Chapter 3 - The Heir of Malfoy
A/N: Thanks for the reviews! They keep me motivated and writing!
Harry found it hard to walk back up to the common room. He wasn't having any moral or ethical dilemmas about not attending detention, but Hermione was walking much too close to him. She seemed to be staring at him so that she kept bumping into him or almost running into suits of armor. Several of them were forced to spring to life and jump out of her way to avoid a collision.
Ginny kept grabbing his hand on the other side, but Ron would loudly clear his throat and she would let go with a small sigh. Harry decided it was a family matter and that he shouldn't get involved.
Neville and Ron were carrying on a heated discussion about quidditch teams. Well, one quidditch team. Ron was defending his beloved Chudley Cannons while Neville was unhelpfully listing off their standings for the last few years. Ron seemed to take it good-naturedly, but his ears were bright pink and he was starting to get louder in between glances at Ginny and Harry.
As they reached the top of the stairs on the third floor corridor Cho caught up with them. She was out of breath and running up the stairs behind them.
"Harry! Do you have a moment to-", her feet slipped out from under her and a look of surprise crossed her face as she teetered and then tumbled down the stairs. Harry grabbed for his wand but by the time he had it out she had hit the landing at the bottom of the stairs. Cho lay still, apparently knocked out.
Neville and Ron ran down the stairs, "Quick, let's get her the hospital wing."
Ron nodded, "Yeah, that leg looks broken."
Neville waved his wand and Cho floated up into the air. He started directing her toward the hospital wing and Ron glanced up where Harry, Ginny, and Hermione were still standing. He seemed to be thinking for a moment and his brow was furrowed.
"Ginny, you better come with us. Madame Pompfrey might have some questions about how she tripped."
A look of guilt flashed across Ginny's face and she stuffed her wand back in her pocket. She looked at Harry, then Hermione, sighed, and then stalked down the stairs muttering something that sounded like "Bat bogey that bitch".
Harry sighed internally and watched as the three of them levitated Cho away. His life seemed to be getting weirder despite his efforts to simplify things.
"Well, I guess we can save them a seat", Harry glanced at Hermione and motioned toward the next flight of stairs.
As they walked, Hermione tentatively grabbed his arm. Harry didn't bother to shake her off.
"How does it feel?" She asked as they reached the fourth floor, "To skip detention, I mean?"
"Feel? I don't think it feels like anything. I just decided that it wasn't important."
Hermione blushed and seemed to change the subject, "You know, there's a very nice broom cupboard on this floor. I don't know if you've seen it but-"
She stopped as they rounded the next corner. Luna Lovegood was standing in front of a blank patch of wall, staring very intently at it. They walked a bit closer and she didn't seem to realize that they were there.
"Uh, hello, Luna", Harry said finally.
She turned her whole body in one motion and gave him a dreamy smile, eyes half-focused, "Oh, hello, Harry. Hermione. It's nice to see you again. Do you need another cheering charm?"
Hermione furiously shook her head, but managed a polite tone of voice, "Oh, no. Thank you, Luna. I'm feeling quite cheery at the moment."
Luna glanced to where the witch was practically clinging to Harry's arm, "Yes, I think I can see that. Though I should warn you that you're surrounded by nargles and they're… oh my."
Luna blushed a deep crimson. Harry didn't think she was able to blush after all the strange things she said. He decided to change the subject.
"What are you looking at, Luna?"
She turned back to the wall, her blush fading into an affectionate smile, "I was just looking for secret passageways."
He peered at her, "I hate to tell you this, but I have it on very good authority that there isn't one behind this wall."
Luna shrugged, "I appreciate that, Harry. But I have a theory that sometimes the castle just creates new ones. I'm hoping to catch it when it does."
She stared intently at the wall a few inches in front of her nose. Harry was sure she was starting to go cross-eyed.
"Well. Have fun, I suppose", Harry said awkwardly as he walked past the blonde haired witch.
Luna hummed quietly to herself and kept staring at the wall.
Harry managed to walk straight past the last broom cupboard before the portrait of the fat lady that led into the Gryffindor common room, despite Hermione's gentle tugging on his arm. She finally sighed and let go of him as he spoke the password and they climbed through the portrait hole.
