Thank you all of you who have read this story so far and to all of you, who have taken the time to review, thank you ILOVEPOTTER
Harry Potter and the Trip to the Past
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Chapter – 6
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Harry waved until the train turned around a bend and the platform was visible no longer. Harry had not seen or noticed anyone else in his tension to avoid the Weasleys especially Ginny and Ron. Now Harry turned away and bumped into another person. "Sorry." Harry said automatically and stepped back and his heart stopped once again, for the second time since he had come to King's Cross.
"It's okay." Answered a prim and proper voice; Hermione's voice. "Her…, I mean er I did not hurt you did I?" Harry stammered and Hermione shook her head and smiled at the boy in front of her. He had messy black hair and gorgeous green eyes and was very thin and as tall as her. On his forehead was a thin scar shaped like a lightening bolt and she gasped.
Harry grinned. He was so happy he felt his heart would simply burst. He had almost spoken her name aloud and had pulled back just in the nick of time. Thankfully Sirius and Remus were not there. They would have picked up something and would have given him the third degree. He thanked his stars that Hermione was only eleven years old and had not clued in on anything. Had it been a fifth year Hermione, Harry knew she would have had him spilling everything by now. She had the special knack to do so after all.
"You are the Boy-Who-Lived." she said in a surprised voice.
Harry grinned once again. "And I am looking for a place to sit." He answered.
She looked at him a long moment and with a 'come on' walked into a compartment almost opposite to the window she had been standing in front of. Harry stepped inside and couldn't stop grinning. Inside were Neville, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan.
All of them looked up when Harry stepped into the compartment and he went and sat down opposite Neville and only stopped himself from greeting all of them.
"Hello, I am Harry Potter." He said making everyone gasp out aloud. After a minute's gawking the others introduced themselves. "Did you know you are in Modern Magical History, The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century?" asked Hermione the insatiable.
Harry grinned. "I know. It's all a load of rubbish isn't it?" he asked smiling at her startled look.
"What? You think it is a load of rubbish?" Neville asked him his eyes wide in his round chubby and tense face. Neville did not even notice his frog Trevor jump off his lap and hop away.
"Yeah it is. I mean Voldemort," Harry rolled his eyes when Neville and Seamus gasped and Hermione and Dean looked at them questioningly.
"We never speak of his name." Seamus explained. "He is called You-Know-Who or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. We never speak of his name."
Harry smiled. "Yeah? My Godfather, you know Sirius Black," again Harry was forced to stop by the gasps from Neville and Seamus. He rolled his eyes and spoke again. "Sirius and Remus, who's another friend of my dad and I live with both of them now after Sirius has been found innocent, always use Voldemort's name. They told me never to fear the name; anyway it was not me who defeated bad old Voldemort; it was my mother who sacrificed her life for my sake. And these stupid people are saying I did it. How could I? I was only fifteen months old then."
There was a silence in the compartment as all of them went through all that Harry was saying, in their minds. Then Hermione started with the first question and soon Harry was bombarded by all kinds of questions even Neville asked a good many of them; and Harry answered all the questions as well as he could starting from Voldemort's fall ten years ago. From there the talk proceeded to Hogwarts and Harry told them about the ghosts, the teachers, and the Sorting. That naturally led to a discussion about which House everyone would go to.
"I really don't mind any House." Harry said dropping a bombshell. As he expected everyone stared at him. "But Harry you can't mean Slytherin. That was the House You-Know-Who was in." Neville told him hesitantly.
"Yeah, it was. But you know what Neville, Sirius Black comes from the House of Blacks, one of the darkest families ever. His cousins are Narcissa Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange." Neville's eyes widened in shock as he gasped, staring at Harry, his face red and a second later he looked down, clenching his hands together. Harry saw that but ignored it and continued. The others had not noticed. They were listening to Harry in rapt attention.
"His own brother was a death eater," Harry told them careful to say only those facts Sirius and Remus had discussed with him and not his own knowledge about everything. "His own brother," repeated Harry, "Regulus Black became a death eater and then tried to run away from Voldemort because he could not stomach the unnecessary killing."
