Chapter Seven
Harry tossed and turned that night. He dreamt he was alone. He screamed and called for his mother as he ran down a never ending corridor. He saw a bend but all he could see down it was a fan of copper coloured hair and a slowly growing pool of blood. Harry was to afraid to go further in, especially when something down there began to scream his name.
He continued down the first corridor, away from the hair and blood, only to run into Professor McGonagall.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" She shrieked at him her ornate witches hat morphing into Professor Quirril's strange purple turban. As McGonagall's skin began to melt off her bones a horrible pain filled scream echoing around him.
Harry woke with a start. He took a few deep breaths before turning over and going back to sleep. The next morning he remembered nothing of the dream apart from a small ache in his forehead.
Sunday passed quickly, he wrote his letter to Lily and a short note with some poppy-toffee attached for Danica. Hedwig had settled quickly in the owlery, she was nested next to Armilda, and happily took the mouse that Harry fed her.
Draco had gone up with him and gave Armilda a letter to take to his own parents. Harry always loved seeing owls taking off but it was that much more amazing from the top of Hogwarts tallest tower.
Harry and Draco got their school timetables from Howard and a quick tour of the castle; most of it went straight over Harry's head. It was going to take him a long time to work our where all the twists and turns led to.
Monday arrived with the ringing of bells to wake the students. Harry and Draco dressed sleepily after a restless night worrying about classes the next day. They flopped down at the far end of the Slytherin table, shortly joined by Pansy and Daphne.
"We didn't see you yesterday girls." Harry remarked helping himself to another fried egg.
"We went down to the lake shore, there is a wonderful rock that juts out from the shore. Perfect for sitting on and splashing in the water." Daphne explained, spreading butter and strawberry jam on some toast, "I always loved the beach."
Harry waved Neville over,
"Hi Harry, Draco how are you doing?" Neville said sitting next to them helping himself to eggs and toast.
"You aren't supposed to sit at other houses tables." A curly, red headed boy said glaring over Neville.
"Oh look, scruffy robes, worse red hair and nose stuck in the air. You must be a Weasley." Draco sneered at him.
"I am a prefect, Percy Weasley and students must sit at their own house tables." Percy insisted looking more annoyed that before.
"I was just saying hello." Neville said smiling, "We've been friends for years."
Percy sniffed, "I will have to report this to the head of house!" and stormed off in the direction of the teachers table.
They burst into sniggers before composing themselves.
"What have you got for your first classes Neville?" Pansy asked.
"Transfiguration. You?" Neville said looking at his timetable.
"Oh that's great; us to!" Harry grinned.
"Well I'll see you there. This'll make things a bit easier." Neville said, "Glad we'll have a friend there."
"Mr Longbottom." A voice snapped behind them, "You are sitting at the incorrect table."
They turned round to see Professor McGonagall glaring behind them.
"I was just saying hello to my friends Professor." Neville tried to explain.
"I was informed that our prefect told you that you are not permitted to sit here and you ignored him. A point from Gryffindor." She snapped.
"Professor please!" Neville said exasperated, Professor McGonagall raised her hand to silence him.
"One point for sitting at the incorrect table and not moving when asked, and another point for being rude and answering back. Now move to your table!" She hissed.
Neville rolled his eyes and slammed his hands on the table as he got up, "See you at class guys."
Harry and Draco waved goodbye and waited until Professor McGonagall had moved back to the teachers table before leaning over the table to whisper to the girls.
"She's such a...a… well witch." Harry moaned.
Draco sniggered at him, "Well yes; you do realise where we are?"
Harry pulled his tongue at him, "You know what I mean."
"She does seem very strict." Pansy nodded in agreement.
"And she doesn't seem to stick up for her pupils like the others do. I saw her in the corridor having such a go at one of the fifth year Gryffindors yesterday." Daphne added in.
"All she'd done was snogg her boyfriend." Pansy giggled. Daphne blushed.
The bell rang again telling them it was fifteen minutes until classes started.
"Right, grab your books and off to class; no being late on the first day. We haven't lost the house cup in seven years and we expect this year to be no difference!" Sally said enthusiastically, she patted Draco and Harry's back to get them to stand up.
They popped back to the dorm and grabbed their bags before making there way to the high ceilinged classroom.
As Transfiguration was first after breakfast Harry and Draco arrived as soon as they could so they were able to sit next to one another. Pansy was not so lucky and had to sit in the row behind Daphne, next to a rather grumpy looking Millicent Bulstrode. Daphne next to Tracey Davis.
Tracey sat slouched over her desk pouting and playing with her long pale blonde hair. The class room filled up and they waited at their desks.
"So this is a fun class." Draco remarked after a few minutes leaning back in his chair.
