Chapter Three

Campaign of Sociality

Waking from a nightmare wasn't anything new. Harry blinked into the pre-morning hazy and instantly missed his owl. Hedwig had stopped by last night and sat on his shoulder while he read the first couple of chapters in his Ancient Runes text. His clock said it was almost five thirty. Harry rolled out of bed, pulled out a dress robe, grabbed his textbook and headed for the common room. It wasn't often empty this early, but it was always quiet.

He hated that particular nightmare. The green light. What had to be his mom's scream. Over. And over. And over. Voldemort coming. Saying those dreaded words. The green light. The scream. And then nothing but his uncle and his aunt. Again, and again with no end. Green lights. Screams. It was terrifying.

Sure enough, there were only three other people in the room. Emma, William, and what looked like a first year girl. Emma tossed him a smile and Harry waved, but he moved towards the clump of chairs the little girl was sitting in. She looked at him, and half smiled, but more like she wished to be left alone. Harry understood the feeling. He cracked open the textbook to finish reading chapter four.

It was a peaceful calm. Emma and William were talking to each other, but they were tucked into a corner and weren't talking loudly. The girl just stared into the fire. After ten or so, Harry put down the book and sighed. "Bad dream?"

The girl shrugged. "I'm used to them."

"I know the feeling."

She snorted. Her fingers clenched around the hem of her pajama bottoms that looked like they were three inches short for her. "No one does."

"What's the problem?"

"It's nothing you could fix."

Harry shrugged. "No, but it might help you to talk about it." That sounded really, really, really hypocritical.

She didn't respond right away. Harry started to reach for his book when she mumbled, "You wouldn't get it. You're Harry Potter. You're famous. Nothing bad ever happens to you. That's what Lily told me."

Socially adept, Harry reminded himself, sometimes means sharing something personal. And terrifying. Making a snap decision, Harry rolled up his left sleeve to just below his shoulder. On his arm was a misshapen burn scar. "It's from my aunt's frying pan. I overcooked the bacon once, and she hit me. It hurt," Harry whispered. He desperately hoped his voice was low enough so that Emma and William couldn't hear. "And that wasn't the worst."

The girl's blue eyes were wide and full of tears. "Have you… has your aunt ever belted you?"

"My uncle did," Harry said, looking away from her. It hurt.

She nodded. "My dad does, when he's drunk, you know. Mum never stops him. Sometimes she's even worse." Harry slid off the chair and sprawled on the plush carpet in front of the fire. He gestured for the girl to join him and she came readily. She tucked herself into his side and shook with pent up tears. "Why'd they name me Paradise if they don't want me?"

"I don't know," Harry whispered, pulling her in closer. He felt tears prickle in his own eyes as Paradise cried into his shoulder. A few minutes later, he heard Emma and William moving and looked up to see Emma standing over them, concern and worry etched into her entire face.

Emma knelt down by Harry. "What's wrong?"

Paradise jerked, pulled her head out of Harry's shoulder, and stared at Emma like a deer caught in headlights. Emma pulled away a little, looking confused. "She's been abused." Harry expected her to pull away, but she just shifted, keeping Harry between herself Emma. He wanted nothing more than to go find Paradise's parents and hurt them, like he wanted to hurt the Dursleys.

"She told you?" Emma whispered, pain and rage replacing the confusion in her face.

"I…" Sharing. "I showed her my scars."

Emma leapt to her feet. Rage simply radiated from her. "Both of you?" Paradise winced at her voice and Harry forced himself not to shy away. "That's… that's barbaric." She turned. "Will, go get Professor McGonagall. We're going to resolve this, now."

William left the common room.

"What's wrong?" Someone asked from the bottom of the girls' dormitory stairs. Harry recognized the girl as one of the fourth year girls, but… um… right. Eliza Kirke. He had seriously learned too many names yesterday. Paradise pulled away from Harry and returned to her chair. She huddled into it, her knees folded to her chest and her face buried in her knees. Her brown hair was tangled and her pajamas tattered. She made a sad sight.

Emma just shrugged. "Some problems we need to work out with McGonagall. Do you think you could keep everyone upstairs for a few minutes?"

Eliza hesitated. "Um, sure, at least for the girls."

"I'll get William to keep the boys upstairs when he gets back."

Eliza disappeared up the girls' staircase.

William and Professor McGonagall entered through… it wasn't through the portrait hole. Did McGonagall's office have a special door that led straight to the Gryffindor common room? That seemed more than likely. "Miss MacDonald, what is the emergency?"

