A/N: Hello there! Here I am, with yet another update, the longest so far! I won't keep you waiting, I'll just let you go ahead and read! =)
When this is posted, 33 people have voted in my poll on who Harry should befriend during his first year. The current top 10 is as follows:
1. Fred and George Weasley, 24 votes (10%)
2. Neville Longbottom, 23 votes (10%)
3. Hermione Granger, 21 votes (9%)
4. Cedric Diggory, 20 votes (9%)
5. Daphne Greengrass, 17 votes (7%)
6. Susan Bones, 14 votes (6%)
7. Katie Bell, 14 votes (6%)
8. Ronald Weasley, 13 votes (5%)
9. Blaise Zabini, 12 votes (5%)
10. Padma Patil / Oliver Wood, 9 votes (4%)
I'm not sure if so many more people will vote, but I'll keep it open for a little while longer, just in case. Now, I think that was all so let's get to the story!
Disclaimer: Don't own this stuff. Only own my own spells used in this chapter.
Chapter Eight: Hermione's shell
Harry felt the early fal sun caress his face as he made his way towards the little hut on the school grounds, just outside of the Forbidden Forest. For an autumn morning, it was unusually warm and he couldn't help but gasp at the scene in front of him. The sun was just rising over the forest, casting an magnificent glow over the grounds. The sky was almost clear and the quiet and peaceful aura that rested over the grounds made Harry feel at ease. It had been an intense week with a lot of new things. Exciting of course, but intense.
Walking down towards the hut, Harry couldn't help but wonder about what Hagrid could possibly want to talk to him about. He had only met the man once and though he had seemed friendly enough, they really hadn't talked to each other yet. Well, only one way to find out, he thought as he knocked on the door of the small hut. The door swung open, revealing the large man standing in... a pink apron.
"Ah, Harry! Nice to see ya 'gain. Come in!" Hagrid smiled as he stepped aside to let the young boy into his house.
Harry stepped inside, still trying not to laugh at the sight of the large, hard-looking man in the pink apron. It just... didn't seem to fit in with the rest of his wardrobe, but somehow, seeing that put him at ease. Anyone who could wear a pink apron and not regard it as embarrassing probably didn't mean any harm. The hut was larger inside than it looked like from the outside. There was only one room inside that contained everything from a bed to a very large table. In one corner, a large dog was sleeping with its head on its front paws.
Upon invitation from Hagrid, Harry sat down by the table while Hagrid went over to a tea kettle that was hanging over a fire.
"Want sum tea, Harry?" he asked as he removed the kettle and brought it over to pour himself a very large cup of tea, the size of which Harry would call a bucket rather than a cup.
Despite that he had just had breakfast and didn't really feel like drinking or eating anything, Harry accepted the cup that was offered and too a zip. It wasn't too bad, but it was still a little hot seeing as it came directly from within the flames of Hagrid's fireplace so he decided to put it down to let it cool off. When Hagrid had put down the kettle and taken off his apron, he sat down opposite to Harry and offered him a smile through his beard.
"Merlin, I haven't seen you up close since ya were a baby Harry, but ya sure have grown. You look a lot like your father." he said to try and start up a conversation. "Except the eyes of course. You got your mothers eyes." he added when he got a closer look up close.
At the mention of his parents, Harry felt something turn in his chest and suddenly, this meeting had a whole new meaning for him.
"You knew my parents?" he asked with a shocked expression on his face.
Hagrid laughed at the face Harry made. Harry felt his cheeks redden slightly at his own reaction, but didn't say anything. It didn't take long for Hagrid to calm down and he offered Harry a kind smile.
"Did I know 'em? I sure did. From school and onwards. They were among the most gifted students of their time here at Hogwarts." Hagrid went on to explain how Harry's father was the worst troublemaker Hogwarts had ever seen and went on to state that even the Weasley twins would pale in comparison.
Harry was mesmerized to hear about his parents and listened intently, asking questions whenever he had any. Hagrid told him about his fathers many pranks and how he got to know him, how many times he had to chase away James Potter from the Forbidden Forest and how James had constantly tried to get the attention of one certain Lily Evans.
He was also told about his mother, the "brightest witch of her age". Her many accomplishments while still in school had Harry wide eyed and suddenly he felt like he had a lot to live up to. Hagrid just laughed when he stated he would need to step up his studying and reminded him that his father, while gifted unlike anyone his age, had been the exact opposite of his mother, always ending up in detention. He told Harry how his mother had kept James at arms length for 6 years before she finally gave in and admitted that he wasn't half bad and the two began dating.
The two were so caught up in their discussion that time just flew by and before they knew it, it was lunch time. Harry was shocked to find that he had spent no less than 4 hours talking to Hagrid. Thanking him sincerily for the tea and the good time and all the memories of his parents, Harry bid Hagrid good bye and made his way back up to the castle with a promise that they should have another talk like this sometime.
When he entered the Great Hall, Harry immediately spotted Ron, Dean and Seamus sitting by the Gryffindor table, looking as if someone had died. He chuckled for himself, pretty sure what their mood was about, and made his way over. As soon as he was withing range, even Ron abandonned his food and turned to him with a pleading look.
"I can't take this anymore! Please Harry, I'm begging you! Let me check your notes for the potions essay!" he pleaded.
Harry took a step back and held up his hands, as to indicate that he was putting up a wall between them.
"Oh, no, I don't think so! I asked if you wanted to do it with me during the week but you thought it was more fun to pound Neville in wizarding chess. You got only yourself to blame."
Ron looked like a caged animal, desperate to find its way out of his cage. He looked around for anyone who could possibly help him with his homework and his face shone up when he spotted a brown, bushy haired witch enter the the hall. He quickly stood up and made his way over towards Hermione.
"Oh boy, this is going to get ugly." Harry thought with dread.