"What happened to him?" Hermione asked him leaning forward and listening keenly.
"He was murdered by Voldemort of course Hermione. No one leaves his service alive. But I was getting somewhere else. Even though he was born and brought up in such a Dark family, Sirius was sorted into Gryffindor and he ran away from his home, leaving everyone behind because he did not want to join with Voldemort."
"Yeah but he was in Gryffindor wasn't he?" asked Seamus triumphantly. "And I bet all his family were in Slytherin."
Harry nodded his head smiling. "Yes. But you know the person who betrayed my parents'; he was their secret keeper and he was a death eater who went and told the secret to Voldemort and it was because of that Voldemort came and attacked all of us and killed my parents'. That person was Peter Pettigrew."
"Yeah I know. I read about it in The Daily Prophet." Seamus told him and Neville nodded, still in shock about Bellatrix Lestrange.
"Peter was their best friend all the seven years they were in School and he was in Gryffindor along with them." Harry finished and all of them gasped understanding what Harry was trying to say.
"Oh Harry you are trying to say that even in Gryffindor there are bad people." Hermione said, summing up all the others thoughts.
Harry nodded. "Yeah, and not only that Hermione. With Voldemort you know he is evil and you can be prepared by warding your home against him, fighting him and his death eaters and also if need be run away and hide from him. But Pettigrew was a friend. A friend for whom my dad would have died and he trusted Pettigrew so much that he entrusted not only his, but his wife's and his baby's life to his care. And he betrayed that trust and was responsible for killing my parents' and for Sirius being put in Azkaban for so many years. But just because of him can you say all Gryffindor is bad?"
"So Slytherin is not bad." Seamus asked Harry thoughtfully.
"I don't know. But I am not going to make friends because someone is in a particular House or someone's parents' belong to a Light family. I am going to make friends because I get along with someone and trust them. That's it." Harry said with finality and left it there. The others needed some time to think about all that and also for his not so subtle message to sink in.
For sometime there was only silence as everyone was lost in their own thoughts. Then, "Oh no I have lost Trevor, my toad." Neville said worriedly.
"Come on," Hermione told him kindly, "I will help you search." And she stood up along with Neville.
"Accio Trevor!" Harry called quietly lifting his wand. Sirius and Remus had not asked from where he had got his wand. They had assumed Harry had bought it at Ollivander's and Harry did not correct them. He decided he would say he was scared to say at first because of their reaction to his venture into Knockturn alley and later he had completely forgotten about it.
The toad came zooming into Harry's hands and he gave the small toad to a relieved Neville and turned to Hermione who was bursting with questions. "How could you do that?" was the first one.
"I practised all last month. I read a lot too. I bought so many books and I am going to equip myself with a lot of knowledge; as much as I can. Knowledge is power." Harry said pompously striking a pose and everyone laughed, but it did not deter Hermione.
"But don't you have underage restrictions?" Hermione asked him puzzled.
"Yes Hermione. But most wizarding homes are completely warded; it is difficult for the Ministry to find out if underage magic has taken place there. I too have tried practising spells, only I have not got a single one right until now." Neville told her.
Hermione welled up with righteous indignation about the fact that those who lived in wizarding homes could use magic and those like her couldn't. But thankfully for the others there was an announcement informing everyone that they had reached Hogsmeade and would the students be ready. Harry, Hermione and Neville were already in their robes and Dean and Seamus put on their robes over their muggle clothes and soon they reached Hogsmeade.
Harry, Hermione and the others got down and waited for someone to take them to Hogwarts. Harry might have wondered a bit about the fact that Draco Malfoy had not made his appearance, if he hadn't cast a notice me not charm wandlessly at the open door. He grinned to himself and waited next to Hermione.
Hagrid was there beaming at everyone and Harry grinned as he called out to the 'Firs' years" and told them to take the boats. "Four to a boat" he bellowed and all the new first years went towards the boats.