Without being told, William moved to the stairs to the boys' dormitory and took up sentry duty. Emma gestured to Harry.

Harry swallowed and gazed up at his stern professor. "I… I came down early this morning because I couldn't sleep and Paradise was here, just staring at the fire. I asked her if she had a bad dream and she said I wouldn't get that, that I was famous, that nothing bad had happened to me." Harry winced. "I showed her a… a scar."

"Harry…" Emma whispered.

"A scar that my aunt gave me," Harry said, "with a hot frying pan." He refused to look up. He didn't need to look up. "Paradise asked me if my aunt belted me. I told her my uncle did. She said her parents abused her. She cried. Emma asked what was wrong. I told her. William went and got you." Harry looked up.

Emma was shaking, her fist stuck in her mouth. McGonagall was white. Beyond white. "Mr. Potter," McGonagall said, her voice weak. "Why did you not report this before?

"It didn't… It didn't seem like that big a deal."

Emma whimpered. McGonagall's mouth thinned into a stern glare. She muttered something indecipherable, but spoke gently when after the muttering was done. "Harry, please go get dressed. Emma, if you'd see to it that Miss Aster gets dressed. I'd like you'd both to accompany me to the hospital wing." Harry got to his feet. Emma jerked into motion and moved to Paradise. The little girl refused to respond to her.

Harry reached over and touched her arm. "Hey, Paradise, go with Emma, okay? She's not going to hurt you."

Paradise rolled out of her shell and reluctantly let Emma guide her up the dormitory stairs. Harry ignored the calculating look that McGonagall shot him and simply headed for his own dormitory. William let him pass. It took him less than five minutes to slip into his school uniform, attend to morning hygiene, and head back down to the common room. It wasn't even five yet. No one else was up. William didn't say anything as he passed back into the common room. Emma and Paradise were already there.

Paradise instantly latched onto Harry. She was a full head shorted than Harry, and Harry himself was abnormally small. McGonagall pointed them, not through the portrait hole, but through a concealed door that Harry assumed led to her office. It didn't. They ended up straight in the hospital wing antechamber. Harry absolutely loved magic. And Hogwarts. He really did. The place was awesome.

Madam Pomfrey scurried out of her office the moment they stepped into the hospital wing. "Minerva, what's wrong?"

"Poppy, can you check these children for abuse signs, please?"

Poppy's eyes narrowed, and she pointed Harry and Paradise to different beds. Harry stared at the flooring of the hospital wing as Poppy cast a number of different colored spells over both him and Paradise. She looked so uncomfortable with the whole thing. After an examination that lasted twenty minutes for the both of them, Madam Pomfrey pulled McGonagall aside.

"Harry?" Paradise whispered, when the adults were out of earshot. "What's going to happen now?"

"We're going to make sure you're taken care of, okay Paradise?" Harry said, trying to infuse his voice with confidence. He really didn't want to think about his aunt and uncle. If he could avoid thinking about it during the year, only the summers were ruined. She nodded and fiddled with her robes. After a few moments, Madam Pomfrey and McGonagall came back out.

"Harry, Paradise," McGonagall said, "Hogwarts is a boarding school, so there is no immediate danger, but we do need to find out how to fix your situations. You both show signs of perpetual abuse and malnourishment. It is our job to rectify that. Paradise, we're going to find you a new home, okay? You're going to get a new family that isn't going to hurt you. And Harry, well, there's several people that will be punished for you, and we'll rectify your own living conditions. You will both need to take nourishment potions for the next couple of weeks and those will be provided at each breakfast. You will both attend a follow up visit with Madam Pomfrey as she attempt to rectify some of the damage you have suffered. Is that agreeable to you?"

Harry nodded. Paradise, seemingly taking her cue from Harry, nodded as well. That did not go unnoticed by the two professors. "Harry, I'm trusting that you can get yourself and Miss Aster back to the common room?"

"Yes Professor," Harry said, jumping down from the bed and heading for the door. Paradise followed him. They two of them walked in silence until they were a ways away from the common room. "Magic is amazing, isn't it Paradise?"

"I love it," Paradise whispered. "I was so grateful my mum said I could go. The owls are a little weird."

Harry smiled. "I love my owl. Her name's Hedwig. She's a brilliant snowy owl, and I think she's my familiar, because sometimes, we even understand each other."