Harry settled into his favorite armchair by the fire and pulled out his homework. Hermione huffed and sat on the nearby couch and did the same. They managed to concentrate in the quiet common room for nearly ten minutes before the portrait hole opened and pandemonium poured through.
The rest of Gryffindor house was shouting, laughing, and cheering as they surrounded Harry. Hands slapped him on the back, several of the sixth and seventh year girls kissed his cheeks, and Seamus Finnegan heartily shook his hand.
Finally, Fred and George managed to worm their way to either side of his armchair and started shooing away the rest of the house. By the time Harry had some room to breathe his glasses were hanging from one ear and his hair was even more of a tousled mess than before.
One of the twins straightened his glasses for him and took the opportunity to mutter under his breath, "Thanks for the help, Harry. We've almost made enough to open a second location when we get the store opened."
Harry raised his eyebrows, "That much? Has the whole school been gambling on my detentions?"
The twin - George, maybe? - shrugged, "The whole school, most of the teachers, and a few people we know in Hogsmeade. The old bloke that runs the Hog's Head put a hundred galleons down on you never stepping foot in Umbridge's office. We gave him short odds, but enough people bet that you would end up there one way or another that we should be able to cover it."
Harry nodded, "Well, I can't say that knowing that changes my mind. But I have a feeling that you won't have to worry about paying too many of those out."
That earned him one more slap on the back and two beaming grins.
Ron and Ginny dropped into spots on the couch next to Hermione.
"Good thing we did take Cho to the hospital wing", Ron said as he slumped down in his seat, "Madam Pomfrey said she broke her leg and got a nasty concussion on the way down the staircase. Pomfrey said she would keep her there for at least a couple of days."
Harry noticed a brief, triumphant look flash across Ginny's face before she hid behind her transfiguration textbook.
As the common room began to empty, Harry caught Hermione and Ginny stealing looks at him and sending glares at each other. One by one, each of their other friends headed up to bed until Harry realized that just the three of them - he, Ginny, and Hermione - were left in the common room. Neither girl looked like they wanted to leave him alone with the other. Harry sighed and stuffed his homework back into his bag.
"Well, it's been a long day. I'm going to head to bed."
Hermione started to protest and Ginny reached out to catch his hand. Harry used the excuse of adjusting his glasses to yank his hand out of her reach and started toward the stairs up to his dormitory.
"Goodnight! I'll see you both in the morning."
He bounded up the spiral staircase before he heard either girl's reply.
According to the snoring that filled the fifth year dormitory the rest of the boys must have been asleep. Harry changed quietly and slipped into bed. He wondered about the dreams that had been plaguing him for months. He had slept just fine the night before. He mused that choosing to relax and worry less at Hogwarts might have helped him get over the nightmares. Then he slipped into sleep.
Harry was standing in the graveyard in Little Hangleton. He was looking down at new, fresh skin covering his thin arms. The robe was rough against his body. A feeling of exaltation filled him. Of triumph.
Harry was tied to a gravestone, struggling to see through the pain in his lightning bolt scar. He was fighting the Imperius, trying to break free. He was watching himself twitch and writhe on the ground as he held his wand pointing at himself and laughed that high, manic laugh.
Then he was in a dark hallway. So dark that the light seemed to be sucked into the floor and walls. The stone was cool against his skin. He was approaching a door at the end of the hallway. There was a shimmer in the air nearby.
Then Harry was in a lavish dining room with serpent motifs covering every inch of the walls and mantelpiece. He was addressing a group of figures in dark robes, their faces warped and obscured. He was laughing again. He was torturing someone. He was-
Harry woke with a scream and struggled against the blankets that were wrapped around him. He was sweating and panting for breath. As he managed to free his hands and grab for his wand a pale face with red hair swam into blurry view.
"Bloody hell, Harry. Are you alright?"
He slipped his glasses onto his face and stared at Ron. The redhead was looking at him with a wary expression. Harry struggled to calm his breathing and finally nodded his head.