Hermione looked wary when she spotted Ron making his way towards her and she had a right to. Ron came to a stop in front of her and quickly blurted out:
"Please let me copy your notes for the potions essay!" Ron pleaded, before he stopped dead in his tracks and a look of horror overcame his face as he realized what he had just said.
Seeing that Hermione's face was turning red, Harry decided he did not want to be part of this and quickly made his way over to where Dean and Seamus was sitting just as he heard Hermione's upset and irritated voice start to reprimand Ron for his irresponsilibility.
"How are you doing guys?" he asked as he sat down with his friends.
Both Dean and Seamus looked up at him with a pained look. That was all he needed to know. They weren't fairing much better than Ron. Or well, at least they were still sane enough not to ask Hermione to outright "copy" her notes.
"I just don't get how you can already be done with this stuff?" Dean said, hoping to get some trick out of Harry for getting his homework done.
Harry just grinned at his friends.
"Well, I did it during the week while you guys were playing Wizarding chess with Ron. That's how." he said with a smirk on his face.
Seamus groaned at being reminded of the chess rounds they had taken, trying to beat Ron. Harry just smirked at his friend and began loading his plate. Ron rejoined them a little while later, red in the face from his argument with Hermione and Harry had a feeling the bushy haired girl would spend a lot of time in the library today. That was where Hermione seemed to go whenever she felt any stronger emotions. If she felt happy, she went to the library. If she felt confused or frustrated about something, she went to the library. And if she felt angry about something, she went to the library. He had joined her there once during the week, to see what she was doing but she was mostly studying. It was as if she had locked herself away and only cared for schoolwork. Harry thought that was a pity, because he was sure she could become a great friend if she just opened up a little. Then again, he thought pretty much anyone would be a great friend, as long as their surnames didn't start with "Mal" and end with "foy".
Lunch was soon finished and Ron, Dean and Seamus stalked back towards the common room to try and finish their homework. Harry waited by the table for a moment, thinking over what he could do with the rest of the day. He could fo course go outside and find a secluded spot as he had originally planned, but on second thought, perhaps he should drop by the library to see if he could get Hermione to open up a little. She couldn't possibly have homework to do, as Harry was finished with his and Hermione always did her homework at first possible occasion. Then again, perhaps Hermione could help him to pick out a pet for Ginny? She was a girl after all, and Harry wasn't sure what girls really liked. And Hermione wouldn't go talking about it with someone else so he wouldn't risk that it would reach Ron's ears.
Deciding it was a good idea, Harry stood up and headed towards the library. He had visited the library a few times during the past week and felt pretty sure about how to get there by now and sure enough, 10 minutes and only one wrong turn later he stood in front of the wooden doors. As soon as he entered the library, he felt the peaceful atmosphere engulf him. Perhaps Hermione wasn't completely mental for spending time here, though he still thought she could probably do with a few more hours outside of the library. He immediately took to searching through the rows of books and it didn't take him long to spot the bushy haired witch, sitting by herself in a corner, surrounded by a mountain of books.
"Hermione?" Harry asked as he made his way over to her.
The girl seemed to jump at being spoken to and looked up from what she was reading with a frantic look. Seeing the worried expression on her face, Harry frowned. Had he done something wrong?
"What do you want Harry?" she asked with an undertone of uneasiness in her voice.
"I just thought you might be able to help me with something." he said as he came to a stop in front of the desk she was sitting by.
At this, Hermione's eyes narrowed in suspicion. Harry frowned once more, as he once again wondered if he had done anything that could have upset her.
"If you want me to do your homework, then don't bother asking because I won't do it!" she hissed in an annoyed voice.
Harry raised an eyebrow. Was she still upset about that? Without thinking, he moved away some of the books on her table and sat down, ignoring the look she gave him. It would appear she did not appreciate that he had moved her precious books.
"Don't worry, I've been done with my homework since Thursday."
Seeing Hermione's confused look, he tried to give her a reassuring smile but instead of calming her down, he had the opposite effect. Without warning, Hermione's face took on a fierce look, like a wild animal backed into a corner, and she hastily stood up.
"Then why are you talking to me?! Nobody talks to me, unless they want me to do their homework!" she shrieked with a hurt voice.
Before he could say anything to try and understand what she was talking about, Hermione had grabbed the books that was her own and run off. Confused like never before, Harry stood up and hurried after her. What had he done wrong? When he reached the exit, he stopped for a second to consider which way Hermione could have taken. After deciding to find a secluded spot to look for her at the Marauders' Map, Harry took off to the right, while trying to figure out why she had become so upset. That look in her eyes... he was sure he had seen it somewhere before, on someone else. And what she had said... "Nobody talks to me, unless they want me to do their homework"...
Harry kept pondering this until he found an empty classroom, which he entered. He was just about to pull out the map when the window caught his eye. The room was shadowed so he could see his own reflection clearly. And then it hit him. That look in her eyes... he had seen it in his reflection when he was younger! When he was still going to primary school, no one had ever talked to him, unless they wanted to tease him or get him to do something for them. The look in Hermione's eyes had been the same, the same sense of loneliness and distrust.
"Yeah, that would make sense." Harry thought. Hermione was a muggleborn. She had gone to primary school, just like him. And if she was as studios and cold as she had been this far at Hogwarts back then, then it wouldn't surprise him if she didn't have many friends. Could that be it?
Thinking he better talk to her before jumping to conclussions, Harry pulled out the Marauders' map to check for Hermione's dot. He found her sitting under an oak tree that was situated on the school grounds. He waited a moment to see if she would move again, but it would seem she had settled down so he put away the map and lef the classroom.
10 minutes later, Harry found Hermione's little spot. She was leaning against the trunk of the oak tree, reading a book on charms. She seemed calm enough, but the wet marks on her cheeks suggested she had been crying, strengthening Harry's belief that she felt lonely and distrusted her peers because of something that had happened in Primary school.
