A/N- Unfortunately, like the rest of the writers on I do not own anything related to Harry Potter….not that I would have the money to pay you if you felt like suing me anyway….Also, I'd just like to thank my reviewers, even if you are small in number- you make me want to write faster:)
Harry slowly woke up, a smile upon his face at the feeling of warmth and safety that surrounded him. He vaguely wondered why he didn't hear any of the other boys in his dormitory, surely they must be getting up by now, unless they already left him…but he didn't think Ron would leave with out him. When he finally opened his eyes, after basking in the comfort for a minute longer, a look of confusion took over his face. 'Where am I? This certainly isn't the boys' dormitory. How did I get here?' he wondered for a moment as he glanced around the room. Once his gaze fell upon the cup he'd drunk from the night before, however, he realized that he must have fallen asleep in the Room of Requirement.
"I'm really in for it now," he commented to the Room before he stood up and stretched. He cursed when he looked at his watch and saw the time- if he didn't hurry he was going to be late to his History of Magic Class. He didn't' think he would actually miss anything If he skived off but figured if he didn't go there would be more hell to pay afterwards from Ron and Hermione.
"I might as well get going. Thanks for the cup of cocoa," Harry told the Room, even if he wasn't sure it could actually understand him, before he walked out the door and raced to the History of Magic classroom. Once he reached his destination, he went straight to the back with out looking around. He figured Professor Binns wouldn't' even notice that he only had his wand with him, his stuff was still in the dormitory, and besides, he could just get the notes from Hermione. At the thought of one of his best friends, he finally removed his gaze from the window and looked around the room. After two futile searches of the entire classroom, Harry began to get a little worried. 'Where could they be?' he thought desperately, not realizing no one from his usual class was present. He inwardly groaned 'what if they're searching for me? I better go try and find them so they know I'm alright and so I knowthey're alright,' he thought before he snuck quietly out of the classroom and started to walk to the Gryffindor dorm.
'I really wish I had the Map,' he moaned mentally as he hid for the second time from the shadow of a teacher. At last, he reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"Password, dearie?" she requested kindly.
"Bondartshuk," he answered before backing up slightly in expectation of the portrait swinging forward to let him in.
"I'm sorry, but that's not the password, care to try again?" the Fat Lady replied.
"Not the password?" he questioned faintly, his face etched in confusion. More quietly he continued his conversation with himself, "Why…they are prefects…would they really be that mad at me for not showing up to request a new password?" Sadness overtook his look of confusion as he slowly walked away from the portrait, not really paying attention to where his feet were leading him.
A burst of cold air brought Harry back to himself- he'd walked all the way to the owlery, miraculously without getting caught. He leaned against the sill of one of the large openings available for the owls to fly through. A beautiful snowy owl landed on his shoulder after he had been stationary for at least a half hour.
"Hey there, girl," Harry whispered lovingly to the owl as he rubbed his finger against her cheek. "I wish he were still alive, he's the only one I wrote to during the school year… I suppose I could always write to Remus…but he has his own issues to deal with, I wouldn't' want to burden him with mine as well…" he fell silent once again, still petting the owl's cheek. She gave him a hoot of comfort and lightly gripped his shoulder, much like a human would do. Harry smiled weakly in return, grateful for the simple yet meaningful gesture. At that moment, he looked at his watch and realized if he didn't go back inside soon he would miss another class, this one he couldn't afford to miss and not get into trouble for- transfiguration.
"I'll have some time for a quick detour to the kitchens if I leave now, "he murmured aloud, as much for his benefit a sit was an explanation to the snowy owl attached to his shoulder. He knew some people found it weird when he talked to his owl, but he also felt that she was very intelligent in her own right and could understand everything he told her.
" I'll see ya later, girl, " he said with one last smile before he picked her up from his shoulder, put her down on the sill, and made his way back toward the school. She hooted a goodbye as he walked through the door before she flew back to her perch, thinking about the troubled teen who'd just left.
The boy in question ran his hand through his already messy black hair as he walked swiftly through the hallways. When he reached the door covered with fruit, he glanced down at his watch once more before tickling the pear. As expected, once the portrait swung open, at least 10 house elves came up to Harry, bowing and asking what they could do for him.
