw, Gryffindor with Hufflepuff, but the Slytherins all kept to themselves. Harry had always known how separate the Slytherins were from the rest of the school, but standing on the other side, as a Slytherin himself, he realized that it made him a little sad. Harry spotted Hermione and Ginny sitting at the table, talking with Hannah Abbott. He saw Ernie Macmillan walk up behind them and say something to Hannah, and then the two Hufflepuffs left. Harry finished his drink and ambled over to where Hermione and Ginny sat. "Hello," he said as pleasantly as he could. "Mind if I sit here?"
"Certainly, please do," Hermione said, smiling up at him. Ginny simply looked shocked and was rendered speechless. Harry looked her thoughtfully. He knew that the Ginny of his world had a crush on him that only went away last year. How did this Ginny regard him? The Harry she knew wasn't as noble as before, and being in Slytherin probably could make most girls lose their crushes. But then again, he was still Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, and some girls liked the 'bad boy' image. Harry decided to test her out.
Harry flashed Ginny his best smile. "And how are you doing Ginny?" Harry was rewarded when a deep crimson blush spread throughout her face, and suddenly Ginny found her hands terribly interesting. She managed to murmur an "Ok." Harry wondering how far he could push her, how much fun he could have. Sixth year so far looked to be a rather boring one; there were no standardized tests to study for, and classes were seemed easy so far. It would be amusing to toy with her emotions for a little while, to see how far she was willing to go and what she would do for him. Plus, it would have the added benefit of angering the insufferable git of a brother she had-
Harry blinked rapidly and shook his head, trying to clear his mind of those thoughts. This was Ginny, the girl who unquestioningly offered her aid and support to him last year. Plus, Ron's no git; he's Harry's best friend! Hermione noticed his sudden discomfort (Ginny still had her eyes focused downward). "Are you alright Harry?"
"Yes. I just feel a little…different, you know what I mean?"
Hermione nodded. "Yes Harry, I do understand."
Harry saw in her eyes that she still believed him, even after having time to consider his rather incredible tale, and that knowledge filled with such a sense of relief that it took every gram of self control to refrain from hugging her. Instead, he simply said, "Thanks."
Before she could respond (or Ginny could inquire about their odd behavior), Dean Thomas walked by. "Hi Hermione, Ginny, Harry." He almost continued on his way before pausing suddenly and giving Harry a double take.
Harry gave him a smile. "Hello Dean."
"Er, Hi…Harry," Dean said nervously, before scurrying off. Harry gave Hermione an impish wink, which caused her to give him a stern look before letting loose a soft giggle. Finally, the Head Boy finally made an appearance and the meeting began. Harry settled into his chair, enjoying the close proximity to his best friend as they turned their attention to the Head Boy and Girl.
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Harry awoke the next morning, reaching out blindly to stop his alarm clock from ringing. He lay in bed a moment, afraid to put on his glasses and see where he was – he still hoped that it was all an intricate dream.
"C'mon Potter, get up lazybones. I hope you're in a better mood today."
Draco Malfoy's voice dashed away all hopes that he was still a Gryffindor. Harry groaned loudly, partly in frustration at his predicament, and partly because he wanted to go back to sleep. "I'm up, I'm up," he said wearily. Harry dragged himself out of bed and began his morning ritual. Yesterday, Harry had blearily gone about his routine, not noticing his surroundings yet subconsciously understanding that something was different. This morning, Harry paid attention. He marveled at how his body and mind worked, somehow able to find the bathroom, wash-up, and get ready in a place he'd really never been before. He found his school uniform and robes easily, despite never having known where he put them. Harry decided that from that moment, he would try and no longer be surprised by his behavior and his new life.
At breakfast, Harry soon became aware of a number of odd looks that he was getting. While normally this would not have bothered him, being quite used to the phenomenon, the fact was that his fellow Slytherins were the ones throwing him odd looks, and that did bother him. Finally, he could take no more. "What?" he growled. His sudden outburst startled the Slytherins. Harry felt his irritation grow as he watched them trade uncertain looks. "What's going on?" he demanded.
By some unseen agreement, it was apparently decided that Daphne would speak for them. "Nothing's going on, Harry," she said in that soothing voice Harry had come to recognize. "It's just that..well…"
"It's just that what?"