"Hermione?"
Upon hearing her name being called, Hermione flinched and when she saw Harry standing there, watching her, she immediately moved to put away her book and make another run for it, but before she could stand up, Harry ahd moved over and grabbed her by the arm.
"Hermione please, I just want to talk." he said, trying to reassure her that he meant no harm.
The girl struggled for a second to get free of his grip, but gave up without much of a fight. When he was sure she wouldn't make a run for it, Harry let go of her arm. After a few intense moments, Hermione looked up a Harry with a guarded look in her eyes.
"How did you find me?"
Harry sighed with relief that she hadn't run away again and sat down beside her.
"How I found you is not important. But tell me Hermione, did you have any friends before you came here to Hogwarts?"
Upon hearing his question, Hermione seemingly tensed up and immediately looked away, in a poorly hidden attempt to avoid meetin Harry's gaze. But Harry kept his eyes stubbornly fixed on her and after a few seconds she answered:
"What are you talking about? I had lots of friends!" she said but her voice was trembling.
Feeling for the poor girl, Harry reached out with one hand and put in comfortingly on her shoulder. Hermione flinched at the contact and was so surprised that she turned to face him in shock. Her eyes were thick with moisture. She was close to tears. Harry took a moment to consider his words. This was a very sore subject and if he didn't tred carefully, he could cause Hermione to completely break down.
"Well, that's brilliant. I wish I had luck like that." he said, causing Hermione's tearful expression to mix in with confusion, but Harry tried to ingore her. "While I was in primary school, I never had any real friends. The only time when people spoke to me was when they were teasing me or wanted me to do something for them."
He cast a sidelong glance at Hermione, whose shocked expression told him that his words were reaching her. Harry felt like he wanted to say more, but something held him back now. Something told him that if this was to go the way he wanted it to, he would need to let Hermione push the subject from here. He didn't want to force it upon her. Well, at least not more than he already had.
"T-then how come you g-got so many friends now?" Hermione whispered. Her voice was still trembling, as if she was afraid that Harry would begin laughing at her for asking. But at the same time, Harry could make out a small hint of curiosity below her trembles. She wanted to know how he had made friends. She wanted to know why they had become so different, despite having what appeared to be similar backgrounds.
"Well, I think it started the day I went to Diagon Alley. Uncle Sev had just told me I was famous and anyone we met just wanted me to shake their hand because of it." Harry began, thinking back to that day. "I admit I was starting to feel like I would never find someone who would just like me for who I was. But then I met someone who did. Someone who became my friend because of who I am, not because I could do their homework or because I am mentioned in The Rise and Fall of the Dark arts."
Here, Harry made a pause to see if Hermione was still with him. He was pleased to see that the brown haired girl was giving him her undivided attention.
"Her name was Ginny Weasley. She... well, she was a little shocked upon learning my full name, but she didn't seem to let it get to her. We became friends and have been corresponding ever since. I met her again at Platform 9 3/4 when she accompanied her family to see off her brothers and she was still just happy to see me, not to see The Harry Potter. After I got to know her, I realized that there was a lot more to her than I first thought. And that had me thinking."
Once more, Harry paused to allow Hermione to process all he had said. The tears that had formed in her eyes no longer threatened to spill over and she wasn't trembling as much. Her mind seemed to be working in overdrive to process all that he had said so far.
"I couldn't really expect people to like me for who I was, because I never showed them who I really was. So when I came to Hogwarts, I began trying to just be myself, not some celebrity or someone you ask for homework."
At this, Hermione flinched. At the mention of "someone you ask for homework", she finally put together that Harry had seen right through her. "Took her long enough." Harry thought. Well, at least he could go straight to the point now.
"If you want someone to be a real friend to you, then you will need to let go of your fear of failure. Some people will not like you for who you are, but not all of us are like that. Look at me, do I look like I am sitting here because I want you to do some homework for me that I don't even have?"
Hermione bit her lower lip as she looked Harry over. He hadn't brought any school books with him and so far, he hadn't even asked for her help in schoolwork specifically. And out of all her classmates, Harry had so far proven to be the most knowledgable besides herself. She had even seen him reading through his books in the common room while his friends played chess and he was waiting for his turn. If someone in their class wouldn't need her help, it would be him.
"Was I that obvious?" she whispered as her cheeks heated up a little with embarrassment as she thought about how easy he had seen through her.
"Nah, I wouldn't say obvious. I had no idea this was why you were so distant towards the rest of us until your outburst in the library and even then, it was just because I recognized the look in your eyes from my own reflection." he said with a cheeky grin as he scratched the back of his head.
Hermione tried to dry her tears from her eyes with her sleeve and looked at Harry, who was just sitting beside her. He seemed so carefree. It was hard to believe he would have had no friends before he came to Hogwarts. It just didn't add up in her mind. But perhaps... perhaps that was what made it so intriguing? Somewhere deep inside her, a sparkle of hope had been ignited by Harry's speech. Perhaps... he was right. Perhaps, she really could have friends?
"Uhm, H-Harry?" she asked, suddenly a little nervous about what she was about to ask.
"Hm?"
"How do you know when you meet a real friend?" she asked, feeling her cheeks redden in embarrasment.
Harry blinked at her in surprise, but then his face took on a thoughtful look. How did he know who was a real friend? Well, to be honest, he wasn't sure if all the ones he currently called friend was real friends, just that so far, they hadn't done anything to imply something else.
"I don't think that is something you can know before you get to know them. I guess you will pick up on it after a while. But you can't make any friends unless you try so you got to start somewhere, right?" he said, hoping it explained what he was feeling.
Apparently, it did because Hermione nodded her head in thought. Harry did seem honest when he said he didn't want to talk to her about homework. But he had said himself that he had not known why she was so distant before her outburst in the library so what had be wanted to talk about back then?
