"Talking/Dialogue"
Thoughts/Spells
'Quotes'
Writing/Text
Tom/Diary
Malfoy Manor
Tuesday
September 1st, 1992
Lucius Malfoy sat regally in the grandiose living room of Malfoy Manor, sipping at his morning tea. His eyes roamed across the gardens of his home, perfectly maintained to his wife's satisfaction. Those gardens were the first thing people saw when they visited, the first of many, as every corner of the manor was the very image of perfection, a reminder of the family's wealth.
She should be arriving any moment now. He thought.
His wife had taken their son to the platform a short while ago and was due to be back home soon. Ideally, he would have gone along with them, but the raids currently being conducted by the Ministry had him taking some precautionary measures. If they felt like visiting for a quick look around, poking their heads into places they had no right to be in, they would find Lord Malfoy waiting at the entrance, having nothing to hide.
The sight of the flames turning a toxic green caught his attention.
Lucius stood up to greet his wife Narcissa as she exited the Floo with the grace of a woman of nobility. Even after so many years of marriage, the sight of her never failed to bring joy to his heart.
He greeted her with a kiss.
"I hope no trouble found you or Draco?"
"None at all. Arriving early allowed us to avoid the larger crowd that would surely form," A slight scowl formed on her beautiful face. "Though I could do without having to walk amongst half-bloods and muggle-borns. I don't suppose you could convince the Minister of sectioning off a part of the platform for those of…more distinguished blood."
"The Minister isn't the issue. The issue is Dumbledore."
The scowl deepened on her face.
"That muggle-loving fool. No doubt it was with his support that the Weasley's act was passed, despite your best efforts."
Having the Muggle Protection Act passed into law was proving to be a great source of frustration for Lucius. This past summer was initially planned to be spent at a Villa in France, but instead, he had to devote it to relocating certain…artifacts. Lucius found himself on the back foot, having to react to the actions of others, a rare circumstance to find himself in.
The power and wealth of the Malfoy family was grand, and he had made full use of it during the First Wizarding War. Bribery, blackmail, and assassination had given him immense influence in the Ministry, so when the Dark Lord had unexpectedly fallen, a plea of being under the Imperius was enough to clear him of any charges.
Such was the hold he had on the governing body. A grip that had endured all these years since then strengthened by the addition of like-minded individuals.
But now, he was being targeted.
I am nothing if not adaptable.
The diary Lucius had planted amongst the youngest Weasley's books would serve three things. It allowed him to dispose of a dark artifact while also discrediting the father of the young girl and, by that, sabotaging the work the blood traitor had done.
Lastly, and the more unlikely of the three, the girl would unwillingly open the Chamber of Secrets.
He warned his son to tread carefully this year, along with assigning him a task before he left for Hogwarts.
Hopefully, his son succeeded with his second attempt at befriending the Potter boy. It would only serve to paint the Malfoy family in a positive light while also gaining a powerful ally.
One that could be turned to our side. I do hope the boy isn't a fool.
Lucius looked towards his wife.
"What if I were to tell you that the Weasleys will find their reputation destroyed within a year."
He relished the wicked grin Narcissa gave him.
Platform 9
Tuesday
September 1st, 1992
"You're quite fortunate that no one besides me noticed you're rather…spectacular exit from the Floo."
Harry could feel himself blushing, trying to dust himself quickly as he picked himself up from the ground. That was easily the worst landing he'd ever had so far. It could have been worse if he had traveled with the luggage alongside him.
In front of him stood Andromeda, an amused look on her face as she watched him with his trunk beside her.
Harry walked towards her with a sheepish look, the blush fading as he went to grab his trunk.
"Come along then, don't want to be caught in the last-minute crowd."
He nodded at her words, going to grab his trunk from beside her before walking beside her towards the train. As he walked alongside Andromeda, he reaffirmed his desire to be great. The first step to that was right here, on the Hogwarts Express.
Stopping alongside one of the train's carriages, Harry turned to look at Andromeda.
"Thank you. This past month has been amazing. Getting to know you and learning about my family. It means so much to me." He told her.
Andromeda wrapped him in a gentle hug, one he enjoyed as much as possible, before she stepped back.
"And I am glad to have agreed to meet you. You've been a joy to have."
Harry smiled genuinely as he waved goodbye to her before climbing into the carriage.
The inside of the carriage was just as loud as the platform, laughter filling the air. Students of all years filled compartments on the sides, which meant he had to walk down the middle. Hopefully, he found Hermione along the way.
If Ron somehow made it here before me, I'll swear off Treacle Tart for the year.
He peered into every compartment he passed, saying quick 'Hellos' to classmates he knew and nodding at those he didn't. Most of the rooms near the front were occupied, with the ones in towards the back being occasionally empty.
Harry was nearing the end of the train when he finally caught sight of his bushy-haired friend, who must have felt someone looking at her as she looked up in his direction.
