Chapter 2: Bullish on Bullies
Harry was lying in bed. Rather than his normal concerns as the recently anointed savior of the wizarding world, he was lucky enough to have just some basic teenage drama in his life. He was thinking more about what Dudley's girlfriend Diana had said to him, about the way he was only seeing things with Cho from his own perspective. He was sadly reminiscing on their failed relationship.
While part of Harry was still upset about the way Cho acted on their dates, and the way she defended that traitor Marietta Edgecombe after she betrayed the DA and got Dumbledore fired, a cowardly act that kicked off the chain of events that led to Sirius' untimely demise, Harry still felt like he never really gave it a proper go with the girl he'd been crushing on since 3rd year. He barely had a chance to get to know her at all. He had judged her so quickly for being so emotional and crying on their date, that he had just assumed that was her entire personality. He hadn't even stopped to consider that it was possible that she was still emotionally impacted by the death of her boyfriend Cedric and that was affecting the way she was acting around Harry. Harry felt like a real jerk for the way he treated her regarding that situation. After all, Harry was someone who'd known a lot of suffering in his life, and knew what a profound impact it can have on the way someone treats those around them. He had his fair share of outbursts at loved ones.
While Harry did know suffering, he often found himself needing to be reminded that others do too. It was the nasty reverse side of the coin of the martyr complex Hermione so frequently told him he had. While he was the first one to step up and be willing to bear the burdens of the world on his shoulders, he was often also the first to forget the burdens the others around him carry. He'd even once forgotten that his friend Ginny Weasley had been possessed by Voldemort. He was beginning to think that this was a major character flaw that needed to be addressed.
He was thinking about the enemies he'd made in his time at Hogwarts. There was Draco Malfoy, the bigoted blonde bully. Also, Professor Snape, the cruel teacher who never took it easy on him. Then, Marietta Edgecombe, the sneak who got Dumbledore's Army disbanded and Professor Dumbledore fired. Ever since being wronged by these people, he'd considered them enemies, but now he was wondering if there was a side to the story he wasn't seeing… one that wouldn't necessarily preclude them from any guilt in their wrongdoings against Harry, but would at the very least offer some context that helps him to the view them as actual people rather than just some heartless villain from a Muggle comic book.
As he thought about it, all of these people did have some background that could lead them to treating him the way they have. Harry figured it would be tough having Lucius Malfoy as a father and not turn out as a total pureblood supremacist bully. He imagined Draco, at only 15 years old, was probably being exposed to Death Eaters & even Voldemort himself, being recruited to do terrible things that would tear his soul apart before he was even of age. While that didn't excuse Draco's continued participation in it, or his treatment of other students at school, Harry supposed that if he had been raised in that upbringing, it would've been tough for him to turn out any better. Perhaps Malfoy was even scared these days, as his pureblood ideals had quickly shifted from schoolyard bullying into a real-world battle. He can't imagine Voldemort was pleased with the failure of Lucius Malfoy to retrieve the prophecy either, and it's possible Draco could be being punished as retaliation. Draco's situation actually seemed quite scary the more Harry thought about it.
As for Professor Snape, Harry had a little less sympathy for him, since he's an adult. Harry did recognize though that his father was a major bully to Snape, and everyone told him he looks just like his father. Harry even plays Quidditch like his dad, and constantly finds himself breaking the rules for reasons he believed to be justified, but from Snape's perspective could just seem like attention-seeking tomfoolery. It's not like Harry had really made much of an effort to reach out an olive branch to Snape either. He'd always exchange verbal jabs with Snape in Potions, and he hardly applied himself in their Occlumency lessons last year. Perhaps it was time to have a man to man talk with Professor Snape, and try to at least have a professional working relationship within the confines of The Order of the Phoenix and a student-teacher relationship at Hogwarts.
With Marietta Edgecombe, it was a more difficult situation, because Harry frankly didn't know that much about her. He knew she's Cho's friend who ratted on the DA, and that's it. He tried to think about that situation from what little he knew about her perspective. He knew she was a pureblood wizard, so she likely had lots of family working in the Ministry, perhaps even some who are colleagues with Umbridge. Maybe her parents were encouraging her to conform to Umbridge's tyranny. It was pretty much just Harry's word vs. the word of all the adults in her life she respected. Harry could understand how that would be an anxiety-ridden situation for her, that could lead to her making the wrong decision thinking she was making the right one. Perhaps it was too extreme to mark her face with the word sneak for life for a mistake she made as a teen.
As for Cho's defense of Marietta, well Harry couldn't really take much more of a stance on that without knowing more about their relationship. How long had they known each other? Had Marietta been one of the few people actually there for her when Cedric died? Harry knew that he'd defend Ron & Hermione if they ever made a major lapse in judgement because they had limited information. More profoundly, Harry realized that his friends had supported him when he made a major lapse in judgment because he hadn't had enough information, when he dragged them all into harm's way in the Department of Mysteries because Voldemort had tricked him into believing he had Sirius. Perhaps Marietta was also a victim of misinformation.
While Harry was far from having a positive opinion on these three people, he at the very least realized he needed to try to reach out to them and see things from their perspective. While he knew this was the right thing to do, he definitely dreaded the day where he'd have to actually do it.
A day that he didn't dread, but actually heavily anticipated, was the day he'd get to speak with Cho Chang again. Unfortunately though, he'd heard she was dating Michael Corner now. Part of him selfishly hoped their relationship was one of the many flings that seemed to happen at Hogwarts. He could count on one hand the number of relationships he'd seen last more than six months in his five years at school, so hopefully this one wouldn't be an exception to the norm. At the very least, it would be good to clear the air with Cho, and offer her some support. She definitely needed more closure about Cedric. She needs a friend to be there for her. Harry had heard that a lot of her friends had gotten tired of her emotional nature after Cedric's death and stopped hanging out with her. Harry had badly messed in not offering emotional support to her when she so clearly needed it, and who was he to judge her for running off to someone who would?
Harry briefly considered owling Cho, but thought better of it. If she was really in a relationship with Michael Corner, he didn't want to get in the way of that. While he selfishly wanted another chance, he knew that Cho really needed someone in her corner right now, even if that was Michael Corner. Maybe it was just his martyr complex speaking, but Harry genuinely felt that if she was happy with him then he'd be happy for her, no matter much it made his heart ache. He was definitely planning to snoop around and figure out what was going on with her relationship though, and regardless of the answer, he wanted to make things right with her, whether romantically or platonically. Harry figured out step 1 though: trying to set things right with her friend Marietta.
Authors Note: figured I'd write this one early since I'm procrastinating around writing out a firm plot outline for the rest of the story. I like writing romance a lot more than action, so the action parts are taking a while to plan out. I've got a real good idea where I want to take all my characters (focuses will be on Harry/Cho, Draco/Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville, Snape, Marietta, & maybe a few others), but only a cursory vision for how it's all going to make the plot diverge. Hopefully, some more clarity on that will come in the next few weeks.
Chapter 3: Spare Change, will be released no later than 1/16/21. Thanks for reading. I appreciate the follows & favorites! I'd love a review or two this time, and some feedback before I get to deep into the writing of the story that I can't adjust it anymore!
Preview of Chapter 3: After meeting Horace Slughorn & going to The Burrow, Harry returns to Diagon Alley to visit Fred & George's joke shop, where he has some proposals for them, to assist their business, help the DA, & even help him sort out some personal issues.