A/N I never have owned Harry Potter and Co. Just so you know.
I am soooooooo sorry it has taken so long! I do hope it was worth the wait! ( Decided to make them 3 chapters each, hopefully)
I want to thank my readers and reviewers. I absolutely appreciate your opinions on this and if you have ideas for me, please do not hesitate to PM me! I'd love to hear your ideas for Slytherin Harry and Co.
Also I would like to add that this chapter could never have been added as quickly if it wasn't for my dearest and most kind beta/friend psychoyoshi79
Chapter 2
Christmas Pranks Fit For Weasleys
Hermione was the last to leave charms class the very next day, hugging her books tightly to her chest. Pansy, Harry, and Theo stalked into the corridor from in front and behind her, successfully cornering her into a nearby wall
"W-what t-the..." she trailed off, beginning to tremble
"'Ello Granger" Theo grinned
"W-w-what are y-you d-doing?"
Her eyes grew big as the Slytherins blocked her view and her trembling stopped under the full body-binding spell that toppled her over onto her face with a silent "oomph" and a loud thud.
Draco jumped out from hiding, snickering as he strolled over to the petrified body on the ground and kicked its side before crouching down with his wand in hand and casted the boils charm as Daphne quickly recited a spell to modify the boils on her face.
Harry bent to the ground on his knees and placed the fingers of his right hand at the edge of her mouth and hooked the inside of her lips and pried her mouth open, took the uncorked phial from Draco and poured it down her throat. He pulled his hand away from Granger's mouth and stood up.
"Let's get out of here" Pansy whispered, turning and returning to her hiding place followed by the rest of the eight Slytherins and watched Crabbe and Goyle hide behind a tapestry and summon two charms books out of the classroom that began to smack the girl in the head repeatedly.
The ten Slytherins were able to make it to the Great Hall before Granger could wake up and curse them all into oblivion, but only just. As soon as they sat down at their house table, Granger walks in unbeknownst of the sickly green and yellow boils all over her body and sits down at the Gryffindor table slightly unnerved.
"Uh... Hermione..." Ron began
"Ronald! How are you!" she shrieked in a dreamy like voice, a boil on her face popped exploding puss onto the table. The Gryffindors sitting around them gasped in unison and scooted away as the boil sealed itself again
He jumped, startled by her appearance "Uhm..."
"You're pretty," she said dreamily gazing at him thoughtfully, another boil popping puss everywhere
"Wha-" Ron tried, looking utterly disgusted and unable to complete sentences
"Ooh let's go to the library!" she squealed and Ron swung his legs over the bench, vomiting violently on the ground repeatedly as Granger furrowed her eyebrows and looked disgusted.
The entire Slytherin table burst into absurd laughter as the entire school watched in horror at Granger for every time she spoke, a boil on her skin would pop with large amounts of puss then reseal itself to await explosion yet again. The ditzy, boil covered Granger got worse until the Gryffindor prefect,Percy Weasley stood up and directed the plump boy Neville to take her to the infirmary. He jumped up and came over to her, then took her hurriedly out of the Great Hall as he told her what was going on as they marched out, her cheeks became redder than a Weasley's hair. As the doors shut, uproars of laughter rang throughout the Great Hall, all houses uncontrollable and inconsolable. Dumbledore rose from his chair
"SILENCE!" He shouted
The Hall became immediately silent.
"Now. I am quite sure no one will come and take the fault so I suggest that whoever you are; think hard about the consequences and retaliation you will receive from this. Miss Granger is not someone easily reckoned with and I am sorry to say, I am not going to be in the least bit feel sorry for that said person. Soon we will know who it was." He said amusingly, eying the Slytherin table from the corner of his eye.
"What does he know?" Harry snorted, biting into his piece of toast
Draco smirked and snickered behind his hand. "Good ol' Dumbledore thinks he can get us to talk"
Pansy barked out a laugh and hid her mouth behind her hands "Too good! Good thing that ditz potion won't wear off for three days"
"Nor that there is a cure for stupidity!" Astoria added, giggling along with her sister Daphne
"I've got one last Quidditch practice before the first game this weekend. See ya" Harry put down his half eaten toast and left the Great Hall quickly.
~ ~ oo ~ ~
Hermione followed Neville out of the hall
"Mione, you have really disgusting boils all over your body. Every time you speak..." His voice wavering, he gulped hoping she would not respond back to him "A boil explodes." he finished. She looked lazily at him and gave him a dreamy smile but said nothing.
"That too is a little bit unnerving Mione..."
