Authors Note: Hello all. I'm back from holiday and ready to get posting again. So here are two chapters to celebrate the occasion. I hope you enjoy them.

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'Harry Potter a Parselmouth

Boy-Who-Lived a Dark Wizard

Written by Rita Skeeter'

Harry stared at front cover of the Daily Prophet in horror. How in Merlin's name had Skeeter found out that he was a parselmouth? He'd done everything he could to keep it a secret. He'd only told a few select people, he'd never used it while anyone other than Sirius or Draco were around (except for that one spell during the First Task, but even then he'd been careful to whisper it), and he knew that nobody he'd told would have shared the information with the reporter.

"I told you he was a bloody Death Eater!" Ron Weasley's voice suddenly rang across the Great Hall.

Harry looked up from his paper and almost flinched when he took in the distrusting looks and hostile glares that the other occupants of the Hall were shooting at him. The other students' hostility wasn't new to Harry, it had only been a few months since they had vilified him for supporting the teaching of Dark Magic at Hogwarts, but it had never seemed this bad before.

"Death Eater!" A Ravenclaw student hissed, from further up the table.

Harry frowned at him in confusion, unsure how they had gotten that from the fact that he was a parselmouth.

"Harry," Luna touched his arm lightly. "We should probably go."

"Yeah, that's right. Get out!" Another Ravenclaw sneered. "We don't want your sort here!"

Harry looked around the table and couldn't help but feel angry when every face he saw held a scared expression or malevolent glare. This was exactly the reason why he'd kept his being a parselmouth a secret.

He stood up, Luna at his side, and stalked away from the table. It was hard to walk through the hall and see the same fearful and hostile expressions at the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor tables. Hogwarts was one of the two places that felt like home to him.

Ron Weasley smirked victoriously as Harry walked past their table. "I knew you were a Death Eater, Potter! And this just proves it. Only dark wizards are Parseltongues."

Harry stopped in his tracks and sneered at the other boy. "Firstly, Weasley, I am not a Death Eater. And, secondly, the term is parselmouth – not parseltongue. I, as a parselmouth, speak parseltongue, and I can cast parselmagic – so don't tempt me, you gormless wanker!"

With that said, Harry turned on his heel and strode out of the hall as quickly as possible.

"Did you see his face?" Luna asked with a giggle, once the door to the Great Hall were shut behind them. "I can't believe you called him that in front of the professors."

"Neither can I." Harry admitted, with an almost hysterical laugh. "I can't believe that Skeeter found out that I'm a parselmouth."

"She's a sneaky little coleopteran." Luna commented sagely. "What are you going to do now?"

Harry filed the strange word aside to look up later, as he sighed and slumped against the nearest wall. "I'm so sick of all this rubbish. No wonder Voldemort decided to conquer the Wizarding World if this is the reception he received. I have to admit, some days, it's a tempting prospect."

There was a startled gasp and Harry groaned when he saw a student wearing Gryffindor robes darting back down the corridor. "Merlin, Luna, you couldn't warn me?"

Luna looked worried. "Sorry, I didn't see them. I'm not omniscient, you know."

"I know." Harry let his head fall back against the wall. "This is just brilliant. Now they're going to think that, on top of being dark, and a parselmouth, I have urges to be like Voldemort when I grow up."

"Do you?" Luna asked, her head tilted to the side curiously.

"No!" Harry answered firmly. "How could you ask me that?!"

"Surely you want to be like him a little," Luna protested. "You want to change the world, don't you?"

"Yes," Harry admittedly. "But with politics rather than violence."

"I can't tell you how glad I am to hear that," Neville's voice sounded Harry's other side. "For a moment there I was beginning to think that I had somehow become a member of the next Dark Lord's inner circle."

Harry turned his head at glared at Neville was openly amused. "I'm glad you find this so amusing."

"Sorry," Neville's expression sobered. "Ignore Ron, he's a…"

"Gormless wanker?" Luna suggested, moving so that she was standing beside Neville.

Neville wrapped his arm around her and grinned down in amusement. "Yes, exactly."

Harry and let his head fall back against the wall. "I can't believe I swore like that in mixed company. What is Daphne going think?"

"She'll understand." Neville promised. "But you probably want to move. The other students are going to start flooding through those doors any minute now."

Harry winced at the thought. "It seems worse than it was in January." He commented, as he pushed himself off the wall began walking down the corridor.