The door slammed open behind them making them all jump.
"No this will not be a fun class," Professor McGonagall snapped walking quickly to her desk, which she turned into a pig statue before turning it back, "This will however be a class for people to learn. Transfiguration can be dangerous if not taken seriously. It is not all wand waving and silly words." She glared straight at Harry and Draco, "And do not think that certain pupils can expect to pass on a 'fame' vote!"
Harry rolled his eyes and managed to resist the urge to flop his head dramatically onto the desk.
Harry couldn't remember more than ten minutes of 'History of Magic'. The first five minutes that he managed to stay away for while Professor Binns babbled on about something Harry couldn't remember and couldn't care less about and the last five minutes when Tracey told Goyle to throw a crumpled up bit of parchment at the back of Harry's head. Considering it was a double period even those ten minutes seemed to last a life time.
Harry ate lunch quickly, stuffing steak pie and mashed potatoes into his face much to Pansy and Daphne's disgust and Draco's amusement. He was waiting outside the potions class room several minutes before the bell had rung to summon the students to class.
He knocked on the door and head Snape's voice clearly call 'Enter'.
He walked in and marvelled at the large class room. Every wall was lined with jars filled with potion ingredients. Six or seven tall, square desks were put in two neat rows on the floor with a large rectangular desk at the far end.
Severus looked up from the papers he was working on and smiled, "Harry. You're early are you alright?"
Harry nodded, "Yeah. I haven't seen you yet and wanted to say hi."
"Yes sorry. I was busy with lesson plans yesterday; I did mean to come and see you. I trust that Sally and Howard are treating you well?"
"Yeah they're great. The dorm is nice although a couple of the other boys aren't as pleasant." Harry sat down at the front desk.
"Do you want me to have a word?" Severus asked getting up from his desk and sitting next to Harry.
"No it's OK. It's just silly school kid stuff."
The bell rang.
"Right. I need to go and grab something from the special ingredient cupboard. I'll be back in a moment."
Harry grinned, "You just want to flounce."
Snape smirked at him and gave him a quick hug before leaving the class room.
"Hello Harry Potter!" An excited voice said sitting next to Harry, "It's me. Ron, Ronald Weasley."
"Yes I remember." Harry said with a forced smile, "I was hoping my friend could sit there."
"Aren't we friends?" Ron said longingly, "You said I could see your scar."
"No I didn't!" Harry snapped, "Look I know you didn't mean any harm it's just a difficult topic."
Ron nodded, "I get that. Loosing your Father and all; having no man in your life. No family at all really."
Harry was about to snap something back at him when the door slammed shut.
"I wish the teachers wouldn't do that." Pansy hissed; her and Draco had taken the other two free seats at the table. Daphne and Neville were sitting with Crabbe and Goyle at the table next to them.
Harry and Draco nodded in agreement, Ron was to busy staring at Harry's forehead.
"There will be no incantations or silly wand waving in this class." Snape said gliding forward to stand behind his desk, "Potion making is not something that everyone can manage; it takes time and care and patience, of which few of you are likely to have. For those of you who do manage to exceed expectations I can teach you how to brew fame, bottle glory and even put a stopper in death. Now it has been mentioned to me by some staff that some believe that Mr Potter will get special treatment I wish to end such nasty rumours."
Harry looked around and there were most of the Gryffindors and even a few of the Slytherins looked rather embarrassed. Draco glared at each one of them in turn.
Snape took his wand and drew out a list of questions on the black board.
"Inside the stomach of a goat, Living death, same thing, rose water, veritaserum, 1974- April 29th in fact." Hermione said smugly, her hand in the air.
"Thank you Miss Granger but I was wanting the whole class to partake and in future please raise your hand. Five points from Gryffindor for your...arrogance."
He turned around waved his wand sharply, making the writing vanish.
"She almost makes me want to use the word I'm not allowed to use." Harry whispered across the table to Draco and Pansy, "Is there anything she doesn't think she knows?"
Harry enjoyed potions more than he thought he would although he did lose Slytherin house ten points for nearly blowing the school up; although Harry did suspect his step-father was exaggerating slightly. At least he hoped he was.
Harry flopped down on the Slytherin bench for study time next to Draco, Pansy and Daphne. The girls were already scribbling away on bits of parchment.
"Mrs Ijewsky never made us do homework." Harry sighed as he dragged out his quill and ink, "And pens, has no one ever heard of a pen?"
Draco sniggered, "So Transfiguration, our wonderful three page History of Magic essay or Potions?"
Harry moaned and flopped his head on the desk.
"Don't be silly, Professor Binns doesn't mind how big you make your letters or the spaces so it's only like a one and a half page essay." Daphne smirked, "And it's only describing the history of your house."