"Soo, what was it you wanted my help for back in the library?" she asked.
Harry looked at her with a raised eyebrow for a second before his face lit up and he held up what looked like a product catalogue from the Magical Menagerie.
"I was going to ask for your opinion on this." he said.
Now it was Hermione's turn to raise an eyebrow. What was he getting at? When he saw her confused look, he grinned cheekily and set to explain his situation.
"You see, Ginny is all alone at home now that Ron have started Hogwarts and I was thinking of giving her a pet so she have someone to play with, but I'm not sure what she would like. I'm not really into what girls like and dislike so I thought you could help me out." he said.
Hermione blinked in surprise that Harry would come to her for something like this. That definetely didn't add up in her mind. Then again, right now nothing about Harry added up in her mind at the moment.
"Ginny is Ron's little sister? Then why don't you ask him? Or any of their brothers?" she asked, suspicion sneaking its way into her voice. She didn't mean for it to, it just did. After all these years, it was hard for her to trust other people her age.
"Yeah, that might have been an alternative but I don't feel like asking Percy because he might send Hermes, his owl, to "warn" their mother, who would never accept charity like that. The twins is out of the picture because I wouldn't be able to stand the teasing they would give me for it and Ron... well, for some reason we always end up arguing with each other whenever it comes to Ginny." Harry said as a way of explanation.
Hermione seemed to buy it, though she kept on looking at him with a studying gaze, as if trying to find any sign of dishonesty. When she was satisfied that he hadn't shown any, she offered him a smile.
"Well, I'm not much more of a girly girl than Professor McGonagall, but I'll try." she said.
Harry, glad that she seemed to at least try to open up a little, smiled back and moved closer so the catalogue could rest between them. The two began to scroll through the pages, stopping occasionally to discuss pros and cons with a certain animal and what Ginny probably would think about that as a pet. Harry felt that the longer they talked, the more Hermione seemed to open up. She was still a little vague with her opinion on things, but at least it was a start.
Meanwhile, Hermione cast a glance at Harry now and then when he was leaned forward to get a closer look at a certain pet. He appeared to genuily care for Ginny and also seemed to hold her own opinion in high regard, as whenever she said something, he leant back to think about it and then would say what he thought about what she had said. The hope that had been ignited in Hermione's chest grew the longer they talked. For the first time since she was a child, Hermione Granger felt like maybe she really could find real friends.
-:-:-:-
While Harry and Hermione was sitting outside in the afternoon sun, looking for a pet that would fit Harry's best friend, Severus Snape was hurrying through the corridors of the castle towards the Forbidden Corridor on the third floor. As soon as they had set up the protections for the Philosopher's stone, Severus had made sure to set up yet another protection in secret. Without even Albus knowledge, he had rigged a magical alarm system to go off in his office if someone tried to sneak into the corridor. And what do you know? It just went of!
There was of course a chance that it was Hagrid who had come to feed that damn dog, but somehow, Severus thought that was not the case. There was one other person he had seen, sneaking around that door and that was coincidently the person he had found to behave mostly out of character for all of his colleagues: Quirinus Quirell. The man had taught Muggle Studies before he had gone off to "see the world", as he put it but back then, he had been a confident young man. Now, he was stuttering every second word and he was also always wearing that turban of his, something he hadn't done before he went on his journey.
Turning around a corner, Severus spotted the man in question, standing by the door that led into the corridor in question.
"Quirell!" he shouted as he slowed down to stand a few feet away.
Quirell jumped high in the air and landed on his butt. It actually looked really comical. A little too comical. The nervwreck of a Professor looked up with a frightened expression at the man who had shouted at him and began pushing his hands together in a nervous gesture.
"S-S-Severus. W-w-what b-brings-s y-you to t-this p-p-part of the c-castle?" Quirell stuttered.
That stuttering! It was driving Severus crazy and he had only had to deal with it for a week now! Already irritated at the stuttering, Severus refrained from answering and simply reached out with his legilimency to try and see what Quirell's intentions was and found... nothing. Somehow, he didn't find anything when he tried searching Quirell's mind. It was as if the stuttering Professor didn't have a mind, or maybe just didn't have anything stored in it. But that certainly didn't add up. The man he had known a few years ago hadn't been brain dead. Quite the opposite in fact. Could this be some kind of occlumency shield then? But he had never seen anything like this before. An Occlumency shield usually focused around building a barrier around your thoughts and memories so that the intruder would be met with resistance when he tried to enter their mind.
"I was just... walking by and got curios as to what you were up to?" Severus replied slowly, studying his colleague for any sign or out of place reaction.
"M-m-me? I-I j-just thought I sh-should c-check o-on the s-s-stone. N-no o-o-one has c-checked on i-it since i-it got p-placed there a-a-after a-all."
Severus narrowed his eyes. Sure, Quirell had become a nervous wreck but he couldn't seriously believe that the line of protection that had been placed by himself, Severus, Hagrid, Sinistra, McGonagall, Vector, Sprout, Flitwick, Kettleburn and Albus himself would be broken so easily? And without anyone noticing on top of that! There must be a hidden motive here.
"You're lying." he stated as he stared down Quirell.
The man in question covered under his intense gaze.
"N-no I s-s-swear! I j-just w-w-wanted to m-make sure i-it was a-alright!" he stuttered out.
Severus was just about to retort when another person joined their little conversation.
"What's going on here?" came the voice of Albus Dumbledore just as the famous wizard turned around the corner Severus had come from.
As the impressive form of Dumbledore closed in on them, Quirell finally found the courage to stumble to his feet. As Dumbledore stopped in front of them, Quirell seemed to try and stand in attention, causing Severus to further suspect that something was going on here.
"H-headmaster! I-I j-j-just thought I s-should c-check on t-the s-s-stone i-in c-c-case s-s-something h-had h-happened to t-t-the de-defenses." Quirell said in a high pitched voice.
