Disclaimer - The world of Hogwarts belongs to JK Rowling. Only the characters outside of this world are mine.
- The idea for this story came to me while reading Niflheim-Academy by Araceil so go check it out and read it.
- This story is also posted on my account on AO3.
Chapter 30 - Vampires
It was three hours before the sedative the doctors had given Harry started to were off. By that time, Barnabas was healed, questioned, and released, without his wand. Yes, Harry had attacked him, but Barnabas hadn't just defended himself but attacked back. As such, he had fallen prey to three of the school rules. No fighting earned him the loss of his wand. No magic in the halls got him an essay since he had already lost his wand. Finally, no bullying. Several students had heard and reported the words that Barnabas had been shouting during the fight. As such, he also received a detention. This was due to already having lost his wand and having an essay to write. The Moonlord vampire wasn't happy to be spending his last days of term under punishment. It would be the next term before he could earn his wand back. If the vampire had only cast shields or dodged, he would have gotten away without any punishment.
Luke found the whole thing fascinating, but he was more concerned about Harry than Barnabas Moonlord. As Harry woke, he stood at the back of the room with Isur and Nymira. The Headmistress and Dr White were standing nearby, waiting in case Harry did something. The small second year really shouldn't be going anywhere, though. Not with a broken leg. However, they couldn't heal it due to Harry putting off his baths. So that was now coming back to bite him in the behind.
"Mr Potter." Dr White took a step closer as Harry's eyes blinked open.
"Wah?" came the half-sleep reply.
"Mr Potter, try not to move too much you have a broken leg."
"Hue," Harry muttered and pushed himself to sit up, it must have caused him some pain, but none of it showed on his face.
"What is the last thing you remember, Mr Potter?" the Headmistress spoke this time.
"I... what is going on?"
"Answer the question Mr Potter." the Headmistress's voice was cold. Colder than Luke had ever heard her speaking when talking to Harry.
"I... I was heading down to swimming. But I got turned around, and then this thing chased me. It caught me, and that's the last thing I remember."
"So, you don't remember attacking Barnabas Moonlord with spells you have no business knowing."
"No!" Harry's eyes went wide with fear. There was no way he was faking, not knowing.
"Well, then we have the question of how you know those spells and what happened", the Headmistress responded. Harry opened his mouth to say something when a strong urge to run and get out of bed overtook him. Harry tried to fight it, but as the pressure increased, he found himself moving almost unwillingly.
"Mr Potter stay in that bed", Dr White stated. But Harry couldn't follow; he had to get out of bed.
"He's thralled", Luke stated, moving forward. "Nymira, grab him. Can you sense it?"
"Yes," she ground out.
"Mr March, what are you talking about?" the Headmistress asked.
"He's been put under a vampire thrall. That's not Harry trying to get out of bed. Someone else is controlling him. It will be centred around a bite, heal it, and the connection will break. Whoever did this won't have had time to make a permanent mark, not to mention that would only take willingly."
"So, this isn't Harry's fault" Isur moved to help them keep Harry in bed.
"No, it isn't" Luke looked at his Grand lite. Dr White looked around Harry's neck for a bite mark and soon found one. It took seconds for Luke to lick over the bite closing it. Then, as soon as he did, Harry went still and looked at them all around him.
"What happened?"
"You don't remember?"
"No?"
"He won't" Luke stepped back, looking at the Headmistress. "Only a vampire with strong mental abilities could have done this. So, seniors, teachers and scholars."
"Then we must question everyone. Mr March, Miss Midnight, I must ask you to return to your rooms now. I will ensure this is the last time anyone thinks to put one of my students under a thrall. This is yours, I believe, Mr Potter" Luke watched as Harry's wand was placed on the bedside table, and the Headmistress swept out.
"What?"
"I shall explain. You two better go" Dr White looked at them, and Luke nodded.
"See you in a bit, Harry", Luke waved, leaving. With only a look at Nymira, they separated, heading back to their rooms. The Headmistress probably didn't believe they were included in this mess. But they still had to be isolated from all the other powerful vampires to be questioned. It would not stop people from talking via Telepathy, but that would be monitored and punished. Still, the culprit of this mess would be found and soon.