The five of them went near the water and looked awkwardly and Harry stepped back and pushed the four to a boat. "Go on." He said when Hermione and Neville protested.
Harry took the next boat with Susan Bones, Hannah Abbot and Terry Boot. All of them sat silently and looked awed as they saw the great castle by night.
Harry felt so much love swelling up at the sight of his beloved School, the fortress Voldemort had been unable to break. He just sat there silently his heart singing at the sight of the castle with her many towers and dungeons.
They went through the curtain of ivy and landed in the rocky harbour and clambered on to the rocks. Harry felt very warm when he saw that Hermione, Neville and Seamus had waited for him and soon all of them were standing behind Hagrid who had lifted an enormous hand to knock on the doors.
Harry looked happily at McGonagall who opened the door and took them inside to wait for their sorting. He was home and it felt so good.
He stayed carefully with Hermione and Neville, Dean and Seamus and saw Malfoy looking at him and turned his face away. Ron was standing in front of Harry and Harry could not see his face. Only his red hair. Harry felt guilty for a second but then McGonagall was speaking to them and all of them got ready for the sorting.
Harry would have been petrified by the Sorting, but for the fact he knew the Hat could not tell what he had seen inside of his head to anyone even the Headmaster. He could hint saying that Harry should be watched and stuff like that but he was charmed so that he could never speak about the students mind to anyone in order to protect their privacy.
Harry was also going to categorically tell the Hat to avoid all mention of him.
"Abbot, Hannah." The sorting had begun and Harry watched as she was sorted into Hufflepuff. One by one everyone was sorted and Hermione to his relief was sorted into Gryffindor and Malfoy into Slytherin. No surprises there. Neville after a very long time was sorted into Gryffindor and then, "Potter, Harry." called McGonagall.
Harry walked confidently to the stool and he avoided looking at the Head Table, where Dumbledore and Snape were sitting. Harry put on the Hat and the Hat gasped.
"I hope no one heard that." Harry said warningly, now all of thirty seven years old.
"Of course they did not Potter." The Hat replied irritably, not amused that one student had already been here once before and was here once again after so many years.
"I am sorry. It is just I do not wish Dumbledore or worse Snape or anyone for that matter to have any idea of my time travel. I did not wish for it, but now that I am here I would like to have many incidents end differently." Harry told the Hat and allowed the Hat to see everything.
"You do realize that by changing everything, you might change your life as well?" the Hat asked quietly. It had seen everything and had been mighty impressed.
"What do I do? I can hardly let Sirius stay in Azkaban for two more years can I? I am aware of course. But I really don't have a choice. I have to live with myself have I not?" Harry asked the Hat heavily.
"Gryffindor?" the Hat asked him.
"Yes please and thank you." Harry replied and just when McGonagall was about to lift the Hat to see why the sorting was taking so late the Hat cried, 'Gryffindor' and Harry took of the Hat and placed it carefully on the stool and patting it once went to the Gryffindor table and sat next to Hermione and Neville amidst great applause and shouts from the twins of 'we got Potter'.
He still had to look at the Head Table. "I am Fred and this is my twin George Weasley. This so high up person is our brother Percy, the perfect Prefect. Welcome to Hogwarts and Gryffindor and may all of us see your scar?" Fred Weasley grinned at Harry while Percy scowled at his introduction to the Boy-Who-Lived but Harry beamed at the boy who had died in the war and who he had not seen for almost twenty years.
Harry lifted his fringe and showed all the second years with whom they were sitting the scar, grinning all the time. Slowly the others were sorted too, and Dean came to sit with them and then it was Ron's turn. The hat cried 'Gryffindor' and Ron came looking very relieved to sit near his brothers.
"This is ickle Ronniekins our ickle little ickle bro." Fred told Harry, Hermione and Neville who were trying not to laugh at the many ickles that Ron seemed to be. Ron on his part was scowling at his brother and glared at them before turning to all of them to mumble 'Hi'. Then he looked in awe at Harry and Harry obligingly lifted his hair and showed Ron his scar. Ron gaped at the scar and then blushed and looked down.
