A/N: The question of what Greer wanted to speak with Harry about shall be answered!
Disclaimer: I do not own this at all.
Chapter 6:
Harry stared at Greer in a mix of suspicion and worry. "I'm not being resorted," the young quarter giant said firmly, then blinked in surprise when the hat quite visibly sneered. He didn't even know a hat could do that, but then again the beaten down thing could also sing, talk, and read your mind. Maybe he shouldn't have been surprised by the facial expressions? He was still wary however, and watched as it twitched in visible irritation.
"I'm not here to resort you. Not that I would, you'd have to ask me for me to do so, and even then you'd end up right back in Hufflepuff," the Sorting Hat said with a rather grouchy snort. Harry relaxed minutely. "I just want to have a private word with you, now, do as I bid and put me on!" Harry, deciding not to tempt an even louder explosion from the belligerent head gear, picked it up and plopped it down on his head quickly.
Ah, that's better. The hat said clearly in his head. I wanted to speak with you about something of great importance young man.
Oh? What is it, Greer?
The headmaster, he's planning something for you young Potter.
What?! Planning? Harry worried. What could he possibly be planning?
I'm not certain, but whatever it is it isn't good. I am only 'alive' during the first few weeks of the school year unless Hogwarts specifically wishes for me to be sentient, otherwise I return to my 'sleep' until I am needed once more. It protects my enchantments and allows me to 'power' up.
So you'll be going to sleep soon? Harry felt disappointed but hat quick allayed those fears.
Not this year, nor for many more. There's trouble brewing within the school's walls and its exteriors. Two items of great value and power have been hidden within the school while a great cancerous entity has sunken into her very veins.
Why are you telling me this? The boy asked feeling a great sense of foreboding. There's nothing I can do about it!
Hogwarts, I and the Gatekeeper Fawkes feel that it has ties to you. You needed to be warned. The machinations are out our hands, due to being what we are. However, that does not mean we cannot advise you or oversee you as you attend school. While here in Hogwarts merely call for us and we will come. As the Gatekeeper Fawkes has said, a smell of season's changes is carried in your very magic. You have a giant heart both figuratively and literally. Now, I've kept you long enough. Remember, if you need any three of us, we will always come to your aide in any place Hogwarts touches. With a final comforting mental hug Harry took off the hat looking it over seriously. His eye folds met the quarter-Giant's for a single moment and then Fawkes flashed back in, took the hat gently in his claws, gave the boy a single regal nod and flared away. Harry stepped out of the alcove after a few minutes of silent contemplation before walking away. Glancing out the window he saw the sun setting and guessed dinner had already started or would be soon. Shoving the worries that had come to light at the headmaster's action had created and Greer dour prophecies, Harry focused on what he would eat that night.
Neville padded into the Great Hall his eyes scanning worriedly around for the tall figure of his new friend. Immediately, he saw the part-Giant slumped over a plate, fiddling around with his vegetables on the dinnerware. Frowning at the rather uncharacteristic actions Neville hurried over.
"What's wrong?" The blond, slightly chubby boy asked as he plunked himself down next to his new and closest male friend.
"The headmaster wanted to resort me." Harry said after a moment, though the manner in which Harry avoided the Longbottom heir's eyes suggested there was more to it than that. Guessing, correctly, that Harry couldn't and didn't want to go into it at the table, Neville filed it away for later, determined to remember and ask the black haired boy about it later.
"Well, even if you got resorted you'd end up right back in Hufflepuff!" Neville said supportively, making the other boy's expression lighten a tad.
"Yeah," Harry straightened and handed a bowl of potatoes to a girl who asked for them, earning a bright smile and thanks. Neville mentally patted himself on the back and shifted them into a discussion on Herbology and the book he had gotten from Harry's shelf. The other Hufflepuff perked up fully at that and quickly started explaining things catching the attention of a few other students at their table and surprisingly the Ravenclaws next to them.
"Are you thinking of apprenticing under Ollivander after you graduate Potter?" One of the first year Ravenclaw boys asked, Conner or Corners being his last name. Harry paused at that and thought it over.
