Harry blushed as Penny disappeared up the staircase. His day had been quite enlightening. Eleven kisses, a new personal record. One from each of the girls at the plaftorm, a pair from Daphne Greengrass and Blaise Zabini during the ceremony and now three from Penny. He went to return his book to the shelf before venturing up to the first year Ravenclaw boys' dormitory. Another seven flights to climb, he thought with discontent. He loathed the idea of sharing living quarters with four other boys but nothing could be done to remedy it tonight. He would magic himself a new private room in the morning if all went according to plan.
Meanwhile, he thought about Cho and hoped she was sleeping safely in her own dormitory. Surely the other students wouldn't just let her be after a single glare from him. He wondered about the girls back at the estate, hoping that they missed him but were still in high spirits despite his absence. He envisioned Kim moving into his room, keeping his bed warm and occupied at all times. He prayed that his grandmother was still in good health. He touched his lips, still warm with Penny's sweet taste, and smiled. He turned his thoughts to Draco, wondering if the pale boy had experienced a likewise eventful evening down in the Slytherin dungeons. Tomorrow would be his first day as a true Hogwarts student. He could hardly wait to see what the sunrise would bring.
Chapter Six: Reconciliation – A Young Knight's VowDisclaimer: If you've seen it before, it belongs to J.K. Rowling. Otherwise, it's mine. Naturally, I'm making no money off this. Am I the only one that finds these things to be extremely repetitive and pointless?
The sun had not yet risen when Harry awoke in his four-poster, with its blue sheets and bronze trappings. The large bed thankfully had a privacy screen. He would never have been able to sleep well knowing that a bunch of filthy stinking boys could see him. Both of the frail boy's arms were a bit numb as a result of the load that he had carried up the stairs with him, but his drowsy condition caused him to attribute the sensation to a simple consequence of it being so early. Besides, the warm body clinging almost desperately to his bare torso proved a more interesting subject for Harry to ponder. Definitely female, with creamy Oriental skin and black hair that shone in the moonlight. He had countless times before shared his bed with such a girl and instinctively whispered her name.
"...Kim..."
She looked up sleepily, as her eyes widened with surprise.
"Merlin, Harry. I can't believe you brought me up here. We could both get into so much trouble for this."
Harry smiled down at her and ran his fingers possessively through her soft, thick hair. The entire scene here was different than in the past. For starters, his bed was supposed to be much bigger and softer than this, and he wasn't in his usual silk pajamas. He was instead clad only in his boxer shorts, the rest of his clothes from the previous day unceremoniously strewn about in a pile on the floor, upon which Xiren was sleeping. Regardless, it was surely Kim with him. No one else would dare sleep in bed with him. He felt totally safe in this strange place with her arms wrapped protectively around his body, though he wasn't sure what she was afraid of. He did his best to reassure her.
"Don't worry, big sister. Grandma won't be angry. She knows I sometimes can't sleep properly without you. I don't know where we are, but I'm glad you're with me."
It didn't work. She appeared to be even more shocked.
"Harry, you're having delusions. First, we're apparently in your dormitory at Hogwarts. I've never even met your grandmother, and I'm not your older sister. It's me, Cho."
Harry repeated the name.
"...Cho. Now I remember..."
And he did recall the events of just past midnight, after Penny had left him alone in the common room. He had returned his book to its proper place on the shelf and turned to go to bed when he noticed Cho sleeping on a secluded sofa, shivering in the cold autumn night air that drafted into Ravenclaw Tower. He didn't know why she wasn't up in her dormitory, but saw red due to the face that hostile roommates likely had something to due with it. He remembered taking off his cape and draping it over her before attempting to storm up into the second year girls' bedroom and hex the occupants into jelly, only to be thwarted by the charmed staircase. He had been left with no choice but to swallow his anger for the time being and somehow keep Cho from catching cold.
He could have just magically warmed his cape and left her to rest, but decided instead to let her stay with him. He carried the small girl in his arms and loudly summoned her trunk from upstairs, levitating it in front of them with his wand. Though she was light, Harry was physically weak due to his sedentary habits and had experienced great difficulty in getting her up all those flights of stairs, and was sore and exhausted by the end of the trip. He placed her gently on the only empty bed in the room and stripped off his outer garments before collapsing and falling instantly asleep. Well, he stood by what he had done and was unafraid of any consequences. He welcomed any attempt at being disciplined, so that he might be able to give his Head of House a piece of his mind for allowing this bullying to ever take place.
"I can't fathom the nerve of those people. I warned them to leave you alone. I'll just have to be more direct next time. The filthy varlets apparently can't learn without being told."
"Really Harry, it's okay. I have you now, and that's enough. They don't matter at all to me. Please don't start a row over it."
Harry wasn't the most perceptive young wizard alive, but had a certain sensitivity for a girl's feelings. He knew that she was deliberately trying to hide her emotional pain so as not to be a burden to him, but he would have absolutely none of it.
"You're not being truthful. It does hurt you, I can hear it in your voice. But I'll respect your wishes under one condition. If I can't force them to behave, then you can't live with them or out in the common room. You have to stay with me from now on and be happy."
Cho shook her head.
"The school will never allow a girl to live in a boys' dormitory. Not even for the famous Harry Potter."
