The 3rd of September 1991 was a Tuesday. Thus, according to the schedule Daphne got from the notice board in Ravenclaw Common Room, their first class was double Potions from Romulus Blackwall with Gryffindors.
Listening to Daphne talking about Potions and various uses of them was oddly relaxing for Harry. He idly wondered if this was what having friends were like.
While Harry was listening intently Daphne passionately talking about the effect of moonlight on the consistence of potions, an arm around his shoulders annoyingly yanked Harry from the pleasant conversation. The owner of the arm spoke loudly.
"Hey, Harry. I am Ron, Ron Weasley. C'mon, mate, let me introduce you to the guys. Piss off, Greengrass. Harry doesn't need you blabbering in his ear, right Harry?"
Harry calmly pushed the arm off his shoulders.
"No, thank you."
However, the obnoxious boy was not to be convinced that easily and pulled on Harry's arm. A second passed and the lanky redhead boy collapsed on the floor screaming about his hand. The hand he used to steer Harry was now a sickly red, almost like it was burning from inside.
The potions teacher who opened the door to see what the ruckus was about saw the boy writhing on the floor and send the boy to the infirmary with his friends. Gryffindors were quick to accuse Harry. It had to be him, after all, Ron collapsed after he touched Harry. Despite the refutations of Daphne and Harry, the teacher took Harry to Flitwick.
Filius Flitwick was known as a kind yet fair teacher and he believed that the direct approach was most of the time the best way to talk with teenagers.
"Mr. Potter, could you please explain what happened?"
"Of course, Professor. Daphne and I were waiting outside of Professor Blackwall for the lesson. Then, Weasley tried, very obnoxiously, literally yanking me from a lovely chat with my friend. Even though I refused his annoying invitation, he insisted. When he grabbed my arm and tried to physically turn me around, he suddenly fell on the ground and started screaming. That's when Professor Blackwall came."
"Mr. Potter, how do you explain the state of Mr. Weasley if you haven't done anything?"
"I do not know, Professor but surely you can understand that I have nothing to do with it. I am a First Year after all."
The little professor seemed pensive for a couple of seconds gazing intently at the son of his favourite student.
"I see. Do you mind if I check your wand too, Mr. Potter?"
"Not at all, Sir."
Flitwick remembered the conversation he had with McGonagall but brushed it aside. How could the boy cast such an intense curse without a wand after all?
There were couple of spells invented to determine the usage of curses. After many years as a Counsellor, Flitwick could cast these in a second. The shocking part was that the wand was clear. There was no trace of any kind of curses that could potentially affect Weasley in a such manner. Upon the fifth clean control, Flitwick had to let Harry go.
The news of Ron Weasley's condition spread in Hogwarts like Fiendfyre. At the dinner, everyone was looking at Harry like he was the second coming of Voldemort. The fact that Harry was having dinner with Daphne calmly and laughing irritated Gryffindors very much.
Even after talking to McGonagall and listening to another round of "Harry Potter must have done it.", Flitwick was still not convinced.
Days passed and the population of Hogwarts forgot about the sixth Weasley at Hogwarts. However, Harry Potter was still the talk of many. The unbelievably prodigious skill of Harry Potter at literally every First-Year subject taught at Hogwarts was left many jealous. He could cast every spell without a single word. He could rejuvenate any plant, count all properties of celestial bodies and brew every potion perfectly. Many suggested he was cheating. Yet, that claim was also disproven when Harry helped older students with their homework.
The ones who insisted on he was cheating did not hesitate to act. Their attacks were always in places that Harry could not openly respond but he always managed to avoid those attacks scot-free. Moreover, the ones who attacked Harry Potter always ended in infirmary but they could never prove it was Harry who sent them there.
As the month of September passed, Hogwarts and its residents settled into a hectic routine. As October passed in the same manner, Samhain, Halloween for those who are corrupted by lowly Muggles, arrived. Daphne's silent yet supportive presence was something Harry found to be very unneeded but also nice. He was not used to "nice" but he felt the same warmth he felt at home.
Harry was enjoying his second plate of cheesecake when the stuttering fraud Professor of Muggle Studies, Quirrel, came running to the Headmaster. The frantic sight of the man was enough to gather the attention of the students, therefore, when he spoke to the Headmaster in a hushed voice, everyone heard him.
"There… there is… a Troll in the Dungeons."
After a moment of silence, chaos erupted in the Great Hall. A protective bubble of magic enveloped Harry and Daphne, promptly dimming the sound of frightened school children. Then the voice of Dumbledore reached them.
"SILENCE!" The magic of the man was like a weighted blanket on the students. "Prefects, please guard the entrances and ensure that there are no missing students."
With it he left the Great Hall in the Dungeon's direction with several Professors in tow. Hagrid was guarding the main with a grim expression on his face.
After almost an hour, students were permitted to leave the Great Hall. The news arrived the next day. Apparently, a Muggleborn Gryffindor called Hermione Granger was not at the feast. Somehow, the troll managed to leave the Dungeons and went upstairs several floors and found the girl. The rest was not disclosed but the girl was reportedly already dead when the teachers reached her.
For the next several weeks, the atmosphere at Hogwarts was pretty glum. However, it pretty much vanished when the corridors of the ancient castle were decorated for the Yule. Not long after, the first term ended and the time for students to leave the castle for their deeply missed homes arrived. Despite Daphne's slightly annoying insistence, Harry kindly refused to be their guest for the Winter Break.
He had some other plans and the opportunity to execute those plans presented itself as a shoddily concealed secret gift from the Headmaster. An invisibility cloak which according to the note attached to it belonged to his dad. The idea that his father gave such an invaluable tool to Dumbledore confused Harry. The sloppy concealment of tracking charms on the cloak made Harry wonder what was the old man's purpose was but he found that he did not care at the end.