Harry shivered as he lay in the hospital bed. Dr White had taken half an hour to explain what had happened. Someone, a vampire, had put him under vampire mind control. They had then used him to attack Barnabas Moonlord. Isur had had to stun him to get him to stop. Because even after Barnabas had shattered the bone in his leg, he had kept fighting. Harry didn't want to go near a vampire again or be bitten again if that's what vampires could do. Clearly, they were dangerous and not safe. Isur hadn't left his side, and Harry was thankful for that.
"Am I going to be in trouble?" Harry finally asked, looking at Isur.
"No. You weren't acting as yourself. The Headmistress won't tell you off for that. Once she finds out who attacked you, she will probably tell you that herself. The fact she left your wand here also shows you're not in trouble." Isur motioned to the wand Harry hadn't touched.
"That's good."
"Harry, you know not all vampires are like this, right. There are very few student vampires that could have done this. Most aren't old enough; vampires gain their power as they age. Nymira is one of the few."
"That leaves teachers and scholars. My track record of teachers attacking me isn't the best, Isur. Not to mention someone is always out to get me. Might as well get a new Liten before you get hurt," Harry turned over.
"No" Isur moved around the bed to face him again. Harry scowled. "I am not getting a new Liten. You're my Liten, my younger brother. Family doesn't ditch family when it gets difficult. Nymira and Luke will say the same. Remember, we look after each other."
"I can look after myself, Isur. I don't need any help."
"Everyone needs help sometimes, Harry. It doesn't matter who you are. I sometimes need help, and I do still need help. I can't pay my school fees myself; those are done through a scholarship now. I don't know how to cook, clean, or do my laundry. I have no idea about paying bills when I grow up or how to run a house. I've never dated anyone and was turned off for a while after I came into my inheritance early. It's only been the last few months since I started thinking about it. But you know who I will turn to when I need advice, Luke. Because he is my older brother. Alphas can become ungrounded, too, and we need help with that. An Alpha who is a sensitive will need help with that. Someone who is sick, they need help from the doctors. Everyone needs help at times."
"Not me", Harry ground out. He wasn't going to admit that he had no idea about some of the things Isur had said. Bills, dating Harry, mentally shuddered. But the rest he could do. He knew how to cook, clean, and do laundry. Running a house, he had no idea what that even was. But he hated needing help after so long, just relying on himself.
"Hey", the curtain was pulled back. Harry panicked, seeing the vampire standing there, unable to think of anything else.
"No, no", he repeated, trying and failing to move back on the bed.
"Later, Nymira", Isur ran forward and pulled the curtains back. "Harry, calm down. Gone see"
Harry did see the curtains were now closed and took some deep breaths. It was a moment later; they were opened and then shut again.
"What happened?" said Dr White, and Harry looked at him. "Calming draught", the potion was handed over. Harry scowled but drank the potion down.
"Minor panic attack. Harry, you know Nymira and Luke won't hurt you."
"I... I didn't see them. I just saw a vampire."
"Not all vampires are bad, Harry. Just as not all humans are good. There are good and bad people everywhere in the world. But it will take time for you to adjust to seeing that. What do you remember?"
"Nothing."
"That is probably half the problem", Dr White clearly sighed, and Harry felt the potion kicking in, forcibly calming him. He hated it. "Your mind is creating scenarios in the place of the missing memories."
"How do we get Harry's memories back?" Isur asked.
"Harry would have to let a vampire bite him, let them unlock them. But that isn't going to happen right now by the look on your face."
Harry shook his head. No way was a vampire ever coming near him again. He would rather not have the memories at all.
"There is no other way."
"Not with the way vampires work, no", Dr White responded. "That is not my main concern right now."
"What is?" Harry asked.
"Two things. Your leg, for one. We can't heal it due to the amount of magic needed. You need a purification bath, but doing that with your leg would be difficult. In time the magic will leave a little. Give it a few days. Then we can transfer you to the OSS. Dr Vang is looking into some ideas about siphoning the magic off you without a bath. Most sensitives don't push their baths back as much as you do," the Doctor looked at him.
"I hate them."
"Yes, I gathered as much", the Doctor sighed.
"And the second thing?" Isur asked.