Albus raised an eyebrow, scarcely similar to how Severus had done it just a few moments ago.
"I can assure you, my dear Quirinus, that the stone is perfectly safe as long as the defenses remain untouched." Albus said as he studied his Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. When none of his teachers said anything, he continued. "If that was all, I would like a word with you, Severus. Please come join me in my office."
And with that, he was on his way again. Severus looked after him, before casting Quirell one last intense look, and then followed the headmaster. The two old friends walked in silence before they reached the Gargoyle statue, to which Albus gave the password and began climbing the stairs. As soon as they were inside the office however, Severus fixed Albus with a questioning but hard glare.
"You know something is up! He's been strange ever since he got back from Albania!" he exclaimed when Albus turned to face him.
His old friend studied him for a moment before he gave answer to Severus question.
"Something is up with Quirinus. He was fine when he went to Albania and strange when he got back. Coincidently, Albania is the country where Lord Voldemort was last spotted." he said, calm as always.
It took a moment for Severus to process what it was Albus was implying but when he did, he felt his blood run cold at the thought that hit him. At the same time, it also filled him with a mix of fear, anger and shock.
"Are you suggesting that Quirelll... that Quirell is ensnared by Voldemort?!" Severus almost shouted, feeling his blood run cold at the thought of his former master.
Dumbledore held up a hand to try and calm him down and, regardless of how angry Severus got at the thought that Dumbledore would be willing to knowingly let any man who could possibly be an assailant of Lord Voldemort anywhere near the students, Severus did shut his mouth.
"I am saying that it is too much of a coincidence to be a coincidence. While I am not sure he have been "ensnared" as you describe it, I believe that Voldemort is somehow connected to the change that have occured in Quirinus since two years ago."
This got Severus thinking. If Quirell had been in contact with Voldemort, then there was a chance that he had somehow become manipulated by the dark lord and if that was the case, that would explain the strange emptiness in his mind. But an emptiness like that would only occur if...
"He is possessed." Severus said out loud.
Dumbledore looked up at his exclaimation with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
"What makes you think that?"
"When I tried to penetrate his mind, I couldn't find any concious thought or memory in his mind. It was almost as if he was dead. It didn't make sense to me back then, but if he is possessed, then it would because then I would have been looking in the wrong mind." he explained his theory.
Hearing what his potions master had in mind and contemplating the likelyhood that it was true, Albus had to admit that it didn't sound too farfetched. For now, he would let it slide that Severus had tried to invade the mind of one of his Professors. Because even though all of them were skilled in magic and had at least basic knowledge of occlumency, none of them could meassure up to Severus, especially not in a fight between minds. To be honest, Severus could probably give even himself a run from his money when it came to legilimency.
"That is a most interesting theory, Severus. And I have to admit that it does make a lot of sense."
Seeing that Albus seemed to accept his trail of thought, Severus was quick to put forth his next thought.
"If that is the case, then we need to get rid of him and quick. We cannot allow someone who have any kind of connection to Voldemort to be near the students!" he said, his voice rising as he thought about Harry. Voldemort, no matter what state he was in, would still be Voldemort and as long as he hadn't lost his memories, Harry would have one big target mark on him because of the prophecy.
"Ah Severus. If that is the case, then we have all the reasons to keep him close." Dumbledore said as he sat down behind his desk.
Severus couldn't believe his ears. Shocked that Dumbledore would willingly let that... that... abomination, be near the students, least of all Harry, he walked up to the desk and leant forwards so his palms rested on the desk.
"What do you mean? We can't knowingly put the students in danger like that!"
Dumbledore once again held up a hand to silence his old friend. Why did he even shut up just because he raised his hand? It was just stupid!
"If Voldemort really is possessing Quirinus, then we would be better off to keep him as close as possible. If we send him away, there is no telling what he might do, but if we can keep him here, then we will be able to keep an eye on him."
Thinking about what he had just been told, Severus stood back again. It did make sense in a way... but still, to allow the most dangerous dark wizard of all times to stay in a school... let alone allow his puppet teach the students...
"That's a dangerous game you're playing, Dumbledore." he said with a hard gaze fixed on the headmaster.
Albus tensed, hearing that Severus had used his surname. He hadn't done that since the end of the war, and even then he only did it when they were in a really serious situation or discussing an incredibly serious matter. Just hearing him use the name again caused Albus to think twice about his descision and, thinking twice, it really was a gamble. Especially with Harry present at Hogwarts. Who knew what Voldemort would do if he got alone with Harry? Hopefully, he still wasn't strong enough to kill him, but just the thought of them facing each other again so soon sent shivers down his spine. Then again, if he was sent away, chances were he would look for another way to become strong again and succeed.
"I know... We will need to keep a very close eye on him." he stated firmly.
-:-:-:-
"Then what about that one?" Hermione said as she pointed at a small cat-like creature in the catalogue.
Harry leant forward to read what the catalogue said about the creature in question.
Unnamed
3 months old part kneazle. Male. Playful and likes to chew on the customers' shoelaces. We have also found that he appears unusually intelligent, as we have found him constantly finding new ways to break into the shop's cookie jar, no matter where we hide it.
The part-kneazle looked like a small, black kitten. The kitten was playing with a ball of yarn absentmindly while its big, green eyes looked around and seemed to take in all of its surroundings, even those outside of the photo. It seemed to be nice enough and it was a good thing that it was playful, as that probably would mean that it would be more than willing to play with Ginny. And the fact that it was yet to be named also sounded good to Harry, as that meant Ginny would get to name it herself.
"Yeah, actually that one does seem good. But I was originally thinking about giving her an owl, because they are more handy to have." Harry admitted.
Hermione nodded her head in thought.