"Yeah, just a bad dream, Ron. Sorry guys", he glanced at Neville, Seamus, and Dean where they were peering at him from their four-poster beds, "I didn't mean to wake you all."
They gave him curious looks but, one by one, they pulled the hangings around their beds and Harry heard the muffled sounds of three silencing charms being cast.
Ron was still crouched by his bed. Harry took a few deep breaths and then managed a weak smile.
Ron still looked concerned, "Are you sure you're alright? Maybe you should tell Dumbledore about this…"
Ron's voice trailed away as Harry scowled, "No. He still hasn't said a single word to me since I don't know when. If he's too busy to tell me what's going on then he's probably too busy to hear about another nightmare."
Ron seemed unconvinced, but backed off the topic. He wished Harry goodnight and climbed back into bed. Harry lay back down, staring at the ceiling and trying to stay awake as long as possible. He still had his glasses on when he fell into - this time - a dreamless sleep.
Harry grumbled to himself as he walked down into the common room the next morning. He had rolled over in his sleep and bent his glasses out of shape. Now they sat crooked on his face and he had to keep adjusting them in order to see where he was going.
He stopped in front of the cold fireplace. Ginny and Hermione were asleep on the couch, right where he had left them the night before. Hermione was curled up into a ball at one end with Crookshanks perched on the back of the couch behind her. The cat was looking down at his witch with an annoyed glint in his eyes. Ginny was sprawled out, her feet up on an end table she must have dragged in front of the couch. Her head was leaning back and a string of drool was leaking out of her open mouth as she slept.
Harry grinned and considered whether it would be kinder to wake them now and let them get over any embarrassment or leave them and hope that Fred and George didn't find them first. He pondered for a moment before sighing and pulling out his wand.
He pointed it at Hermione's Ancient Runes textbook, gave it a swish-and-flick, and murmured, "Wingardium Leviosa".
The thick book floated a few inches into the air above the table. Harry kept his wand on it as he backed toward the portrait hole. He swung it open with his foot and at the last possible second dropped his wand to his side and leapt through, closing the portrait behind him. He heard the sudden thwack of the book dropping and two terrified squeaks. He chuckled to himself and headed down toward an early breakfast.
He made it down three flights of stairs before turning a corner and spotting Draco Malfoy leaning against the banister of the next staircase. Malfoy was glancing around, an awkward, nervous look on his face. Harry realized he had never seen the blond ponce this close to Gryffindor tower before. He slowed down and glanced around to make sure Crabbe and Goyle weren't about to ambush him.
Malfoy spotted him and pushed himself off the banister, hands shoved into his pockets. He gave Harry a strange look and gestured to his crooked glasses, "Lose a fight with yourself, Potter?"
"I'd rather not talk about it, Malfoy", Harry muttered and tried to walk past, but Malfoy sidestepped to block his way.
"I need to talk to you, Potter", his voice was suddenly strained, worried. The sneer was gone.
Harry looked at him, cautious, "What do you want? Did daddy send you to threaten me?"
Malfoy's eyes flashed, but he kept his voice level, "No. Not exactly. Look, are you going to start going to detention, Potter?"
Caught off guard, Harry studied Malfoy's face, "If I earn detention from a reasonable teacher then I suppose so. But no, I don't plan on putting up with Umbridge's tantrum. Not that it's any of your business, Malfoy."
The blond boy suddenly looked very serious, "Look, I don't care what your reasons are. I just really need you to- I mean, it would be better-"
He seemed to be having trouble finding the right words. Harry was utterly nonplussed. Malfoy had never spoken to him this way before - not even in second year when he and Ron had used Polyjuice to turn into Crabbe and Goyle. It was unsettling to see Malfoy's facade start deteriorating.
Malfoy stuttered for a moment more before stopping, taking a deep breath, and pointedly not making eye contact with Harry, "Potter, I need you to not get expelled."
There was a long pause. Harry stared at Malfoy. Malfoy stared at a painting of an overweight dog. Then Harry laughed.
"What? Why would that matter to you? I thought you would love to see me tossed out so Voldemort could take a crack at me."