"Well, you've been acting a little...off. First, you threatened poor Draco here and told us to leave a Gryffindor alone. Next, we hear about your confrontation with the Gryffindors last night, and then Pansy said you were awfully chummy with Granger and little Weasley at the prefect meeting." Harry looked at Pansy, who hid her face. "You just seem a little different, that's all. We're concerned."
Harry looked at her and felt his anger dissipate somewhat at her earnest face. Harry honestly didn't know what to say at that moment. He knew he couldn't tell them the truth; they would either think he was nutters, or that he was a traitor to Slytherin House. He also didn't know how they felt about Voldemort. Although many of their parents were Death Eaters (at least in his world), that didn't necessarily mean that they were. Harry somehow sensed that he wasn't Voldemort's target, and if his sudden realization became public knowledge, that might change. At the same time, Harry did have to admit that his recent behavior would be considered strange coming from someone who took perverse pleasure in being thought of as the Heir of Slytherin. He had to think of a reason that would satisfy his concerned friends as well as any Death Eater spies. Inspiration hit.
"Ah, I see," Harry said. "I suppose it does look a little fishy." Several nodding heads followed his comment. Harry lowered his voice, causing everyone to lean-in. "Let's just say I'm working on a project that requires Granger's participation."
"What kind of project?"
"None of your business," Harry said, fixing the questioner with a deadly gaze. Harry figured since people were already afraid of him, he might as well use it to his advantage.
Blaise finally broke the uneasy silence. "Why Granger?"
"No offense, but she's the smartest witch or wizard here by far. She's the only one who can help."
Murmurs and nods of agreement followed, some begrudgingly. "So that's why you're being nice to her?" Tracey asked.
"Yes, and the best way to ruin my plans is to talk about it," Harry said threateningly, fixing each Slytherin with a glare. None could meet his eyes for long.
"Ok Harry," Malfoy said, looking convinced though nervous. "We knew you'd have a good reason."
Harry relaxed his features, decreasing the tension at the table considerably. "Good then. Now, could someone pass me the potatoes?"
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The rest of the day went quickly. To his pleasant surprise, Harry found he also had a knack for Transfiguration, previously one of his most difficult classes. Harry also found he still had his affinity for Defense Against the Dark Arts, but he was disturbed, rather than pleased: Harry found he possessed a rather extensive amount of knowledge about the Dark Arts, not simply Defense Against. As Professor Scott introduced a new facet about the Dark Arts, Harry realized he already knew all about it. This created a train of thoughts that led to other Dark Arts subjects not yet covered in class, but subjects that Harry knew about nonetheless. Harry thought that this, perhaps, could help to explain why he was so…feared. After the last class of the day, Ted tapped Harry on the arm. "Up for a little flying before dinner?"
Harry looked at Ted and grinned. It had been a very long time since he'd been on a broom, and flying seemed like the perfect way to get his mind off his present troubles. "Sure thing."
"Great! I'll get Blaise and Malfoy. Meet us by the Quidditch pitch." Ted scurried off.
Harry went to his dorm room and went through his trunk. No broom. Harry sat a moment, stumped. Surely he had to have some kind of broom, right? Maybe not a Firebolt, but something… Harry looked around and had a sudden fit of inspiration, or maybe a memory came to him. Harry dove under his bed and pulled out a broom. Ah, a Nimbus 2001! Harry remembered the day Malfoy's father had purchased Nimbus 2001s for the entire Quidditch team; though, instead of remembering the moment with shock and disgust, Harry remembered feeling elated and grateful. Harry grabbed the broom and raced outside, where he found Blaise already flying lazy loops in the sky. Harry mounted his broom and flew towards him, where they quickly fell into a race around the pitch. Harry had built a nice lead on him by the time Malfoy and Ted flew up to meet them, Quaffle in hand. The four friends began a game of catch, tossing the Quaffle amongst them as they talked about random things – classes, Quidditch, and girls.
