The story about Malfoy and Harry's battle on broomsticks spread through the
school quickly and silently. By lunch, Harry was sure that everyone except
the teachers knew. And he wasn't even sure they didn't. As Harry walked
down the halls from class to class, people would stop him and shake his
hand, or pat him on the back in congratulations. Each time, Harry brimmed,
bursting with pride. 'And why shouldn't I be proud?' Harry thought (*yes,
in his real thinking voice*). 'I did something to earn their praise, now.
Something that wasn't exactly easy--'
'--for most people.'
Harry shook his head, trying to dislodge the lost thought. That stupid voice! He was getting more and more worried about it, but with all his classes, he didn't have a lot of time to figure it out.
"Hiya, Harry," said Sean, gripping his shoulder from behind and startling him out of thinking.
"Hey, Sean," said Harry, grinning.
"Yeah, I heard, said Sean, catching Harry's smile. "Congratulations. Way to show up that prat, and no doubt his traitorous father."
Harry looked at Sean questioningly, but Sean just laughed.
"Oh, never mind. You'll know what I mean eventually. No doubt you'll get to meet him soon."
Harry nodded and smiled bitterly. Just what he wanted; to meet an older version of Malfoy with power.
He was lingering around at lunch that day, finally content sitting amid a crowd of people, as there were a lot less of them talking about him, and throwing him uncomfortable looks.
However, his lunch was still cut short when Marcus came over and tapped Harry on the shoulder. "Yes?" said Harry, turning in his seat to see whom wanted him. Upon seeing Flint, Harry's smile fell slightly, but he got up, excusing himself from the others. "There's something I have to do," he said, and went with Flint off to the common room.
Flint didn't say anything to Harry along the way, but Harry noticed that he occasionally looked back at him, and shook his head, as though in disagreement with himself. When they entered the common room, he gestured towards Harry to sit down in an armchair, and took a seat in the one across from him.
"Potter, I saw you flying out there today. Saw what you did to Draco Malfoy."
Harry nodded, tensely awaiting the rest of what Flint had to say.
"Potter, I could have given your name away to McGonnagal. You know that," he added, somewhat pointedly. " So as far as I see it, you owe me."
Harry nodded in agreement, and Flint smiled. "Potter, I'm calling it in. You may not know this, but I'm captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team. You're a good flyer, Potter. And we could use a new Seeker. I'm telling you to join the team, Potter."
Harry looked at him, slightly surprised and confused. He didn't quite understand. From what he had gathered, most people would do just about anything to get to play for their House team. And Flint was telling him to join as a favor? There had to be a catch.
"But, Potter, there is one condition to all of this. If you're going to be representing Slytherin in this, I want you to act more like a Slytherin. All I mean by that, is I don't want to see you sitting with other Houses during meals, or hear that you're avoiding Slytherins in class. And you're lucky that that's all I ask, because I could demand a lot more of you. I could still give them your name, and you know it."
Harry thought. Avoiding other houses would mean that it would appear as though he had turned into a scummy Slytherin. It would make it seem that he thought he was better than everyone else. But on the other hand, Flint could give the teachers his name. That would almost certainly mean expulsion. He couldn't bear the thought of getting sent away from Hogwarts. To go live as a Muggle with the Dursleys. Plus, he remembered the feeling of flight. It was wonderful. Being lighter than air, and floating for tens of hundreds of feet above the ground...but what about Ron and the others?
'You can't let them stand in the way of your success. Just because their feelings will 'get hurt' doesn't mean you should give up something to make you better. They're all just jealous of what you have.'
'Besides,' said Harry's true voice, 'you just can't sit by them in class or at lunch. You can still be with them other times. It's not like you would be ignoring them. And remember, how it feels...?'
And Harry made up his mind. He had to keep flying. It was to good to let go of. Harry was so happy with his decision, he failed to notice that this had been the first time the foreign voice had ever agreed with his normal thoughts.
"Okay, Flint. I'll do it. But you'll have to explain a lot of things to me. I've never actually played before."
Flint smiled. "It's okay, Potter. You're a natural. We'll knock the Mudblood ignorance right out of you."
Harry shook his head, trying to dislodge the lost thought. That stupid voice! He was getting more and more worried about it, but with all his classes, he didn't have a lot of time to figure it out.
"Hiya, Harry," said Sean, gripping his shoulder from behind and startling him out of thinking.
"Hey, Sean," said Harry, grinning.
"Yeah, I heard, said Sean, catching Harry's smile. "Congratulations. Way to show up that prat, and no doubt his traitorous father."
Harry looked at Sean questioningly, but Sean just laughed.
"Oh, never mind. You'll know what I mean eventually. No doubt you'll get to meet him soon."
Harry nodded and smiled bitterly. Just what he wanted; to meet an older version of Malfoy with power.
He was lingering around at lunch that day, finally content sitting amid a crowd of people, as there were a lot less of them talking about him, and throwing him uncomfortable looks.
However, his lunch was still cut short when Marcus came over and tapped Harry on the shoulder. "Yes?" said Harry, turning in his seat to see whom wanted him. Upon seeing Flint, Harry's smile fell slightly, but he got up, excusing himself from the others. "There's something I have to do," he said, and went with Flint off to the common room.
Flint didn't say anything to Harry along the way, but Harry noticed that he occasionally looked back at him, and shook his head, as though in disagreement with himself. When they entered the common room, he gestured towards Harry to sit down in an armchair, and took a seat in the one across from him.
"Potter, I saw you flying out there today. Saw what you did to Draco Malfoy."
Harry nodded, tensely awaiting the rest of what Flint had to say.
"Potter, I could have given your name away to McGonnagal. You know that," he added, somewhat pointedly. " So as far as I see it, you owe me."
Harry nodded in agreement, and Flint smiled. "Potter, I'm calling it in. You may not know this, but I'm captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team. You're a good flyer, Potter. And we could use a new Seeker. I'm telling you to join the team, Potter."
Harry looked at him, slightly surprised and confused. He didn't quite understand. From what he had gathered, most people would do just about anything to get to play for their House team. And Flint was telling him to join as a favor? There had to be a catch.
"But, Potter, there is one condition to all of this. If you're going to be representing Slytherin in this, I want you to act more like a Slytherin. All I mean by that, is I don't want to see you sitting with other Houses during meals, or hear that you're avoiding Slytherins in class. And you're lucky that that's all I ask, because I could demand a lot more of you. I could still give them your name, and you know it."
Harry thought. Avoiding other houses would mean that it would appear as though he had turned into a scummy Slytherin. It would make it seem that he thought he was better than everyone else. But on the other hand, Flint could give the teachers his name. That would almost certainly mean expulsion. He couldn't bear the thought of getting sent away from Hogwarts. To go live as a Muggle with the Dursleys. Plus, he remembered the feeling of flight. It was wonderful. Being lighter than air, and floating for tens of hundreds of feet above the ground...but what about Ron and the others?
'You can't let them stand in the way of your success. Just because their feelings will 'get hurt' doesn't mean you should give up something to make you better. They're all just jealous of what you have.'
'Besides,' said Harry's true voice, 'you just can't sit by them in class or at lunch. You can still be with them other times. It's not like you would be ignoring them. And remember, how it feels...?'
And Harry made up his mind. He had to keep flying. It was to good to let go of. Harry was so happy with his decision, he failed to notice that this had been the first time the foreign voice had ever agreed with his normal thoughts.
"Okay, Flint. I'll do it. But you'll have to explain a lot of things to me. I've never actually played before."
Flint smiled. "It's okay, Potter. You're a natural. We'll knock the Mudblood ignorance right out of you."