"Harry's issues with vampires. Yes, Harry, it is an issue. You live in a hostel with vampires, there are vampires in this school, and there will be at the OSS. You can't avoid them or go around having panic attacks just at the sight of them."
"I know", Harry sighed. He hated to admit it, but he knew it was a problem. He didn't want to leave Magere. Going back to Hogwarts when it opened would mean no more vampires. But Magere was so much better than Hogwarts. The teachers were fair, probably partly due to the strict rules. The teachers had a pattern to follow for every broken rule. It meant they couldn't give one punishment to one and not another. Richard was a pain, but Harry preferred the set-up of his new dorm rather than his old dorm or Gryffindor tower. It was much better for studying. Yes, there were more classes, and he was busier. But he preferred it, thrived in it. So, going back to Hogwarts when it opened wasn't an option.
But then, neither was avoiding the Hostel. He liked it there. He appreciated the people, his friends and Erlendur. It was so much better than the Dursleys or even the Weasleys ever had been. He was treated as a person, like everyone else. Not the boy who lived or the poor orphan boy he sometimes thought Mrs Weasley saw him as. No, at the Hostel, he was just Harry. He was the same as everyone else. So yes, getting over his issues with seeing Vampires was a must. Not unless he wanted to lose everything he had gained these last 6 months.
"How do I do that?" Harry whispered, bringing the other two out of their conversation.
"Do what?" Isur asked.
"Get over panicking at seeing Vampires."
"Me and Dr White have an idea." Isur looked at the Doctor, and Harry followed.
"You can't go back to classes as you are. It's only a few days, anyway. Instead, you and Isur will move to the bottom of the Wolverine Tower. A couple of times a day, you will take a walk during classes and meet up with Luke or Nymira. Those two are the best to start with. I will join you when possible. We start with just going to the room, standing outside, just inside, and finally talking. I hope to get to the standing inside part before you leave. It is a slow progressive version of shock therapy."
"Right" Harry shivered, but he knew it had to be done.
"It's late, so we will move you there tomorrow. Isur, you better go and get some rest. Harry will be staying here for the night."
"Okay. See you tomorrow Harry," Isur waved as he left.
"I'm really not in trouble", Harry found himself asking.
"No, you are not, and the Headmistress will see you herself, no doubt, before we move you. Now I want you to take this dreamless sleep potion."
"Okay" Harry didn't bother fighting it. He didn't want nightmares tonight. "No Vampires!"
"No vampires will be coming into his cubical. I'm on duty tonight and will make sure." Harry nodded and, with no more protest, swallowed the potion. After the last term, he did somewhat trust the Doctor. At the very least, he trusted the man not to hurt him or let others.
When Harry woke the following day, it wasn't long, and Madam Baxter hurried over with breakfast. Harry hadn't really interacted much with the fairy but accepted breakfast neither the less. Madam Baxter had shoulder-green hair, green eyes, and butterfly-type wings behind her.
"I am told to say eat up, and the headmistress will be here to talk soon."
"Alright", Harry nodded as the Medi-witch headed out.
He was just finishing eating when the Headmistress pulled back the curtain and stepped inside. Harry took a deep breath and looked at the woman. Her short white hair was as neat as ever as her alert brown eyes took in the small cubical. Harry didn't miss how her eyes landed on his wand that hadn't moved since she had put it there yesterday. But while Headmistress Cerishisil had a neat appearance, Harry could see she was tired if the bags under her eyes were any indication.
"Morning, Mr Potter."
"Morning", Harry responded as she sat down.
"I wish to go over what happened yesterday and explain a few things before you are moved to the Wolverine Tower this morning during the first period."
"Sure."
"What do you remember about yesterday evening Mr Potter?"
"Nothing of the... attack if that's what you mean" Harry struggled to find the right word.
"That is what I mean."
"Dr White said it's not a surprise. I don't remember anything. I would have to let a... vampire bite me again to remember"
"That won't be necessary unless you wish it. Since we identified that it was a vampire and a powerful one at that, I was able to isolate and question those vampires. About 25 in total between students, staff, and Scholars. We discovered that one of our scholars had been blackmailed into getting you to attack Mr Moonlord in an endeavour to get you expelled."
"Who blackmailed him?"
"We don't know since they took the means to protect their identity. But this won't happen again. The vampire in question has left the school, and over the break, myself and the teachers will be adding more wards to the school.