Paradise's eyes sparkled. "I love magic!"

With magic, the world didn't seem half bad.

o.o.o.o.o.o

"Harry, can I talk to you?"

He looked up from his Runes textbook and smiled at his friend. "Sure Hermione, what's up?"

"What… happened? You've been really quiet and withdrawn the first two weeks of school, and I get the Sirius Black thing, sure, but this last weekend, spending time with Neville, the dancing, the girls and such like, and then that first year… what's up with all that?"

Harry closed his book and gave his friend his whole attention. "I made a choice, Hermione. I couldn't keep holding myself back. Trouble comes for me, whether I want it or not. Voldemort. Black. The dementors. I've survived on sheer luck and good friends—" Hermione gave him a smile at the flattery "—and other circumstances, but I can't do that anymore. I've got to prepare myself for what's ahead of me. I dropped Divination and now I'm taking Arithmancy, Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures. And, well, I decided to be more social and Katie and Eliza and the rest decide they could help me do that. The dance party was their doing. It's a conspiracy."

Hermione grinned. "So, you're actually going to take academics more seriously?"

"I'm going to try," Harry admitted. "I've gained a lot of bad habits and I recognize that'll be hard work to break them, but I'm going to try. Able and Neville have already promised to help me with that. And Neville's teaching me some awesome things about pureblood culture and stuff. It's really interesting. He's helping me figure a lot of things out."

"Neville?" Hermione whispered, as if unsure of herself.

"He's actually really smart," Harry said. Should he feel bad that he was enjoying Hermione's uncertainty? "And Able's just plain cool. So are Kenneth and Lee and just a lot of people that I barely knew existed before this weekend!"

"Oh." She seemed to pause and think things over before shrugging. "Well, I'm proud of you Harry. Can I… Can I still be your friend?"

"Hermione!" Harry said, "Of course!"

She looked unnerved… "It's just… you and Ron…"

"Ron's an idiot. He just insulted Neville, and then Paradise and Lily and a lot of other people, to their faces. I called him out on it. Queenie says he acts like Cormac McLaggen a lot, and no one really likes Cormac McLaggen."

Hermione's eyes were wide. She blinked a couple of times before grinning. "Okay. Want me to look over an essay or something?"

"Sure. You can let me know if this Potion's essay is better than the last one you read."

"We didn't—"

"I rewrote the last one, because it isn't due until tomorrow and it really did need to be better and everything."

Hermione gaped. Mechanically, she took the offered essay and started reading it, her red quill poised. Harry picked up his textbook, but only half read as he watched Hermione read his essay. She noted a lot fewer mistakes than ordinary. That was probably really, really, really good. After about ten minutes, Hermione laid the parchment down and looked over at her best friend. "Harry, that's like, really great. You even made a few points that I missed." She looked like she wanted to go change her essay.

"Just don't go and change yours," Harry said, "'cause you write brilliant essays."

Hermione blushed.

Harry had only just picked up his book again when Paradise ran over, with two of her friends – first years really did make close friends fast – behind her. "Hi Harry," Paradise said, "can we ask you a question?" His newest friend was a lot surer of herself around girls her own age, and in the full daylight.

"Sure," Harry said, putting his book aside. "Paradise, Lily, Vicky, this Hermione Granger. Hermione, these are Victoria, Paradise, and Lily, the Terrible Trio. You'd better watch out for them. They're trouble."

The first years giggled. "No we aren't!" Lily said, her face full of laughter. "We just wanted to know, is it really true you killed a basilisk last year? That's what Andy Kirke said, but we don't believe him."

"He really did," Hermione said, grinning down at the three girls. "With the Sword of Gryffindor."

"No way!" Lily and Vicky squealed.

"What's the sword of Gryffindor?" Paradise asked, unsure.

Harry smiled. "The Sword of Gryffindor is a goblin made sword. They made it for the founder of our house, way back when Hogwarts was first young. It's a really strong blade."

"That's so cool," Paradise said, as her friends kept squealing.

Hermione nodded. "Harry's a cool person."

Vicky cocked her head to the side. "Are you his girlfriend?"

Hermione blushed again. "What? No!"

Lily and Vicky exchanged exulted looks. "That means he's still available," Lily said. Harry blushed bright red. "Harry, you'll wait for me, won't you dearie?" She batted her eyelids in an exaggerated manner before breaking down into giggles and running off, chased by Vicky and Paradise. Harry stared after them, blinking.