"What?" she asked, causing another boil to pop and explode onto a nearby wall
Neville jumped and gulped "Don't speak Mione, please for the sake of my nerves! Please don't speak!"
They made it to the infirmary and Neville skirted away to find Madam Pomphrey as Hermione lowered herself to a cot and began peering at her hand like it was a interesting book. Moments later, Ron walked in holding a pail and sat down a full two-bed length from Hermione.
"Miss Granger you have some nasty modified boils. I will have to ask Professor Snape for an advanced cure for boils. Just relax and don't talk." She ordered and did a double take now noticing Ron
"Mr. Weasley, why are you here?" she asked bustling over to him
"I- well I uhm" He took one glance over at Hermione and dry heaved over his pail
"I see, well I believe a simple pepper up potion and rest will put you back on your feet in no time." She replied waving her wand to pull the curtain around his bed and added a silencing charm for good measures before bustling off again to retrieve the potion from her stores.
"I trust you have fully recovered Mr. Weasley?" Madam Pomfrey asked coming around to his bedside early afternoon the next day. He nodded meekly and got off the bed as she waved her wand to change the sheets. He thanked her and walked out of the Infirmary quickly. Poppy walked over to Hermione's bed, pulled the curtains, and roused Hermione from her sleep.
"I am happy to inform you that your boils are gone. We do however have another problem and I cannot find a single cure for it." Pomfrey sighed sitting on the edge of the cot as Hermione blinked at her and sat up with a worried look.
"It seems you were given a highly potent intelligentia exhauriunt potion. It causes the drinker to become… in short less intelligent. Since it is an advance formula and coupled with your brains it has effectively made you considerably dumber." She explained watching Hermione easily come to terms with what she said, giving Poppy and slight uneasy feeling that Hermione just was not understanding her.
"I figure it will only last for two more days. I want you to stay here for the remaining week." With that, she nodded to Hermione and walked into her office.
Harry gulped down the bile rising in his throat as he and the rest of the Slytherin Quidditch team exited the changing room and walked out onto the field. The crowd was booing and cheering from their stands high above the pitch as they and the Gryffindor team met in the middle of the field.
"Captains shake hands" Madam Hooch called from the side lines, eyeing the two team captains.
Harry watched as Marcus Flint and Oliver Wood shook hands none to nicely and return to their sides of the pitch. Harry followed his team and mounted his broom, suppressing his fear and managing to hold back his urge to vomit his nerves.
"I want a clean game, No tricks!" Madam Hooch ordered as she then counted down from three and blew her whistle. Each member from both sides kicked off the ground hard and tore into the sky with amazing speed, only to circle around the pitch and get into position above the field.
When every member was settled, Hooch kicked the trunk open and out flew the two Bludgers, the Quaffle, and the snitch at the same time and the game began.
The snitch circled around Harry, then around Jack Sloper then flew off speedily. Harry squinted but could not see the snitch anywhere on the field at this point but he kept his eyes sweeping around the field.
"And another goal to Gryffindor!"
Harry heard the commentator, Lee Jordan yell three more goals in Gryffindor's favor, Harry knew he needed to catch the snitch soon or Gryffindor would surely win. Harry flew around the pitch once, twice but to his dismay, he did not see the golden glint of the snitch.
"Ouch! That had to have hurt!"
Harry gazed over in time to see a Bludger slam into Oliver Wood and him fall the hundred feet or so to the ground. Six goals later from Slytherin and two from Gryffindor, Harry finally saw the snitch and zoomed after it with Jack following closely. Harry pushed the front of his broom down and Jack followed pursuit and was now beside Harry, elbowing him several times. Down, down, down they went at high speeds only to get closer and closer to the ground, Jack pulling up and evening out just before reaching the ground, Harry suddenly mere inches from the ground, pulled up to even out his broom and took to standing upon it barely balancing.
It seemed the game had stopped entirely for Harry did not hear any goals received, nor heard cheers and boos coming from the stands, everyone and everything it seemed was silent at that point. Harry inched forward on his broom, reaching further and further out until quite suddenly his broom toppled and flipped him, landing on the ground in a heap. A large gasp released from the entire pitch as Harry stood and placed his hand on his stomach. He dry heaved once, twice and on the third, the snitch popped out of his mouth and into his hands. He raised it up high above his head.
"Aaamazing Catch! Slytherin wins!"
