Childhood Annoyances

Chapter 2: Walking Threats

Earlier that day twenty years into the future Harry's eyes flashed open and reveled in the dark canopy of his bed.

He could make out a small glimmer of sunshine between a small gap in the hangings. It made him want to curl deeper into the covers. It was another school day. And with it came the ever detested sixth year potion classes with one professor Severus Snape.

Harry closed his eyes again and tried to savor the few moments of peace he had left before Ron-

"EEEEEAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHH!"

Too late.

Harry groaned and began the demeaning task of crawling out of bed. Ron had stopped screaming by the time Harry had walked over to peer inside the four-poster bed.

The insides where total pandemonium. Amongst many tangled sheets and blankets lay a very disheveled Ron; his eyes starring off into space and red hair looking almost as messy as Harry's.

"You OK, Ron?" murmured Harry.

Ron merely nodded.

"You going to get out of bed?"

Ron shook his head.

"Ron?"

"Yeah?"

Harry's brow furrowed.

"Maybe you should stop drinking that alarm potion Hermione got for your birthday." he said grimly "I think it's doing you more harm than good…"

"Ah, don't be silly Harry." Said Ron, quickly snapping out of what ever dream state he was in. "Look! I'm up and about with no problems what so ever. That potion really does the trick!" And - as if to prove his point - Ron jumped out of bed and started sorting through his suitcase for some school robes; almost knocking over a glass jug of water on his bedside table in the process.

Harry's brow furrowed deeper.

"OK," said Harry, now moving toward his own suitcase. "But the next time you drink that potion, try not to have too much. I don't think morning screaming is good for certain people…"

"What do you mean?"

"Haven't you seen Nevile?" pointed Harry "He's been a nervous wreck ever since you started taking that stuff."

Ron looked up and followed Harry's finger toward where Neville normally slept. He had deep circles under his eyes and was perched on the end of his bed swaying back and fourth muttering things like "Ron!", "Scream!" and "Keep the Ron away…!".

It wasn't the prettiest of sights, that's was for sure.

Ron chuckled nervously and got dressed quickly and racing down to the great hall for breakfast in record speed...

"Potter!" snarled Professor Snape motioning to Harry's lime green potion." You've done it wrong again! I wrote on the board add snake scales after the bruspot pettles! If I've told you once I've told you a thousand times -"

As Snape continued to be… well Snape Harry looked toward Hermione with a slightly pained expression. She gave him a small smile which said 'don't worry, we only have another hour to go' which didn't help Harry much as another hour with Snape felt twelve like years.

He glanced down at her healthy simmering potion and noticed it was more of a yellow-green color. If only his potion was like hers, then he wouldn't have Snape proclaiming to the class everything he'd done wrong…again.

"…And If it were up to me," continued Snape "you'd never see another potion on your life. Potter! Are you even listening to me!"

Harry jumped and quickly nodded.

Shape snorted.

"Obviously not." he stood to his full height "Detention tonight, Potter. Six o'clock." Snape swished away in his billowing black cloaks and went to torment some other poor student. Behind him Harry could see Malfoy snigger. Maybe, when Snape wasn't looking, Harry could throw his potion in Malfoy's face. Hopefully it would burn it off, he thought sinisterly.

He or Hermione didn't speak to each other for the rest of the lesson, not wishing to put Harry into further detentions for the week. But once they got outside and clear of the dungeons…

"That ruddy –" Harry yelled something which made Ron stare in awe. "Well he is!" said Harry explaining to Ron why he was stuck in detention for the night. Ron didn't have to suffer weekly potion lessons like Harry. He'd gotten out of them the second he could.

"Well Harry," said Hermione in an authoritive tone "maybe this will teach you to pay more attention in your potion making… Oh alright! He's a git! I said it! Happy?" She snapped after catching the two dark glares from Ron and Harry. Ron was lucky.

"I know!" said Ron "Harry! If you lend me your invisibility cloak I'll go and make a distraction Snape will leave and probably let you off during detention. What do you think?"

