Serpent Lies in Crimson – Chapter 5 - Imformative
Harry felt like bags were forming under his eyes. He felt so exhausted. He knew he wasn't being overworked with school related work. But the pressure of stress was getting to him. It felt like the professors were keeping an extra eye on him, so not only was the staff against him but almost entire school body. With the only exceptions of being Hermione, Fred, and George Weasley. Though, the young Potter had been noticing some questioning looks from some of his dorm mates. So, in order to avoid another confrontation like when Ron had called him a murder, Harry started to avoid the Gryffindor common room when he could. The young Gryffindor would only be in the dormitory when he had to sleep and would be the first up and out of the dorm.
Despite the upcoming confrontation that Harry knew would eventually happen. He would still meet Hermione in the library at the back table that nobody ever uses.
"Harry, avoiding it won't make it go away."
"It beats getting called a murderer again, Harry muttered.
"Give it a chance, Harry. Maybe someone just wants to talk to you. Not everyone thinks you're the heir. Malfoy didn't," Hermione pointed out.
Harry gave her a pointed look.
"Right, bad example."
"I'm pretty sure every Slytherin would agree I'm not the heir. But Slytherins typically hate Gryffindors," Harry commented.
Hermione pursed her lips for a minute, "that doesn't mean every Gryffindor thinks you're the heir either."
"Maybe," Harry admitted. "But they haven't been supportive of me, either."
"But nobody would dare go against the Twins either and everyone in Gryffindor knows that they are on your side. A Weasley that's better than that bloody prat, even with all their pranks," Hermione snorted.
Harry smiled, "Not many people would like to be pranked by them. They are quite ingenious.
Hermione rolled her eyes, "quite."
Hermione's eyes went wide, "Totally forgot, I still have an essay to finish."
Harry started to snicker, "knowing you, it's probably not due for another two weeks."
It was the moment that Harry had wanted some peace and quiet that he could be found in Hogwarts Library's secret room.
The only thing he had not expected was that the room was already occupied.
Surprisingly, it was a boy that he really didn't know much about. He knew he was in Slytherin if the crest on his Hogwarts uniform wasn't obvious enough. But all the same, it was an Italian boy that happened to be Slytherin, but he was more of the quiet and observant type. The only Slytherins that Harry was remotely familiar with was, Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Flint on occasion. To be honest, Harry couldn't believe his luck.
It was that room where he found Blaise Zabini, heir to the Noble house of Zabini. It wasn't an ancient to British wizards, but in Italy it was a different story.
"Zabini," Harry whispered, so quiet it was almost silent.
"Potter," was the indifferent and cool tone. "Now why would a Gryffindor want to speak to me. I'm after all, a Slytherin?"
Harry's eyebrows clenched together for a moment in anger. 'Was it so unbelievable for a Gryffindor to speak to someone in Slytherin.'
"And yet you've never been hostile to me, unlike the others," Harry responded coolly.
Harry could see the twelve-year-old Slytherin thinking.
"You're not as prejudice as the Weasley's."
It was a statement and yet the suspicious look in Blaise's gaze grew. Harry would have acted the same if a Slytherin approached him and talked without cursing him.
"I need your help," Harry finally had the nerve to ask.
"And what help could I be that you couldn't get from your so called house?"
"You're a Pureblood."
"Every house has a Pureblood in them, or have you gone blind? Not that I be surprised," Blaise commented with a bored tone.
"And yet how many of them still uphold the traditions and cultures of being a Pureblood?" Harry challenged.
Blaise only smirked, "So Dumbledore's light savior found out that he's an Heir. One would think you were being kept in the dark about your duties as the Heir, perhaps even Lord."
Harry glared at Blaise, "I'm nobodies savior. And would I be asking you if I already knew?"
The only way Blaise's surprise showed was by the rise of his eyebrow. "You mean to tell me you know nothing about our world?"
"I'm not a Muggleborn. I spent over a year in this world," Harry's eyes blazed.