"Harry!" Hermione launched herself at him, nearly causing them to topple over into the walkway.
"It's good to see you too, Hermione," He told her. "Your arms are just as strong as ever. I think I felt a rib crack."
Hermione pulled back after a moment, a smile still on her lips at seeing him.
"Where's Ron?" Another voice startled the both of them, coming from inside the compartment.
That was when Harry caught sight of Neville, seated on the other bench opposite Hermione. The girl had a slightly embarrassed look, having forgotten his presence.
Harry was quick to gather himself.
"It's good to see you, Neville," He greeted him before answering his question. "The Weasleys were still packing this morning, so they might be a bit late."
That seemed to satisfy the other boy. Hermione, who had retaken her seat, turned to look at Harry with a frown.
"I thought you were staying at the Burrow. How is it that you got here before them?" She asked him.
It didn't surprise Harry that she was wondering about that. The last letter he had sent to her was the day after going to Diagon Alley for supplies. He had forgotten to tell her about everything that occurred after.
So much has happened since then.
"Well…someone else brought me here. Her name's Andromeda, and she's my second cousin. We're related through the Black family." Harry told her.
He was a bit confused when he felt Neville stiffen beside him.
"A relative? But I thought the only relatives you had were your aunt and uncle?" She asked him.
Neville spoke up before Harry could, his usual shyness forgotten.
"Maybe on his mother's side. Harry is likely related to many people on his father's side, mainly from the older families."
Harry nodded at that before a thought occurred to him.
"Are we related, Neville?"
The boy seemed to think for a moment, looking for an answer.
"I know my great-grandmother Calidora was a Black. The exact relation we have I'm not too sure about. Our parents-. "Neville suddenly stopped himself, uncertain if he should continue speaking, his shyness retaking hold.
Harry debated whether to push the issue before deciding not to. Neville could be pretty stubborn when he wanted to be.
Hermione spoke up again, breaking the small moment of silence that had fallen.
"That still doesn't explain why she would bring you here?" She asked.
He made to answer his friend when a sharp whistle sounded, signifying the train was about to depart.
The Weasley family still hadn't arrived.
Harry moved towards the window along with the others and looked towards the archway, hoping to catch a glimpse of striking red hair.
For the second time today, Harry was shocked by another voice, this time from behind him.
"What are you guys looking at?"
All three spun around instantly, finding Ron right behind with a big grin on his face.
Hermione was the first to make her feelings known.
"You prat!" She slapped his shoulder before sitting down with a huff.
Ron laughed at that, lifting his trunk to the overhead alongside the others.
"Glad to see you made it on time, mate," Harry told him.
"Yeah, it was a close thing. Had to go back a couple of times for things we forgot to pack." Ron moved to sit next to Hermione before speaking again.
"Almost thought we had forgotten to take you with us when my mom let us know you left earlier. How did you get here anyway?"
"Harry was telling us about that. A relative of his brought him to the platform." Hermione said.
Ron stared wide-eyed at him. Any response was put on hold as the train started moving, prompting the four to look out the window and wave goodbye. Harry caught sight of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, waving at them and earning a bright smile.
They returned to their seats once the train exited the station, Ron the first to speak.
"Blimey, is that true? Is that who you've been spending time with these past weekends? I wanted to ask, but mom made me agree not to."
Harry nodded.
"Your mother was the one who got me to meet her. Andromeda, "He clarified to Ron. "Was someone I wanted to get to know. She knew my grandparents and was willing to tell me about them, mainly about my grandmother. Her name was Dorea Potter."
"I know that name!" Neville interjected. "She was in the same year as my grandmother at Hogwarts. Slytherin was her house, right?"
Ron let out a sound of disgust at that, one that Harry ignored, focusing his attention on Neville.
"Does your grandmother talk about her often, about Dorea?"
Neville seemed nervous at the question.
"Well…the things she has said…they're not very nice things." He told Harry in a low voice.
"Obviously. She was a Slytherin." Ron said. Once again, Harry ignored the comment. Hermione did not, admonishing the boy beside her.
"It's all right, Neville. You can tell me." He tried to give the boy a reassuring smile.
The sandy-haired boy steeled himself before speaking.
"She would usually call her a 'Tosser with a stick so far up her'—"
"Neville!" Hermione scolded.
The boy quickly raised his arms in defense.
"Those are her words, not mine."
"Still, that's Harry's grandmother. You—"
"Hermione, it's fine," Harry cut in. "I already knew what might have been said about her."
Knowing beforehand the personality of his grandmother had gone a long way in preparing him for the negative opinions some people may have had of her.
"The first time I had gone to meet with Andromeda, one of the things I learned about Dorea was that she was quite arrogant."
"All the those born into the Black family generally had that attitude. They've been around so long that they believed themselves better than everybody as if it was a fact of life." Neville told the other two, more so Hermione.
"It was that and also that she was quite brilliant at…well, everything," Harry said.