"I know that, but I'm not staying in this communal dump either. I'll create us a private suite that we can live in together. My transfiguration skills are easily up to the task."
"Su Li told me all about the paddle boat you made last night from one of the school launches during the Sorting Ceremony. I wish I had been there to see it."
"Then we'll go see it together this morning. I made the charm permanent, so it should stick unless one of the teachers removed it. And even if they did I'll build another just for you. Now let's go do our morning toilets. I want to be clean and dressed before these grotesque males wake up and defile us with their presence."
She giggled again his chest, both comfortable enough with one another to be bothered by their closeness. Not that Harry ever took any issue with being held by a pretty girl.
"You're silly, you know. Fine, let's go."
Harry and Cho strolled into the downstairs restroom together and prepared for the day. The former complained about the lack of bath facilities in the room, never having taken a shower in his life. He found the high water pressure to be unbearable and swore never to repeat the procedure, declaiming that his new room would have an even bigger and more ornate tub than the one in his quarters at home. Cho did his hair for him, showing skills that rivaled those of his attendants. She explained that young girls were trained in the domestic arts from an early age in her culture, including arranging hair. Instead of his usual straight ponytail, Cho meticulously worked his black waterfall into an ornate Chinese braid. He then transfigured a vibrant sprig of pure white hibiscus from some random article near the sink and had her insert a flower at just the right point on his head.
Once Cho was finished taking care of him, Harry showed that his own proficiency in the art was not lacking. He was determined to make her look beautiful and show her that she wasn't at all ugly like she had been led to believe. Her features would bloom on their own soon enough, but needed just a little bit of help to bring out their radiance now. Her hair was much more attractive when left to flow on its own, unlike his own crude mop, so he only brushed it into a lustrous sheen. He then transfigured a box of rose-nitric powder and a stick of fragrant rouge, with which he brought out her pretty face and accentuated her slightly pouty lips. He had entreated Cho to keep her almond eyes closed as he did his magic, so that she would be surprised by the outcome. She gasped and tackled him in a fierce hug upon seeing herself in the mirror, tears of gratitude rolling down her cheeks. Harry only had a single sentence to utter in response.
"See, I wasn't teasing at all when I said that you were beautiful."
He received a sloppy kiss on the cheek as his answer. That brought his count up to six so far just at Hogwarts. He lazily washed the rouge stain from his fair skin with a smile and returned to the dormitory to get dressed. He was somewhat able to help himself this time around, though Cho was there to assist where needed. He was a bit disheartened to hear that he was required to wear the drab Hogwarts school uniform at all times outside of Ravenclaw Tower, but brightened upon realizing that he could now wear his jewelry purchased from Diagon Alley. He put on a fresh set of school robes and his cape, disturbing his sleeping kitten in the process, and then donned his bejeweled bracers and belt. His hair was arranged in such a way that the coronet would have ruined the effect. The clear stones transformed into glimmering blue sapphires in accordance with the Ravenclaw house colors.
Cho was long since ready herself by the time that Harry finished his preening and the two decided to sit in the common room until breakfast. Some of the other boys were already awake and chattering when the pair emerged from behind the privacy screen of Harry's four-poster. A husky boy that he vaguely recalled as Antoine Goldfinger or something hailed him as he passed.
"You must be the Boy-Who-Lived. Merlin, taking a girl to bed on your first night here. That's got to be some sort of record. Name's Anthony Goldstien, by the way. I'm from Birmingham. Pleasure to meet you."
Feeling no particular inclination to be rude to the boy, he nodded with a forced grin.
"Likewise, though I'm quite sure you already know my name. My friend here is Cho Chang. She's a second year."
Cho also flashed a discreet smile, visibly tense at being a lone girl in the middle of a room full of waking boys. Harry extricated her quickly, leading her downstairs before he could be drawn into some pointless discussion himself. It was about a quarter past six in the morning and yet a few students were already awake and lounging about the common room. Penny was among them, and bade him sit down on a sofa next to her, leaving a space for Cho on his other side. He blushed despite himself upon feeling the fifth year Prefect's body brushing up against his again as she regarded him with a wry smile.
"Morning, handsome. Nice jewelry, it looks good on you."
"Thank you. I picked it out myself. Did you sleep okay last night, Penny?"
"Could have been better, but I'll survive. Looks like you rested well, though. A warm pillow like that will always do the trick."
Harry's blush deepened, knowing that she was referring to Cho sharing his bed.
"Well that's...I can explain everything...I just..."
Penny apparently found his flustered response endearing, as she playfully ruffled his braided hair and smiled.
"Hey, relax. I'm not trying to grill you or anything. But I was right. You really are a misplaced Gryffindor, breaking such a huge rule on your first night here like that. But it is kinda curious. I thought I saw Cho going up to bed before I went on patrol, and the only way for her to have gotten into your dormitory is for you to have brought her there."
He didn't really like being compared to a Gryffindor, but was willing to tolerate it from her. Cho glanced over at the two, silently pleading with Harry not to tell Penny what had happened. He reluctantly complied, not understanding the reasoning behind doing so.
"She was cold and having trouble sleeping and I felt a little homesick and lonely. We just scratched one another's backs, that's all. I came across her reading on one of the chairs near where I returned that book last night and helped her into my dormitory where we both quickly fell asleep."