"No one who is Thralled will be able to enter the school. We will be told as soon as they do. Then we can question them to find out whether this is willing. The same again if someone tries to replicate what happened to you with someone else. We will be alerted as soon as someone does. I am told that making a Thrall permanent takes a lot of work. We only need to be on the watch for temporary situations like yours."
"That's good" Harry did feel comfort from that.
"I apologise that this has happened to you, Mr Potter."
"You couldn't have known."
"No, but I could have been more aware of Thralls than I was. That will be rectified. And I will look more into the culture of magical beings to ensure I missed nothing else." Harry nodded, unsure what else to say on that subject. "You will not be punished for what happened, Mr Potter."
"You sure?"
"You were not in control of your own actions. As such, you can't be punished. You are only 12 years old. I am told it is challenging to fight off a Thrall, and this vampire was powerful mentally. So many of our Advanced students would have struggled, never mind a beginner like yourself."
"But people always expect me to do the impossible. I should have fought it."
"You were fighting it. Just because you failed in fighting it off doesn't mean you didn't try. In a few years, you will be able to fight off and refuse Thralls if given the right training. Which you will be should you choose to remain with us when Hogwarts eventually re-opens"
"You really think that"
"I do not think Mr Potter I know. The only reason this succeeded was your age and level of training. I don't care what the rest of the world thinks of you. You are only 12 years old and have the abilities of one. So, no more doubt on that matter. You were fighting the Thrall to the best of your abilities at your age. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Ma'am" Harry nodded, relaxing a bit at that. The Headmistress had never lied to him, and as far as Harry could tell, she always spoke the truth.
"Good. This is yours, I do believe" she picked up his wand and handed it to him. Harry smiled. He had been nervous about touching it, unsure if she had meant to give it back.
"What about Moonlord?"
"Mr Moonlord is in trouble for his response to your attack. He should have defended himself, not verbally attacked you or fought back magically, never mind the spells he had used. Had he just dodged or shielded, he would not be in trouble. That is his own fault and his own actions. We are all academics and scholars here. We are smarter than the actions he showed."
"I'm not smart."
"You would not have got into this school if you weren't Mr Potter. If you were not, you would not be catching up to your classmates at a phenomenal rate."
"Right" Harry wasn't sure if he could believe that, but he was reminded the Headmistress didn't lie. Still, it was hard to believe after years of being told otherwise.
"Rest and heal, Mr Potter. I have excused Miss Midnight from the remainder of classes to help you. It is only two days anyway. When you return after Easter, I am told your therapy will start. Maybe that will help you be ready for that conversation I promised."
"Yes, Ma'am"
"One last thing the case against your relatives is now progressing. Someone from the ICW will be around to speak to you about them over the holidays. As much as you dislike talking, I would suggest you do so. The more you say, the easier it will be to convict your relatives and put them away for longer."
"I'll think about it" Harry nodded. He didn't like talking to people about the Dursleys. Too many years of being told not to. "Headmistress, why couldn't you do that questioning thing to find who attacked Agnar?"
"We had a target group for you, Mr Potter. Older, powerful vampires with strong mental abilities. For Mr Heimirsson, we had no such group, and we can't question the whole school. It would take too long. But make no mistake, we will keep looking, and eventually, we will find out who pushed him, is that understood?"
"Yes, Ma'am"
"Have a good month Mr Potter" the Headmistress stood, leaving. As she went out the curtain, Harry could see Isur waiting there. The Headmistress paused to speak to him before leaving as Isur entered.
"Well?"
"Well, what?" Harry frowned.
"Did she find out who attacked you?"
"You don't know?"
"No, everyone will be told at Lunch. The whole school knows you were attacked and then attacked Moonlord, but that's it. They know Moonlord is in trouble for how he retaliated for that attack, but that's to be expected since he has detention."
"So, she told me first."
"Standard policy" Isur shrugged. "So"
"It was a scholar who was blackmailed. He's been told to leave, but they don't know who blackmailed him. She said something about adding extra wards to stop something like this from happening again, or at least have a warning if it does happen."
"That's good. I got my things all packed for the holidays. I'll go and do yours later today. Are you sure you don't want me to come and stay with you over break?"