He was interrupted from continuing when the door for their compartment slid open, three boys standing at the entrance.
Draco Malfoy, flanked by Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, let his ice-grey eyes drift across the room, sneering as he caught sight of Ron and Hermione before they landed on Harry's bright green eyes.
"Still keeping the wrong sort of friends, are you, Potter," His eyes glanced back toward where Neville was sitting. "Even added a hopeless squib to your group."
"Bugger off, Malfoy!" Ron told him.
That drew Malfoy's attention, turning to glare at the red-headed boy.
"I wasn't speaking to you, Weasley. I suggest you keep your mouth shut if you know what's good for you. Maybe I'll throw a Galleon your way if you behave."
Ron stood up at that, prompting Harry to do the same. Hermione and Neville stood up a second later, doing so cautiously.
Harry had planned to seek out Draco in the future, hoping to figure out a way to settle their differences, but having him here would need him to do something sooner.
First, I need to stop Ron from reacting to his comments. The last thing I need is for things to get even worse.
He lightly pushed Ron behind, an action he didn't like by the sound he made, before standing right in front of Draco. Green eyes met grey as they glared at each other.
Harry spoke first.
"What do you want, Malfoy?"
"I wanted to give you another opportunity to pick friends of a certain standing. You wouldn't want to associate with people of questionable character, now would you?
"Like you're one to talk!" Ron shouted behind him
Harry took a moment to think. Refusing again would make Draco less likely to hear him out in the future, which he didn't want. Agreeing would mean upsetting his friends behind him, which he liked even less. Having so many eyes watching him meant he had to watch and choose his words carefully.
He had an idea.
"You wanted to talk to me, right? There was an empty compartment a couple of doors down from this one. Why don't you and I talk in there? Just the two of us."
Hermione and Ron immediately protested against that idea, not wanting him to be alone.
For once, Draco ignored them, weighing up the suggestion in his mind.
"Crabbe. Check the compartment for any traps and check thoroughly. Goyle. You stay here with me."
Vincent went to check, leaving the others glaring at each other in uneasy silence.
Hermione touched Harry's forearm, catching his attention.
"Are you sure about this, Harry?" She whispered to him.
He nodded, not taking his eyes off the blonde in the front.
"And you just want to talk with him?"
He nodded again.
She made to ask him something else but was stopped by the reappearance of Crabbe, who gave Draco a nod.
The blond then gestured to Harry to lead the way, a smirk on his face.
He wants to keep me where he can see. I would as well, but then again, I was the one who suggested this.
Harry stepped out slowly, trying to give an image of confidence that he certainly didn't have. The sound of footsteps behind him was the only indication that Draco was following.
Once inside the compartment, Draco shut the door before taking a seat, looking at Harry expectantly.
"You wanted for us to talk in private. So, you go first."
Harry sat opposite him, sitting up as straight as he could.
"Do you remember the first time we met, Draco?" He asked.
"Of course. It was on this very train—"
"We met before that at Madam Malkin's, "Harry corrected. "I remember it well 'cause soon after meeting you, Hagrid, the man you insulted, was the one who introduced me to magic."
Draco's face took on a look of confusion at that.
"I didn't know magic existed until I received my Hogwarts letter. I didn't know anything about this world or any of its history. I was just an orphan, an orphan who just wanted to make friends."
Being honest from the beginning wouldn't have been his first choice, but he figured if he showed sincerity, he might get it in return. Unlikely, but he had to try.
"I tried to be your friend," Draco said.
"By insulting the first ones I had made," He reminded him.
Harry shook his head.
Keep being honest. Remember that you wanted to try.
"I was supposed to go to Slytherin."
That caught Draco by surprise, his eyes widening at that admission.
Harry couldn't help but laugh a little at the reaction he had gotten.
"Yeah, the Sorting Hat had pushed quite hard, saying that I 'had a thirst to prove myself' and 'could be great.' I didn't end up there because I asked not to."
"Why not?" Draco asked, raising his eyebrows. He didn't look offended, just curious about his reasons.
"Well…," He thought of how to put it best. "The general opinion of your houses was that only bad people get sorted there. That only evil wizards and witches seem to come from Slytherin."
The blond was offended by that if the sneering was any indication.
"The only people who go to Slytherin are worthy of being there. People who are driven, clever, and want to be the absolute best go to the Salazar's House." There was genuine passion in Draco's eyes as he spoke.
"I don't deny that my house has more dark wizards in its history than all other houses, but that doesn't mean none come out of any other house."
Harry raised his hands.
"I had something similar explained to me recently, it made me realize I was painting all of Slytherin in a bad light, and that made me feel ashamed," He said.
Draco seemed to calm himself quickly, his face gaining a blank expression.
"I had thought it a bit odd that you didn't react like Weasley at the sight of me. Is that why? Because you felt bad?"
"It was part of the reason, yeah," He nodded. "I promised to be better, and I figured, why not start by talking with you? See if we can start on the right foot."