Harry didn't feel good about lying to Penny, and she knew that he wasn't being completely truthful judging from the expression on her face. She sent a frigid glare to a younger curly redheaded witch sitting at a distant table before turning back to Harry.
"That's good to hear. It's getting rather crowded in here. Let's mosey on over and grab something to eat before the masses show up in the Great Hall."
That was agreeable to Harry and so he accompanied the older girl with Cho tailing behind. The trip from Ravenclaw Tower to the Great Hall was much easier on Harry's constitution than the first, as the entire walk was downstairs. Only a smattering of younger years were seated at the four tables at the time, the excitement of being at Hogwarts too much to allow them proper rest. The older students tended to place a higher value on their sleep. The hot breakfast had yet to be served, but there was an assortment of continental foods ready to eat, including various muffins and fruits, along with cereal and oatmeal. The selection was much more to Harry's liking than the previous night's banquet and he loaded up a heaping plate, eating vigorously but always with proper manners. He found himself comfortably sandwiched between his two female companions and enjoyed his morning meal immensely.
Soon enough, the rest of the school starting pouring into the Great Hall for breakfast and Harry found his general area occupied by some of the girls in his own year. Among them was the Chinese girl who had been tripped by Nott during the Sorting Ceremony, as well as Padma Patil, the Ravenclaw half of that pair of cute Indian twins. There were others as well, and Harry was for all intents and purposes holding court. A blonde girl named Lisa Turpin seemed to have some sort of obsession with Harry and constantly asked to refill his goblet or retrieve something for him to eat. He caught Draco's eye at the Slytherin Table and the young aristocrat shook his head, nastily mouthing something that appeared to be the word "fangirl." Harry enjoyed the attention and took it in stride.
After some time of chatting about various subjects, a flurry of owls announced the arrival of the morning post. Harry himself received several packages, the first coming from his own owl, Disenchantment. She brought a large parcel from his grandmother along with a letter. The old lady had sent some of his favorite sweets from home including homemade pies and his ultimate guilty pleasure, a large tin of chocolate covered espresso beans, along with several exotic fruits freshly picked from the estate's gardens and orchards. The letter again exhorted him to apply himself at school and promised care packages and letters each week. He sent the beautiful messenger to the school Owlery to rest before returning back to Surrey.
She hadn't been gone for long when a majestic eagle owl that he recognized as belonging to the Malfoys arrived bearing its own small supply of sweets and cakes and another letter. Draco was sifting through a larger parcel from his parents across the Great Hall. The succinct note was from Lucius, wishing the young wizard luck in his studies and reminding him not to trust Dumbledore and to inform him through Draco of any meddling on the old man's part. A final owl came from Gringotts with a large bundle of papers outlining all of the assets and properties that were now in Harry's control due to his coming to the lordship of his father's ancestral line.
"Merlin, Harry. There's such a thing as too many sweets, you know."
Harry grinned and glanced over at Cho, who was poring over his opened packages. Some of the third and fourth year boys that had once treated her with open dislike were now favoring her wit appreciative looks, as if some veil had just been lifted from their eyes. She pointedly ignored all of them. Harry felt a twinge of happiness at the fact. Cho was far too beautiful and pure for cretins of that sort.
"Nonsense, my sweet tooth is legendary. But it is a bit much, so help yourself."
"I will, if only to stop you from pigging it all down on your own."
She grabbed a small peach pie from the bundle sent by the old lady and ate it daintily. Harry likewise invited the other girls to share in his newfound confectionery wealth before digging into his espresso beans. Some did so, and others declined. Many students around the Ravenclaw Table were discussing the latest headline in The Daily Prophet. Somebody had apparently tried to break into Gringotts the previous evening. Harry considered a matter as worldly as a petty theft attempt to be beneath his interest and dismissed it offhand. Meanwhile, Professor Flitwick, the small wizard from the previous evening and Harry's Head of House, was handing out course timetables for the upcoming term. He was all smiles upon reaching the young wizard's position.
"Good morning, Mister Potter! It's a privilege to have you in my house. I always said that your mother should have been a Ravenclaw. And I hear that you've inherited her gift for my discipline as well. Absolutely wonderful! I'll see you in Charms next week."
Harry smiled and nodded, taking his schedule from the diminutive Charms master. Knowing the general Hogwarts curriculum as a result of studying his mother's old textbooks, he wasn't surprised by anything. As promised, he was enrolled at the second year level in both Charms and Transfiguration. For some reason, he also had Potions with the Gryffindors and Slytherins instead of with his own house. Having no further business or desire to remain in the crowded and noisy cafeteria, Harry turned to Cho.
"If you're finished eating, let's go and take a look at that boat like I promised. Even I couldn't really admire it out in the dark last night when I made it. We'll just need to drop my parcels off in the dormitory first."
Cho voiced no disagreement and rose in time with Harry, but was stopped by a gentle hand on her wrist.
"Sorry to rain on the parade but I kinda need to borrow you for awhile, Cho. It's important. Harry, do me a favor and take her after lunch or something. Maybe you can look around the castle a bit until then. I'd really appreciate it."