"Hi Ron." Harry said softly looking at his first best friend of the past or was it the future? Harry didn't know. Ron grinned back and at that time Dumbledore told all of them to 'nitwit, blubber, oddment, tweak' and start eating. Soon all of them were eating and chattering hard.
Nearly Headless Nick came smiling and huffed away irritably after Ron called him 'Nearly Headless Nick' and Seamus wanted to know how he could be nearly headless.
After they finished there was a sound from the Head Table calling for attention and Harry turned his head from where he had been speaking to a surprisingly chatty Neville; maybe all that he needed was some of the right attention Harry thought before he looked at the Head Table.
McGonagall had been tapping her goblet with her wand requesting for silence and getting it almost at once. Dumbledore got to his feet and his eyes swept around the Great Hall. Harry looked at the man he had been going to make his peace with, to hear his apology and become friends with him once again and to ultimately help him make his peace with Snape.
Harry stared at Dumbledore when he smiled at everyone. His eyes swept the Great Hall and settled for a moment extra on Harry and his smile widened and then he straightened and started speaking.
Harry waited with baited breath for the announcement he had been waiting to hear and Dumbledore did not disappoint. He started with the usual notices and then finally, "And last but not the least the third floor corridor to the right hand side is completely out of bounds to all Hogwarts students. Those who will break this rule may expect to die a most painful death."
Harry did not hear more; he did not hear about Dumbledore asking everyone to sing the School song nor did he hear so many off – key renderings of the said song.
It had started. The madness had begun and for the first time Harry let his eyes rove all over the Head Table. He saw the stuttering DADA professor Quirrell and sitting next to him was Snape!
Harry looked at the man whose contribution was the single most important one to win the war. All for love. Maybe what Dumbledore said love being the unknown power was not so false?
Snape who had been sitting stiffly scowling at the horrible noise that was the School song suddenly turned his head and stared at Harry. Harry stared back wondering whether Snape would use Legilimency. He didn't and Harry slowly smiled at him. An innocent, wide, hesitant smile and grinned to himself when Snape scowled and turned away. Point to me, Harry thought vastly amused. Snape was going to be fun.
Harry saw Quirrell who was shaking next to Snape and then moved his eyes to McGonagall and lastly to Dumbledore. Dumbledore was watching him with bright blue eyes and Harry smiled once again and Dumbledore simply beamed back.
Afterwards all the first years were taken to the Gryffindor common room by 'Pompous Percy' as he had been dubbed by the twins and Harry finally reached his dorm after he and Neville exchanged good night greetings with Hermione. Already Hermione was different from their past. She had been with Harry and Neville the whole day and her happiness simply shone on her face.
Harry saw his bed, the very same one that he had been using for the six years he had been here and this time he was determined to study all the seven years and not write his NEWTS a year later after private study like last time. He removed his trunk from his pocket and placed it on the ground, enlarged it and opened it. He removed his night things, went to the bathrooms to have a wash and came back and sat down to write to Sirius and Remus about his day.
"Good night Harry." Neville, Dean, Seamus and Ron called out to him and to each other and Harry wished all of them as well and closing the curtains began to write.
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The next morning saw Harry up nice and early. He was used to getting up early and saw no need to change that. He woke up and went leisurely to the bathrooms and had a long hot shower. Then neatly dressed in Black School robes with his Gryffindor badge gleaming above his left breast, Harry went into the dorm to take his bags to leave for the Great Hall. Today classes would begin.
"'Morning Harry." a voice greeted him sleepily and Harry turned to find Neville stretching and smiling at him. Harry grinned back, "Morning Neville. I am going down to the Great Hall. Coming?"
"In five minutes." Neville said turning immediately to search for his robes.
"I will be down in the common room okay?"
"Okay Harry." Neville called as he ran towards the bathrooms.
Harry laughed softly and taking his bottomless bag he had purchased on one of his trips to Diagon Alley with Sirius and Remus that was filled with all kinds of books including his favourite Self Updating Book of Spells, went to the common room and sat down in his usual place of old.