"To leave the past in the past," Draco cupped his chin, an exaggerated expression of thought on his face. "I don't see why I should."
He wants something.
It didn't surprise Harry that he would look to gain something. He might have changed his opinion on Slytherins being evil, but that didn't mean Draco would do anything out of the goodness of his heart.
"What do you want?"
"What I've wanted from the beginning. To be your friend. The right kind that you should have had from the start of last year." It was odd seeing Draco smile so widely. His face seemed to only alter between a scowl or a sneer.
Harry's first instinct was to refuse, almost falling back into old habits formed by past opinions. He had wanted to find some sort of agreement with Draco but more along the lines of avoiding each other. Of not antagonizing one another in classrooms and hallways, that sort of thing. But friends?
I did promise to try…I just didn't expect this. He thought, debating his response.
The words of Andromeda had him consider it.
The words of the diary almost convinced him.
His desire to be great sealed his decision.
"All right. I agree."
They returned to the others after that, with Draco mentioning to Harry that the offer was only to him and did not include anyone else. Which he was okay with as he didn't think Ron or Hermione would be able to stand Draco and his attitude for one second.
The only reason I can is because I lived with Dudley for 11 years.
The pair arrived to find someone else had visited the compartment and was in the middle of berating Crabbe and Goyle.
"…And you just let him go alone!" Pansy yelled at them.
Despite the height difference, Crabbe and Goyle shrank under the scolding Parkinson gave them, flinching a bit as she pointed her finger at them. Both had visible expressions of relief as they saw them approaching but for different reasons.
"Draco! I've been worried sick," For the moment, Pansy ignored Harry's presence as she inspected Draco, looking for any signs of harm. The boy himself had an exasperated look on his face as he surrendered to the fussing of the girl.
I almost feel sorry for the git.
"Pansy, I've been gone for, at most, fifteen minutes," Draco said, grabbing hold of her hands before letting them drop. The girl looked about to respond when she finally saw Harry standing beside the blonde.
"What are YOU doing here, Potter?"
Harry smiled at her, earning a confused look from the girl.
Oh, I'm so going to enjoy her reaction.
"Just went to go have a chat with my new friend, Draco, " He extended a hand towards her. "And any friend of Draco is a friend of mine."
Pansy looked at his hand in revulsion before his words registered with her. She turned her head back to the blond sharply, demanding an explanation.
His new friend gave him a withering glare before speaking to Pansy.
"Potter and I have… agreed to be friends," She looked to speak before Draco added hastily and firmly. "I'll explain later. In our compartment."
That halted further comments from the girl, who looked back at his offered handshake. She seemed to be at war with herself before cautiously accepting the handshake, grimacing as she shook it.
"Right. Let's head back, Pansy." Draco started walking away with a nod toward Harry, followed by the other three.
Well, things will be different this year, that's for sure. Whether for good or bad, I'll have to wait and see.
He went inside his compartment, finding Neville and Hermione playing exploding snap and Ron scowling in his seat, turning as he entered. There was relief at the sight of him.
"It's good to see you came back. We were starting to get worried." Hermione said.
"Ron suggested we go and get you back before they tried something. He was convinced they would." Neville moved to the side a bit, letting Harry sit down.
"You can't trust Malfoy, the slimy git. He just wants to cause trouble for us and then hides behind his family name when he finds himself in it instead. I don't get why you would want to talk to him?" Ron was visibly annoyed as he spoke.
The other two looked at Harry, wondering why he had gone to talk to Draco alone.
He ran his hand through his messy black hair, trying to explain his reasoning.
"Andromeda didn't like how I had a biased view against anything Slytherin, and I promised her that I would change that. That was me trying to stop the little feud between Draco and me, and, well…."
He paused for a moment, bracing himself for the reaction he was about to receive.
"Draco agreed with me on the condition that we become friends."
"That's absurd."
"Friends?"
"What? Like hell, you will!"
They all voiced their displeasure at that, Ron the most evident. Hermione took no notice of the red-haired boy's colorful language, focusing on giving Harry a disapproving look.
"You agreed. Based on a promise you made to a woman you've barely known, less than you have us." She said.
"I promised to try."
"You promised to change your opinion on those from Slytherin not to become friends with Draco. Who, I might add, has been nothing but disrespectful toward all of us."
Harry closed his eyes, not wanting to see any more of the looks his friends were giving him.
Hermione was right. The reason he had given them was flimsy and ignored all the history involving them. It was one of the reasons he had; by itself, it wasn't enough to satisfy them, and he didn't want to divulge the other aspect of why he had agreed. He didn't think they would take it any better than they did this.
I promised myself to try to be great, and Slytherin would help me. I want to know if I can be.
Harry opened his eyes to look at them again, mustering the courage to stand firm in his decision.
"I've already made my decision. You'll have to accept it."
He stood up and walked back out of the compartment, ignoring their shocked faces. He walked towards the loo, taking a deep, shaky breath.