Harry contemplated this...

"No." he sighed finally "It wouldn't work. Snape'd just reschedule it for tomorrow night and double it or something. He'd probably think the distraction was my doing anyway."

Ron hung his head admitting to defeat. It made Harry feel better knowing that Ron would risk himself to get him out of detention but that didn't mean Harry was still looking forward to it.

"Com on Harry," said Ron "why don't we go down to dinner? You've still got half an hour till detention - ?"

"Actually, I'm not hungry" said Harry suddenly "I'll think I'll just go for a walk…"

"I'll come with –"

"Alone."

"Oh," Ron looked a little put out but agreed all the same. Hermione had different ideas.

"Harry!" she snapped "You can't go out at this time! Its dark out and there's Voldemort! You of all people should know it's not safe!"

Harry wasn't in the mood for this. He just needed some fresh air…

"If I want to go on a walk at a completely inappropriate time…" snapped Harry agedly "then I can go for a walk at a completely inappropriate time! If Voldemort's after my skin then that's just his dumb luck!"

"Actually Harry, Isn't it really your -?"

"Good-Bye Hermione!"

"But - where are you going?"

"To some place where you can't get me!" Harry yelled, letting his temper get the best of him.

"Oh, Harry –"

"Leave it." Harry heard Ron mumble before he swished around the corner and toward the double doors of the entrance hall. Harry hated it when people felt they knew what was best for him. Dumbledore had done it last year. And during summer last year when he was told by Sirius to stay at the Dursley's…

At least Ron wasn't entirely like that. Neither was Hermione - most of the time…

When Harry made it outside to the cool dark air he saw the grounds to be deserted. After choosing a path which surrounded the lake and briefly flew past the forbidden forest Harry soon found himself muttering about why Snape was such a slimy git with out even realizing it. It was then that he heard a small rustle in the forest. A humanrustle.

Before Harry could even thing a certain something jumped out of the clearing and wrapped itself tightly around his legs. Harry struggled to get free; what ever it was it had bounded him tightly. Muttering ' lumous ', Harry maneuvered his wand to see what it was.

"Your not my father!" came a boyish voice. A kid, no older than seven or eight, was pushing himself away in disgust.

"Father?" gasped Harry, gaining his balance to see the boy bolting away from him into the forest. "Hey!" yelled Harry "Who are you? Wait! Don't go that way!"

Seeing the boy wasn't all that keen to stop his pursuit of the forest, Harry groaned and began to run after him.

"Don't go there! It's dangerous!" yelled Harry again. It was hard following someone half your size into dense foliage. Twigs and loose branches scraped Harry's cloak and face as he ran after the boy. After darting a few trees and jumping a hedge he finally managed to snag the kid around the neck by hood of his small blue cloak.

"Geoff!" squealed the boy, struggling uselessly against Harry's grip. "Geoff me! If you don't I'll get my dad! He eats little runts like you for breakfast!"

"I'm not going to hurt you!" said Harry trying to pull back the boy's hands which were flapping around uselessly; occasionally hitting Harry in the face. "Look – just – stop – struggling –your - only - making - things - harder - on - yourself!"

Snap!

"What was that?" gasped the boy suddenly going slack in Harry's grasp.

"Er," said Harry "Did something follow you here by any chance…?"

"um… possibly?"

"Well that's helpful…"

"Well you're the stupid git that followed me here, aren't you?"

"Shhh!" hissed Harry, scanning surrounding the area for any movement. Even with his wand it was hard to see in the dense forest...

And, just meters beyond his vision, a certain brown slimy something pulsed in the dark. A noise which Harry presumed to be a voice gulped:

"We vhants ze boy! Give us ze boy!" It gurgled as if it was struggling to speak.

"We?" asked Harry. He heard a terrified squeak. "What?" he hissed, turning to see the boy pale as a sheet and pointing into more darkness. Harry felt his skin pale to the shade. Apparently, they were surrounded.