"Strange… you say muggleborns with distain and yet you're friends with one. It almost appears like…" Blaise cut himself off. Everything started to make sense. Why else would their supposed 'light' savior not know anything about their world. Potter lived with muggles and with the way he had said muggleborns, he hated muggles he possibly lived with.
Harry only raised an eyebrow similar to Blaise's earlier expression. And yet the young Potter could tell that Zabini has come to realize something, good or bad, Harry didn't know yet.
"Your Magical Guardian never told you anything…" Blaise left off.
"Magical Guardian?" Harry grew confused. He knew Malfoy had said those words before, but he never understood what it meant. Only that Dumbledore supposedly held that title.
Blaise almost wanted to gap, but he was no Hufflepuff or Gryffindor. The boy in front of him knew basically nothing. It was like a new Mudblood coming to the school. "A Magical Guardian is supposed to teach you about our world, they're usually assigned if a person is Muggleborn, Half-blood, or lives with or near Muggles."
It almost delighted the Slytherin to see Harry clench and unclench his fists in anger. If only he knew who the assigned Magical Guardian was.
"And have you realized who your Magical Guardian is?" Blaise inquired.
Harry had to exhale through his nose, in an effort to calm himself. He had noticed that Zabini was less hostile and yet he heard the smugness in Blaise's voice. So, Draco was right, he was the only one that didn't know anything about his life. He knew he was only twelve, and yet people around him that were the same age as him knew more.
"Dumbledore," Harry gritted out.
Zabini had expected to know of the wizarding family. And yet his suspicions of the precious light were right. It was intentional to keep the Potter heir in the dark. For how long, he had no idea. Perhaps his entire life and he was never to know how much of his life and responsibilities he was being kept from. No matter if Blaise was a Slytherin or not, he felt like gapping. He knew for a fact that Dumbledore would never be a Magical Guardian unless he saw it benefited the old man.
"You never knew who my Magical Guardian actually was, did you?" Was Harry's blunt question.
Blaise knew he could act like he did, that was a Slytherin approach. But that wasn't an option where the Potter's trust was so fragile. "I had a strong suspicion, not many have the influence and power to be able to neglect their duties as a Magical Guardian."
Harry looked confused for a moment, but his gaze held no anger. "Is it that serious of an offense?"
Blaise simply nodded, "our world sees it as these children are the future. Dumbledore could be sentenced to Azkaban, where you are an Heir and Future Lord to the House of Potter. Though there's a possibility you're an Heir to another Noble and Ancient House."
"Noble and Ancient House?" Was Harry's next question.
Blaise huffed for a minute, "I can't explain everything about that right now."
Harry almost panicked for a minute, "he literally just found a Slytherin to talk to and he had more questions than answers."
"Calm down, you're overreacting, Potter. I'll speak with you again, but I can't spend all day in the library talking to a Gryffindor," Blaise drawled.
Harry looked taken back for a minute.
"Please don't tell me your offended cause I don't like Gryffindors?" Blaise sniped.
"Not really, I guess I kind of expected it. It's not like Gryffindors treat Slytherins very well. But why would you want to talk to me since I am a Gryffindor," Harry's response was hesitant.
"You're not one of those brainless and rash Gryffindors. So, you're not as bad. Nothing to compared to the Weasleys," Blaise words ended with a bitter taste.
"Oh…" was Harry's brilliant answer.
"Common Gryffindor answer," Blaise rolled his eyes.
"I suggest for you to get back to your house, your absence will be noted by now," Blaise commented as he used the side exit out the secret room and stepped out.
Harry had been sitting in one of the chairs and just slumped. He wasn't sure what to think, especially now that Zabini had left. He knew that the conversation had just confirmed that the Gryffindor had a Magical Guardian. Though Blaise didn't know who it was at the time, yet he wasn't surprised that Dumbledore would be his.
Another surprise was that Blaise didn't bother to lie to Harry and he probably could have pulled it off since he was a Slytherin.
Harry was just relieved that Zabini was going to talk to him more about it all. He was more afraid that the Slytherin would never speak to him again. There were so many unanswered questions he had and nobody to answer them at the present moment. And Harry had no idea when he would hear from Blaise Zabini again.
