Chapter Eight - Batty Bats

When Harry finally got released out of Madam Promfrey's care late the next day, Harry headed straight down to the common rooms, rather than join anyone at dinner. He wasn't particularly hungry, and he was almost certain no one would have fed Bernie. Plus it was more likely that everyone would be at dinner. However he barely got half way through the Dungeons when he got distracted by a noise on his way down.

"...D-don't know why you wanted t-t-to meet me in th-this classr-room of all p-places Several..." Quirrell 's voices came through a door n the way to the common room. He wasn't alone. As soon as Harry got close enough to see, he spotted Snape in there too.

"Oh, I thought we'd keep this private," said Snape, his voice icy. "Students aren't supposed to know about the Philosophers' Stone, after all."

Harry leant forwards as Quirrell mumbled something, but couldn't catch so much as a single word before Snape interrupter him.

"Have you found out how to get past that beast of Hagrid's yet?"

"B-b-but Severus, I-"

"You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrell ," said Snape, taking a step towards him.

"I-I don-t know what you-"

"Oh, you know what I mean. Tell me your little bit of Hocus Pocus. I'm waiting."

"B-but I d-d-don't-"

"Very well," Snape cut in. "We'll have another chat soon, when you've had enough time to think things over and decide where your loyalties lie."

Snape threw his billowy cloak on, and headed for a door, whilst Harry carried on walking down the corridor as if nothing had happened, rather than trying to hide. After all, some of the best hiding places are in plain sight.

Harry got back to the common room pretty quickly, and smiled. He had been right in thinking that no one would be in there. It was deserted, thankfully.

The dorm room was exactly as it had been the day before, before when he had been knocked unconcious. Idly he wondered what had happened to Weasley, Brown and Patil after they had been found out, if anything at all. It was likely they would lose house points, probably they would get a detention or two each as well, if anything was done to them. But, as they were Gryffindors, who seemed to get away with almost anything, it was unlikely to happen. If it had been a Slytherin attacking a Gryffindor it would be different. If it was a Slytherin attacking a Gryffindor, then the offending Slytherin would most likely end up with expulsion, or maybe just suspension. That was how biased the school was, even though most people didn't think it was quite as bad as it was.

Harry smiled as Bernie flew down and attached herself to the underside of his arm from where she had been, flying around frantically, possibly in an attempt to find him as he had not come back the previous evening or, more likely, in an attempt to get some exercise as she had undoubtably been shut up for over twenty-four hours.

"You all right, girl?" Harry asked when she was settled. Bernie gave quiet screech to what Harry assumed was the affirmative. "You hungry?"

There was another screech at about the same pitch, so he took it for the affirmative again. Awkwardly he got out some fruit Bernie to eat in a couple of places around his bed, placing the rest back into it's container as soon as Bernie left her perch on Harry's arm to go eat.

Harry had been slightly surprised when he had found out he had been allowed to keep Bernie after nursing her back to full health, but he had, even though it had been a blatant breach of schools rules, which stated that students could only bring in an owl, cat or toad. Of course, Weasley had broken that rule - he had a rat, a large, fat, old, lazy one which, if he was right in thinking, had belonged to the oldest Weasley currently at Hogwarts, Peter or Perce or something else beginning in Pe. Not that it mattered, of course. He, personally, didn't really give a damn about the Weasleys. They were all incredibly poor, and a disgrace to wizards, what with their obscene fascination with muggles. Sure, he may have grown up in the muggle world, but he had no desire to know about it, and he hadn't been given a choice, just placed with people who hated him.

Whoever had left Harry with the Dursleys obviously had no idea what they were like, and was most likely an incompetent idiot who couldn't evenmake a good but small decision, let alone one that would affect someone's entire life. Whoever had given them the power to do that was probably just as much - if not more - of abolute moron for giving them the power to in the first place.

He seriously doubted that his parents would have chosen to leave him with his Aunt and Uncle. They had almost certainly known that the Dursleys hated magic, so who had left him with them? Surely there would have been someone whom his parents would have considered more suitable a guardian. Obviously Lily and James wishes had been disregarded... unless the Potters' weren't quite the saints they had been portrayed as. Even if they hadn't been though, would they have abandoned their only son with people that hated magic? Somehow Harry doubted it.

Later that evening when the rest of the Slytherin first year boys came into the dorm they found Harry lying on his bed, reading the book Draco had given him for Christmas in silence. Draco took this as a sign that his friendship had been accepted again and sighed in relief. His father would have killed if he had let such a great opportunity slip through his fingers.

"Harry?" Draco said, smiling.

"Yes?" replied Harry, not bothering to look up from the book.

"Can we talk for a bit?"

Harry heaved a sigh and placed his bookmark on the page he was on (page 927, on the part about Oanez Desta, a witch who was more of a mass murderer than a serial killer, as she was the one who was responsible for the sinking of Atlantis with all of it's residents within it).

"What is it?" he said impatiently, wanting to get back to the book. It was just getting interesting again too.

"Well, I kind of want to talk in private."

Harry near enough growled at Draco, but followed the blond out of the room and down to the common room, which was surprisingly empty for the time of day, or, rather night. The two of them sat down in two armchairs by the fire, Harry glowering at the other boy.

"Harry," Draco began, suddenly acting unbelievably nervous. "I feel that I should apologise in person and truthfully for my actions in September. They were completely unacceptable."

Harry nodded, feeling that Draco was up to something, but, being not quite sure what, he just left it, filing the thought away in the back of his mind for a later date.

"Okay," Harry said, and Draco smiled in relief or gratitude, Harry wasn't quite sure which it was if it was either.

A/N: You know what? Harry's first year is almost over. Second year starts at chapter 11. Fun, eh?

Virginia Riddle-Malfoy: No, Harry is not the heir of any of those. They've all been done before, I think. I won't tell you yet. Harry has to find out before I tell you lot. And what are you today?

Humg321: Thanks! I don't think Harry will recieve birthday gifts from his parents. The whole Christmas present thing was simply a way for me to give Harry something from his mother. With the occlumency and legilimency issue, well, since Slytherin house has a lot of Dark Arts books in the common rooms, it should make sense that they have a load of books that would be in the restricted section. The whole Ed thing happened for a reason, which I know only too well. Glad to know you didn't see Hermione's death coming.

Lap: At least it means I've got one person hooked. Of course I'm considering slash, I'm considering any option I can think of for this fic.

Shadowface: Harry is being a 'butt-head', as you put it because of something that has happened to him in the past (not saying when) and Ed jumped to conclusions for absolutely no reason. As to your other question, why on earth would you think that he's the heir to Morgana Le Fay?