Harry looked up at her through his slightly crooked glasses and sighed, "Well we might as well start there."
They managed to write the shortest three page essay Professor Binns had ever seen but he didn't really care as he couldn't pick up the pages without a huge amount of effort. Harry managed to fail dismally in his transfiguration homework earning him his first detention.
He sat in the classroom first thing Saturday morning feeling completely fed up and drained. It had been a stupidly long week; for the first time ever he saw how much Mrs Ijewsky used to baby him on the lack of work front.
"So Mr Potter what do you have to say for yourself?" Professor McGonagall asked after he had completed one hundred lines of I will try harder and not use my fame to slack off.
"I'm sorry I didn't do very well on my homework Professor but I really did try and I have never used my fame for anything!" he shouted angrily rubbing the feeling back into his fingers.
"Do not raise your voice Mr Potter. I expect far better work from you in the future. 10 points from Slytherin. Now off you go." she ordered.
Harry didn't need telling twice and stuffed his things in his bag while walking towards the door. He closed it quietly behind him and ran straight into Draco.
"Well that was fun." Harry sighed. It had been bright sunshine when he'd gone in for his detention but even now he could hear heavy rain splattering the windows, "I managed to loose 10 points. People are going to hate me."
"Come on lets go to the library for a bit and then we can go play chess in the common room or, even better, we'll go get Neville and play in the hall." Draco suggested trying to take Harry's mind off it. From what he'd seen in the last week the points went up and down fairly quickly depending on how the teachers felt.
Harry nodded and they made their way up the long staircases making sure to jump over the trick step. Harry felt the ground move underneath him and it was a second before he realised that the staircase was actually moving. He clung tightly to banister to stop himself from falling down the stairs.
"Are these things even meant to move with people on them?" Draco asked as the staircase moved into it's new place with a bang causing Draco to fall a couple of steps.
"Don't think so." Harry said unwilling to let go.
"Just wait until my father hears about this!" Draco said straightening his robes as the staircase slammed into place,
Harry smirked at him, "Right. Lets just get off it before it moves and we fall to our deaths or something. Mum would not be happy."
Draco nodded in agreement and they hurried up the staircase and through the only exit available to them.
The corridor before them was dimly light but even in the low light it was clear it hadn't been cleaned in a while. Harry felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up and a shiver ran down his spine.
"Harry, I don't think we should be here." Draco whispered.
"I think this is the third-floor corridor, the banned one." Harry whispered back, "Lets get out of here… what was that?"
There was another wet splosh noise from just outside the door.
"Wet students are the best, if we could we'd eat the rest!" A squeaky voice sung just outside.
"Peeves." Draco and Harry whispered to one another.
"Is someone there?" Peeves sung into the corridor.
"Run." Harry and Draco said and they began to run down the corridor not caring how much noise they made, they could hear Peeves throwing water at them and singing loudly. After a few moments Peeves realised that he wasn't causing enough noise and began to make a sound not unlike a fire engine.
"The door's locked!" Harry said rattling the handle.
"Who's there?" Mr Filch called out. Harry and Draco froze in place.
"Students Mister! Naughty Naughty Students!" Peeves sang.
"Mrs Norris can you see anything?" Filch asked, getting a small meow in response.
Draco pulled his wand out and tapped the door handle, "Alohamora." he whispered and opened the door. Harry followed him in quickly and shut the door as quietly he could.
"Peeves stop waiting my time!" They heard Filch shout, "There's no one here. I'll call the Bloody Barron on you."
They heard Peeves move away crying loudly and dramatically. Sobs echoing down the corridor towards them.
"Good job you know that spell." Harry said catching his breath, "Where are we?"
Draco patted him hard on the shoulder, Harry looked at him and saw him pointing behind him face a white as a sheet.
"Draco what..." Harry stopped talking when he saw the giant three headed dog slowly standing up and opening it's large, tooth filled mouths.
"Run!" Harry shouted throwing the door open and slamming it shut again behind them.
"What. The Fuck. Was. That!?" Draco gasped as he felt the door shudder behind him and they could hear the dog still barking and snarling at the door.
"I have no idea but I think I know who might. Did you see what it was standing on?"
"A trap door. It was guarding something." Draco confirmed shaking his head.
They hurried quickly to the common room, forgetting completely about their homework and the chess game. They moved up to their room so they could talk quietly.
"I can't believe that just happened." Harry said flopping on his bed.
"Maybe not tell my Father about this, Mother might find out." Draco took deep breaths.
Harry laughed, "I think we need to talk to Hagrid, I'm sure he'll know what that….that thing was."
Draco nodded in agreement.