Harry was a bit annoyed but didn't argue with Penny's request. He nodded and began taking up his packages. Lisa Turpin leapt out of her seat as he reached for the bundle of manuscripts from Gringotts.
"That's a lot to carry, Mister Potter. Please let me take some of it for you."
Harry chuckled indulgently, an unconscious imitation of Lucius Malfoy that was in no way better than his first. For some reason, he rather liked the idea of being called "Mister Potter" by one of his classmates, though propriety demanded that he not allow it to become a habit.
"If you insist. Here, grab the big one from my grandma. And just call me Harry."
Harry's first declared fangirl of what would surely become many positively beamed as if Christmas had come four months early, eagerly removing the large hamper full of fruits and sweets from Harry's arms. Cho shot Lisa an annoyed look as the girl led her misplaced idol from the Great Hall. Penny just gripped his hand with murmured thanks. He enjoyed the feel of the pretty girl's warm skin touching his for the short time that it lasted. He quickly regretted allowing Lisa to accompany him.
"Wow, Harry Potter in the flesh. I've always loved hearing all the stories about you and now you're in my year at Hogwarts. Both of my parents were Ravenclaws anyway, but I practically begged the hat to place me here after you were. You're even more dashing than I had imagined. You're really perfect in every way."
All of that came out in a span of less than ten seconds. While Harry had no problem with people singing his praises, this was a bit over the top even by his standards. He rolled his eyes dramatically, but didn't see the person advancing on him as a result. Harry collided head on with another boy, whose half-eaten Pumpkin Pasty smeared all over the front of his tailored silk robes. He looked over with fire in his eyes. It was Roland Weasley.
"Watch where the bloody Hell you're going, Roland! You just got your sodding Pumpkin Pasties all over my brand new robes!"
"Blimey...sorry about that, mate. My name's Ronald though. I came to your birthday a few years back. Don't tell me you've forgotten."
But Harry was paying no mind. As soon as he had said "Pumpkin Pasties," the great stone gargoyle in the corridor near them leapt aside, revealing a passageway. Curiosity piqued, he decided to come back later and explore. Harry waved a dismissive hand.
"I don't recall nor do I care what your name is. Just don't be such a klutz from now on. Let's get a moving, Lisa. My arms are getting rather tired from carrying this load."
Harry drew his bamboo wand and lazily performed a Cleaning Charm on his robes before stalking off angrily, leaving Ronald behind gaping like an idiot. He and Lisa reached Ravenclaw Tower quickly enough. He entrusted his snacks to one of the boys to take upstairs and place on his bed, keeping the papers from the bank himself. He managed to lose Lisa Turpin after a bit of effort and returned to the corridor with the gargoyle.
"Pumpkin Pasties."
The gargoyle leapt aside again, while Harry shook his head at the password. Surely there were much more refined words that could be used than the name of some sweet pastry. A spiral staircase led to an open door, which Harry passed through into a magnificent circular office. The room was most peculiar, with silver instruments strewn about on table emitting smoke and several portraits talking enthusiastically to one another. He immediately took notice of the resplendent phoenix perched behind the door. Harry walked over to stroke the magnificent bird's plumage and was rewarded with a soft trill that filled him with emotion.
"It would appear that Fawkes has taken quite a liking to you, Harry."
Harry whirled around in a fright. Albus Dumbledore was now sitting behind a desk that Harry was sure had been unoccupied when he entered the room, regarding the young wizard with his usual twinkling smile. He was every bit as dumbstruck by the great archmage as he had been upon first meeting him at Gringotts.
"Professor Dumbledore, sir. I apologize for intruding. I didn't know that this was your office. I hope I haven't interrupted anything."
Dumbledore didn't seem the least bit surprised to see the young wizard in his office, as if he had been watching the entire episode with Ron earlier and fully expected Harry to make a return visit.
"Not at all, my boy. In fact, I had hoped to invite you here for a chat soon regardless. There seem to be a few unfortunate issues between us that I would much like to see reconciled. Please be seated and feel free to help yourself to a Sherbet Lemon."
Harry sat down across from the headmaster and did indeed reach into the old man's candy dish. He just couldn't help but feel a bit guilty for having attacked his headmaster that afternoon. He still felt that his actions had been justified, but felt compelled to apologize. He locked eyes with Dumbledore despite knowing fully well from Lucius through Draco that he was a powerful Legilimens. Harry had nothing to hide.
"I guess I owe you another apology, sir. I should never have behaved the way I did at the inheritance hearing. I lost my temper and acted without thinking. I'm thoroughly ashamed at forgetting my breeding like that and I hope you can somehow forgive me."
Harry felt a reassuring caress within his mind, though he couldn't be sure whether it came from the headmaster himself or from his phoenix familiar, which was now perched on the young wizard's shoulder and singing softly. Far from being indignant, Dumbledore appeared to be both apologetic and pleased at the same time.
"Consider it forgotten. You did no wrong that afternoon. It is I who should be apologizing to you. I foolishly allowed myself to be baited into acting in a threatening manner towards your grandmother, at which point you fought to protect her. A man of my age and experience has no excuse for such immature and reprehensible conduct. I certainly deserved far worse punishment than a face full of ink and a good hexing. Please do not feel guilty..."
Harry said nothing in response, and the headmaster continued.
