Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything else that might belong to anyone else which I might accidentally mention. Fortunately, I do happen to own a box of chocolate. Mmmmm...chocolate.....Where was I? Oh yes...
Chapter Four
The adoption went through flawlessly, as Rumples had predicted. (Rumples was a psychic rubber mouse-at least when Cassandra possessed him-but he had something of a credibility problem.) The days following were the best of Harry's life. Remus and Sirius bought him a Nimbus 2000 to make up for 10 years of missed birthday presents, and Draco, Sirius, and Remus taught him the ins and outs of Quidditch. Harry was a natural flyer, much to his godfathers' delight.
He had also read all of his school books and discovered that the Malfoys owned the single largest library Harry had ever laid eyes upon-which all things considered said very little when his only basis of comparison was the Surrey public school system. Sirius was properly horrified at Harry's more studious tendencies. ("He's Lily's son, too, Siri," Remus reminded him gently. "Look, Harry!" Sirius exclaimed. "Snape's hair is hot pink!!...Uh-oh....") Fortunately, Draco didn't mind Harry's occasional bookish tendencies. He seemed to have even more of his own, as long as he wasn't flying-or playing chess.
"Harreeee," Draco whined on the night before they were supposed to go back to Hogwarts, "come play chess with me!"
Harry looked up from Charms and Spells: a Beginners Guide to Magical Mayhem, and grinned at the blond. "We both know you're just going to win again."
"That's the point. Now get over here and start losing like a good friend!"
Halfway through the game, Rumples-this time possessed by Ares-started whispering suggestions to Harry from his perch on the boy's shoulder. Of course, Draco had several objections to this, all of which Severus invalidated with a single argument: "Where exactly does it say that divine intervention is against the rules of play?"
"Thank you, professor."
"You're welcome, Mr. Potter." This time, Harry was sure the man was wearing a small smile.
When it was obvious that Draco would win within two moves, Rumples/Ares led the remaining pieces in a valiant charge across the rest of the board, wiping out Draco's forces. It was Harry's sad duty to inform the possessed squeak toy-in the middle of what looked to be a victory break-dancing session-that strategic military offensives were against the rules.
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Harry and his new-and monogrammed!-trunk were blissfully enclosed with Draco in a compartment of the Hogwarts Express by themselves. "That was a nightmare," he commented bleakly. "I hope the rest of the school year isn't going to be like that." He had been recognized and stared at as soon as they had reached the platform, and he quickly discovered that he hated the attention.
Draco gave him a sympathetic look. "I'm sure all of the pointing and whispering will blow over in a few days. A few weeks at the outside. People have the attention span of hyperactive nifflers."
"Nifflers?"
"Cute furry things that dig for buried treasure. They actually aren't as useful as they sound though, "Draco added. "They also dig up nails out of houses, and anything else shiny that they happen to come across. They've brought down entire buildings before."
"You're just a little ray of bitter sunshine today, aren't you?"
The compartment door opened to reveal a bushy brown haired girl that instantly reminded Harry of the Morrigan for some strange reason. She really looked only slightly similar to them, but Harry liked her all the same. "Would you mind if I sit down? Everywhere else is full."
"Sure. Have a seat. I'm Harry Potter, and this is Draco Malfoy," Harry's manners had improved drastically in his time with the Malfoys.
"I'm Hermione Granger. It's a pleasure to meet you both." The rest of the train ride was exceptionally pleasant after that.
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The sorting hat was being a...well, Harry was sure that since it could apparently read minds, it knew exactly what it was being, and it wasn't repeatable in front of respectable people. Hermione and Draco had already been sorted into Slytherin, and all it would tell Harry was Hmmm...difficult... and Where to put you? It had been saying that for the last ten minutes. Frankly, Harry was at his wit's end. JUST PUT ME IN SLYTHERIN, DAMNIT, OR MAKE UP YOUR MIND!!!! He thought at it. I DON'T CARE ANY MORE!!! The hat seemed a little startled.
"Slytherin!" It shouted. Harry gratefully handed the &$!! hat back to Professor McGonagall (who looked like the world had just ended), and headed over to the Slytherin table to join his friends. From the head table, he could see Professor Dumbledore looking at him with a calculating expression. Snape was smirking triumphantly at Sirius, who was glaring at Snape, and Remus was sitting in between the two and smiling encouragingly at Harry while trying to get them to stop acting like children.