Harry breathed deeply and took out his Self Updating Book of Spells and started reading about warding spells. There was so much information and knowledge in these books it was amazing.
Ten minutes later a visibly panting Neville came crashing down the stairs looking anxiously for Harry and visibly relieved when he saw Harry waiting for him.
"Thanks for waiting Harry." Neville told him in gasps and Harry laughed and lifting his bag on his shoulders stood up. "Come on Nev, to the Great Hall for breakfast." Harry told him gaily feeling guilty he had not done this last time. But then he too had been only eleven and had been looking for acceptance and friendship just like Neville was now. Harry glanced at Neville whose face had bloomed when Harry had abbreviated his name and he had simply bounced all the way to the Great Hall.
They were very early as it was just half past seven in the morning. In fact they were the only two in their year and apart from other five or six fifth and sixth years the Gryffindor table was empty. Harry was sure to ask a few portraits the way to the Great Hall so that it would not look as if he knew everything.
The Head Table was full though and all the professors were there early having a cup of tea and breakfast, mentally preparing for the start of yet another new year.
Harry and Neville sat down, Harry taking care to see he did not look up at the professors and waited for breakfast that came to them in a few seconds. Both the boys were quiet as they busily helped themselves to everything they wanted and then ate in a companionable silence.
They were almost finished when Neville looked down and very hesitantly spoke to Harry, "Harry your Godfather is not friendly with the Les… Lestranges is he?"
"No Nev, of course not. He hates them, despises them." And then Harry's green eyes softened and he added very softly, "He told me about your parents Nev." Harry watched as Neville's face became red with embarrassment and a fear of ridicule. But before he could say something defensively, Harry continued, "He said they were great people and Bellatrix Lestrange deserved to die a most horrible death for torturing them. He knew them you know." and Harry saw Neville's eyes lift to Harry's face and a ray of hope slowly blooming in them.
"He did?" Neville breathed.
Harry nodded smiling. "Yes and I believe my parents and yours used to meet at special meetings to fight against Voldemort. That is what Sirius said, to discuss the war and the attacks and they only stopped meeting when my parents' had to go into hiding."
"My gran says my dad was very powerful and very brave. I am neither you know. They thought I was a squib for a long time. Then one day I fell out of the window and rolled all the way down and my uncle Algie was so happy I had magic inside me, he got me Trevor. I always forget everything you know, I wish I could somehow do my Gran proud." Neville sighed and then realized what he had said went red with shame.
"Why don't you?" Harry asked reasonably.
Neville raised incredulous eyes to Harry. Neither boy was aware of the interest they had caused by their serious conversation. Dumbledore sipping his tea at the Head Table knew they had not met. He was very curious about the conversation, but he was not to know. Snape in the meantime was glaring at the boy-who-dared-to-smile-the-day-before. He had been totally shocked by the innocent smile Lily's boy had sent him.
Lily's boy. Snape had a very bitter few minutes after those words flashed in his mind. Even after one month with the dog and the wolf, the boy had smiled innocently at him. He had scowled and turned away. But the boy had not been perturbed at all. Today he seemed to be embroiled in a very serious conversation with the Longbottom boy. He wondered what it could be but did not want to employ Legilimency just yet. So he contented himself to keep staring hard like the Headmaster at the two boys.
Dumbledore had decided to invite Sirius and Remus and ask them about Harry. He was very intrigued by the thin Boy-Who-Lived who oozed unheard of confidence for a first year. For a child whose Hogwarts letter was addressed to the 'cupboard under the stairs' he was amazingly cheerful and confident. He was very curious indeed. Harry and Neville oblivious of all this, were still talking to each other.
"How can I Harry? I told you I am almost a squib." Neville sounded desperate.
"What if I say you are not? Neville," Harry told him seriously, "half the battle is your own confidence. If you were almost a squib you would have never been invited to study here and nor would you have been sorted into Gryffindor. Will you be my study partner? We can do it together."