"Well," Hermione said when she recovered cognitive brain function. "At least they aren't totally starstruck with you."

Harry bashed his head against his textbook.

"That's not healthy, Harry," Kenneth Towler said, as he claimed the arm chair next to Hermione. He offered his hand to the girl. "I don't think we've met. Kenneth Towler, cynical participant in Potter's campaign to get to know everyone."

"Hermione Granger," Hermione said, "Longtime friend."

"I hate my life," Harry grumbled, as he opened up the textbook again. "The two of you are not allowed to team up against me, okay?"

"How's the campaign, going, Harry?" Kenneth asked, a jovial lilt in his voice. "Name the entirety of three years."

"Katie, Cormac, Able, Eliza, Mary, Queenie, Demelza and Dakota, year four. Kenneth, Lee, Fred, George, Alicia, and Angelina, year five. Harry, Hermione, Ron, Seamus, Dean, Neville, Pavarti, and Padma, year three. Give me a break! It's been a day and a half!"

Kenneth chuckled. "Wrong. You're missing a fifth year. You know that there's only three sixth years? Why didn't you just name them?"

"'Cause I don't know them," Harry said. "Can I please finish reading this textbook?"

"Nope," Kenneth said, reaching across Hermione and plucking the textbook from Harry's hands.

Harry glared at him. "Hermione, give me your Runes textbook."

"Hermione, don't give him your Runes textbook."

"Hermione, give me your Runes textbook."

"Hermione, don't give him your Runes textbook."

"Hermione!"

"Hermione!"

"Hermione!"

"Hermione!"

"Hermione!"

"Hermione!"

Hermione just stared. "I think I just fell through the rabbit hole." She got up, gathered her stuff, and walked away.

Kenneth grinned. "I'll give you your book back when you've met our sixth years."

"Fine," Harry said. He really was turning into Hermione. Seriously. Having to do someone's bidding just to get a textbook back? It was ridiculous. Although, he really, really did need to finish the Runes reading before his first class tomorrow. He got up, stalked over to the table where Mary and Eliza were studying. "Who are the sixth years?"

Mary pointed to a table in one of the many common room corners. "They aren't all there. Ruth has metamorphmagus training with some auror trainee who also has the skill."

"Thanks Mary," Harry said. Working up his courage, he marched over to a table where two of the older Hogwarts students sat. They both looked at him when he sat down. "Sorry. My textbook is being held hostage until I meet you guys."

The girl laughed. "Harry Potter's Campaign of Sociality?"

"It has a name now?" Harry griped. "I'm gonna kill Kenneth!"

"I'm Temperance Regan and this is Zachary Wallar." They both looked like good guys, but then, they were Gryffindors and pretty much every current Gryffindor, excepting Percy, Cormac, and right now, Ron, seemed like okay people. Although, Harry reserved the right to change his mind.

"Great, thanks. Now do you know what room Ruth has her training, 'cause I don't think Kenneth will allow her lesson as a reasonable excuse." The two sixth years just stared at him.

Temperance blinked. "I think they're in one of the transfiguration rooms."

"Awesome." Harry spun away from the table and headed for the portrait hole. He looked over his shoulder, just long enough to see Kenneth grinning at him. That git. Although, Kenneth was a hard person to dislike. And… he did share a dorm room with the Weasley twins and Lee Jordan. And he had survived four years and bit. That had to count for something. Harry jumped through the portrait hole and headed for the transfiguration classrooms. There weren't many, well, only seven that were actually in official use, but there was a whole transfiguration wing with a lot of unused classrooms. It was like that for every subject.

Luckily enough, Ruth and her tutor were in the sixth year transfiguration classroom. Harry knocked. The trainer, who had bright yellow hair that stuck about a foot up into the air, gestured him inside. Ruth looked mostly normal. Well. Mostly. "Um. Sorry. But a textbook is being held hostage and I've got to meet all the Gryffindor sixth years before I get it back. Hi. I'm Harry."

Ruth smirked. "I'm Ruth Turpin. Tell Kenneth he really should stop torturing third years."

Harry rolled his eyes. "I've known him for what, a day? And even I know he won't listen to that."

"Too true. Harry Potter, this is metamorphmagus, awesomeness auror, Unknown-first-name Tonks. You can add her to your Campaign of Sociality."

Harry ran from the room, nothing short of screaming.

Tonks blinked. "That's Harry Potter?"

"Oh don't worry. He only went insane this weekend."