"I have no idea," Harry admitted honestly. "I like working with my hands and the subject is just fascinating. Mr. Ollivander is a brilliant man who's been working with wands almost his whole life. He started as an apprentice to his father and uncles when he was only four. He was a master by the age of sixteen and opening his own shop here in Britain when he was twenty-two. He's a great man." Neville smiled at the enthusiasm his taller friend extruded and the other students seemed to enjoy his attitude as well.
"Would be alright if I borrowed a book of the subject from you?" The boy asked.
"Sure Corners," Harry said.
"It's Michael." The boy said with a smile at both of them including Neville in the invitation.
"Harry then," the part-giant said with a grin as well.
"I wouldn't mind if you called me Neville," Neville offered a second afterward. The two Hufflepuffs were finishing up their meal and the Ravenclaw, though still curious, let them go.
"Great, we should do our homework together some time then," the other boy said happily before they made their goodbyes and left the hall.
"Are we going to go see Professor Sprout now?" Harry asked glancing at his shorter friend who slapped his forehead and groaned when he remembered the task.
"Yeah," Neville grumbled. "I know I have to get it changed… The wand isn't horrible for me but…" Harry wrapped his arm around his friend and let him lean into him for comfort. It was rather horrible the position Neville was in. He obviously so wanted to have a piece of his father with him, even if it didn't work that well, but he also wanted to be as great as his father and mother had been but couldn't do it unless he gave the wand up for something else.
"It'll be alright Neville," Harry said, "I could make you a special shadow box for the wand so it can be put in a place that shows it significance. Maybe we can even add your family motto or a picture of your parents to it so you can put it on your desk or wall and see the wand and your family all the time." The blond's eyes filled at that and he rubbed rather roughly at his face holding back the tears and the sniffles at his friend's kind suggestion.
"I'd like that. Maybe line it with some dried flowers and cloth too… My mum always loved hydrangeas and baby's breath my Gran always said, she had it as part of her wedding bouquet. Could you carve some stuff onto it for me Harry?" Neville asked glancing worriedly at his friend and felt a bright warmth in his chest when the other boy nodded immediately and said, "Anything you want Nev, I'll make it the prettiest shadow box ever. Perhaps I can get some scrap leather from Ollivander or some special colored glass for a border." Leaning against his friend, Neville knew he'd found a lifelong one.
Pomona Sprout was absolutely furious by the time Potter and Longbottom left her office and she finished a rather curt and angry conversation with the Longbottom Matriarch with Minerva serving as mediator. If she hadn't, the Herbology professor was positive she would have stormed through the floo and throttled the old shrew! She poured herself a rather large serving of firewhiskey and slammed the bottle down before taking a rather plush armchair across from Minerva who looked just as peeved. Both women had confronted the woman after Sprout had sent the two first years off with a house elf to the Room-Where-Lost-Things-Go to try out the three hundred odd wands that were left there in case one of them worked marginally well for young Neville.
"The nerve of that woman!" Pomona shouted as she finished tossing back her tumbler of amber liquor. Minerva merely nodded stiffly, her knuckles white around her own crystal glass which had already been gulped down with a frustrated growl. The Scottish witch poured both of them a few more fingers and they in joint knocked it back after a rather bitter salute.
"I knew she wasn't all there, she just grew harsher and stonier over the years," Minerva admitted. "I can't believe I never noticed that as she got worse Neville, that bright happy bairn, just got quieter and more reserved! It's Harry Potter all over again."
"Is there something wrong with Harry?" Pomona asked startled. The Gryffindor Head sighed.
"Severus went with Hagrid to pick him and wasn't pleased with what he found. Was in a right temper when he contacted me the night they collected the boy. Apparently," Pomona could practically hear the other woman's back teeth grind together, "the Dursleys had withheld all forms of information to Harry's true background and Severus has a suspicion that the poor lad isn't treated as well as he should be."
"You're saying he may have been abused?!" Pomona said almost shooting out of her seat.