Neville beamed and grinned, really grinned at Harry, thanking him fervently and Harry grinned back brushing it off, and the observers at the Head Table watched intently as the serious conversation that almost seemed to leave Neville in tears and then suddenly Neville was grinning so widely and was talking very fast to Harry who was nodding his head and saying something that seemed to make Neville happier.
Harry and Neville started talking about their lessons and the Great Hall slowly filled up with sleepy students and in a very few cases like Percy and Hermione, very eager ones.
Hermione came in looking almost as anxious as Neville and her face and stride relaxed when she saw them.
"Good morning Harry, Neville. When did you get up?" she asked anxiously as if she had missed a good portion of her lessons.
"Oh! I usually get up very early Hermione. Nev and I got up at the around the same time and came down to have breakfast. We were just planning to study together. How about you, will you join us?"
Hermione's eyes simply blazed and it was all that Harry could do to stop laughing out aloud, because he knew she would feel insulted and all her insecurities would come all at once and kill her.
"Of course I will help you two and a study plan will work wonders and I will draw up a schedule," Harry started laughing, he could not help it; Hermione's zeal and Neville's terror seeing her go was simply too funny for words.
"Hey! Cool down. You are simply great you know Hermione." Harry told her soothingly, seeing her very hurt, "But this is only the first day. I am sorry I laughed but you were terrorizing young Nev here." And Harry threw an arm around her and grinned.
Slowly the hurt left her and she smiled. "I did get carried away didn't I? But we will study together won't we? I mean," she blushed at how anxious she sounded but before she could valiantly continue, Harry butted in, "Of course Hermione. We will together, and take the whole of Hogwarts by storm." All of them laughed and the Head Table was once again wondering what the three of them were now discussing.
Harry and Neville decided to wait for Hermione to finish and at that time a very sleepy Ron, Dean and Seamus came in. seeing the disgustingly fresh three, they blinked and sat down opposite them to start eating their breakfast.
"All of you got up very early?" Dean asked them.
"Yes. Harry woke up first and waited for me to get ready and we have been talking and chatting here. Hermione came just a little while ago." Neville told Dean. Hermione though, was not listening to the conversation. Instead she had her head and mind immersed in her Transfiguration text book and Ron seeing that nudged Seamus and they snickered.
Harry noticed it but did not say a word. This was why he had not sat with Ron on the train and had been neutral with him. If he did get close, Ron would demand certain rights as a friend, rights Harry could not afford to give him.
He would want to consider all Slytherins as evil, would want to fight Malfoy every time, curse Snape with a hatred Harry simply did not possess and on top of all this Ron would simply kill himself with jealousy seeing an assured and self confident Harry, not to mention a very rich one as well.
To remain casual friends right now was the best thing and Ron's attitude towards Hermione, already made Harry believe he had done the right thing. Hermione was not aware of the snickering or if she was, she was not showing it. She ate at a steady pace and as soon as she finished she closed her book and looked smartly at Harry.
At that time McGonagall was walking down the tables handing out schedules to everyone. Harry, Hermione and Neville received theirs and immediately Harry looked at his. He had Transfiguration followed by potions for two periods and then lunch. They had all their classes with the Slytherins and in the afternoon they had Charms.
"Well let us get on to Transfiguration class. Coming?" Hermione asked Harry and Harry and Neville got up and telling the others to come fast they left. Harry asked a few portraits about the way to class and soon they were standing in front of the classroom.
Sharp at nine the classroom opened and McGonagall bid all of them enter. They were treated to a lecture that Harry found especially boring and then were asked to turn matchsticks into needles.
Harry got his needle at the first try. He sat back and whispered to Neville who was partnering him, teaching him about how to do it. At that time McGonagall was coming around and was about to scold Harry when she saw the needle. She stopped in shock.
"Mr. Potter." and placed more matchsticks on his table. "Could you?" she gestured to him and he removed his wand and softly saying the spell, waved his wand.
All the match sticks turned into needles, their ends sharp and pointy. McGonagall gaped at him, but did not say a word and moved on. She watched Harry teaching Neville and after Hermione, Malfoy and Zabini, Neville was the only one to get his needle right at the end of the class.