"Well, I can understand what you are saying, but you already got Hedwig to send messages between you two, no need for another one. And I have noticed that it is always the same owl that leaves mail to Ron, Fred and George so I asked Percy about it and he said they got a family owl. And of course, Percy has his own owl Hermes, which he told me about when I asked him about the family owl. On top of that, I have read about kneazles and they can be quite handy pets. They are believed to have a natural ability to know who is trustworthy and who is not."
Harry frowned as that was a lot to take in, but in the end only parts of what she said actually stuck with him: that the Weasleys had a family owl, that Hedwig already did all the letter carrying between him and Ginny, and that kneazles could be handy pets. That was all he needed to know.
"Well, I think you may be right about that. I guess we won't find any better. I'll go with it. What's its number?" he asked as he accepted the parchment and quill Hermione gave him.
Harry wrote a quick note about where he wanted to little pet to be delivered while Hermione searched the register for the product number (if you could call it that) for the little part-kneazle cat they had decided on. When they were done, he asked Hermione for another piece of parchment so he could write a quick note for Ginny to be delivered along with the part kneazle, so she wouldn't become confused about who sent it or think it had been delivered to the wrong person. Hermione happily supplied him with what he asked for and soon enough, the two were on their way towards the owlery (as Hedwig was at the Burrow at the moment).
"I've never actually been to this part of the castle before." Hermione said as she surveyed the large tower where all the school owls had their nest.
Opening the door to the tower and stepping aside to let Hermione in, Harry thought about it for a moment.
"Perhaps you should start write to your parents and give them weekly updates about what you're up to here? I'm sure they would be happy to know how you were doing. And it would give you something to do when you are done with all the homework for the week." Harry suggested as he called down a large barn owl from its perch.
Hermione seemed to think about it seriously while Harry attached the two letters and gave the owl clear instructions on what to do. When the owl nodded its head in understanding, Harry went over to the window and threw it out.
"You know, I might just do that. Thanks for the idea Harry!" she said happily, as the two of them made their way down for dinner.
Dinner had been a somber event. Ron kept shooting Harry angry looks, which according to Neville was because he felt betrayed that Harry wouldn't let him copy his notes. Hermione looked like she wanted to remark on that, but a shake of the head from Harry got her to keep her mouth shut. After dinner, Harry, Hermione, Neville and Ron was about to head back to the Gryffindor tower when they were, once again, confronted by Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle.
"Hey there, Scarface!" Malfoy spat as he, Crabbe and Goyle blocked the path towards the stairs.
Ron scowled at Malfoy's new nickname for Harry. They seemed to become less and less attractive.
"What is it now, blondie?" Harry retorted in a tired voice.
Malfoy growled slightly at Harry's nickname, but shook his head to let it slide for now. Instead, his face took on that all too irritating smug grin they were so used to seeing by now.
"Think you are so tough? Then why don't we just find out who's the toughest of us?" he sneered as he held up his wand, though he didn't point it at anyone.
Harry raised an eyebrow, while his friends settled for just glaring that the blonde boy in front of them. They figured Harry would handle this.
"I thought we already did, after all the times you have run away with your tail between your legs?"
At this, Ron couldn't help but snicker at Malfoy's expense and the boy in question looked furious.
"Just because I don't want to get dragged off by the ear again doesn't mean I can't be tough when I want to. So what do you say, Potter? A Wizard's duel at midnight? Oh, of course you don't know what a wizard's duel is!" he sneered.
Harry, who had been taught quite a bit about how dueling went by Severus, was just about to retort when, surprisingly, Hermione cut in to his defense.
"Of course he knows what it is. I'm his second. Who's yours?" she said as she stepped forward to stand beside Harry.
At this, Harry was about to raise an eyebrow but quickly hid it. He couldn't remember appointing Hermione his second, not to mention he seriously doubted Malfoy could kill him or even disarm him. Malfoy looked like he wanted to clamp down on Hermione, but withheld his insult, seeing as he had gotten what he asked for. He looked behind him at Crabbe and Goyle, who both were pretty inadept at magic, but sort of made up for it with muscles.
"Crabbe." he said at last. "Meet us in the Trophy room by midnight."
And with that, he was gone. Harry glanced at Hermione from the corner of his eye as she glared after Malfoy.
"You're not seriously thinking of going, are you?" he asked.
Hermione turned her gaze away from the retreating back of the blonde and looked Harry in the eye. Harry was slightly taken aback by the look in her eyes. They were filled with determination, and not the sort he had seen during potions class, but a fierce determination. She looked like a whole new Hermione compared to the one he had been talking with about finding true friends just this afternoon. It would seem she had taken his advice of being herself to heart.
"Of course I am! Someone has got to put him in his place!" she said with a determined voice.
Ron and Neville just stared at the new and reformed Hermione, their gaps hanging open. This was definetely something they had never expected from the bushy haired girl.
"You do know that it is a big chance he is just having us on, right?" Harry pointed out as he began walking again, his friends following close behind.
"I know! But it's worth taking the chance to shut Malfoy up once and for all!" Hermione said as she fell into a step beside Harry.
"Who are you and what have you done to Hermione Granger?" Ron asked dumbstruck.
Hermione ignored him and began talking with Harry about spells he might be able to use against Malfoy during the duel, many of which he had already heard about but never tried to perform. The two struck up a discussion about which spells would be most effective, if you took into account how hard they were to cast and what effect they would have if cast correctly. When they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, they had agreed that the Stinging Hex, Aculeus, would be the most effective. Harry had read about it in The Standard book of Spells and from what he had read, it didn't require much power to simply cast and should be easy enough to perform. He had never used it though, neither had Hermione so they set about to discuss the theory around it. They didn't want to try casting it in the common room. It might get them some unwanted attention.
While they were doing this, Ron and Neville had sat down to play a game of chess. Neville was starting to get better, but he was still no match for Ron. The common room was getting more empty by the minute and when the clock showed 11.30, it was only the four of them left. Harry and Hermione rose from their seats and began making their way over towards the portrait hole when Ron and Neville also rose.