"It does." Neville agreed. "Maybe because they never really forgot the whole January drama and now this is just being added on top."

"Yes," Harry agreed. "That and the fact that when they think about parselmouths they only think of two people."

"You-Know-Who and Slytherin." Neville agreed. "Well, on the bright side, the Slytherins probably just became your biggest fans."

"I wonder what the Beauxbaton and Durmstrang students think about it." Harry sighed. "I think their culture is more accepting of Dark Magic."

"Durmstrang definitely is." Luna nodded. "But Beauxbatons seems just as bad as Hogwarts."

"Maybe I should finish my schooling at Durmstrang." Harry suggested glumly. "Better that than being vilified by the whole school."

"Not the whole school," Luna protested. "Just three quarters of it."

"Thanks, Luna," Harry rolled his eyes. "That makes me feel so much better."

"Though admittedly, half the Slytherins hate you too." Neville pointed out. "Because of your dark lord slaying skills."

"I wish I had slayed him." Harry groused.

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"You know what I like about you, Harry?" Draco asked later that morning, when he sat beside Harry in Magical Theory.

"What?"

"Normally I'm the anti-traditionalists' most-hated wizard," Draco commented cheerfully. "But with you around, I come a distant second."

Harry glared at him. "Seriously? The entire school has decided that I'm basically Voldemort in disguise and you think it's funny?"

Draco's expression became contrite. "Sorry, I was just trying to lighten the mood. How has your morning been?"

"Awful!" Harry answered with feeling. "We've only had one class and I already feel ready to curse someone."

"You probably shouldn't say those things out loud." Neville advised, sitting at the desk on Harry's other side. "I don't think it's exactly reassuring for the natives."

Harry glanced around the class at the students who were either pale with fright or glaring at him, and sneered. "Bloody idiots."

"Or, you know, gormless wankers." Draco's tone was amused.

"I shouldn't have let my temper get the best of me." Harry admitted quietly.

Draco shook his head. "Theo disagrees, he was delighted. It's been ages since he's seen you do your impression of my father."

"Your father wouldn't have sworn like that." Harry sighed, disappointed in himself.

"Yes, he would have." Draco disagreed. "He doesn't do it often, but in times like that, he really goes for it. Once, when I was nine, someone said something horrible to Mother when we were in Diagon Alley and Father decimated him."

"In front of your mother?" Harry asked in surprise.

Draco grinned. "You should have heard her lecture him about it afterwards. I only heard the first part, then they put up a silencing spell, but it was smashing!"

"Oh." Harry couldn't help but feel slightly cheered by that.

Neville looked amused. "By the way, Professor Snape and Professor Lupin both ripped into Ron after you left. Lupin took 50 points from Gryffindor for verbal bullying and fear-mongering, but Snape gave him a huge speech about the stupidity of making unfounded accusations and how Ron should hope that Lord Black doesn't decide to sue him for slander, and then gave him two weeks of detention with Filch. Dumbledore and McGonagall didn't look very happy, but they didn't say anything."

Harry felt the corners of his mouth perk up. "Did I lose any points for swearing?"

"Not that I've heard of." Neville answered.

"I haven't heard anything either." Draco added. "Though it could be that they're just waiting to do it in person."

"I had Transfiguration last class and McGonagall didn't say anything." Harry commented.

"You're probably fine then." Draco decided. "She's the one who is most likely to take points."

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The rest of the day went just as terribly as Harry's morning had been. It seemed as though wherever he was, whether it be in class, in the Great Hall, in the corridor, or the library, there were students harassing him. He had been called a Death Eater more times than he could count and had been forced to shield himself from anonymously cast curses eleven times.

His friends had done their best to shield him from it all, but his Slytherin friends' presence only seemed to spur his harassers on. As though the sight of them together only confirmed the fact that Harry was a Death Eater.

It was demoralizing to constantly be surrounded by hostile students who seemed to have nothing better to do than harass him. Even more demoralising was the sight of younger students choosing to run in the other direction rather than have to cross paths with him. One Hufflepuff first year had even burst into tears when she'd come around a corner and seen Harry in the corridor.

The only students who didn't seem to either hate or fear Harry were the Slytherins, though Harry had noticed that the students he suspected were Death Eaters were watching him closely. It made Harry wish that the Sorting Hat had decided to put him in Slytherin instead of Ravenclaw.