I need a moment to be by myself. Some time to cool down would do us good.
Harry returned a while later for the rest of the train ride, doing his best to ignore the uncomfortable mood in the room.
Gryffindor Common Room
Wednesday
September 2nd, 1992
It was slightly after 7:30 in the morning that Harry stepped out of the 2nd year bathroom, having just finished taking a shower. He walked as quietly as possible towards the door, picking his bag up on the way. The students were to be handed their schedules during breakfast; until then, he would rather not carry his textbooks if he didn't have to.
He closed the door gently as he left, throwing one last glance inside before leaving. The rest of the boys were still asleep, Harry's attempt to wake them up proving to be fruitless.
Last night's feast was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise tricky afternoon, the mood affected by his decision to befriend Draco. Once his friends realized his decision was final, they ignored the matter, only occasionally frowning when they glanced at the Slytherin Table.
They got Ginny curious as well. She wasn't oblivious to the group's mood once she joined us.
Harry had invited her over once she got sorted into Gryffindor after noticing the uncertain look on her face as she walked down the table. Ron had started to make a fuss, not wanting his little sister to join them, before Harry asked him if he rather she sit alone. He didn't voice any more complaints after that.
Certainly not with the look Ginny was giving him. She looked about ready to draw her wand on him.
She had gotten along well with the others, her voice showing her excitement about being at Hogwarts. It was the most Harry had heard her speak since meeting her, a definite improvement to the squeaks and mumbles she used to have.
The reminiscing about last night was stopped as he almost collided with Ginny, having arrived simultaneously at the bottom of the stairs. Only Harry's reflexes saved them from toppling over together.
"Heading to the Great Hall, Ginny?" He asked her, glancing at the bag over her shoulder.
"Yeah. I figured I should wake up earlier than usual just in case I get lost on the down," Ginny explained to him, a light blush on her face. "Do you think you could…."
"Show you the way?" Harry finished for her. "I don't mind. Come on, Hermione should be there already."
They made their way out of the common room before heading down the corridor toward the Grand Staircase. It wasn't until they walked down the first set of stairs that Ginny spoke up, breaking the silence between them.
"Did something happen between you and the others?"
Harry turned to look at her.
"I mean—the looks they gave you were not subtle at all, especially Ron's." She added.
He didn't answer immediately, focusing on just going down the stairs. The lack of response was long enough that Ginny made to speak again before Harry interrupted her.
"They don't like that I agreed to be friends with Draco Malfoy."
Her eyes widened at that.
"The git from the bookstore? Why would you be friends with him?"
"Believe me, I had no intention of befriending him when I got on the train," He shook his head. "I only wanted to see if we could avoid each other this year, to stop with the insults and confrontations."
"But how does that end up with you two being friends?"
He shot her an amused look.
"He wouldn't settle for that, though, so he offered to be friends instead. I didn't want to refuse and make the whole situation worse, especially since I had denied him once before last year."
Ginny nodded her head at that.
"Okay, that tells me the 'how' but not the 'why.'"
"The 'why' is because of Andromeda. She's my second cousin, and I met her recently, mainly to learn about my grandmother. When we talked about her, I discovered she was a Slytherin, something I didn't take to well."
"Andromeda didn't like that?" She asked.
Harry just nodded, remembering his shame after the light scolding he had gotten.
"She didn't, and she was right not to like it. She made me realize I was painting all those in Slytherin in a bad light and that I should try to be more open-minded towards them."
Ginny didn't say anything after he gave his reasoning. He glanced towards wondering why, and saw that she was deep in thought. It wasn't until they neared the entrance to the Great Hall that she spoke up again.
"It was your decision, and you had every right to make it," She started. "But if Draco was anything like he was at the bookstore, I can see why the others would be upset about it. If I were in their place, I would be too."
Harry didn't respond, not wanting to continue the conversation, something Ginny seemed to accept. They made their way toward Hermione once they spotted her, earning a smile from her once they sat down across from the bushy-haired girl.
"If I had known you were waking up early, I would have waited for you," Hermione told him before looking towards Ginny. "You didn't have any trouble finding your way down here?"
Ginny shook her head, sparing a glance in Harry's direction, who was already serving himself breakfast.
"I ran into Harry in the common room, and he offered to show me the way."
"That's kind of you, Harry."
He didn't reply verbally, only throwing a smile her way before beginning to eat. The two girls started to talk amongst themselves. What about, Harry didn't know as he began to eat, enjoying the peaceful air the Great Hall had before it inevitably filled with loud chattering of students as they filtered in for the first day of classes.
About twenty minutes after eight, the hall was packed and lively with students, not that Harry was surprised about it. His bright green eyes looked around the room, taking everything in and simply enjoying being back at Hogwarts.
I missed this place…If I had the choice, I would stay here the whole year.
He was brought out of his musings by the arrival of Ron, who quite clearly had just woken up based on his disheveled appearance. That earned him a disapproving look from Hermione, not that he noticed, already piling breakfast on his plate.