Madam Hooch rushed over to Harry and thumped him on his back
"Good going Potter! Yes, never seen that before but still a catch no doubt. Good Job." She smiled briefly and rushed back to the sidelines as the rest of Slytherin and his team mates met him in the field with congrats and good jobs for the whole team.
Lunch was all but a quiet affair. Slytherin and the three other houses were still going on to each other about the game
"Can you believe that catch!" and "Wow I can't believe he actually swallowed it!" along with many other disbelief were heard throughout the hall.
"Hey Potter, great game today" Draco smirked at him
Harry smirked back and replied "Thanks Malfoy" He turned to Daphne and smiled as she came over and sat beside him, kissing him on the cheek as she settled herself and began to scoop small portions of food onto her plate. The Great Hall was overrun by owls moments later, dropping mail, and packages alike down in front of the students. A great silver eagle landed gracefully upon the Slytherin table in front of Draco, who untied the note from the eagle's leg and handed it half a biscuit then it turned and flew away.
"My father." Draco mumbled in response to Harry's quizzical expression.
Harry nodded and turned to converse with Daphne while Draco read his mail. After a while Harry learned a great deal about Daphne and her family, she didn't seem at all like most of the Purebloods in Slytherin Harry thought. He was about to tell Daphne about his aunt and uncle but stupid himself quickly.
"Hey Potter, father asked me to inform you of a cordial invite to the Malfoy Manor during the summer break."
Harry's face lit up slightly but then as quickly as the emotion came, it was hidden behind a facade. "Well I suppose there is no way to tell Mr. Malfoy no, so I guess you can tell him yes?" Harry replied as Draco grabbed a blank piece of parchment and a quill out of the tan colored bag he always carries with him and began to write his reply to his father.
The students retired to their common room after lunch, some going down to their dorms for naps and others braking off into their own groups and settling themselves around the common's many resting areas. Harry was surprised when Daphne took his arm and drug him out of the portrait hole with her. After a bit of silence and a walk up to the second floor did Daphne choose this time to speak.
"Harry, I was in the library yesterday"
Harry surprisingly nodded his head, out of all the Slytherins he really knew, Daphne was one to work hard on her studies in stead of loafing around and never did she present herself as being more prestigious than anyone around her. Harry had noticed this near the beginning of term when he had first started talking to her and became part of a group.
"I found a book."
Harry snorted "Don't you always find books in a library Daphne?"
Daphne's brows furrowed and she smacked him playfully on his arm and continued.
"It was Famous Witches and Wizards of All Times. It had you in it, along with your parents-"
She trailed off when she noticed Harry's hurt expression creep up.
"Uhm- listen Harry, I like you okay" she said quickly, changing the subject.
Harry was a bit surprised by this, he quickly responded "I like you too Daphne."
He started relaxing a bot when she had told him in secrecy that her views on people who are not strictly pureblooded was different from her sister's and many other Purebloods that take up house in Slytherin. Harry told her that since he was one, he had been living with his muggle aunt and uncle and his cousin Dudley who is the same age as Harry.
He went on for nearly an hour telling her about how horrendous living with them had been, being starved, sleeping underneath their stairs since as long as he remembered, being their servant... He ranted all the way from the fourth floor down to the entrance hall and was rather pink in the face when he finally ended his ranting with the story about his Aunt and Uncle travelling far away from London with him and his cousin to get away from the Hogwarts acceptance letters. He was surprised that Daphne had been so quiet, listening to every single word he had been saying. They climbed through the portrait hole and sat down on the couch beside Draco.
"Oi Potter, forewarning, you should be getting mail from my mum soon. She has, unfortunately fallen in love with you."
"What in the Merlin's pants have you been telling them Malfoy?" Harry asked in a jokingly manner
"You wish you knew Potter" Draco smirked.
To Harry's astonishment, Just as Draco had said, he received his first mail since starting school during breakfast the next morning. It was sent by the majestic silver eagle that usually brought Draco his mail every day. In it's beak were two letters, one addressed to Draco and the other to him. He smiled and took both letters from the eagle and handing Draco his before tearing into his own
Harry,
You must think me strange to be writing to you, since we do not know each other
but I must say, Draco has told me much about you and I am more than delighted to know
that you and Draco are friends. Congratulations on being in Slytherin, I know it is
very late for this, but you see I realize there has been no one to tell you this so I have
done it myself.
My husband and I look forward to seeing you this summer, have a good Christmas Harry.
Mrs. Narcissa Malfoy
Harry was purely thrilled to receive his first letter, that he had to read it several times over to make sure it wasn't just a trick. After the fourth, Harry now knew with certainty that this was in fact a letter written by Draco's mother for him. He tucked it neatly into his robe's pocket and went on eating his food.