"You're coming with us?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.
Ron grinned.
"I wouldn't miss this for all the galleons in the world! Malfoy getting his spoiled ass beaten!" he said enthusiastically.
Harry thought about pointing out once again that chances were that Malfoy was just having them on, but if it hadn't caused Hermione to waver her descision, he doubted it would Ron. He instead turned to Neville, who appeared to be a little nervous all of a sudden.
"W-well I think I can learn something by watching you." he mumbled as he followed them out of the common room.
The foursome was able to make their way through the dark corridors without much obstacle and was soon standing in the Trophy room. They took shelter in one of the corners so they wouldn't be spotted if someone decided to check in here. The minutes passed by. The minutes grew into a quarter, then into half an hour. When the clock was showing 12:30, Harry turned to Hermione again.
"I told you, he is not coming."
Just as he said it, they heard the doors creak open on the other side of the room. Harry turned back around to see if it was Malfoy, but he soon stopped, dead in his tracks as all four of them felt their blood freeze. It was Filch, the caretaker. They still weren't visible from his spot though and all four quickly ducked behind one of the benches that were loaded with prices that people had earned during their stay at Hogwarts through generations.
"Where are they? That boy said they should be here by 12!" they heard Filch mutter.
Harry, though he had always known that the likelihood that Malfoy actually showed up was far smaller than the same that he would show, couldn't help but feel his blood start boiling. Just chickening out was one thing, but to actually send Filch after them was another. Malfoy was gonna regret this, for a long time!
When he couldn't see anyone, Filch began moving into the room, using his torch to lit up every corner. Harry held his breath when he passed their hiding spot, amazed that they hadn't been found yet. Peeking over the bench, he tried to calculate what chances they had of making it to the exit without Filch seeing them or at least who they were. They would probably just need a few seconds, but that was time Filch wouldn't give them. Once the first was out, the other four were doomed to be spotted by him. As long as he wasn't occupied with something else...
Slowly and soundlessly, Harry reached down and began to untie his shoes. When he had both of them in his hands, he looked at his friends, who seemed to be holding their breath as well. He nodded to them once, showing his shoe, then pointing at the exit. Hoping they got his message, he once more peeked over the bench they were hiding behind. When Filch had his head turned, Harry soundlessly rose, feeling his heart beat in his throat, amazed that Filch couldn't hear its beating. Then, he tossed the right shoe across the room. A loud CLANG! echoed through the room as the shoe hit one of many golden trophies, causing it to fall over at another, then another causing a domino effect. Filch jumped at the sudden sound and swung around to face the source of the ruckuss. At that moment, Harry darted towards the door with Ron, Hermione and Neville in toe. They had pulled their robes as high up as possible to try and hide their faces.
Hearing their steps, Filch swore and turned around just in time to see a black cape disappear around the corner.
With Filch just a few corridors back, Harry and his friends were running as if their lifes depended on it. As they rushed through the corridors, they didn't look where they were heading and without noticing, thet ran towards the forbidden corridor on the third floor. Harry felt a tingle pass down his spine when they entered the corridor, but shook it off as he was busy trying to get the locked door open.
"Oh, move! Alohomora!" Hermione chanted with a stressed voice and the lock clicked open.
-:-:-:-
Severus was awoken by the sound of his secret alarm by the Forbidden Corridor. It took a moment for him to realize what it was, but when he did he flew out of his bed as if it was on fire. Dammit! Was Quirell already making another attempt at the stone?
Without bothering to change out of his sleepwear, he simply grabbed his cloak haning by the exit to his dorm and ran for all that he was worth up the stairs. He swore slightly about the corridor being so far away from his office, but there wasn't much he could do about it. Had it been in any other situation, he would prbably have felt proud about the speed at which he was running. Something about the thought of his former master, and Lily's murderer getting back to full power, spurred him to force himself to run faster and faster. Voldemort would not get the stone! Not if he could help it!
As he entered the third floor, he pulled out his wand. If he found Quirell up here, he would kill him, no matter what Albus might say. Sure, there was a definite reason he had been given for keeping Quirell, and to an extent, Voldemort around but if he got any closer to the stone, then it didn't matter. If that happened, Severus would put a stop to it.
He burst into the corridor and, seeing a person sneaking around he corridor, immediately pointed his wand at him and inchanted: "Validus Corripio!"
As he said it, he threw his arm backwards over his shoulder, causing the person to get thrown in the same direction his wand had moved. The person landed in front of him and Severus had just lifted his wand to stun him when he saw who it was.
"What do you think you're doing?! You filthy little..." Filch trailed off as he looked up to see who it was who had caught him.
Severus narrowed his eyes as he felt irritation boil up within him. All that rush and all he catches is this... thing. He had never liked Filch for his open enjoyment of other's suffering, but in this very moment, he really felt like he wanted to kill the man.
"What are you doing here, Mr Filch?" he asked, with cold fury dripping from his voice, enough to cause even the students who, unknown to him, was hidden behind the locked door to tremble. It would appear even Filch picked up on it, because he trembled in his place as he stuttered for an answer.
"I-I was just pursuing some late night walkers, sir." he said, for once adding the honorific at the end of the statement.
Hearing the caretakers excuse for sniffing around and setting off his alarm, Severus had to bite his jaws tightly together to keep himself from screaming out in rage. Pursuing late night walkers? Yeah, right. Gritting his teeth, Severus grabbed Filch by the collar and pulled him to his feet.
"You're coming with me. NOW!" Severus growled as he dragged the caretaker out of the corridor and towards his office in the dungeons, where he was going to have a serious talk with the man. One of the benefits of having his office in the dungeons was that he coudl scream and roar as much as he wanted at night without waking anyone up. A benefit that he intended to take full advantage off now.