Through it all, Harry felt a strange sense of belonging. Even in Gryffindor, Harry never truly felt a part of his House. True, he was completely at ease around Ron and Hermione, and even with the rest of the Weasleys. But among the other Gryffindors, he felt somehow separate. He was still the Boy-Who-Lived, sometimes hero, sometimes crazy, and the wildly swinging views of him, even by his own house, prevented him from feeling truly comfortable, as if saying the wrong thing or doing something might make everyone fear or hate him again. But in Slytherin, he seemed accepted. Maybe it was simply because he didn't have to worry about how he was perceived since he was a Slytherin, or maybe it was because he was never the target of a smear campaign by the Daily Prophet, but either way, Harry found himself feeling freer to act himself than he ever had before. Harry almost dropped the Quaffle when he realized that a part of him, and not just the part that was from this world, actually liked Slytherin life better.
Harry and the others returned to the ground to head in for dinner. Harry felt better about himself then he had in a long while. He found that the troubles that plagued him – Cedric; Sirius; the constant threat of Voldemort – no longer constantly occupied his thoughts. Harry began to wonder if he really wanted things back they way they were, and then immediately felt ashamed at the thought. As Harry ate dinner, he spotted Colin Creevey sitting next to Hermione, who was hiding her irritation quite well, but not well enough for Harry not to notice. Harry grinned to himself, deciding, just this once, to indulge his Slytherin tendencies. Malfoy noticed his grin.
"What's so funny, Harry?"
"Just decided to have a little bit of fun with the Gryffindors," Harry said mysteriously as he stood. The rest of the sixth years watched with curiosity as he approached the Gryffindor table. Harry noticed that Hermione kept a space clear between herself and Colin, trying to preserve her personal space. That, of course, would serve Harry well. He walked behind the two Gryffindors and put his foot between them, resting his elbow on his knees. "Hi Hermione," he said smoothly with his back to Colin, completely ignoring the younger boy. Then, Harry carelessly turned his face towards Colin, as if he suddenly realized that he was there. "Mind if I sit?" he asked. Harry almost laughed aloud at the look of terror in Colin's eyes. Colin managed a feeble nod and scooted over. Harry continued to look at him, until Colin finally got the idea: he stood, leaving his mostly full dinner plate, and found a seat further down the table. Harry took the recently vacated seat and grinned mischievously at Hermione.
"That wasn't very nice, Harry," Hermione said in a quiet, reprimanding voice.
Harry was actually relieved to be lectured – it meant that Hermione had lost her fear of him. He put on his best "hurt" look. "I was only doing it for you, Hermione. I could tell you needed relief. Besides, I figured I had to find some benefit to being in Slytherin."
Hermione glared at him, before a slight twitching at the corners of her mouth gave her away. She sighed before turning back to her dinner. "What am I going to do with you?" she asked rhetorically.
Harry decided to answer anyways. "Meet me later?" he whispered. "I still have things I want to know, like who I am here."
Hermione looked at him, and Harry could tell she was deciding between studying and meeting him, factoring in the amount of homework she had and how far ahead she had been reading. He smiled; the same Hermione. "Ok," she said. Meet me in the unused classroom by the Charms classroom after dinner."
Harry nodded happily. "I'll see you there." Then, Harry couldn't resist. He looked over at a very scared-looking fourth year. "Can you pass me the pumpkin juice?" he asked innocently. All the color, what was left of it, seemed to drain away from the boy's face. He stuttered something incomprehensible before reaching out with a shaking hand to pitcher of pumpkin juice. As Harry suspected, the boy was too nervous and proceeded to knock over the pitcher, spilling the contents all over the table as well as a few Gryffindor girls, who shrieked. Harry held in his laughter and nodded politely to the nervous Gryffindors that lined the table before heading back to the Slytherin table. He didn't look back at Hermione though, knowing she wouldn't approve.
A/N: Next chapter, Hermione recounts Harry's new past!
liseli vanida-kateb: Of course I don't mind! Fanfic.net didn't realize it wasn't uploaded yet when I checked yesterday, so I'll have to check later today.
Narcissa-Malfoy-22: I'm up to chapter 7 so far…very interesting! I think I've only read a story where Voldemort isn't the main adversary once before, so I can't wait to see how it turns out.
CatatonicReaction: Yay, English! Thanks for a review, especially one that I can understand ;)
Ides of March: any review is a good one. Hey, when's the next chapter of Subservience coming out? It's a great story; I can't wait to see what happens next.
Starre: I just want to know who Slade really is.
naughty little munchkin: I like Ron too, but it's going to be hard putting him in the story. He's not the kind to have an open mind about a Slytherin like Harry, so he probably won't make a lot of appearances :(