"What did my mother have to say Potter?" Draco asked, sitting on the arm rest of the couch in their common room
"Don't you wish you knew Malfoy?" Harry stated with a smirk
Blaise snorted, regaining his composure quickly when he got a death glare from Draco.
"Seeing as she is my mother, I have the right to know." he snapped defensively
"This letter is mine, addressed to me, so it is private. I don't go reading your letters do I?" Harry sneered, temper rising
Draco shook his head and retired to the dorms for an early night.
~ ~ oo ~ ~
Harry and Draco sat in the commons for their free day before the holiday break and had just finished their third game of wizard's chess in which Harry won once while Draco won the other two. Both boys had not talked much since the prank was completed; they had all decided to let it stew for a bit so they would not be targeted.
"Where are you going for Christmas holiday?" Draco asked suddenly
Harry was a bit shocked by the sudden question and took him a few moments to recover before answering "I'm most likely going to be staying here, don't have anywhere else to go." He fiddled with the snitch he had caught in his first game yesterday, winning Slytherin over three hundred and fifty points sliding them barely into first place in the match. He had been grateful that he was sent his new Nimbus before the match or he probably never would have been able to win.
He had been so intent on catching the swift little gold ball that when he had stood on his broom that was hovering inches above the ground, he toppled it throwing him off the broom and spitting up the snitch that he had swallowed. At least by technical standards he did "catch" the snitch Madam Hooch had told him afterwards.
"I'll be going back to the manor with Blaise and Pansy. Daphne and Astoria are going home as well as Tracey but Theo is staying here from what I heard."
Harry nodded and relaxed a bit now knowing he was not going to be completely alone for the duration of Christmas, even though Theodore Nott had a bit of an airy arrogance to him, and Harry was still getting used to it. He was just happy that he did not have to go back to the Dursley's, not yet anyways…
"Harry!" Daphne called, walking over to him and hugging him tight "We're about to leave, I thought you could come see us off?" she looked pleadingly at Harry and pouted her lips
"Alright, come on then." He called and stood from his seat and put on his winter coat, hat, and gloves as both girls happily took each of Harry's arms and walked with him up the dungeon corridor to the entrance hall. They proceeded out to the carriages when they convinced him that he must make sure they are on the carriages before he could return to the common room. Daphne and Astoria in turn kissed both of Harry's cheeks and climbed into the carriages, waving good-bye as he returned them and turned to quickly walked back into the warm castle. He bumped into Hermione on his way inside.
"Harry, uhm… listen" She dropped her voice "I haven't had a chance to talk to you since after Halloween, I talked to Hagrid about the three headed dog and he said Fluffy-"
Harry cut her off "Fluffy? That's its name?"
Hermione nodded "Fluffy was put there to guard something, something to do with Nicolas Flamel. Now I have looked it up in the library but could not find a thing. I think since you're staying here, you ought to have a look in the restricted section."
Before Harry could reject, she pulled her trunk around him and exited the castle. Harry sighed and reluctantly went back to the dungeons only to find the common room empty and trunks gone. Harry sighed once more before retiring to his room to nap before dinner in the Great Hall.
Theo poked Harry with his wand in the shoulder, then smacked him in the head with his potions book
"Oi Harry wakey, wakey" Theo called
Harry jolted and sat up quickly "What?"
"Dinner." Theo said simply before exiting the dorm
Harry ran all the way up to the Great Hall and rested on the wall beside the doors, heaving. He calmed himself before entering the hall nonchalantly and settling at the end of the Slytherin table beside Theo.
"Hey Theo, have you ever heard of Nicholas Flamel?" Harry whispered, piling his plate with turkey, stuffing, and ham. Theo raised his brow but did not immediately answer the question.
"I have, my father has mentioned him before. He just celebrated his six hundred and sixty sixth birthday last year I think. Why do you ask?"
"Erm curious? I read something about him in the Library last week and I was just wondering if anyone else has ever heard of him." Harry lied
Theo shrugged "Mr. Flamel is a famous Alchemist from what I heard. He found out the hard way that, in order to successfully transmute an object, you must first have the right formula and then and only then can you change the object of equal or greater value. He lost his son…" Theo trailed off "Anyway I'm getting carried away. He eventually created this object called the Sorcerer's Stone. In general, it is used as an elixir of life able to sustain the human life indefinitely." He raised his brow at Harry's confused look "It essentially means you can never die Harry." He explained
"Oh. It sounds like it's a very wanted item…" Harry replied looking upwardly at the high table at Snape and Quirrell talking quietly to each other, their heads bent in close. Harry's brows furrowed, even though he had began respecting Severus since he had helped them pull off the prank against Granger, he still could not shake the feeling that something was a bit off with him. Harry watched Severus look up from the obvious heated discussion and watched his gaze sweep the hall and rest on Harry, giving him an odd sort of curious look before returning to his conversation with Quirrell.