Not wanting to think more on it, Harry decided to visit the Owlery. He hadn't seen Hedwig and he doubted he come across anyone at that point.
Sneaking away from the Library was the easy part, since nobody seemed to be paying the Gryffindor any attention. But had Harry known someone would have later walked into the Owlery to talk to him, he probably would have run. Good thing Harry didn't know anything about future events.
That is where it found Harry, in the Owlery speaking softly to his owl. He knew Hedwig was very intelligent for an owl and possibly could understand some things. It was while Harry was petting her feathers that he never noticed three people walk into the Owlery.
"There's no way he be in here, Neville?" Dean harshly whispered.
"Well, he's not in the library. We already checked, and Granger is already back in the Common Room. Where else could he be," Neville whispered back.
Seamus didn't say a thing for a moment before speaking, "if you guys didn't notice. He's right in front of us."
Harry had frozen when he heard incoming voices. Though he didn't relax when he saw it was three of the boys that roomed with him in Gryffindor Tower. Hermione did say, maybe it not something bad or accusing. But it was hard to believe, especially when he had to deal with Ron already. But if Hermione's words rang true, maybe it would convince Ron to leave him alone and prevent another confrontation.
Maybe Blaise's words made sense when he said he didn't deal with Gryffindors. Gryffindors didn't really give Slytherins a reason to trust them or want to be near them.
Harry didn't say anything but kept an eye on the three 12-year-olds. He knew his wand was in his robe just in case. He didn't think he would need it, but he didn't want to worry about another Malfoy that would curse him behind his back.
"Harry," Dean began. "Not sure how to say this – "
"Just let me know or not if you believe I'm the heir or not," Harry asked.
Harry received three raised eyebrows in return.
"We don't. Like Dumbledore said, there's no way a twelve year could have done all of that," Seamus finished.
Harry stared at them for a minute. "I honestly thought you be like Ron and accuse me of being a murderer."
Neville gapped for a minute, with Dean and Seamus copying his expression.
"What else am I supposed to think if you when guys were giving me suspicious looks in the Common Room and even in the dorm?" Harry retorted.
"Well, Ron is a bit of a prat, either way," Dean supplied. "But we were trying to figure out how to talk to you. Ron always seemed to pitch a fit if we mentioned your name."
Harry's eyes narrowed for a second, "Hermione always did say he was the jealous type. I just didn't know how bad. I doubt I actually noticed it until he pitched a fit when Hermione got sick."
"Yeah, what was the deal with that anyways? The professors were a bit tight lipped about that," Seamus asked.
Harry grinned, "we were trying to find out who the Heir of Slytherin was. Well it seemed obvious it would be Malfoy. So, Hermione brewed the Polyjuice Potion to find out. And she managed to get cat hair, not human."
Neville looked a little green, though a bit impressed by Harry's words. Though Dean and Seamus looked a little confused.
"Polyjuice is a potion to look like someone else, its above 2nd year level. It's only for human transformation, not animal. She wound up spitting up hairballs," Harry filled in.
Harry got a returning wide-eyed look from Seamus and Dean.
"So that means, Malfoy is the Heir, then?" Seamus asked.
"No," Harry responded. "He doesn't know any more than we do. I imagine Hermione will still be researching."
"If anyone can find out, it's her mate," Dean said. "Though we may want to head back to the Common Room, I don't feel like being caught by Filch after hours."
Harry didn't say anything, but he walked ahead of the other three Gryffindors to head to the seventh floor.
It was a comfort to know that despite Ron no longer being Harry's friend, he gained three more that evening. Harry couldn't count Zabini, the Slytherin seemed more of an associate or acquaintance than a friend. The only thing was, if Zabini did turn out to be a friend, he wasn't sure of the reactions he get from the rest of Gryffindor House for befriending a Slytherin. Especially, Neville, Seamus, and Dean; Harry didn't know if they were just as prejudice against Slytherins as Ron or not.