Draco looked amused. "What took so long?" At Harry's death glare, he quickly shut up. Hermione just gave him a commiserating grin. Her own sorting had taken the second longest time thus far, totaling five minutes.
She leaned over the table and whispered conspiratorially. "I ended up shouting at the hat before it placed me." Harry grinned sheepishly, ignoring the blush rising over his cheeks. Meanwhile, the final two students, a Ronald Weasley ("Gryffindor!") and a Blaise Zabini ("Slytherin!") had just been sorted.
Professor Dumbledore stood up at the center of the head table after Professor McGonagall removed the Sorting Hat. "I have a few start of term notices to give out before the feast begins. The Forbidden Forest is strictly off limits to all students, and our caretaker, Mr. Filch has asked me to inform you that the list of forbidden items has been extended to include Purple Punishers, Chicken Chasers, and Ever-Shrieking Shampoo. Also, the third floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to anyone who does not wish to die a most painful death. Now, I only have four things to say to you: oddment, nitwit, blubber, tweak! Let the feast begin!"
"That man is seriously starkers," Draco said thoughtfully. Harry and Hermione could only nod in agreement as they began filling their plates.
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Classes at Hogwarts were fascinating. Slytherins had double Potions first thing Monday morning with the Gryffindors, and Harry discovered very quickly that Professor Snape loved nothing more than tormenting the Gryffindors.
"Weasley," the professor's voice had a silky whisper that boded ill for the unfortunate red-head, "what would I get if I added root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
"I don't know sir," he said shakily. Snape sneered, and Draco raised his hand.
"You would get the Draught of Living Death, sir," the blond answered.
"Five points to Slytherin, Mr. Malfoy." The professor turned back to the Gryffindors. "Finnegan. Where would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar?"
"I don't know sir," he whispered. Hermione raised her hand.
"In the belly of a goat sir. They are said to cure most major poisons."
"Excellent, Ms. Granger. Another five points to Slytherin." The professor turned back to choose his final target. "Longbottom. What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
Neville looked petrified. "N..Nothing..sir. They're the same plant...It's also known as aconite...sir." And then he fainted. Only Harry saw the brief flash of amusement in Snape's eyes before ordered the "idiot Gryffindors" to take their fallen comrade to the infirmary, and he made clear to them that the only reason he wasn't deducting points for their ignorance was because at least one of their house mates had gotten a question correct. Never mind that it was a disgustingly easy one.
Charms with Sirius turned out to be even more entertaining. When they entered the class, there was a balloon filled with water in front of each of the student's desks, which were lined up across from each other. "One of a wizard's most rudimentary skills is levitation," Sirius began once the class was seated. "Since the best incentive to learning is self-preservation," he grinned devilishly-Harry could swear he heard half the class swooning-, "you'll be attempting to levitate your water balloon onto the person across from you before they can do the same. The incantation is Winguardium Leviosa, and if you break your balloon, another one will reappear. Now begin!"
Hermione had hers flying towards Pansy Parkinson on the first try. Draco and Harry soaked Crabbe and Goyle on the second. By the end of the class, the entire side opposite of them was soaked, and Sirius was hiding his face behind a stack of papers to hide his laughter. It had become apparent after the third water balloon that despite being only eleven, Pansy wore a large amount of make-up, and now she resembled a freakish melted pug-faced monster. There was no doubt. Hermione had made her first enemy.
Herbology was also with the Gryffindors, and it was obvious once the three Slytherins saw Neville in there why he had known the answer to Professor Snape's question. The boy was a natural when it came to plants; he was just scared stiff when it came to Snape. Harry took the opportunity to strike up a conversation with him while Professor Sprout had them working in groups of four on Ixil weed.
"So how are you holding up, Neville?" he asked.
Neville looked surprised. "Oh, I'm alright, but I think Professor Snape has it in for us Gryffindors."
Harry smiled. "He is a little biased," Harry admitted, "but you managed to get on his good side with that answer Monday. You notice he didn't take off any points. Just try not to let him frighten you too much. He glares, and he snarks, but he's alright really as long as you pay attention to your potion."
"But what if I'm not any good in potions?" Neville looked genuinely terrified.
"I don't see how you couldn't be," Hermione answered. "You're a natural with plants, and Herbology and Potions are the two most closely interrelated disciplines there are." Hermione fell silent for a while. "I have an idea, though," she added as they were putting their things away. "Why don't you work as my potions partner? Professor Snape never bothers the Slytherins, so that way I'm sure he'd leave you alone as well."
