Harry Potter and the Lazy Bee -
disclaimer: i don't own the fabulous works of harry potter & co.! if only i did, but i'm sure people wouldn't read it as much! ;P
Chapter One: The One That Got Away
Harry knew everyone thought of himself as the one who could solve all of the world's problems. In fact, he really didn't have a problem with all the attention, that is until he actually went face to face with "Lord" Voldemort in his first year for the first time.
It was then that he realized what being a hero meant.
Of course he'd seen it on all the programs that his aunt and uncle would watch on the telly that being a hero was a bit of work, but on the programs, it was only a bit. Everything else seemed to just come naturally, and the hero (or heroine) would just shout a few words, and then somehow cleverly manage to handle whatever evil was lurking - and all in the space of a few minutes.
With Harry, it was different. He needed a whole year to think about Voldemort, and even then it wasn't hardly enough time, everything was always rushed and pushed together at the end, and he always just managed to pull through whether he had help or not, and even with all the research and everything put together, it was always something that he just "learned" that helped him out in the end.
Even last year was a dud, he didn't really do anything to help out really, it just happened somehow, and luckily nobody died. This time.
It made him dread "next time" much more than ever. Unfortunately, Harry had the feeling that this particular "next time" was just around the bend, as the new school year was just about to start. It always started off perfectly fine, and then the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher would be introduced, and then trouble. It was always the same, stupid, dull pattern, and Harry wondered if Voldemort was actually planning it this way. It was all too easy in a way.
As everyone filed into the Grand Hall for the opening feast, Harry managed to catch a few glances, and noticed that almost everyone with a wizarding background looked a bit mournful. Even the muggleborn students were glum, and it was really no wonder - the wizarding war was obvious even to the outsiders. It was plastered all over the news, whether you wanted to hear about it or not. Ron looked especially anxious (almost all the time) since he had two brothers (Bill and Charlie) helping out, and although Percy wasn't technically on their side (meaning Harry's) he was still a major part of what went on.
Hermione constantly wore a look of determination, and was always reading about new defensive methods. Harry was sure he just looked tired, which was the general expression for half the people actually involved in helping out with the war.
"How rude do you think it'll be to just skip supper and go to bed?", Ron asked, attempting to stifle a yawn, but not quite making it.
"Rude, Ron. Very rude." Hermione replied, but looked as if she didn't quite believe it. Harry almost had to agree with Ron. Watching first years settle in got quite old after you saw it about four times. Not to mention he didn't feel quite so loyal to his house while also feeling like he was soon to be making out with the empty dinnerplates if he didn't stop yawning.
Professor McGonagall tapped a champagne glass with a fork to gather the attention of the students. The first years were the only ones who were fully awake, everyone else gave off the impression they weren't too happy about sitting around on a particularly cold day.
"The first years will now be sorted." She announced, and then gave a slight smile as she added, "And there is no need to be worried, the Sorting Hat will not bite despite any rumors you may have heard."
The first years gave small nervous smiles around the room.
It was at this point that Ron happened to notice that a very important part of the staff was missing. "Oi, Harry!", he whispered. Harry leaned his head towards the redhead while looking over at the precedures. "Where'd Snape go?"
Harry looked. Sure enough, the seat usually taken by the dark man was empty. He shook his head. "I don't know, maybe to the toilets?" Ron made a face.
"Oh, yuck."
By this time, the Sorting Hat was already out on the wooden stool, and McGonagall was waiting for it to sing it's usual song - so was everyone else.
"Why isn't it singing?", asked Seamus from across the table. "I'm starved!"
"Why isn't it singing, Harry? Do you think something's wrong with it?" Hermione whispered a few seconds later. "It's definitely been quite a while."
Harry nodded. Ron gave him a worried look.
Dumbledore suddenly cleared his throat. "The Sorting Hat seems to suddenly have gone shy.", he said. "Minerva, why don't you give it a poke with the ole wand?"
Professor McGonagall nodded. Taking out her wand from the folds of her robes, she prodded the hat with it. It just slumped over. Soft murmurs rose up from the house tables. Ron looked slightly alarmed. Professor McGonagall exchanged looks with Dumbledore.
"What do you think's wrong?"
Hermione shook her head. "I don't know. There's no reason for the hat not to sing! It- It's tradition! It says so in Hogwarts, A History!"
Ron gave her a look. "Don't start up about that again, 'Mione!"
Suddenly Neville gasped. "The ceiling! It's not enchanted no more!" Sure enough, as heads turned, Harry finally saw the actual ceiling. It seemed rather plain, he chatised himself for expecting anything from a ceiling in the first place.
It was then that everything turned upside down. The students all started talking and pointing in a rather loud manner, while some started to weep unnecessarily. The staff was caught up in an attempt to straighten things out with the sudden lose of magic, and their panicking students. The ceiling remain off-white, and the Sorting Hat remained silent. Some of the first years started crying out for various parents and siblings while most were standing in the middle of the Great Hall looking pale and lost.