"Neglected at the very least," Minerva said angrily. "I'm just surprised that they slipped through the cracks, Pomona! They shouldn't have these problems! They're supposed to be treasures of our society! Two sons of lords, of treasured and much loved members of our society, and they end up with family that don't know how to even treat them proper! Scaring their magic out! Bullying them!" The accent thickened and both witches immediately filled another glass.
"It's good they're at Hogwarts," Pomona finally said.
"Yeah, but so is that blasted stone," Minerva hissed. Scowling at each other, the women both thought unhappily, that bloody old goat, before emptying their tumbles once more.
Harry and Neville followed Twilly the House Elf into a surprisingly large room on the seventh floor. It was filled with shelves, drawers, boxes, and crates. A few house elves were popping in and out, retrieving items and leaving others behind. Finally the little elf led them to a rather nice seating area and motioned them to sit. A snap of her fingers summoned a large chest which she opened. In it were rows and rows of wands. Some of them were in test tube like holders, others boxes, and a few even on pillows.
"These be the wands," Twilly squeaked. "Do young Masters be needings anythings else from Twilly?"
"No, Twilly," Harry said gently. "You have done a good job and you may return to doing whatever you were doing before Professor Sprout summoned you to help us." He didn't say thank you, which apparently set elves off like nothing else. They weren't as bad with compliments and gently said words however, and after a few run-ins with Ollivander's elf Willow when he delivered things to Harry from Ollivander on occasion, he'd learned how to speak and work with them. The elf beamed at them before curtsying and popping away to whatever she had been doing. Leaving Neville sitting Harry gently went to the wands and picked out the first observing it.
"Here," Harry said holding it out after sending a small tendril of his magic through it to guess what it was. "I believe this is willow and unicorn hair, thirteen inches or so." Neville took it and then glanced uncertainly at Harry. "Try waving it," the boy suggested. "See if you feel anything with it." Neville waved it and nothing happened making Harry sigh, take the wand and return it back to its stored position. He chose another and felt it out. "Here, ash with dragon heartstring." A small fire exploded on the small table after Neville took it making the boy drop it with a yelp. Harry quickly stopped the flicking flares of heat and took the wand back placing it where it had been originally.
"Not that wand," Neville said shakily. "It was angry that I picked it up." Harry nodded and handed over another. "Maple with kelpie hair and scales." This time a small rain cloud drenched them with a small torrent of water from it. Glancing at his taller, and now soaking wet, friend, Neville smiled sheepishly at him as Harry snatched the wand away and smirked.
"We're going to be here awhile?" Neville said. Harry merely arched a brow.
"That, Neville, is an understatement."
The duo ended up in the room for over an hour and went through almost half of the wands before they found something that was more suited to Neville than his father's wand was. It wasn't a perfect match, Harry could tell by how low the number of sparks there were and how dull some of them had been, but it was mostly suitable. Made of a mix of elm and purpleheart wood surrounding what Harry guessed was a core of unicorn hair, the woods seemed almost perfect for a match although the unicorn hair was indifferent, it did work very well for Neville. The blond boy was thrilled.
When they left Neville was studying the wand with bright eyes. The purplish red coloring of the purpleheart curved in a spiral from handle to tip interlacing with the elm was a rather pretty effect. It was well maintained and obviously a well-cared for wand suggesting that its previous owner hadn't lost it but perhaps the wand had lost its owner. Harry hopped that Neville would be able to keep the wand after he got his very own, it would serve quite well as a secondary one, perfect for any emergencies the boy may have in the future. Finally, as they reached their dorms, only an hour from curfew Neville stopped them outside of it and hugged Harry hard.
"Thank you," was the muffled word when Harry, surprised, asked what the matter with his friend was. "You're a good friend, Harry." The boy said after stepping back and scrubbing at his face before laughing rather wetly when Harry gave him a handkerchief.
"You're a good friend too Nev," Harry said. "Now let's go in and review for tomorrow. We have potions after all." The blond nodded with a big smile and they went in. Hannah and Susan were seated in the corner by one of the windows with Cedric, Ernie, and Justin watching as Zacharias played the joint team of Oliver and Wayne. The two boys both were horrible, not that Harry had any right to be critiquing others play when he up and stank at the game, but as a team they did fairly well. Zacharias was probably the best, followed by Neville, than Ernie. Justin didn't care either way about the game and preferred rugby and football, something Harry, Wayne and he could talk about and confuse the Wizard raised members of their year and house to their mutual amusement.