Remus pulled Harry aside after History of Magic and asked if Harry was alright. Harry hadn't really known what to say, but he'd assured Remus that he was surviving. According to Remus, Sirius had left the school in a rage after breakfast and had spent the day in conversations with his lawyers and the editor of the Daily Prophet. Harry didn't have much hope that Sirius would manage to do anything. After all, nothing that Skeeter had written had been untrue. He was a parselmouth, his magic was dark, and he had been hiding it.

Of course, the article had included some insinuations that hadn't been true, such as that being dark was synonymous with being evil, but Harry wasn't sure whether you could sue someone over implicit messages.

After leaving Remus' classroom, Harry made his way to Hoth – the only sanctuary he could think of. It was a relief to close to the door behind him and know that the only people who would be able to find him there were Draco and Luna. He took a moment to sit on the couch and breathe, before calling for a House Elf to bring him some food. He'd barely been able to eat anything at lunch, partly because the Ravenclaw Table tried to prevent him from sitting with him, and then, after Flitwick had intervened on his behalf, he'd found it hard to eat with so many hostile glares aimed at him.

The sound of the door opening had Harry twisting around on the couch anxiously, but it was only Draco and Luna.

"Merlin," Draco exclaimed. "It's a nightmare out there."

"I know." Harry agreed glumly, before taking another bite from the scone the House Elf had brought him.

Luna plonked herself down on the couch and leaned into Harry. "Are you alright?"

Harry stiffened at the contact, before relaxing again. "I don't know. It's really been a day."

"I've written to Mother and Father." Draco told him, sitting on Harry's other side. "Father's a School Governor, he should be able to do something."

Harry felt safer than he had all day, with Draco and Luna on either side of him. "Sirius is a School Governor too," He reminded his cousin. "But I'm not sure what they'll be able to do."

"I hope they expel everyone who looks at you funny." Draco said, his voice hard.

Harry let out a bitter laugh. "Draco, that would only leave the three of us."

"No, it wouldn't." Luna argued, her head resting on Harry's shoulder. "What about Neville and Daphne?"

"Or Theo and Blaise?" Draco added.

"Not to mention Takashi, Fred and George." Luna continued. "Besides, not everyone hates you."

"No, the Slytherins don't seem to mind that I'm evil." Harry snapped.

Draco frowned at him. "That's not fair. We Slytherins know what it's like to be vilified for something that we can't control. Not to mention that we don't believe the fallacy that dark equals evil."

Harry sighed and let his head fall back against the back of the couch. "I know, I'm sorry."

"You're not all wrong though." Draco admitted. "Some of the older students look a little too happy that you're a parselmouth."

"I noticed that too." Harry agreed. "It's mostly the same ones who we decided were spying on me for Voldemort."

Luna stiffened against his side. "There are students spying on you?"

Harry winced, he'd forgotten that Luna didn't know about the deal that Lord Malfoy had made with Voldemort. "Yes, we think so."

There was a long silence, then Luna spoke again. "I think we should tell our friends about Hoth."

"What?!" Draco exclaimed.

"I don't want to be a doomsdayer," Luna started. "But I don't think this is going to go away quickly. It took the school a month to get over thing in January and this seems much worse."

"I know." Harry sighed deeply.

"So we should let our friends in here, so Harry doesn't have to spend more time out there than he has to." Luna concluded.

"No way." Draco shook his head firmly. "That would be as good as announcing that we're the Marauders' Apprentices."

"We could always hide the potions." Harry pointed out. "There would be no reason to link us to the pranks then."

"I have a better idea." Draco decided. "You two, and Neville, will just have to start spending time with us in the Slytherin Common Room."

Harry's mouth dropped open. "Draco, you can't be serious. The Slytherins will never let us in."

"They will if I tell them to." Draco declared imperiously.

"And Neville?" Harry asked skeptically.

"You're forgetting three things, Harry." Draco told him, his tone faintly smug. "Firstly, Slytherin is the only House that supports you right now. Secondly, I am the unofficial leader of the House. And, thirdly, Slytherin is traditional. They're hardly going to deny noble Heirs entry if I demand it of them."

"So they'll just let any noble heir in?" Harry asked, still unconvinced. "Whatever happened to House secrecy?"

"They wouldn't usually," Draco admitted. "But you're forgetting my first and second points. Put them all together and there is no way the Slytherins will refuse."

"Alright," Harry nodded slowly. "But you have to get their agreement before I try and enter. I'm not going to put myself in a position where they might turn me down."