"You are very correct. It is highly sought for by muggles and wizards alike. Numerous battles have raged from Wizard to Wizard or Muggle to Muggle and only on occasion Wizard to Muggle, but you already know how that ends."
"Naturally"
Theo nodded and took a long sip of his pumpkin juice as Harry's eyes met Dumbledore's briefly before Dumbledore turned to converse with McGonagall. Harry wondered if it was possible that that very stone was here at Hogwarts underneath the trap door, he had remembered what Hagrid had said at Gringotts about Hogwarts being the second most secured place besides Gringotts. Harry went back to his dorm and fell into his bed, mulling over all the information he had just gotten from Theo and reminded himself to tell Hermione what he heard when the holidays were over. He fell asleep soundly after a while.
~ ~ oo ~ ~
He awoke early Christmas Day and sat up in bed to see a small bundle of presents on top of his trunk. He crawled out of his covers, sat Indian style at the end of his bed, grabbed the first present, and read the note:
Harry.
Your father left this in my possession before he died.
It is time it was returned to you.
Use it well.
He flipped the note over and arched a brow then delved into ripping the paper as quickly as possible, 'father's possession would be a treasure' Harry thought pulling the cloth out of the rest of the paper and looking at it curiously. He realized it was a cloak and he noticed that in his hands, the material felt like silk; it was silvery almost transparent Harry decided
"What's that?" Theo had risen from his own bed and his voice was still gravelly from sleep
"It's a cloak I assume. There was no name on the card so I don't know who sent it but it was my father's…"
"Wait" Theo crossed over to Harry's bed and sat down to examine the cloak closer.
"Sweet Merlin! It's an invisibility cloak!" Theo cried
Harry wrapped himself with it and his body disappeared leaving his head to seem like it was floating in thin air
"My body is gone!" Harry shouted
"Those are pretty rare you know, wonder how your father got it." Theo picked up the card and read it then flipped it over just as Harry had earlier.
"Interesting. Well Happy Christmas Harry" he said standing up and returning to his own bed and delving into his large pile of presents
"Happy Christmas Theo"
Harry finished unwrapping his presents and got loads of candy from Dumbledore, new potions set from Severus, A nice new crisp set of robes from Mrs. Malfoy, a book called 'Famous Witches and Wizards of all Times' from Daphne, and a couple of muggle books from Hermione, in which he hid from the public eye. He knew enough about the other Slytherins that if they knew who sent the books, he would lose his status as number two of ten. When they came up with the prank, they had decided that Draco was number one and he, number two while Blaise was three and so on, at first he thought it was funny but now he realizes it is status in the Slytherin pureblood standards. He was certainly glad that none of the others asks him about his past or makes fun of him for only being half blood, he rather liked the fact they had easily accepted him into their group and treat him with as much respect as they do each other.
Harry stepped out of the common room and walked up to the Great Hall for breakfast. He had noticed the Weasley twins and their younger brother sitting at the Gryffindor table talking with their heads together. He sat across from Theo and piled his plate.
"I think we're going to have some trouble." Harry told Theo who was engrossed in a book. He looked up from his book and frowned
"What are you on about?"
"Weasleys." He whispered tilting his head up towards the Gryffindor table. Theo turned his head to look over his shoulder and then turned it back towards Harry
"You may be right. I have heard rumors about the twins. They are quite nearly better pranksters than Peeves himself. I heard last year, they sent chocolates to Snape under a false name. Let's just say Snape was extra lovable for a week…"
"Unbelievable." Harry replied shaking his head
"I assume you think they know we were part of the prank?" He asked Harry stabbing his toast with his fork several times
Harry did not immediately answer, his attention was on the three Weasley boys at Gryffindor table, he was straining to catch what they were saying, or attempting to read their lips, neither was successful so Harry returned to looking down at his plate
"I think they know it was Slytherins. Granger only saw Pansy, you and I cornering her; she didn't see Daphne and Draco stun her." Harry explained, biting into a piece of toast
They ate in peace for some time then Harry decided to dawn his winter jacket and accessories and take a walk around the black lake, which was proving harder than he had originally thought. The snow here was thick and deep and Harry had resorted to trudging through it instead of trying to walk in long strides to stay above it. He casted Flipindo on the ground near the shore and watched the snow melt before him and waited a few minutes before settling himself down on the ground and looking out upon the lake. He saw the giant squid knocking on the ice above, trying to get loose from the cold ice Harry thought.