"...As a matter of fact, I would have been quite disappointed had you not made any attempt to defend her. You acted with bravery and nobility, for which your parents would have been very proud. Furthermore, you have shown great compassion and magnanimity in feeling considerable shame and offering an apology for taking action against one who had wronged you. For that I am very pleased with you as well."
Harry brightened a bit at the obviously heartfelt praise, but it didn't last long. His gentle face turned uncharacteristically serious as he prepared to ask about something that had been lingering in the back of his mind. It was an issue that very much defined him and required an answer.
"Thank you, that means a lot to me. But there's something I need to ask you about."
Dumbledore's expression turned grave as well, as the old man anticipated his question.
"Go right ahead, Harry. I will answer your query to the best of my ability."
"Do tell me where have those robes of yours made. They're absolutely marvelous. I simply must have a set."
Shock registered in the headmaster's wizened face for a moment, and then his eyes began twinkling even more madly than ever before. He laughed loudly and had to brace himself against his desk. Several of the portraits chuckled along with him, and even Fawkes seemed amused. Harry didn't understand at all. It was a serious issue. Dumbledore leaned across his desk conspiratorially and whispered into Harry's ear.
"That, dear boy, is among my most jealously guarded secrets. But I will confide in you. Simply ask for the Dumbledore Set upon your next visit to Madam Malkin's."
Harry smiled gratefully. He decided to ask one more question that had popped into his head while revisiting that humiliating episode at the bank in Diagon Alley.
"Thank you, sir. I appreciate it. Now, there's just one more thing. When you argued with grandma, she mentioned some sort of Prophecy. I tried to ask her about it later, but she said that I was still too young to hear it. I think she only raised the issue to get a rise out of you, really. But she did say that it had something to do with the reason my parents died. I usually don't argue with grandma's decisions, but I think I deserve to hear this."
Harry had raised the issue with the old lady upon returning home from Malfoy Manor and it had been deflected. The headmaster's expression faltered yet again. Harry thought that the old man had just hit the sour portion of one of his lemon candies.
"You do indeed have the right, Harry. I will tell you if you are determined to know. But consider this first. Knowing the details of the Prophecy will irrevocably shatter what precious little childhood you have left to enjoy. Even for the most fortunate of us, those irreplaceable years vanish far too quickly. And you already have the burden of fame and celebrity to bear. Heed this old man's advice and do not compound that with the weight of your destiny, for it is indeed great. Many years ago, I too faced a similar situation..."
But Albus Dumbledore trailed off at that point instead of sharing the painful story of his own past. Harry could feel a strong sense of empathy with the elderly sage. He looked at his headmaster with his own eyes and momentarily put aside the harsh criticism of the esteemed wizard that he had so often heard recently from the likes of his grandmother and the Malfoy family. He didn't see the manipulative old coot that they railed against. Dumbledore appeared to be and trying his best to protect him from some terrible fate that even Harry himself didn't feel ready to face out of a genuine concern for his well being.
"I understand, headmaster. I'll let it go for now. Your phoenix is beautiful, by the way."
The headmaster nodded his agreement with a smile, the twinkle again returning to his cerulean eyes. The two seemed to have reached an unspoken agreement to speak no more of the Prophecy, though Harry still turned the matter over in his head.
"Fawkes is a most resplendent creature. How fortunate you are to see him today, at the very zenith of his regenerative cycle. He is typically reticent with my guests, though. You are indeed a very special young wizard, Harry. I did put aside a moment this morning to admire your pontoon boat. A bit presumptuous perhaps, but still a phenomenal feat of transfiguration for one so young. Professor McGonagall was in a state of total disbelief when Hagrid showed it to her. I think it best that simply refrain from discussing how exactly where attained the requisite skill before ever setting foot onto the grounds. Needless to say, however, the teaching staff here harbors very high hopes for you."
Harry knew better than to mention his disdain for certain subjects to the headmaster. Again, he had the gut feeling that the old man knew how he had gained his magical proficiency.
"I'll do my best to live up to them."
"I sincerely hope that you...ah, Severus. I had nearly forgotten our scheduled meeting. How very rude of me. Harry, I'm sorely afraid that we'll have to adjourn our impromptu discussionuntil a later date. This place is always so hectic right around the start of term. Off you trot, my boy."
"Very well. I've enjoyed getting to know you a little better, sir."
Harry spared a glance at the Potions master standing in the doorway as he departed. The ugly little man sneered hatefully at him, as if he were something particularly repugnant beneath his shoe. Harry would have hexed Snape if not for Dumbledore's presence. As it was, he simply strode out of the headmaster's office, wordlessly casting a Trip Jinx halfway down the staircase. Severus Snape would visit the Hospital Wing with a nasty concussion half an hour later.
Meanwhile, Harry restlessly strolled about the Hogwarts corridors. The Prophecy was weighing heavily on his mind. He wished he had gotten the details out of the headmaster, but it was obvious even to the naive dandy that the old man was extremely reluctant to divulge them. Upon actually speaking to him, he had taken an immediate liking to Dumbledore. They were cousins in eccentricity, as it were. Both were potentially very powerful and intelligent, and both were largely misunderstood by the mundane hordes due to their unorthodox personalities. Harry was more of a foolish romantic while Albus was just odd.