They left the classroom and Hermione spent the entire time during the walk to the Potions classroom by asking Harry how he could transfigure all the matchsticks at the same time?
Harry smiled and acted innocent. "Well I wanted to change every matchstick Hermione and so I succeeded. When I cast the spell I cast it for all the matchsticks not one by one. That would take so much time."
They had reached the potions classroom and the Slytherins and the Gryffindors were standing on either side of the door. Harry had his One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi and was reading through the various herbs and their properties. Seeing his example, a few other students were also doing the same.
"Potter?" asked a soft and incredibly superior sounding voice.
Harry looked up slowly and nodded his eyes very cautious and his smile very pleasant. He wanted to pull this off properly.
"Draco Malfoy." The boy said holding out his hand and looking at Harry expectantly.
"You are Narcissa Black Malfoy's son?" Harry asked him, completely throwing him.
Neither boy knew that a very interested Snape was listening behind doors. He had wanted to observe the Boy-Who-Lived before banging the doors open and now Potter was talking to Malfoy instead of hexing him. This was beyond interesting and into the shocking and he wanted to hear more.
"Eh, what?" asked Malfoy completely taken aback. He had never expected Harry to reply like this. "Yes." He managed before steadying himself and then smiled and held out his hand once again.
Harry did not hesitate and grabbed Malfoy's hand and shook it warmly. "Pleased to meet you Malfoy. My Godfather Sirius Black has told be she was his cousin and that they grew up together." Harry grinned to himself while an extremely bewildered Malfoy processed all this information before he continued, "Are you prepared for professor Snape's class?"
"What? Black? Why?" Malfoy was bewildered enough to get confused and stop sprouting off against lesser and betters. Harry held his breath. This was going far better than he had even hoped for.
"Because he is very strict we've heard." Harry said seriously.
"For you Gryffindors. With us Slytherins he is different." Malfoy told him, nose in the air.
"You mean partial and showing favouritism? That's how he is different, isn't he?" snarled Ron.
Harry sighed inside and nodded his head to Malfoy hoping he looked jealous. "I know. Wish McGonagall would take a leaf out of Snape's book. She could favour us Gryffindors you know, but I believe she is as strict with us as she is with you, Sirius told me. It's not fair. You Slytherins are so lucky." Harry pouted and Malfoy who had been about to say something horribly rude to Ron was diverted by this piece of analysis from Harry.
Draco Malfoy stared for sometime trying to get everything straight in his mind and also look as if Slytherins were the luckiest ones, instead of having everyone curse them for being evil, and Snape, for favouring them. He nodded once again not knowing what to say and to his relief at that time the doors banged open and Harry saw Snape billowing away to the front sharply saying, "Come in and don't dither."
Harry had been very careful about his Occlumency right since morning. In fact he had been slowly preparing his mind by having Parseltongue spells on all of his other life memories making sure no one would access them. Unless you knew the passwords and spoke them in a certain order you would not be able to access the memories. It was a mild variation of a memory charm and Harry was confident it would work.
He had arranged the memories of his time with the Dursleys and then kept them suppressed like some sort of natural Occlumency then his last month with Sirius and Remus, which was also suppressed. Harry had wanted to give an impression of wanting no one to see his rather sad past and that he had become somehow adept at suppressing all his memories. By projecting a totally different attitude and character on the outside, Harry hoped to confuse everyone.
Harry knew Dumbledore and Snape would peep into his mind. It was only a question of when and Harry wanted his mind to be blissfully empty and hoped they would conclude that Harry had 'natural Occlumency shields'. So far he had been very careful and had not said anything that he should not have known and Harry wanted to keep it that way.
All of them trooped in silently into the dark classroom and quietly sat down. Harry paired with Neville and Hermione with Parvati Patil. The Slytherins too were very quiet and they settled down with a minimum of fuss.
Harry set his things and slowly looked at the man he wanted the most to make his peace with.
End of Chapter – 6
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