"Honestly, Ronald, it's the first day of term. Couldn't you at least make an effort to wake up early?"
"I wouldn't bother, Hermione. Knowing him, this is making an effort." Ginny told her.
With a mouthful of food, Ron made to reply to his sister, unbothered by the looks of disgust sent his way. Whatever he said was lost to Harry, the words distorted by the food in his mouth. Seeing that they hadn't understood him, Ron swallowed his food before trying again.
"I figured Harry would wake me up," He said before throwing a questioning look toward the bespectacled boy. "Why didn't you wake me up?"
"I did try too. Multiple times, in fact. Not my fault it didn't work."
Ron just grunted before going back to his food.
Probably still annoyed at me.
Harry shrugged.
He caught sight of his head of house making her way down the table, handing out schedules to those in her house. Hermione's small squeak of excitement let him know she had noticed too. The older woman didn't take long to get to their group, carrying a stack of schedules in her hand. A few slipped out of the stack before darting toward the corresponding student.
"These are your schedules. For this week and this week only, the weekly calenders are shifted forward a day, running until Friday, before returning to normal the following week. Classes begin at nine. Do not be late."
Professor McGonagall walked away after that, heading down to the next group of students.
Harry glanced at his schedule, noting the days were grouped either before the afternoon or after it, alternating days.
"We have Defense Against The Dark Arts with Slytherin first," Hermione said. "Let's head back to the dorms to get our textbooks."
Ron made a noise a protest at that, still eating his breakfast.
"We don't want to be late, Ron. Finish up that plate." She told him before gaping as he started serving himself again, ignoring her words completely.
"You guys go on ahead; I'm still hungry," Ron waved them off. "I have more than enough time to get to class, and the less time spent around those snakes, the better.
"Fine. Don't be late." Hermione gave him one last stern look before standing up, gesturing for Harry and Ginny to follow. Not having any reason not to, they stood up before heading out of the hall. Harry threw one last wave toward Ron, who was already halfway through another plate.
The trip back to the Gryffindor dorms was pretty quick, boosted by the urging of Hermione, who did not want to be late for Lockhart's class. When Harry gave her a pointed look about that, she ignored it but not without failing to suppress a blush on her face.
The three of them made their way back down to the first floor, with Harry and Hermione waving goodbye to Ginny as they passed the Herbology Greenhouses. Now the pair of them walked into the DADA classroom, which was a quarter full already, with fifteen minutes to go before class began. Hermione didn't hesitate in heading towards the seats in front, and Harry made to follow, noting that Draco and his group hadn't arrived yet.
Which is fine for now. I don't think Ron or Hermione are quite ready to see me being friendly with him. Probably never will be.
"Oi, Potter. Could I talk to you for a moment?"
Harry turned at the sound of his last name, his eyes landing on a trio of Slytherin students sitting on one of the back tables. A dark-skinned boy nodded at him, confirming him to be the one who called out. He walked over to their table, not seeing any harm in doing so, glancing at the two girls beside him, a blonde and a brunette.
Zabini. He was the last to be sorted in our year…don't know anything about the girls.
Only once he stood in front of their table did the boy speak again.
"The name's Blaise Zabini, the one to my right is Tracey Davis, and beside her is Daphne Greengrass."
Harry greeted the both of them, getting a cheery wave from the brunette he now knew was Tracy and a slight nod from Daphne.
"I'm sure you're wondering why I want to talk to you, " Blaise began, looking directly at him. "There's been a certain rumor being spread inside our common room, mainly from Parkinson. I was hoping you would confirm it for us."
"Depends what the rumor is," Harry said.
She better not be spreading something ridiculous.
"The rumor about you and Malfoy now being friends. Is that true?"
He nodded at Blaise, confirming the rumor. Zabini let out a sigh as Tracy held out her hand towards him, receiving a galleon from the boy.
"Told you Parkinson wasn't lying. If she was that adamant about convincing me it was the truth, why wouldn't I believe her?"
Blaise just shook his head.
"Because the same girl was convinced Draco would be allowed to bring a broom while being a first year. Against school rules, " The boy faced Harry once more. "Yet despite the rules, you still managed to bring your own broom when you made the quidditch team last year. Did being the Boy-Who-Lived give you an exception to the rule?"
Harry bristled at that. He didn't like the assumption that he used his fame to get what he wanted.
"I didn't get an exception because the broom wasn't mine." He replied.
For the first time, Daphne spoke up.
"Then it must have belonged to either somebody in a higher year or a Professor, and considering how expensive the Nimbus 2000 is, my bet is on a Professor. Am I right, Potter?"
She already knows who it is, just wants me to confirm it for her. Well, I won't give her the satisfaction of being proven right.
"Why don't you three right down any questions you have for me, that way we can skip all the small talk," Harry failed to keep the annoyance he felt from leaking into his voice.