He had first tried to sit down in the Ravenclaw common room to read, or at least to distract himself with Cho or Penny. However, both of them were still out on whatever business the Prefect had ferried the Chinese girl away for. Besides, not even a good book could whisk his mind away from his troubles this time. He really needed to talk to somebody. He didn't even know where to look for Draco, knowing only that the Slytherin common room was located somewhere in the castle's extensive dungeons. Not that the young aristocrat's harsh tongue and sarcastic comments would do Harry much good at the moment anyway, but at least he was somebody.
He eventually reached what appeared to be a fencing room. There were cobwebs marring the corners, indicating that the facility hadn't been used in some time. A few inanimate dummies stood about here and there, and a rack filled with silver epees and rapiers emblazoned with the Hogwarts crest leaned against a far wall. Harry felt an odd desire to practice with them, never having held a sword in his entire life. He removed his outer robes and took up a long rapier, standing in the middle of the room and holding it in front of him in one of those ridiculous stances that he had read about. As he made a few surprisingly fluid swings with the blade, the whole Prophecy started making sense to him.
His parents had been slain by the Dark Lord Voldemort. That much his grandmother had told him long ago. And she had also told him that the Prophecy pertained to the circumstances of her death, which meant that it concerned the evil wizard as well. Harry had supposedly killed Voldemort due to a freak accident over a decade ago. But the Prophecy had yet to be fulfilled, so the Dark Lord could not truly be dead. Which meant that he was out there somewhere and would one day return. Harry would surely be first on his list of targets for having foiled his first rising, and he and his grandmother would both be in grave danger, as would the girls and everybody else that he cared for. He wouldn't allow them to be hurt, ever.
He loathed fighting and the idea of learning the Dark Arts in order to do so revolted him. And yet there was likely no choice. Harry let out a scream and struck one of the dummies with the rapier, imagining it to be some hideous bogeyman that he equated to Voldemort inside his mind. It was apparently charmed to defend itself when threatened, as it came to life and advanced on Harry brandishing a blunted epee. Harry normally would have turned tail and run but felt inclined to work off his anger now. And so the duel began. He fought aggressively and nearly overwhelmed the dummy with frenzied strokes at the start, but was forced onto the defensive as the animated sparring partner adapted to his style and countered. He regained his own bearings and battled back to a draw, finally sidestepping a fierce thrust and disarming the dummy with a flick of his wrist before stabbing it in the torso.
It was a short exercise, but he was sweating and panting like he had just run a marathon at the end. But his anger was expended, replaced by a grim recognition that hard times would come in the future, and that he had to prepare. He allowed himself a brief rest, cleaning and drying his clothes and body with a few quick charms, and then took his robes and left. Harry never noticed the man that had entered just as he stepped forward and attacked the dormant dummy, watching the entire duel approvingly. Harry didn't sleep well that night, finally dozing off on a sofa in his common room at a quarter past two in the morning.
Harry had never bothered much with the game of chess, feeling it to be a stereotyped venture for those fools that moonlighted as intellectuals but couldn't quite make the cut. That said, he had easily won the few games that he had played in the past with the girls at home. None of them had any talent for it at all, and provided with him nothing remotely resembling a challenge. And now he was being decimated by Daphne Greengrass. Harry didn't feel up to breakfast on the last morning before classes, but had been practically dragged down to the Slytherin common room by Draco and company after lunch.
"Check."
Harry moved his king out of her bishop's path. It was apparently another blunder, as Draco shook his head from his observing position. Daphne and Blaise hadn't been nearly as flirtatious with him this afternoon as they had been before the Sorting Ceremony. Not that it bothered him, as he was more interested in Penny at the moment. She too had been somewhat cautious with him since that stolen kiss, but always friendly and helpful. Draco had probably put his two attractive housemates up to trying to literally seduce him into the serpent's den. It hadn't worked, and they had subsequently dropped the act. They were still cordial with him though, and seemed interested in being friends.
"Check."
"Bloody Hell."
He was being trapped into a corner without very much space to maneuver. Harry still had far more pieces on the board than Daphne, but his field position was hopeless. He again moved his king into a tight spot instead of prudently sacrificing a knight to defend him. There had been fireworks in Ravenclaw the previous day. Penny's venture concerning Cho had been to extract the full story behind her being stranded on the sofa. The latter cracked without Harry to back her up and the older girl went to Professor Flitwick, who summoned Cho's female yearmates into his office. According to the story floating around the common room, he could be heard raging at them from halfway down the Charms corridor. Marietta Edgecombe and two other terrified girls lost a hundred house points apiece and received three nights of detention per week with Mister Filch until Yule. Flitwick had some dwarven blood in him and suffered his share of taunts and abuse while in school as a result, and so this bullying had struck a very raw nerve with the normally friendly little wizard. Nobody had sent Cho Chang so much as a cross look since.
"Checkmate."
A sweeping move by Daphne's queen completed the rout, as she spoke the fatal words with mocking cheerfulness. Harry wasn't bothered by the loss and showed enough grace to shake her hand in congratulations and smile sheepishly.
"Well, that was humiliating."
Blaise offered some reassurance from her seat in a nearby chair.
"You show some promise, but you can only learn through practice and observation."
"Well, you played very well regardless."
A new voice drawled silkily.