"You know I use to come out here for peace and quiet too." Harry swirled around and saw Dumbledore standing behind him looking upon him with his twinkling sapphire blue eyes over his half moon spectacles.
"Professor! Erm… Aren't you cold?" Harry asked arching a brow, noticing he was only dawned in his periwinkle blue robes.
"Not at all my dear boy." Dumbledore conjured up a red stuffed chair, sat down beside Harry, and waved his wand in the air around them, Harry instantly became warm and toasty, and he even had to shed his third and heaviest coat.
"Harry, you have a good heart and I still cannot begin to fathom how out of place you must feel in Slytherin, but I feel you were placed there for a very special reason. The Sorting Hat always has a plan." Dumbledore stared off into the sky as he spoke softly
"Professor, trust me, I'm getting along fine with Slytherin…" Harry began
"Yes I know. Quite an amusing prank you ten have played on Miss Granger." He replied with a smile
"I did no-"
Dumbledore cut him off
"Harry I didn't say you were in any kind of trouble. In fact, I am quite amused as to find out how this will end. Mr. Weasley's twin brothers have been pranking Hogwarts since their first year; I would watch them closely if I were you."
Without another word, Dumbledore rose from his chair, waved his wand at the chair making it disappear, and left Harry sitting dumbstruck. Harry came back to the present when a fierce gust of winter wind hit his face and Harry realized Dumbledore had left. He was now shivering violently from the cold; quickly he pulled his heaviest jacket back on and trudged back around the Black Lake and into the warmth of the castle.
Everything seemed quiet when he entered the castle, 'maybe a little too quiet' Harry thought to himself as he slowly walked across the entrance hall to the double oak doors of the Great Hall. He pushed them open cautiously and entered the Great Hall
BAM
Harry was knocked back out into the Great Hall. He could hear shouts and laughter clearly now. He tried to stand, only to realize his legs were bounded by chains and he could not release by hand. George Weasley scrambled out and bent down with his wand raised at Harry. Harry's eyes widened in fear and tried to back away on his hands. George gave him a mischievous grin and flicked his wand at Harry and everything began to spin.
"Got another Slytherin George?" Harry heard
"Right-o Fred"
"Ah the famous Harry Potter! Ron look we got Harry Potter" George called
Harry heard some scuffling then another spinning face popped into Harry's view
"Guys, let him go"
Unbelievable. The Weasley was coming to his rescue. Harry opened his mouth to tell him off when suddenly he realized a great bit of bile had worked itself up and was now releasing itself onto the stone floor of the entrance hall.
"George" Ron shrieked, "Let the kid go!"
"Fine"
A smack in the head with something hard had Harry's vision back in order. As soon as he could, he stood up and rounded on the red head first year
"I didn't need your help Weasley!" he spat, his temper quickly rising
"Oh really, If I hadn't stopped them, you would be sitting here until dinner up chucking nothing!"
Harry noticed Ron's face was red from anger. He smirked
"What makes you think I need help from a blood traitor?" Harry questioned
Ron's mouth twitched like something had snapped in him and before Harry realized what was happening, he was slammed into the wall and was being held there by Ron's hand holding onto his shirt and his arm across his chest and his free hand bawled into a fist ready to strike.
"I thought you were different than them Harry. I really did. You have proven that you are no different than the purebloods that live in that prejudice house of yours. Your parents would be ashamed to see you. Your mother would cry."
That was the last straw. Harry took both his hands and shoved Ron hard in the chest and pulled out his wand and raised it at him
"Don't you ever speak about my mother Weasel" He screamed, fury driven emotions fueling him to step ever closer to Ron as he stepped back away from Harry.
"Do not presume to know my parents. You don't know them." Harry's eyes grew dark as he took another step
"Harry-"
"SHUT UP" Harry screeched
"YOUR MUM WAS A MUGGLE-BORN!" Ron bellowed
Harry faltered as if someone had kicked him in his stomach at these words
"How do you-"
"Because Harry, my mum, the Prewitts were good friends with the Potters. Your dad, the Potters were purebloods, your mum was a muggleborn" Ron finished in a whisper
Harry did not know what to say to this, he was dumbfounded and lost. He quickly pocketed his wand and tore off to the dungeons as soon as he could move again. Rather than return to the dungeons, he ran out into the grounds and halfway across the bridge before he realized he had bumped into something hard and had fallen onto the ground. He stood and realized that he had bumped into Daphne who had been on her way back up to the castle.
