Chapter 5 - The Wise and the Weasleys

The first day of class was horrible. For Harry, that is. Since all of Slytherin house had seen that Professor Snape insult Harry, they took it to mean that he was fair game. Although Harry didn't know it, a lot of the children had reasons to hate him, or so they thought. With the downfall of You-Know-Who, many parents were sent to Azkeban, or lost their jobs, or their social standing.

So Harry Potter was miserable. He had been tripped three time, and once down a small flight of stairs. He'd been hexed, jinxed, and cursed, but never where anyone could see and it was always fixed before he left the room he was injured in. But Harry put up with it, just like he did at the Dursleys.

He knew that the other students were getting frustrated with him, because he didn't go to any teachers, nor did it seem to bother him that they were picking on him. They didn't know that he'd had worse. And of course, Professor Snape didn't know for sure what was happening, but he had a pretty good idea. And he thought it was a fitting punishment. No one could guess that he never went to Madam Pomfrey's, or didn't get treatment for bruises that were sure to hurt, and Harry didn't know that he was unconsciously casting a glamour over his body. To anyone else it would seem as if he were blemish free, and they wouldn't see the bags under his eyes, or the paleness of his skin.

So, by Friday, Harry wished he'd never even heard of Hogwarts, or even magic. He'd taken to sleeping in the common room because the other boys would try to do something to him in his sleep, and since he was always an early riser, no one said anything about it. Every inch of his body that was easily covered by clothes was bruised, and Harry was pretty sure he had a small concussion.

It was with a heavy heart that Harry walked to his Potions class, by himself. The rest of the first-years had left him behind, not even trying to follow Professor Snape's 'three to a group' rule. As he walked the corridors, he noticed there were still people pointing and whispering about him.

Turning the corner, he didn't notice a group of fourth-year Gryffindors following him with Silencing Charms on their feet. By the time he did, it was too ate, and he was pushed roughly against the wall.

"Well, well, look who we have here," the first boy said. "It's Harry Potter, the traitor who got into Slytherin."

"Why, exactly, am I a traitor?" Harry asked. He should have known not to.

The boy who held him against the wall slammed him into it again.

"We know you're trying to be the next Dark Lord. It's why Slytherin hates you, you're trying to take over from their master." This sounded ridiculous to Harry, but he knew from experience that any excuse was a good excuse. "What should we do with him, boys?"

One kid, Harry notice, was looking at him rather funnily.

"I think we should show him what happens to traitors," the one in back said.

The boys started nodding, and several of them moved forward.

But the didn't get the chance. As it happens, another pair of Gryffindors were walking past, talking in hushed tones, when they happened to see a group of students harassing another.

"Oi, what do you think you're doing!" one asked. The bullies looked over their shoulders and booked it in the opposite direction.

"Hey, are you all right?" said the other boy. Harry could see that they were the Weasley twins from the third-year class.

"I'm fine, thank you." Harry made a point of brushing his robes off and gathering his things, keeping his face carefully blank.

"Here, let us help you with your stuff. I'm Fred, by the way, and this is George." Together they gathered the fallen books and parchments, and handed them to the younger boy.

"We'll walk you to class, so that doesn't happen again. How does that sound," George asked. Harry nodded to them and continued to the Potions classroom. "Hopefully Snape won't give you too much trouble, but we know he usually favours the Slytherins."

"What's your name, anyhow?" Fred asked as they turned another corner.

"Harry Potter," he said quietly, watching them from the corner of his eyes.

When they heard the name, they did a double take.

"Oh, you are! I didn't recognize you," Fred said.

"Well, here you are. You're not too late," George cut in.

"If you need anything –"

"– Don't be afraid to ask!" They said.

And with that, they left Harry at the door to the room.

Harry opened the door, keeping his eyes down, and made his way across the room to an empty seat.

"Ah, Harry Potter. You think you are above the rules?" Professor Snape drawled. "The new celebrity doesn't need to be on time for class, is that it?"

"No, sir," Harry said as he set his things down. "I'm sorry for my tardiness."

"No, but you will be. Tell me Potter, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Professor Snape barked.

A girl on the Gryffindor side of the room shot her hand in the air. Harry thought to his potion book that he had been reading at the beginning of the week.

"Draught of Living Death, sir?"

"Is that a question or an answer, Potter," Snape said with narrowed eyes.

"It's an answer, sir," Harry said in his quiet voice.

Professor Snape sneered.

"Where, Mr. Potter, would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar?"

Again, the Gryffindor's hand was in the air, waving this time, as if trying to get Professor Snape to call on her. Snape ignored the hand and continued staring at Harry.

"I'm not certain, but I think it's somewhere inside a goat, sir," Harry said. He could feel the stares of the rest of the class on him, and could hear the snickers of the Slytherins behind him.

"Hmm, and what is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

"There isn't one, sir," Harry said.

Professor Snape glanced around the room. "Why aren't you all taking notes?" he sneered.

Severus stood at the front of the classroom, lecturing about the uses of potions, and how dangerous messing them up would be as the students took notes, but inside he was snarling at all things Potter.

Even though Albus wanted him to befriend the child, Severus didn't think he could put up with Potter's arrogance. The boy thought that everyone should cater to him, but Severus wasn't going to put up with it. If the Headmaster wanted Severus to question the boy, he would do it his way.

And with that thought, Severus began his insults to the boy in front of the class. Digging to see what would goad the boy into action, so he could give him a detention. He didn't know that his ridicule of the boy would have the effect that they did. Oh, he knew his Slytherins would take it to mean he didn't like the boy, but his blatant hate for the boy was stopping rational thought of the consequences of his words.

And so, by the end of class, the first-years were itching to go inform their respective houses of the new information and Severus still hadn't been able to give the boy a detention.

The only good thing that happened to Harry that day was when he discovered that Fred and George Weasley were waiting at the door for him to leave. They told him that they wanted to show him something, and so he followed them to a mirror on the fourth floor.

They stepped inside the secret room, which looked big enough to house more than half of the Slytherin students.

"We know you've been having some problems –"

"– and we want you to know that we're on your side," the twins said in that switch-off way they do.

"So, we've talked it over –"

"– and we've decided to give you this."

"But you have to promise to keep it a secret."

"We don't want teachers to know that it exists."

And with that final warning, Fred drew a think piece of parchment from his robe pocket. He handed it to Harry and exchanged a look with his twin.

After examining the parchment, Harry turned his eyes onto the Weasleys.

"So, what is it?" he asked. "You wouldn't give it to me if it weren't special somehow."

"Right-o, Harry! This here is the secret to out success!"

"How we've been able to do what we do!

"The reason that our plans never fall flat!"

"This here is the Marauders Map!"

A/N: Sorry it took so long. I had an essay due in English class. Hope you like the new instalment.