Malfoy flinched at the name and his lips tightened, "If you must know… My father and I have an… Arrangement. As long as I keep him up to date on what you're up to during school he-"
Malfoy gulped and looked Harry in the eye defiantly, "If I report back to him about you then he keeps sending me pocket money."
There was another long pause. Harry stared at Malfoy again. Malfoy stared back this time. His eyes kept straying to look at Harry's crooked glasses.
"So you want me to go to detention? With Umbridge? Just so you can have pocket money?"
Malfoy had the piece of mind to look sheepish, "It is a lot of pocket money…"
"Look, Malfoy. I doubt that Dumbledore would expel me. But I don't really care whether or not your father sends you your allowance."
Harry shoved past Malfoy, spinning the Slytherin on the spot, and headed toward the stairs.
"Wait!"
Harry half turned back to look at him. Malfoy's face was contorted into a look of pure panic. He glanced around as if looking for help. Harry was just about to turn back when Malfoy found his voice and blurted out, "I can pay you!"
Harry fully turned back to look at him, "Pay me? Out of your pocket money?"
Though it looked as though it physically pained him, Malfoy nodded.
Harry thought for a moment. Then a grin spread across his face that would have made his godfather proud, "I think I have a better idea…"
Even after having been waylaid by Malfoy, Harry was one of the first people into the great hall for breakfast. As he walked through the double doors and automatically turned toward the Gryffindor table someone caught him by the arm and yanked him around.
Harry looked down into the furious face of Professor Umbridge. She was holding one of his arms in a death grip and stabbed her finger into his chest.
"Mr Potter! Where were you last night?" She hissed at him, "I waited until nearly midnight for you."
Harry sighed and twisted his arm out of her grip. Growing up with Dudley had taught him a few tricks. He turned back toward the Gryffindor table and took a couple of steps so she couldn't grab him again.
"I'm sorry, Professor. You'll have to get in line behind Ginny and Hermione."
She didn't seem to have a reply and he headed for a seat. He only made it a few steps before Umbridge found her voice.
"Fifty points from Gryffindor!"
He stopped and glanced back at her. Umbridge's toad-like face was warped into a look of glee, "In fact, that makes two detentions you've missed, Potter. Let's say another fifty points from Gryffindor, shall we?"
He glanced through the open double doors to where the massive hourglasses were arranged in the front hall. The one full of rubies to track Gryffindor's house points was suddenly nearly empty. Harry looked back to her and shrugged.
"Can't take many more now, I suppose."
He turned back to the table and found a seat near the end. Umbridge stared at him, growing more and more purple until she resembled a shorter, not quite as attractive Uncle Vernon. Finally she seemed to reach a boiling point and started striding - if you could call her short, bouncing walk a stride - up to the top of the hall and the staff table.
Harry piled bacon onto his plate as Umbridge walked up in front of Dumbledore, took a deep breath, and started shrieking at him.
"Headmas-!"
She only managed two syllables before Dumbeldore had his wand out and cast a spell to block the rest of the hall from hearing her. Judging by the way the old wizard was wincing, he could still hear the tirade.
Harry smiled to himself and added some tomatoes to his plate. He was only just getting started when Fred and George dropped into the seats opposite him. He glanced at them, then stopped when he saw looks of consternation and confusion on their faces, and a very accusing glare being directed at him. Harry tried his best to look innocent.
"Harry, your glasses are crooked", the first one began.
"Do you know what just happened to us?" His twin said at the same time.
They stopped and looked at one another. After a short pause they both nodded and turned back to Harry.
"Harry, did you do this? Because if you did, well. We aren't sure whether to congratulate you on being the best thing to happen to this school since the Marauders or warn you that hell may have frozen over."
Harry finished chewing a piece of bacon, "Did I do what?"
"Yeah", Ron said as he sat down next to Harry, "What did Harry do?"
The spokes-twin looked at Ron and grinned, "A nice young man found us a few minutes ago and told us how much he loved our work and how he wanted to invest in our owl-order business. Ten galleons a week, no less."
Ron's mouth dropped open and the pumpkin juice he was pouring missed his goblet, "No way! That's brilliant! Who was it?"
The twin, turning back to Harry, smiled, "Oh, that nice Mr Draco Malfoy, of course."