Daphne smirked at him, enjoying the reaction she got from him.
"No need for that, Potter. Our curiosity has been satisfied." Blaise said to him. "A word of advice before you go."
Harry prompted him to continue.
"Your time would be better spent learning elsewhere for this class. Lockhart is all talk."
The serious look in his eyes stopped Harry from discarding the words before he turned around, walking back towards Hermione.
He can't be worse than Quirrell.
He's almost as bad as Quirrell, and that man tried to kill me!
As Blaise said, Lockhart talked endlessly for the first half of the class, mainly about himself. Even the quiz he had handed out for the second half-hour was centered on his books, which only Hermione seemed to have read. Harry and Ron, who had barely managed to make it to class before the bell sounded, had given up on answering the questions correctly and merely filled in absurd answers.
When he had filled both of them in on the advice he had gotten from the Slytherin, the response he got was fairly negative. Hermione was convinced Lockhart had a lot to offer, that it was only the first class, and it was still too early to judge him. Ron simply didn't want to have to teach himself.
It looks like I'm going to have to practice the spell work alone. I wonder…
As the trio walked out of the classroom, Harry's eyes drifted down the corridor, landing on the group of Slytherins in front. He figured if they were the ones to suggest learning outside of the class, then that must mean they would do the same. Something to consider in the future.
Hermione's voice brought his focus back to the present.
"What are you thinking?"
"Huh…nothing."
"It must have been something if you were that deep in thought," She said, minding her feet as they stepped onto the staircase, heading towards the third floor for Charms.
"You were looking at the Slytherin group," Ron added his observation, surprising them. "Didn't think being Draco's friend extended to the rest of them. Looking to change that?"
Harry didn't miss the hint of anger as he said that.
"Are you still thinking about Zabini's suggestion?" Hermione asked, letting out a sound of exasperation at his nod. "Oh, Honestly, just give Professor Lockhart some time before writing him off as an instructor—look, just give him a few classes before deciding, okay?"
He let out a small grunt that she took as an agreement before beginning to talk excitedly about all the material she had covered for Charms.
I'm not willing to wait for proof when I can already tell from the start. I'll need to find a place to practice, somewhere private.
Charms with Hufflepuff was, thankfully, a lot more productive than his first class. Professor Flitwick was just as energetic as last year, talking enthusiastically with each student as he taught. Even reviewing some spellwork was fun and full of laughs, with Harry finding he hadn't forgotten how to cast the spells.
"I should have brought a snack," Ron said as they walked down towards Herbology, their last class for the day before having the afternoon off. It was one big group of second-year students that made their way down to the greenhouses, with Gryffindor and Hufflepuff sharing the same class again.
"Breakfast was just two hours ago, Ron. How can you be hungry again?" Hermione questioned.
"I just am—what do you want me to do, not be hungry?"
"Might want to see if you can convince the professors if you can have your classes in the Great Hall," Harry suggested, grinning at the way Ron's eyes lit up.
"Honestly, Harry, they would never allow it."
"They might if Ron's stomach rumbled loud enough to disrupt the class."
Hermione slapped playfully at Harry's arm, earning a laugh from the raven-haired boy.
Herbology followed the theme of the prior class, the first half dealing with revision, followed by the students being asked to show that they remembered how to deal with Spikey Bushes. The second-years were spread out in line facing the plants under Professor Sprout's watchful eye.
"Remember to speak clearly and with intent and keep your distance as you cast! If you are ready, begin," She said.
Harry didn't waste any time, itching to use his wand.
"Incendio!"
A large jet of flames escaped from the tip of his wand, setting the plant in front alight. Similar shouts rang out around him, most bushes being engulfed in flames instantaneously, but none of the flames could compare to his.
"Very well done, students! Make sure your designated plant is fully destroyed before returning to the tables. If not, you may cast again until it is."
Out of all the Spikey Bushes, only the one belonging to Harry was entirely destroyed. He made his way back towards the tables, a slight feeling of pride manifesting inside of him. A couple of seconds later, one of the Hufflepuff girls joined him, offering him a shy smile as she fell into step beside him.
"I'm kinda annoyed, y'know," She said before extending her hand toward him. "I should probably introduce myself first. My name's S—."
"Susan Bones. Hermione's mentioned you before." He cut in, shaking her hand.
The red-haired girl tightened her grip on the handshake, startling him. She giggled before letting go abruptly.
"As I said, I'm annoyed at you, " She placed her hand on her hips. "I practiced that spell a lot during the summer and thought I would surely have the biggest flames."
Harry looked at her with a bemused expression.
"And you nearly crushing my hand was payback for proving you were wrong?"
He rubbed his hand, making a show of it.
"No," She pointed her finger at him. "That was me issuing a warning. By the end of this year, my Incendio will dwarf yours in size."
With that, Susan walked away but not before once again pointing her finger menacingly at him.
What in Merlin's name just happened?