"I can look after myself, Isur, I'm not a kid."
"Not this again", Isur sighed. "No, you are not a kid, Harry. You are my little brother, and I like helping you. It is part of me being an Alpha. Yes, you will have Agnar there, but I wanted to know if you would like me there too."
"I... don't you want to be near your sister in case your parents change their minds."
"They aren't going to now. All I can hope is she gets in here this year."
"What if they stop her applying?"
"They shouldn't, but if that's the case, I wait until we are both of age. Or I can try sending a letter during the school year and hope it doesn't get intercepted. I just have to be patient."
"Alright," Harry nodded. "But I'll be fine."
"I know that your hostel head is very protective. No doubt he has already been told and is thinking of ways to make this a little easier. But the Vampires, we do need to work on that."
"I know."
"And I have a plan" Dr White came through the curtains. "Let's get you up and moved, Mr Potter. This afternoon during classes, we will be going for a walk. Right now, though, welcome to crutches 101."
Walking with crutches sounded more straightforward than it was. But after half an hour around the infirmary, Harry started to get the hang of it. After that, it was a slow process moving into the Wolverine Wing. The room was almost identical to the one he had stayed in previously, and Harry was thankful for that. Harry spent the morning in the room doing some schoolwork that Isur had gone to collect for them. Dr White told him he was free to use magic as he wished. But not only that, the more magic he used, the better. Isur, however, had to be careful and leave the room to practice his own spells. The older boy didn't say a word about having to do that.
In the afternoon, Dr White came and got them from their temporary room. They then started the slow walk to the Charms classroom they were going to borrow. No one would be using it for the next two hours. Apparently, Lærer Ginger had been more than happy to let them use it. As they approached the classroom down the Coyote wing, Harry felt his breathing quicken, and they stopped their slow progress to the classroom. Harry knew that Nymira and Luke were waiting for him in there. Yes, he knew who they were and that, logically, they wouldn't hurt him. But they were still powerful vampires that could put him under a Thrall.
"Easy, Harry, breathe. This is why we are doing this", Dr White stated.
"Remember, Harry Nymira and Luke would never hurt you. You're their little brother, the same as me. They haven't hurt you before or made any joke about biting you. Most vampires do that, remember. But Nymira and Luke don't with us. Because we're their younger siblings. It's almost unthinkable unless we ask, or they go into a blood rage." Isur added.
"But there is plenty of blood supplied. That isn't going to happen unless someone has poor control. All students are taught control," Dr White picked up.
Harry took some deep breaths, and they started on again. He focused on the two words as they stopped outside of the classroom. Here Harry had to sit down and just focus on his breathing. His broken leg was painful, and Harry wished it would heal on its own like it had used to when he was a kid. So when he had made the offhand comment to the Doctor about it before leaving, the Fire Elemental looked shocked, then horrified.
"Well, now I know one of the reasons your magic is so advanced for your age. As for healing, that is powerful accidental magic. Your magic won't do that as much anymore since you know we can heal you better. In the past, your magic had no choice. You are focusing your magic now. It doesn't stop the accidental magic; powerful wizards can do that even into adulthood. But most healing will have stopped. But while your magic healed you, it didn't heal you properly. So it's why Dr Vang must re-break your bones and re-grow them. You know this and are probably subconsciously holding your magic back. But small cuts or bruises, those I suspect, will always heal quickly. However, you will need to get any cuts checked to incase you heal with something harmful inside. That is the worry with anyone in your case."
Harry wasn't amused to be told this. But at least it answered one question. The Doctor then gave him a chocolate bar for talking and telling them this. Harry wasn't sure what to think about that.
"How are you feeling, Harry?" Isur asked.
"Shakey", he muttered, looking at Dr White, who smirked. Before leaving, the Doctor had told them that if Harry wasn't truthful about how he felt about all this, he would start doing twice weekly checks. Not to mention get Lærer Porter to join them. As an Elf, the deputy could tell if he was holding things back or being untruthful. All Elves had potent mental abilities. Harry hadn't liked the idea of putting work on the deputy's head and so instead vowed to tell the truth, on this at least.
"We stop here for now, then. Tomorrow morning, we will open the door. I would go slower, but we are on a tight timeframe".