"Hey Neville, Harry," Cedric said when he noticed the two walk in before frowning slightly at Neville's wet and slightly puffy eyes. "Is something the matter?"
"No," Neville said flushing in embarrassment, as the whole group glanced at him worriedly. "Just a bit sentimental is all." Harry squeezed the shorter boy's shoulder and then pulled him down on the ottoman next to the chessboard where the Wizarding pieces were shouting obscenities at one another. Or well, the pawns were before getting smacked by the Queens and bishops and scolded for their foul language and manners. They nodded and turned back to it, letting the two rests peacefully in each other's' presence and theirs. Harry got up after a few moments and went up the stairs to the dorms before coming back with his Potion books, notes, sketchbook, bag of supplies, and his Potion case.
"Come on Nev," Harry said with a smile, "Let's review for potions." Smiling at his taller friend, Neville got up and followed him over to the table before sinking down in the plush armchair with a grin.
"Now," Harry said adjusting his glasses, and opening the books to the first chapter and his notes to the first section. "Let's go over the different methods of treating the different materials and what purposes it serves…"
The next day, Neville was awake before Harry. Sitting up he stared at the small clock seated next to Harry's bed ticking softly away. It read five fifty-eight. Slumping back against his pillow the blond couldn't figure out what had woken him up. He rolled and shifted back and forth trying to get back to sleep before giving up and sighing in defeat.
"Neville?" Harry's sleepy voice murmured to his right making his head shoot up and flush in embarrassment and self-chastisement.
"Sorry about waking you," Neville whispered.
"S'kay," Harry muttered, as his lanky and tall figure swung into an upright position. "Somethin' buggin' you?" Harry asked as he stretched. He glanced at his clock seeing it was only ten past six.
"I don't know," Neville admitted. "It's probably potions. I'm really clumsy…" Harry smiled faintly.
"It's fine, I'll help you out Nev," the other boy said as he stood. "C'mon, let's get ready then we can go to breakfast and study a bit. We've got History for our first period, we can spend it reading and then some more after Herbology if you're that worried."
"That'd help a lot Harry," Neville said. Harry shrugged off his flimsy nightshirt and Neville's eyes widened a bit. Harry was remarkably slender.
"You need to eat more," Neville poked his friend's side making him squeak in surprise and swat at his hand as he held in a giggle. "You're ticklish?" Neville said with a smile as he poked him again.
"Hey!" Harry choked out around a laugh turning on the shower and splashing his friend who ended up sputtering himself. "Gotcha!" Neville merely laughed and started changing out of his clothes as well. Before long the duo were out of the room, only stopping once when Neville forgot his gloves for Potions. Breakfast went by easily, the pair of them one of the firsts there and the tables mostly empty. Harry showed Neville the different cuts on samples of their food, as well as the different chops, mashes, and grinds. He even demonstrated the different ways to stir and the proper grip the boy should hold a knife, something he learned as his family's house boy and general cook. By the time they got to History all of Hufflepuff was sneakily peppering the pair with questions and reviewing for their afternoon class. Potions was considered the scariest class based on what they heard from other students. Extra practice, explanation, and even demonstration done rather secretly in both of their morning classes and lunch was comforting. Finally the mass of first year Hufflepuffs entered the Potion classroom. Harry paired with Neville who seemed to twitch with nerves. Harry's carefully organized station was copied in every spot, on every lab table, almost to an exact replica. The loud slam of the door echoed through the room and out glided was Gryffindor's greatest foe, or at least that was what the most hot-headed ones thought. Harry just smiled at the rather imposing and spookily dressed and scarily scowling figure of his potion professor, Severus Snape.
A/N: Yes! I for some reason thought this chapter wasn't done. It is. I'm an airhead. I have a few more chapters done and I'm decided on doing a mass update, thanks for all the patience and support!