"Indeed she did. A most excellent display of skill, Miss Greengrass."
All of the Slytherin first years turned to the portrait hole, from whence the compliment had come. Lucius Malfoy stood just inside the threshold with a cold expression on his face. Harry eventually looked over in his direction as well. Draco hurriedly stood to greet his father while the rest looked on respectfully.
"Father. A pleasure to see you this afternoon. I wasn't aware that you were visiting."
"And you as well, Dragon. The preliminary meeting of the Board of Governors has just concluded, and I decided that I might descend into these familiar dungeons to call upon my heir and his young friends. Draco, I have been informed that the Sorting Hat sent you to Slytherin before even touching down on your head. Such a tale will surely be retold when the next heir of Malfoy steps into these halls. You have made your family proud."
Draco bowed with a proud flush on his pale face.
"Thank you, father."
Lucius nodded and gazed over at Harry.
"Well met, Harry. It pleases me greatly that Draco has seen fit to regard my wishes and invite you down into our common room. While I will admit that I had hoped for you to be placed here in Slytherin alongside my son, Ravenclaw is still a worthy house and clearly the most suitable alternative for a young wizard of your fine breeding. Our esteemed headmaster has seen fit to feature your transfigured paddle boat during the Board of Governors' perfunctory sweep of the grounds, a most impressive bit of spellwork that has summarily awed several notables within magical society. I was of course aware of your considerable talents to begin with, though I do admire your taste. You will almost certainly excel here at Hogwarts and beyond."
"Thank you, Mister Malfoy."
"On a less positive note, I must express my most extreme disappointment with all of you. I stood unnoticed in the portrait hole observing that chess match between Mister Potter and Miss Greengrass for over a quarter of an hour. Not a single one of you so much as ventured a glance in my direction. You are Slytherins. You must be acutely aware of your surroundings at all times. Those outside of these dungeons distrust and despise us on sheer principle. Our enemies are everywhere. Draco, you at least should know better. Professor Snape will no doubt impart similar lessons upon you in the future. You would all do well to heed his words and remember what I have impressed upon you just now."
Draco cast his eyes downward as the other Slytherins murmured acquiescence. Harry said nothing, simply looking at Lucius Malfoy. The aristocrat strode fluidly across the room and stopped expectantly next to Daphne's seat. She stood up with a blush and offered the chair to the handsome older wizard, who sat down without so much as a nod of thanks. Blaise stood at the same time as Daphne.
"Can we offer you some refreshment, Mister Malfoy?"
"That will not be necessary, Miss Zabini. There is an important lesson to be learned from this chess match. Despite having a substantial numerical advantage, Mister Potter was soundly defeated. The reason for this lies in the moral scruples of the two respective players. Miss Greengrass showed a willingness to sacrifice her underlings when necessary in order to improve her overall position whereas Mister Potter placed a far higher value upon their lives. Such a strategy would likely have led him to an overwhelming victory against a lesser skilled opponent but doomed him to bitter defeat against one able to make proper decisions. A true Slytherin must be able to gauge the value of his or her various resources and utilize them accordingly."
Harry felt like an outsider in this lecture but paid attention regardless. He couldn't help but be impressed with Lucius Malfoy's ability to command the attention and respect of his audience. Every student present literally hung on to his every word.
"Harry, a colleague of mine informs me that you possess considerable potential with the rapier. He happened to observe you yesterday morning as you practiced in the abandoned fencing classroom."
Harry raised an eyebrow.
"I didn't see anybody watching me. I was only playing around, though. I have no training or skill or anything. That was the first time I'd even held a sword. Anybody with the slightest bit of talent would make a fool of me."
Lucius nodded sternly, but with a faint glimmer of pride in his eyes.
"And yet you managed to overcome a sparring dummy that was charmed to fight at the level of a third year apprentice. There can be no denying the fact that you are a naturally gifted swordsman, Mister Potter. We Malfoys have long cherished and cultivated the noble art of the fence. I can proudly state that I was the ranking swordsman in this school during my Hogwarts years. Fencing was offered here as a course of study during that time. I dutifully dedicate one afternoon per week to my training even now. It is most unfortunate that the program was abandoned following the retirement of my instructor. More so that most young purebloods have since abandoned more refined sporting pursuits in favor of such trivial games as Quidditch. And further still that my own son stands among them."
Harry couldn't say a word to that. He felt bad about upstaging Draco in front of his father and hoped that the pale boy wouldn't resent him for it. Draco just glanced at him for a moment and then cast his gray eyes towards Lucius, who seemed to be waiting impatiently for an answer.
"If you wish it, father, I will certainly make a greater endeavor to learn swordsmanship."
Lucius smiled sardonically and nodded.
"That is exactly what I wish, Dragon. A gift such as Harry's must of course be nurtured. And you are a Malfoy. I have no doubt that you have every bit as much potential as he does. Further, your mother has postulated that Harry must find some sort of physical outlet and improve his stamina so that another unfortunate incident similar to the one that followed his inheritance ceremony does not take place in the future. In exchange, I will consent to your wishes to go out for the Slytherin Quidditch team next year, despite my own abhorrence for the sport. While my obligations at the Ministry of Magic and elsewhere prohibit me from conducting your training personally, you may rest assured that I will spare no expense in procuring a private instructor of the highest quality for you boys. And speaking of which, I must be off to the Wizengamot. I will be fashionably late as it stands."