"I know", Harry sighed.
They sat outside the door for half an hour, talking about classes while Harry calmed himself down. Then they stood and made their way back to the Wolverine wing. Harry had been thankful for the walk, at the very least. He was starting to appreciate how much room he had in his dorm compared to the single room.
That evening Isur left to pack up the things he needed for the holidays. Since he would return to the same room, he could leave much of his school belongings behind. His potions things could remain behind. They didn't need his potions kit since they could re-fill it in the Chinook if necessary. All his uniforms would be washed and hung up by the Grundels. But he would need winter clothing for travelling back tomorrow. Though Isur had said that he wouldn't need as much with the slowly warming weather. After Easter, they wore their 'summer' uniforms after all.
Tuesday's morning trip to meet Nymira and Luke went better than the previous day. Harry was able to sit outside with the door open. It was undoubtedly more successful than last night when he had been plagued with nightmares. Since he was currently rooming with Isur, the extra alert had been taken off his band. Still, Isur had been up and awake every time.
The afternoon session had gone much the same, and Harry hadn't even attempted to go inside. That evening though, was the end of the term disco. They went home the following day, and Harry was ready. Even if he would be going to the OSS and not the Hostel.
"Go, Isur, I'll be fine here", Harry responded to the hesitating brunette. Isurs silver eyes showed all the apprehension he was feeling.
"I don't know, Harry. I don't want to leave you here on your own."
"I am more than capable of taking care of myself, Isur", Harry sighed as there was a knock on the door.
"Ready to go" Isur opened the door to Lærer Little.
"Sir?" Harry asked from where he had been lying on the bed.
"Didn't get my message, then I see. I've set the Runes classroom up for you, Harry. Lærer Hall has cast temporary wards. No vampires can get inside that room. But you will be able to see them pass by the door. We have a temporary alert to set up, and Dr White and I will have it for the evening. When you are ready to come back, just tap the band. If something happens, we will know." Lærer Little held up two red bands. Harry sighed but held his own wrist, and then they connected.
"Now, ready to get out of this room. I am sure Isur can let your friends know. This way, you can see them a little before going home."
"Guess so" Harry climbed out of bed. He wasn't dressed for the party, but he wasn't going. Instead, he wore comfortable cotton trousers, a fleece jacket, and a t-shirt.
They headed to the classroom during dinner since the party would start instantly afterwards. Thankfully they didn't meet any stranglers heading to dinner. So Isur ate with him before heading out to the party at Harry's urging. The boy promised to tell his friends and check on him frequently. Harry bet he would be. And it would only be his vampire problems that would stop Nymira and Luke from appearing as well. Harry was really starting to realise how protective those three had become of him in the last three months. Now, if he could get them to be less protective of him, that would be great.
Harry had only been in the room on his own for 20 minutes when there was a knock at the door. Looking up from his book Harry's eyes went wide at who he was seeing.
"No running away from us this time, Harry. You missed our meeting."
"Good to see you as well, Oliver", Harry groaned as the 6 other former Hogwarts students filed in.
"I knew you were stubborn, Harry but not this stubborn" Susan shook her head.
"Did we do something wrong? I thought we were supposed to look out for each other?" Evie asked.
"We are. Harry is just a stubborn idiot" Oliver looked at the two first years.
"Yes, and you can talk to him about that later if you want, Ollie. Right now, we need to talk about Hogwarts," Cedric cut in.
"Why?" Harley asked. "It's not re-opening, right?"
"Not yet. We would have been told," Aspen explained. "But I, for one, already know I don't want to go back."
"Why?" Evie noted.
"The number of classes, the punishments, and teachers, for a start. Otherwise, I never really had friends at Hogwarts, and I do here. The dorms are better, and we have more opportunities here."
"Agreed", Cedric sighed, looking at Aspen. "I agree with you. There are more quidditch teams and different sports, and they push you to be your best here at Magere. You never had that at Hogwarts, not to mention all the rivalries."
"To the right about that. I'm not jumping back and forth; I decided that the moment I got accepted. Right from the beginning, I knew this was a one-way trip, and my parents agreed. They said if they had known about Magere, I would never have gone to Hogwarts. Never mind the other schools."
"Really" Aspen looked at Oliver, who nodded.