"Understandable." Draco agreed. "Will that work, Luna?"

"Yes," Luna smiled brightly. "What about Fred and George?"

"No." Draco answered flatly. "Besides, they don't usually spend any time with us outside of the Come and Go Room."

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Harry spent the rest of the evening at Hoth with Draco and Luna, even going so far as asking the House Elves to bring them dinner there. The atmosphere was so safe and relaxed that Harry had almost forgotten how hostile the rest of the students were to him until he stepped through the door into the Ravenclaw Tower and encountered the majority of his House lying in wait for him.

"What do you think you're doing here, Potter?" Payton, one of the seventh years, spat.

Harry subtly removed his wand from his wand-holster, just in case. He was glad that Luna was standing behind him. "Going to bed."

"We don't want you here." Payton told him.

"Yes," Harry looked around the room. "I can see that."

There was a long silence and then Harry saw Takashi emerge through the door that lead to the dormitories.

"What is going on here?" Takashi asked, his wand in his hand.

"We're just telling the Death Eater that we don't want any of his sort in our House." Cho Chang answered shrilly.

Takashi raised an eyebrow disdainfully. "Under what authority? The Sorting Hat, Professor Flitwick and Headmaster Dumbledore are the only people who have the power to make those kinds of decisions."

Payton looked unimpressed. "Either Potter gets out, or he might find himself waking up missing an eye."

"Twenty points from Ravenclaw for threatening another student." Takashi snapped out.

Penny White, the other seventh year prefect, pushed her way through the crowd. "Twenty points to Ravenclaw for standing up for what you believe in. You're not the only prefect around here, Nado."

"No, I am not," Takashi agreed, "But there is only one Professor Flitwick and I am sure that he would not condone what you are doing here."

"You're such a nark, Nado!" Payton snapped.

Takashi looked the group over in amusement. "Do you really not believe that Flitwick will find out anyway?"

"There is no way I am sleeping in the same room as that Death Eater!" Anthony Goldstein shouted suddenly, from the side of the room.

"I am not a Death Eater." Harry denied firmly. "I hate Voldemort!"

The entire group flinched as one.

"Then why aren't you scared of saying his name?" A student yelled from the back.

"Not denying that you're dark though, are you?" Another student asked caustically.

"No point denying it, Potter." A third student commented. "Everyone knows that parselmouths are evil."

"Yes, well, everyone knows that Ravenclaws are supposed to intelligent." Harry pointed out. "Clearly public knowledge isn't all that it's made out to be."

The Ravenclaws seemed to swell with fury. "How dare you?!"

"You're no Ravenclaw! You're a bloody Slytherin!"

"Get out, Potter!"

Takashi sighed and shot Harry a reproving look. "If Harry cannot sleep here, then he must sleep somewhere. I will accompany him to see Professor Flitwick so that something can be arranged."

"Like hell, Nado!" Penny White snapped. "I'm coming with you. I'm not going to let you to slander us to Flitwick. I'm sure the professor will understand once I've explained it all to him."

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Professor Flitwick did not understand, in fact he looked completely flabbergasted. "I beg your pardon, Miss White."

"We took a vote, sir." White explained. "And we decided that we don't want him in our House anymore." She glared at Harry. "We're excommunicating him."

Flitwick blinked. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"It's something some religious muggles do," White explained. "My folks are catholic, you see, and…"

"I understand the term, Miss White." Flitwick interrupted her with frown. "I just don't understand why my House would decide to do such a thing."

Harry smiled gratefully at his professor.

"He's a Death Eater, Professor!" White said sincerely. "None of us would feel safe knowing that he was sleeping in the same place as us."

Flitwick turned towards Harry. "Is this true, Mr. Potter?"

"No, sir." Harry denied firmly. "Voldemort killed my parents, not to mention that he's an evil, genocidal maniac. I would never follow him."

Flitwick nodded approvingly, before turning back to White. "There, you see, Miss White. Mr. Potter is no more a Death Eater than I am."

White shook her head resolutely. "I'm sorry, Professor, but I don't believe him. Death Eaters lie. We've made up our mind, we want Potter out."

Flitwick's expression was grave. "I see, and if I deny your request?"

"It's not a request, Professor." White told him. "If we see Potter in the Ravenclaw Tower we'll be forced to take matters into our own hands and defend ourselves."

Harry slumped against the wall. This had to be a nightmare.

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