-:-:-:-
Harry felt himself release the breath he had been holding when he saw Uncle Sev drag Filch away by the collar. He had never seen Uncle Sev so... furious. But how had he known Filch was here? Well, never mind. It was a good thing that he had arrived when he did because Filch had been coming for the door when Severus had burst in.
"Man, suddenly I have a whole new respect for Snape." Ron said as he turned around from the door. And froze in fear. "H-Harry?" he squeked out.
This cause Harry to turn around as well, and what he saw almost made his heart stop. He was staring into three pairs of mad eyes, which was attached to a dog. A very large three-headed dog! The beast in question was staring at them, as if daring them to move or perhaps just shocked to see them. The other two of their party had also turned around by now and Hermione had given off what should probably have been scream but only came out as a weak squek. Harry felt like his blood had frozen in his veins as he took a slow step backwards towards the door. And then, the dog shook its head and jumped at them.
"RUN!" Harry shouted and threw his remaining shoe in the middle face of the dog, distracting it from its pounce for a moment, enough time to get the door open. Screaming at the top of her lungs, Hermione stumbled out after him, closely followed by Ron and Neville. Harry forced the door closed as soon as Neville was out and he heard the lock click.
Casting a quick glance at each other, all four darted towards the exit of the corridor and didn't slow down before they were back in the common room. When they were all back safe and sound, they fell over each other in a pile on the floor, puffing.
"What the bloody hell are they thinking?! Keeping a thing like that, locked up in a school?!" Ron whispered, though Harry got the impression it was mainly because he had screamed his heart out during their encounter with the dog.
"You didn't see what it was standing on did you? It was guarding a trapdoor!" Hermione said as she sat up again.
Harry took a deep breath to try and get his racing heart under control and sat up.
"A trapdoor? Why would there be a trapdoor on the third floor?" he asked as he turned towards Hermione who looked pretty pale at the moment,
"Well, I don't care! I've had enough of excitement for one night!" Neville exclaimed when he regained his voice and rushed up towards the boys dormitory.
Ron wasted no time and was quick to follow his friend's example, leaving Harry and Hermione alone in the common room. Harry stood up and leant against one of the armchairs that stood by the fireplace. He tried to draw deep, calming breaths and was having some success. When he felt he was almost back to normal, he opened his eyes and looked down on Hermione, who was still sitting on the floor.
"We can talk more about that tomorrow. I think we all need some good night sleep." he said as he reached out with a hand and helped her to her feet.
"I think you might be right. Harry, I'm sorry!" Hermione said, her voice rising slightly with guilt at the "I'm sorry" part.
Harry shook his head.
"It's not your fault Hermione. We were all there, so all of us could have done something for it to have turned out differently." he said and tried to give her what he hoped was a reassuring smile.
"But if I hadn't been so set on putting Malfoy in his place, none of us would have been out in the first place!" she said.
Harry couldn't help but chuckle at her reason for putting all blame on herself. When she looked offended by his chuckle, he reached out and put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a smile.
"Well, at least you tried to be yourself and that's what counts. Real friends don't care if you mess up or do something stupid. They still love you, even if you send them to their deaths." he said and gave her shoulder a squeeze to show that he didn't think any less of her because of what had happened.
For a moment, it looked like Hermione was going to protest but when she felt Harry's comforting squeeze, she just relaxed and took a deep breath. Surprisingly, Harry's words calmed her down. After a few seconds of silence, she looked up and met his gaze.
"You're right Harry. Thank you. Since when did you become so wise?" she asked. The terms "easygoing" and "wise" wasn't two attributes she would usually link together, but then again, Harry had kept surprising her since they started school. Like now, when he just shrugged.
"I have no idea. But I know one thing." he said as he got a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Hermione growned.
"What's that?" she asked.
Harry grinned as he leant forward to whisper in her ear, not that it was nescesary but probably more for the fun of it.
"Right now, I'm glad we ordered a cat for Ginny, rather than a dog."
Hermione couldn't help it. She laughed. She actually laughed at Harry's joke. Harry himself was just smiling as the two friends walked over to the stairs and said good night to each other, before making their ways up to their own separate dormitories.
A/N: There we go! I said I would try and make the chapters longer and here you are: the longest chapter as of yet. I think I got this together pretty good actually. I would really like to have your opinion on things though, as it's you who are the ones reading!
Now, just like last time, I got a question. Since I suck at names, I would like for people to try and help me come up with a name for Ginny's soon-to-be part-kneazle. It's a kneazle-kitten (if you call it that?) that is a male, have black, fluffy fur and green eyes. If you think you got a nice name for it, please PM me or name it in a review!
Review answers:
mdauben: That would probably be the best solution. Thanks for your opinion on it!
ej101: Perhaps, perhaps not. That's details I'll work out when I get to them, but when I do, I'll consider it.
Irishdanceringrulz1776: Damn, your name is hard to spell! XD No offense :p Anyway, I want to keep Harry at least a bit in character as well, he is still Harry. And since Harry grew up aware of magic, he is also have a little more insight about it and the result is that he is a little more studios about it. I will not comment on your guess, it will come up in a later chapter that shouldn't be too far away! :)
emarald777: Hmm, you're actually right! Had no idea Fay was in Gryffindor same year as Harry... Well, to make up for it, I'll simply make her a classmate of Katie Bell, who is one year above Harry. From what I know about Fay, she was born one year earlier than Harry but couldn't attend due to her birthday being too late in the year so we will just say that she was born a few months earlier! Hope this doesn't upset you.
Sisno2200: Right, I won't send Hermione on you then. I'll just send Professor McGonagall instead. And you're right, that was an embarrasing mistake. I had just re-read the chapter in "My Brother" where Harry bombards Sirius with "Expulso!" curses so I guess my mind was in for "Expul-something".
And that was all I had to say for now. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and look forward to the next one. Until then! =)