"I met a lot of good people at Hogwarts. The Gryffindor Quidditch team, for one. But academically, Magere is the stronger school."
"I miss Kevin, Daniel and 'Bastian. They send lots of letters, but it isn't the same. Kevin, he's happy at Se Ridica, studying more and getting better grades than he ever did at Hogwarts. Kevin doesn't want to go back either, and I'm happy too." Evie looked at them all. "I just wish Kevin could come here. I know I could join him, but…
"You are happy here, and it is the school for you" Aspen smiled. Harry blinked; it was the first time he had seen a Slytherin smile. Even thinking the word Slytherin was strange, he hadn't thought about the Hogwarts houses in months.
"Yeah, the hostel head has also been writing to me, along with Daniel and 'Bastian. They're looking for schools for 'Bastian, finding one that fits him. I'm not sure if my younger siblings will go to Hogwarts, even if we can go home."
"Same for me", Harley sighed. "I do miss Ella, but she is happy at Beaxbattons. Even Frank. He had always wanted to go Euro-Glyth, but our parents said no. The hostel head got Gillian into Euro-Glyth, and she is happy. But she wants to come to Magere or Beaxbattons with us long term. She's not into languages like Frank."
"Do you want to go back to Hogwarts, Harley?" Oliver asked.
"No way. No Snape, no McGonagall, no Filtch or his cat. Yeah, the Weasley twins were cool, but they didn't have the rules like here. Where pranks were okay if they didn't hurt anyone. It was all no pranks at Hogwarts. Yeah, you must work harder here, but you learn more to make your pranks safe. They are supposed to be funny, not hurt anyone."
"Well put", Aspen frowned. Harry looked over at the door seeing Isurs face pop around before disappearing again, and he scowled.
"Got a protective Stor there, haven't you, Harry." Oliver noticed.
"To protective. They keep saying I need help when I can manage myself."
"Sure, you can, but that doesn't mean you have to", Aspen responded.
"Excuse me", Harry glared at the girl.
"Aspens right. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should have to or should do so. We've all had help here with lessons. Sure, we could have done it ourselves in time, but it was easier, quicker and nicer to have help. My parents helped me learn that growing up. It doesn't matter who I am; sometimes, you need help. Dad didn't hide it when he was sick and stuck in bed. Mum and I had to take him food up and that. He was too ill with a high fever. When it broke, he needed a few more days of bed rest. We played games on their bed. But even still being at Hogwarts and avoiding Madam Pomfrey got me out of the routine of asking. So, I'm relearning that here" Oliver spoke.
"Mum and dad are more suck it up and hide things away. Still, it was nice having the help and someone to watch out for me and keep us from breaking too many rules," Cedric shrugged.
"Like these lumps are trying to say, you don't have to be independent, not at our age. We are allowed to ask for help. Adults can ask for help."
"Adults hardly listen", Harry responded.
"Maybe at Hogwarts, but not here", Cedic cut through. "I know that. If you want help with the subject, they go out of their way to help. It's a way of learning as much as you can and being the best you can be. Here they care about you. At Hogwarts, they didn't"
"We're going around in circles. Harry, are you wanting to go back to Hogwarts or not?"
"No", Harry sighed. "I realised a month ago; I didn't want to return."
"Why?" Susan asked.
"Because... because here I am, just Harry, not the boy who lived. There are consistent rules, and that. Dr White is better than Madam Pomfrey too. I knew coming in that I wasn't jumping around and wasn't returning to Hogwarts in February. Magere is a lot better."
"I agree with you all. My Aunt likes me here better, so I'm not moving either," Susan spoke grimly.
Harry looked up at the others and saw the look on his face reflected back at him, on all of them.
"That's it then. None of us is going back to Hogwarts," Oliver stated, and they all nodded. "Then we stand together, prevent them forcing any of us back, especially you, Harry. We show everyone back at Hogwarts what they were missing and why they drove us away."
"Just don't tell anyone where I am. As long as possible, I want this to be my school. Let them get Hogwarts open first before the fallout."
"Sure", Oliver, Cedric and Aspen smirked.
"Why Harry, I didn't know you had a bit of Slytherin in you."
"The hat wanted me in Slytherin. I convinced it not to" silence was all that met his words.