Then one by one, all the lighted candles that hung by invisible threads from the ceiling started to fall. Everyone started to scream as they attempted to evacuate the premises, but it was too late, the fire spread onto their clothes, and the tables and the beams holding everything together.
There was smoke in his eyes, and his glasses were fogged up. He couldn't make out a thing except blurred figures running everywhere, and he felt someone grasp his hand. "Ron? Hermione? Where are you?"
He only heard muffled yells.
Harry grasped onto the only person he could, although it was hard to tell who it was, and ran. He didn't get very far until he tripped, and he let go. He tried to reach for them again, but they were already gone, and he couldn't help but see the flash of blonde hair underneath him. Already almost recognizing who it was, he kneeled down, and turned the body over to find Draco Malfoy coughing.
"Draco? Draco? It's me, Harry. Draco, wake up! Wake up, it's Harry, wake up! Wake up!" In a moment of panic, he grasped the boy by the shoulders and shook him all the time thinking that it was too soon, he couldn't be dead, he had all the information!
.......
Gasping for air, he shot up only to find himself in darkness. The glow of moonlight glided softly over the sleeping bodies of his room mates. Harry sighed, another dream. He relaxed, and was about to lean back into his soft pillows and full covers when he realized someone was standing just outside of his curtains. Fighting back fear and remembering the fact that he was the Boy Who Lived, he pulled them back only to find a sleepy Neville standing there.
"Neville? What are you doing?"
Neville fidgeted. "I, well, Harry, you were talking a bit, so I came over to see what was wrong, you're fine. I mean, you are okay, right?"
Despite the darkness, Harry flushed. "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry I woke you, I didn't really mean to. Have a nightmare that is, I'm really sorry."
Neville nodded. "Alright then. It's okay sometimes. I have them, too. Nightmares. Awful things they are, the bloody lot of them." He turned to go to bed. "Goodnight Harry."
Harry stared after him. "Night."
A/N: Okay, what the hell was that? I honestly just started writing it with a totally different idea in mind, but this was what came out. I guess I have some issues, right? :P ANYWAY, hope you liked it, it's somewhat of a strange story, but it's dealing with a strange world, and with magic - just about anything goes. I'll be sure to update this, and hopefully I'll improve my stupid writing skills. (Or actually GET some, no da!)
disclaimer: i don't own the fabulous works of harry potter & co.! if only i did, but i'm sure people wouldn't read it as much! ;P
Chapter One: The One That Got Away
Harry knew everyone thought of himself as the one who could solve all of the world's problems. In fact, he really didn't have a problem with all the attention, that is until he actually went face to face with "Lord" Voldemort in his first year for the first time.
It was then that he realized what being a hero meant.
Of course he'd seen it on all the programs that his aunt and uncle would watch on the telly that being a hero was a bit of work, but on the programs, it was only a bit. Everything else seemed to just come naturally, and the hero (or heroine) would just shout a few words, and then somehow cleverly manage to handle whatever evil was lurking - and all in the space of a few minutes.
With Harry, it was different. He needed a whole year to think about Voldemort, and even then it wasn't hardly enough time, everything was always rushed and pushed together at the end, and he always just managed to pull through whether he had help or not, and even with all the research and everything put together, it was always something that he just "learned" that helped him out in the end.
Even last year was a dud, he didn't really do anything to help out really, it just happened somehow, and luckily nobody died. This time.
It made him dread "next time" much more than ever. Unfortunately, Harry had the feeling that this particular "next time" was just around the bend, as the new school year was just about to start. It always started off perfectly fine, and then the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher would be introduced, and then trouble. It was always the same, stupid, dull pattern, and Harry wondered if Voldemort was actually planning it this way. It was all too easy in a way.
As everyone filed into the Grand Hall for the opening feast, Harry managed to catch a few glances, and noticed that almost everyone with a wizarding background looked a bit mournful. Even the muggleborn students were glum, and it was really no wonder - the wizarding war was obvious even to the outsiders. It was plastered all over the news, whether you wanted to hear about it or not. Ron looked especially anxious (almost all the time) since he had two brothers (Bill and Charlie) helping out, and although Percy wasn't technically on their side (meaning Harry's) he was still a major part of what went on.
Hermione constantly wore a look of determination, and was always reading about new defensive methods. Harry was sure he just looked tired, which was the general expression for half the people actually involved in helping out with the war.
"How rude do you think it'll be to just skip supper and go to bed?", Ron asked, attempting to stifle a yawn, but not quite making it.
"Rude, Ron. Very rude." Hermione replied, but looked as if she didn't quite believe it. Harry almost had to agree with Ron. Watching first years settle in got quite old after you saw it about four times. Not to mention he didn't feel quite so loyal to his house while also feeling like he was soon to be making out with the empty dinnerplates if he didn't stop yawning.