"I see you've met Susan," Hermione's voice drew his attention away from the Hufflepuff. "She can be a bit competitive, especially when it comes to spell power."
"Spell power?" Harry asked her.
Hermione nodded, looking back at where half of their classmates were still attempting to burn down the Spikey Bushes.
"I believe that compared to those in our year, you're one of the most powerful at the moment," She shrugged as she began to pack her book bag, getting ready to leave. "I haven't seen enough of those in other houses to know where you stand."
"I'm guessing Susan is on the more powerful end." He asked.
She nodded at him before a small pout appeared on her face.
"Even more powerful than me, apparently."
Harry grinned at her.
Ron chose that moment to join them, hastily packing his belongings.
"Let's go. I'm absolutely starving!" He didn't bother waiting for a response before walking out the door.
"Honestly, Ron, Professor Sprout hasn't even dismissed us yet." Hermione pointed out.
"Uhh…guys?" Neville caught their attention. "She just dismissed those who finished destroying their plant."
Harry looked at the other boy before glancing around the room, noticing the students filtering out.
"Thanks for telling us, Neville. Want to head to the Great Hall with us?" He asked.
Neville shook his head.
"I'm staying behind to help Professor Sprout with some other plants. I'll see you guys later."
Harry waved goodbye to the boy before leaving with Hermione. As the pair returned to the castle, they ran into a group of first-years from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, who looked to have just had their first flying lesson.
Ginny was quick to spot them, running over with a wide grin on her face.
"I'm guessing you had fun," Hermione commented.
"I loved it! I can't wait to go flying again!" She turned to look at Harry. "Do you think I could borrow your Nimbus this weekend? I want to see how that broom compares."
Harry let out a slight hum at her question.
"I'll think about it."
Ginny squealed in excitement, taking that as a 'yes.'
Hermione shot him an amused grin before they started heading inside, the red-headed girl walking right beside them as she went into detail about all the maneuvers she wanted to try.
The trio were about to enter the Great Hall when Harry asked Hermione if she wanted to drop off her bag back in the dormitory before heading to eat.
"I'd rather have them with me," She told him. "I'm heading to the library after eating anyway."
Harry nodded, understanding her reasoning. He didn't ask Ginny as she wasn't carrying hers, and based on her glances toward the hall, wanted to eat first.
"I'll head on up then," He shot her a grin. "Make sure Ron doesn't finish all the food."
Hermione rolled her eyes.
"It'd be a miracle if he hasn't already," She said before walking inside with Ginny.
Harry started his walk back toward the Gryffindor common room, the sound of his footsteps the noise he could hear. It wasn't often he could experience the castle when it was this quiet, finding the lack of people relaxing in a way.
I don't feel like people are watching my every move.
The common room was almost empty when he arrived. Only an older student whose name he couldn't recall occupied one of the couches, taking an afternoon nap. Harry did his best not to wake them as he walked toward the stairs leading to the boys' dormitory.
He only intended to drop off his bag before heading down to eat when his eyes fell on his trunk on the foot of the bed. This morning, he had decided to leave the diary in his trunk, thinking he wouldn't have an opportunity to write in it.
An opportunity I have now.
Harry wasted no time in starting to write, wanting to know if Tom could help him.
Do you know of a place at Hogwarts where I can practice? Someplace that's private?
I do. May I ask why you have a need for such a place?
I don't think The Defense Against The Dark Arts professor is going to teach me much. Another student even recommended that I learn from elsewhere.
That doesn't tell me why you need it to be private.
One of my friends feels that I should wait before deciding to teach myself. She believes the professor shouldn't be judged on one class.
You don't agree with her.
I can already tell he'll be useless.
Harry shook his head at the wording he used, feeling it was rather harsh of him.
Good. Learning to decide what's best for oneself is essential to growing as a wizard, especially if you want to be great.
I do. I want to be great.
Then on the seventh floor, opposite the portrait Barnabas The Barmy, is an empty wall. Walk past it three times thinking about 'A secret room to practice magic.' You must think exactly that phrase, or it will not work.
How many people know of this room?
Just myself, and now, you. I must stress that you keep its existence to yourself. Tell no one.
I won't. Thank you, Tom.
You're welcome.
Harry closed the diary before hiding it in his trunk again before heading out the door. No doubt, his friends would be wondering why he was taking so long, so finding this 'secret room' would have to wait.
Tonight after curfew. I can use my invisibility cloak to sneak out after everyone is asleep.
He couldn't wait to find this place.
?
?
?
Time had no meaning to it. It laid dormant, waiting until it felt the brush of magic of whatever victim wrote into its pages.
Only then could it set out to slowly drain them of their life force, playing to their desires as it ensnared them more and more under its power.
However, progress was slower than expected.
Resistance.
Something was denying it.
It mattered not.
Time had no meaning to it.
A/N:
Sorry about the late update. I had a bunch of assignments I wanted to finish before focusing on this. I'll try to update one week from now.