Neville smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Hermione. I'd like that."
In Transfiguration on Thursday, they found out that Neville was receiving some complaints from the other Gryffindors for consorting with Slytherins. This was pretty much par for the course, as Parkinson had attempted to start a similar round of complaints against the three Slytherins for consorting with a Gryffindor. Hermione had stopped her with a well placed bat bogey hex, and Draco had calmly reminded her that it was a Malfoy's right to consort with whomever he chose to.
Neville sat next to Hermione behind Harry and Draco. "Hey," he said quietly. He seemed like he'd had a rough time of it.
Hermione gave him a sympathetic look. "Are you all right, Neville?"
It was Ron Weasley who answered the question. "I thought we went over this Neville," the red head began. "Slytherins are evil. They can't be trusted. They think that everyone who doesn't have pureblood parents is beneath them. Now get over here where you belong."
"Actually, both my parents are dentists," Hermione corrected gently.
"And my mother's sister is the worst sort of muggle you could ever meet, but I never held that against my mum or her parents," Harry added. "And we aren't evil...well, Pansy might be, but you can't judge the lot of us just on her."
"I notice you didn't say I was wrong about the trust!" Ron pointed out.
"Trust is something that has to be earned," Hermione answered. "No group of people is automatically trustworthy just because they're called something. I didn't even trust the professors until I saw enough of them to realize that they were competent."
"I like them, Ron," Neville added quietly, "and I think if you gave them half a chance you would too. They're really nice people." (Draco looked like he was discreetly choking down a gag reflex for all that he genuinely liked Neville as well. In Harry's pocket, Rumples the Rubber Mouse-currently possesed by Ate-was attempting to dig out her mousey ears with an eraser stub.)
It was mutually decided among the Gryffindors and the Slytherins that an inter-house truce was in order, as long as Neville Longbottom swore to never say anything as inherently sappy and sentimental as that again.
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Thus endeth Chapter Four. Remember reviews are welcome, as are all chocolate products and bunny fur mice. Also, there seems to be a little confusion about the Malfoy's connection to Voldemort and whether Voldemort is alive or not. As in Book 1, Voldie is under Quirrel's turban. As for the Malfoys, they were...dun Dun DUN...Switzerland! Entirely neutral during the first war. They could do this because they owned most of the wizarding banks. Would you want to try to force the hand of someone who held the majority of your money? Draco's friendship with Harry is going to be bringing them into the second war, though. Poor Voldie. Lucius can be nasty when he's mad...
- Cassandra was a woman in Greek mythology who was cursed by Apollo to see the future but to never be believed. The Morrigan are Irish Celtic goddesses of destruction and creation, specifically they were called the Choosers of the Slain and the Raven of Battle. They were also believed to be an aspect of Morgan Le Fay. For more information, go to this website: http: www. pantheon. org/ articles/ m/ morrigan. html (remember to take out the spaces).
Frog1: Actually, I'm still debating over Harry. I think I have him figured, and then I get another idea that works out well. Whatever I do with him permanently won't happen until year 6 or year 7 anyway, so I still have some time to figure that out. As to mushiness, I try to avoid that in a comedy. (Note Neville's comment and the Gryffindor-Slytherin truce that was made almost entirely for the sake of keeping him from saying anything like that again.) If I ever do get mushy at some point, expect major hilarity to follow. It's just the way my mind works sometimes... -gives out strawberry sugar wafer-
Night-Owl123: As always, thank you for reviewing! -gives out strawberry sugar wafer-
lmill123: Actually, this is AU, so Sirius's history is a bit different than in JK's books. It's a minor change that will be explained more in depth in the third year, but basically there was never a secret keeper, so Sirius was never suspected of betraying Lily and James. As to Odin and Ate, Dumbly and Voldie aren't the only ones who need to watch out... (ooohhh...more foreshadowing....) -gives out strawberry sugar wafer-
Andais: Thank you for reviewing. If you're joking, you're welcome! :) If you're not, my apologies. –gives out strawberry sugar wafer-
Lady FoxFire: Right now Voldie's getting asphyxiated beneath a layer of Head n' Shoulders dandruff shampoo. Later on, the roasting will commence... -gives out strawberry sugar wafer-