Professor McGonagall tapped a champagne glass with a fork to gather the attention of the students. The first years were the only ones who were fully awake, everyone else gave off the impression they weren't too happy about sitting around on a particularly cold day.
"The first years will now be sorted." She announced, and then gave a slight smile as she added, "And there is no need to be worried, the Sorting Hat will not bite despite any rumors you may have heard."
The first years gave small nervous smiles around the room.
It was at this point that Ron happened to notice that a very important part of the staff was missing. "Oi, Harry!", he whispered. Harry leaned his head towards the redhead while looking over at the precedures. "Where'd Snape go?"
Harry looked. Sure enough, the seat usually taken by the dark man was empty. He shook his head. "I don't know, maybe to the toilets?" Ron made a face.
"Oh, yuck."
By this time, the Sorting Hat was already out on the wooden stool, and McGonagall was waiting for it to sing it's usual song - so was everyone else.
"Why isn't it singing?", asked Seamus from across the table. "I'm starved!"
"Why isn't it singing, Harry? Do you think something's wrong with it?" Hermione whispered a few seconds later. "It's definitely been quite a while."
Harry nodded. Ron gave him a worried look.
Dumbledore suddenly cleared his throat. "The Sorting Hat seems to suddenly have gone shy.", he said. "Minerva, why don't you give it a poke with the ole wand?"
Professor McGonagall nodded. Taking out her wand from the folds of her robes, she prodded the hat with it. It just slumped over. Soft murmurs rose up from the house tables. Ron looked slightly alarmed. Professor McGonagall exchanged looks with Dumbledore.
"What do you think's wrong?"
Hermione shook her head. "I don't know. There's no reason for the hat not to sing! It- It's tradition! It says so in Hogwarts, A History!"
Ron gave her a look. "Don't start up about that again, 'Mione!"
Suddenly Neville gasped. "The ceiling! It's not enchanted no more!" Sure enough, as heads turned, Harry finally saw the actual ceiling. It seemed rather plain, he chatised himself for expecting anything from a ceiling in the first place.
It was then that everything turned upside down. The students all started talking and pointing in a rather loud manner, while some started to weep unnecessarily. The staff was caught up in an attempt to straighten things out with the sudden lose of magic, and their panicking students. The ceiling remain off-white, and the Sorting Hat remained silent. Some of the first years started crying out for various parents and siblings while most were standing in the middle of the Great Hall looking pale and lost.
Then one by one, all the lighted candles that hung by invisible threads from the ceiling started to fall. Everyone started to scream as they attempted to evacuate the premises, but it was too late, the fire spread onto their clothes, and the tables and the beams holding everything together.
There was smoke in his eyes, and his glasses were fogged up. He couldn't make out a thing except blurred figures running everywhere, and he felt someone grasp his hand. "Ron? Hermione? Where are you?"
He only heard muffled yells.
Harry grasped onto the only person he could, although it was hard to tell who it was, and ran. He didn't get very far until he tripped, and he let go. He tried to reach for them again, but they were already gone, and he couldn't help but see the flash of blonde hair underneath him. Already almost recognizing who it was, he kneeled down, and turned the body over to find Draco Malfoy coughing.
"Draco? Draco? It's me, Harry. Draco, wake up! Wake up, it's Harry, wake up! Wake up!" In a moment of panic, he grasped the boy by the shoulders and shook him all the time thinking that it was too soon, he couldn't be dead, he had all the information!
.......
Gasping for air, he shot up only to find himself in darkness. The glow of moonlight glided softly over the sleeping bodies of his room mates. Harry sighed, another dream. He relaxed, and was about to lean back into his soft pillows and full covers when he realized someone was standing just outside of his curtains. Fighting back fear and remembering the fact that he was the Boy Who Lived, he pulled them back only to find a sleepy Neville standing there.
"Neville? What are you doing?"
Neville fidgeted. "I, well, Harry, you were talking a bit, so I came over to see what was wrong, you're fine. I mean, you are okay, right?"
Despite the darkness, Harry flushed. "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry I woke you, I didn't really mean to. Have a nightmare that is, I'm really sorry."
Neville nodded. "Alright then. It's okay sometimes. I have them, too. Nightmares. Awful things they are, the bloody lot of them." He turned to go to bed. "Goodnight Harry."
Harry stared after him. "Night."
A/N: Okay, what the hell was that? I honestly just started writing it with a totally different idea in mind, but this was what came out. I guess I have some issues, right? :P ANYWAY, hope you liked it, it's somewhat of a strange story, but it's dealing with a strange world, and with magic - just about anything goes. I'll be sure to update this, and hopefully I'll improve my stupid writing skills. (Or actually GET some, no da!)