Draco stood up immediately.
"Please allow me to walk you to the gates, father."
"Do not trouble yourself, son. I would much rather you stay here with your friends. Remember, I expect results from you at Hogwarts. Your will score high in all of your subjects or else you will suffer my most extreme displeasure. And mind that you pursue your extracurricular studies as I have instructed you. I will test your progress during the Yule Holidays and I shall know if you have been slacking off. You and Harry may both expect regular parcels from the manor."
Lucius sent his son a pointed look, and his hardened eyes slid over to Harry. Both boys nodded respectfully to the aristocrat and Lucius strode out through the portrait hole, his cane knocking rhythmically against the floor. Harry turned to his friend.
"Sorry about that, Draco. I didn't mean..."
"Forget about it, Potter. All it does is give me another avenue to please him. Besides, I ought to thank you. I've been thinking about how to talk him into allowing me to play Quidditch for a good while now, and he won't go back on his word once given."
Harry smiled and ended up in another chess game, this time with Theodore Nott. He got trounced almost as badly as he had against Daphne. It really just wasn't his game.
Late that evening, Harry levitated all of his possessions and walked into a previously empty storage room in a secluded corner of the Ravenclaw common room. After strenuous hours of spellwork he had enlarged and transformed the dusty stone enclave into a perfect copy of his sleeping quarters at his grandmother's estate. Penny had helped with the Enlargement Charms to a degree, as she had worked with them a bit more extensively than Harry himself had. She provided pointers with theory as he did the application. In the end, he was pleased with his work. Now all that was missing was his future roommate. Cho was still busy packing her belongings.
It hadn't been difficult cajoling Professor Flitwick into breaking protocol by allowing them live together. Harry was already a favorite with the majority of the staff due to his outstanding magical potential and hero status, and he was also the son of one of this particular teacher's most cherished students. He was also understanding of her reluctance to remain living in her previous room. And they were relatively young, being eleven and twelve respectively. Some of the first year boys were rather chagrined at the fact that Harry was effectively ditching them, but that was of little importance to him. He was tired from all of the magic he had cast in creating the room and plopped immediately down onto his comfortable king sized bed, every single crease and lump identical to the original in Surrey. The door remained unlocked for Cho as Harry fell asleep. Classes would commence in the morning, and with them the full Hogwarts experience.
(End Chapter Six)
Author's Note: A little late, I know, but I've had some difficulty getting back into my regular schedule following Hurricane Dennis. I've been doing some thinking regarding shipping in this story, and I've come up with a few ideas to throw out.
Harry/Penny: I like this one personally. They seem to interact well together and the pairing has never been written before to the best of my knowledge. Also, I just love the idea of having Harry steal away Percy's canonical love interest. Damned Ministry sod.
Harry/Fleur: I believe that this pairing would work well for this fic. His aristocratic refinement and natural handsomeness would attract a girl like Fleur Delacour. I think their personalities would mesh quite nicely. I can just imagine them sitting up at the Champions' Table during the Yule Ball running down the Hogwarts decor together. If I decide not to go Harry/Penny or to end it after she graduates, I may well go here.
Harry/Cho: I'm rather reluctant to do this one, as I'm shooting for more of a brother/sister sort of relationship between the two in this story. However, such a thing could possibly develop into romance, I suppose. Rowling certainly seems to think so, at least. This would be more the thing I might do if Harry starts doing dark, along the lines of killing Cedric Diggory and then stealing away his girlfriend. I doubt that's going to happen. Besides, I do already have a Harry/Cho story out there for fans of the ship.
Harry/Kim: This is the least likely, I think. They have a good dynamic as they are, and I feel extremely disinclined to tamper with it. None of the other attendant girls are really viable either. Alyssa is the only one that might work, and I have plans for her already. Not revealing any more on that front.
Harry/Hermione: Blasphemy, I know. But it might work. Their conflicting views on magic and said thinking, and his hatred of her know-it-all attitude and so much else create a sort of appealing mutual dislike that can turn into physical attraction. Assuming of course I don't just let the troll kill her at Halloween (grins). But honestly, H/Hr shippers shouldn't hold their breath. This is very unlikely to happen, only slightly more viable than Kim.
There may be others, and I have Daphne or Blaise as an outside shot. Then of course I could just create some OC from out of nowhere. Give me your thoughts, but I'd prefer if you didn't treat it like some poll and just give a "vote." That won't really influence me in any way. And on a final female note, a lot of people seem to think that Su Li is a created character of mine. Well she sort of is for all intents and purposes, but she is also a canon character. Check the Harry Potter Lexicon if you want more info.
At least now I've given Harry a reason to pursue some Dark Arts power. I think that as a Ravenclaw, it isn't too out there for him to guess the Prophecy given a bit of info. It is rather blatantly obvious in my opinion. On another note, I absolutely love writing Lucius Malfoy. He is seriously my favorite character so far in this story. Harry and Penny are close behind, along with Cho. Well, at the risk of rambling too much, I'm going to cut it off here. Hope you all enjoy, and please review. Every single drop in the inbox is greater inspiration to keep going.