Harry requested some snack food and 5 scurried off to gather some whilst the others offered him drinks. He thanked them, they were as fast as the ever were, but something was missing. I t wasn't until after Harry had eaten some food and was on his way to Transfiguration that he realized with a start that Dobby was what had been missing. 'Well, its not like he lives there, he does have other jobs besides preparing food,' Harry thought to himself as he remembered the time Dobby had been cleaning a room and overheard how gillyweed could allow someone to breathe underwater for an hour, enabling Harry to compete in the Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament. He shrugged off the slight feeling of uneasiness he'd felt when he didn't get to see his eccentric friend; he had to pay more attention to where he walked now that the other students were changing class.
Meanwhile, there were two people standing anxiously outside the door to the Transfiguration classroom, scanning the other students faces for the one of their best friend. Although technically they weren't talking to each other, their mutual worry erased some of their earlier tension. The girl was the first to break the silence.
"You don't think he'd skip two classes in one day, do you?" she asked timidly.
"Now who's the one with a one-track mind?" replied the boy, not quite over the previous night's fight.
"Oh get over yourself and your pride!" she snapped irritably. "You know full well I'm only concerned about the fact that he hasn't been seen all day. We both know Professor Binns probably didn't even notice absence, but Professor McGonagall is bound too and then he'll really be in trouble."
He sighed, "Fine, I'm sorry but I'm just frustrated. He's never stayed out of sight for this long."
"I know and I'm sorry about earlier as well," she replied with a small smile. "We'd better head in, it doesn't look as if he's going to show up here either," she commented with one last concerned glance about the almost empty hall.
"Yea, let's go," the boy said as he led the way into the classroom and took a seat near the middle. Once she sat down as well, he whispered to her, "You don't think he's hurt, do you? I mean he never did come back to the dormitory…"
"I'm sure he's fine," she replied, although her voice was filled with a confidence she didn't hold anywhere else.
"I hope so…" he trailed off before turning his attention back to the lesson.
Harry picked up his pace as he noticed the hall ways emptying. He managed to squeeze in the Transfiguration classroom right before Professor McGonagall closed the door.
"Almost late, again, Mr. Potter," she commented dryly as she walked in after him. Harry grinned sheepishly while the class chuckled at his expense.
"Won't happen again, Professor," he told her, finally lifting his eyes up to meet hers.
"Wait a second," the Professor said suspiciously, her eyes narrowing at both the easiness in which he let it go and his appearance, "this isn't your class. Any why are your eyes green. And where did that scar come from?" She paused for a moment to catch her breath. "Alright, what prank are you trying to pull this time?"
Harry looked at her as if she'd lost her mind. "Umm, sorry Professor, but…I don't understand. I mean…I've always had this scar…and these eyes…and…well, I've never pulled a prank…" he continued to babble on in his slight confusion, "sure I've gotten into trouble before, that's almost a given nowadays…"he said with a self-deprecating laugh, "but I've never pulled a prank. As you know, that's more the twins' avenue than mine…" he trailed off as he glance around at all the students, where were trying their hardest not to laugh, noticing how he didn't recognize any of them 'maybe I am in the wrong place…but why does she think I'm playing a prank of some sort...'
"Mr. Potter, I daresay you've played your far share of pranks during your time here at Hogwarts. Is 'twins' your new code name for yourself and Mr. Black? The two of you certainly think enough alike to be twins," professor McGonagall replied with a raised eyebrow.
The rest of the class couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out laughing, obviously finding the absurd situation Potter had gotten himself into this time extremely funny. There was only one person in the room, however, that did not think anything was funny at all- Harry. Even Professor McGonagall could not be counted as one who did not find the situation funny because, truth be told, she enjoyed the antics of Potter and his group of friends. The laugher died down quickly once the class became aware of Harry's response to what the Professor had said. His mouth was in the shape of an O, as if in surprise, but his eyes were what really stood out. They showed a strange mix of hurt, sadness, and guilt- all of the deepest degrees. The students and professor had barely a moment to study Harry's features, for he had run out the door. Professor McGonagall stood still for barely a fraction of a second before she too ran to the door.
"James Potter, come back here and explain yourself!"