"I'm sorry Daph, I should have been watching where I was going." He held out his hand to her and when she obliged, he lifted her up onto her feet.
"Is everything okay Harry?" she asked, concern etched into her face
"I was just- Weasley-"
"Let's go in and talk about it okay? I'm freezing."
They turned and walked back up the grounds, Harry eyeing her out of the corner of his eye. She was certainly a beautiful girl. Her soft blue eyes, her long blonde hair, the way her lips give a tiny twitch right before she smiles...
Harry shook his head to rid the thought.
"What are you doing here? I thought the break wasn't over for another week"
I just got back, my mum, dad, and stori are going to France and I didn't want to go so they side-along apperated me just outside the barriers" she answered as they climbed the stone steps to the castle. Harry opened the great oak door for her and she slipped in with a thank you and I smile on her lips before Harry slipped in himself and shut out the cold.
They sat on his bed with the curtains drawn completely around in the boy's dormitory while the other two boys were out in the common room.
"My mum showed me this spell, works wonders when you want privacy." She waved her wand around his bed and whispered "Silencio"
"What does it do?" Harry asked
"Well no one outside this bed can hear what we're saying." she answered
She uncurled herself from her sitting position and laid down across the bed "Now, tell me what's bothering you."
Harry took a deep breath and started from the beginning. He told her about the conversation with Dumbledore out at the Black Lake and how the Weasley Twins had caught him off guard the trick they had pulled. Daphne listened intently and scoffed when he explained that Weasley tiny tried to stand up for him and how he was told that his mother was a muggle-born. Daphne didn't entirely look surprised at this.
"Harry, I can't imagine how you must feel, I suppose being put in Slytherin you must have assumed that your a pureblood, but not all of us are. Of course they don't tell anyone in fear that they will be shunned and disliked by their house. You have to understand that the pureblood families are in some way, shape, or form related some how whether it be marriage or adoption, or even removals. You should be proud to be half-blood, your mother was a very crafty witch from what I've read in the books about her. You have that very same power. Don't be ashamed of it, wield it. Make it your greatest purpose in life, to carry on the magic that has been given to you by your mother and father."
Harry stared at her with great appreciation, she was after all right of course. He never thought of it that way and certainly didn't realize there were more like him in this very house. With a heavy sigh he pulled her into a hug and let the tears fall silently.
She comforted him in silence for a while until he could not shed another tear. It was half past midnight when she dispelled the charm around the bed, bade him a goodnight and crept out of the room to her own.
Harry stayed up a while after Daphne had retired to her own room. The dorm was silent except for the occasional shuffling of a bed when it's tenant would toss and turn or a snore here and there. He mulled over what Ron had said to him, how Daphne had been able to comfort him and give him the reassurance he had needed. He had generally derived the conclusion, his aunt Petunia was a full muggle. In his mind he must not have put two and two together until he had heard a verbal confirmation. Petunia his mum's sister… He envied his aunt now, she has been able to be with his mum, and he did not. Was that selfish? He wondered
He blew out a breath, quietly got out of bed and rummaged his trunk for his invisibility cloak and exited the commons quickly through the portrait hole. He pulled his cloak around him and over his head and walked. He walked up and down corridors and up stairs and sown them. He came to a halt turning a corner in the fourth floor corridor, Snape had Quirrell in the same position Ron had had Harry earlier against the wall
"We'll have another little chat once you know where your loyalties lie." Snape released him and both walked away
Harry sighed in relief then entered a door to an unused classroom to wait for the coast to clear. He pulled the cloak off and looked around the room; there in the corner of the room he saw a majestic looking mirror, as tall as the room with a beautifully crafted gold crested frame with two clawed feet. He walked over to it to examine it. He saw at the top of the mirror in ornate lettering
Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi
Harry stepped in front of the mirror and covered a gasp with his hands. His reflection stood there watching him, not only himself but also two others stood behind him. Harry glanced over his shoulder quickly, but nothing was there, nobody but himself was in the room. He turned back and looked at the two that was standing behind his reflection, a raven haired man stood to Harry's immediate mirrored right which was his left. He noticed this man wore glasses, same as Harry, his face, nose, chin all matched himself.
"Dad?" he asked meekly
The raven haired man smiled at him and placed his hand upon Harry's mirrored self's shoulder. Harry's eyes widened as he now looked over to his mirrored left and saw a fiery red headed woman with emerald green eyes piercing his own. She smiled lovingly at him and placed her hand upon his other mirrored self's shoulder
"Mum…"
Harry broke down then, he wept until the early hours had dawned
"Harry?" Came the soothing voice from the corner of the room. Harry whirled around to see Dumbledore standing in front of the door he had entered earlier. Harry wiped his tears with the back of his sleeve and stood up.
"Professor.-"
"You like hundreds before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised"
"I didn't- What exactly does it do Professor?" Harry asked as Dumbledore sat on the floor beside him
"Let me explain it in a way you can understand it. The happiest man on earth would be able to use the Mirror of Erised like a normal mirror, that is to say he would see himself exactly as he is. Does that help?"
Harry nearly nodded
"It shows us what we want, whatever we want?"
"Not exactly" Dumbledore sighed
"It shows us our deepest darkest, most desperate desire of our hearts. You have never known your family Harry, seeing them standing around you is what you desire the most. Many men have wasted away in front of it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad because they cannot have what they are being shown. Harry, the mirror is being moved to a new home tomorrow and I ask that you do not go looking for it again."
Dumbledore stood and crossed the room to the door
"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that Harry." He added, opening the door
"Sir- Professor may I ask you a question?" Harry crossed the room as well, clutching his cloak
Dumbledore smiled in amusement "Obviously you had just done so. But you may ask one more thing however."
"What do you see when you look in the mirror?"
"I?" Dumbledore's eyes shot over to the mirror, Harry noticed there was no twinkle in them this time
"I see myself holding a pair of thick woolen socks"
Harry stared at his headmaster in disbelief
"Oh, one can never have too many socks Harry. Another Christmas has come and gone without a single pair. People will insist on giving me books."
'I doubt there was any truth to that. But then it was sort of a personal question…' Harry thought as he climbed back into bed, took off his glasses, set them on the nightstand, and fell asleep.
~ ~ oo ~ ~
The week following the return of classes, he had been quietly reading a book on a bench near the Great Hall when the last person he ever wanted to see came up to him
"I don't know what your playing at Potter but you Slytherins stop playing tricks on Hermione." Ron Weasley stood before him, red faced and angry.
Since the end of break, Granger has gotten her hair turned silver and green, had her two front teeth grown out to enormous proportions, her hair turned into a nest infested with rats, and of course her knickers flying around the entire school. Today it was her books charmed to fly behind her and smack her in the head repeatedly. Harry had certainly been enjoying the many pranks and smiled inwardly thinking about them.
"What do you think you are going to do about it Weasley?" He snapped
Ron turned even redder and growled "Game on Slytherin" He then turned and stormed off into the Great Hall.
Harry burst into laughter and the nine Slytherins came from behind their hiding spots and followed Harry into the Great Hall for breakfast.
"Well if they want a war, then we will give them a war Slytherin style." Draco drawled, coming to sit beside Harry on the bench.
"Is everything in place?" Harry asked
"Certainly." he replied
A very loud, drawn out scream sounded from behind the large oak doors of the Great Hall. Harry opened the door and ducked as a rather large overgrown piece if toast flew over him. He was quite amused to see their plan in action as he settled beside Draco and Blaise. Every Gryffindor was now being attacked by very large over grown food. Scrambled eggs now the size of cars were flying in groups attacking the students as they fled the table. human-sized bacon battered them in their heads and large biscuits fell from the sky. The other three houses stared in shock. Some of the fleeing Gryffindors went into hiding underneath the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables, others attempting to hide under their own house table with not much luck as the eggs were still flinging balls of itself at the students.
A loud bang rang through the hall and all the animate foods shrunk back to it's normal size and laid still upon the table and floor. Dumbledore stood and addressed the hall
"Everyone return to your commons. I am afraid that this prank has gone out of hand. If I see another student attempting to prank, or I hear of another student being hospitalized for non class-related incidents the students responsible will be in danger of expulsion. Do I make myself clear?"
Every head nodded and once dismissed, they left the hall with great haste.
"Did you see that!"
"I can't believe they actually fell for it"
"Did you see their faces!"
The Slytherins talked about the prank for weeks. They knew Gryffindor could no longer retaliate without the high risk of expulsion. The Slytherins were safe.