It's been quite awhile, unfortunately my personal life has gotten in the way of my writing for a while. Anyway, I've been working on this chapter for a long time to get it to a place that I'm happy with, and I'm still not really happy with it. But, I have to move on. So, if anyone is actually waiting for me to update this story, here it is.
Chapter 13: A Plea
Harry
I must not tell lies.
Those five words glared at him from their place carved into the back of his hand. It all began that first day he had stood up to that toad in front of the class, challenging her flawed notions that the wizarding world as a whole was in grave danger. She had scoffed and given him detention, one that seemingly went on till the end of time. He had spent at least one night a week in her office writing lines, If not multiple.
That wretched quill she handed him with a sickly sweet smile apparently used his own blood as ink, carving the words into the soft flesh that covered his hand. He had endured, keeping his nights of torture to himself behind lock and key. If not only to curb the pity he knew he would receive from his friends, then to at least deny Umbridge the satisfaction of knowing she had gotten under his skin… quite literally.
The scars would heal quickly, until his next detention which was sure to follow shortly after. The bloody quill would reopen the angry red lines, cutting deeper and deeper until Harry was certain they would cut clear through his hand to the parchment that lay underneath.
He had done a passable job at hiding his humiliating marks, enough for nobody to notice his marred hand. Or, no one was simply paying attention. He had made it a couple months into the school year, until Hermione and Ron had called on him for a chat by the blazing fire late one evening.
He had just returned from another wonderful detention in that pink hellscape, an unnecessarily large amount of cat portraits on the wall watching his every move. His scar had been especially vibrant that night, coinciding with Umbridge's especially volatile mood - he had been writing lines for an hour, maybe more. The firelight must have shown directly on the area, Hermione had spotted the words the moment he had placed himself in the cushy armchair of the Gryffindor common room.
"We've been talk- What is that on your hand!" She quickly got up before Harry could bat an eye, grasping his hand in her smaller one, wrenching it into the light. Her eyes widened as the words registered in her mind and she slowly returned to her seat after releasing his hand. "Harry…" she said slowly, "what is that?"
"It's nothing." He weakly attempted to brush it off, not keen on accepting her pity.
"Nothing!" Her voice raised a little too high and they received a side glance from the few remaining students in the room. Hermione looked around before continuing in a whisper. "That's not nothing, Harry. You've got words carved into your hand."
"Little more than nothing, mate." Ron added from the adjacent chair.
"It's just part of my detentions with Umbridge, okay."
"What does she use… a knife?" Hermione exclaimed, her eyes wide and brow furrowed.
"It's a special quill she has." Harry explained, hoping to get Hermione off his back. "The words appear on my hand when I write with it." Hermione made a choked noise and Harry couldn't look at her, already imagining the look of pity flashing on her face. He didn't need her pity.
"Sounds like a blood quill, mate. Ministry outlawed 'em ages ago." His red-haired friend muttered. It certainly doesn't help his goal when Ron takes Hermione's side.
"Harry, you have to tell someone." She pleaded. "She can't get away with this."
"Yeah, mate." Ron leaned forward in his chair, keeping his voice low and even. "You've got to tell McGonagall, or Dumbledore even." Harry stayed silent, keeping his gaze on the flickering flames in the fireplace. They didn't understand, he wouldn't let Umbridge win.
"Harry." Hermione tried again, her heightened levels of concern present in her tone. "This isn't a pride thing… she's torturing you." Her voice cracked, and Harry almost broke his resolve… almost. He was nothing if not stubborn. He didn't want his friends to get involved, this was something he had to deal with on his own, his own victory.
"McGonagall doesn't have the authority to do anything. Umbrige has the Ministry's support, remember?" He said sharply, quickly tiring of the subject.
"Fine. Dumbledore then, mate."
"Dumbledore doesn't care. I wouldn't want to bother him." He shot back at Ron. He remembered the utter loneliness that accompanied him through last summer, how he was forced to endure those nightmares on his lonesome every night. Ignored during the day and haunted at night, it was truly a miserable time. He had heard nothing, no word from Dumbledore, not even at his trial could he spare Harry a glance. Why would he want to talk to him now?
"Why would you think that?" Hermione threw her hands up.
"Gee, I dunno." Harry leaned forward and prepared to count his points with the help of his digits. "Maybe because he hasn't said a word to me since that load of shite at the end of the tournament. He didn't even look at me during the trial or since we got back to school. Not to mention he stuck me back with the Dursley's when there was a perfectly safe place with the order!" Both of his friends immediately motioned for him to be quiet and quickly scanned for eavesdroppers when he mentioned the secret organization.
"That all has to be for a reason, right Harry?" Hermione tried. "Dumbledore always has a plan, doesn't he?"
"Maybe he does. But it doesn't change the fact that I've been in the dark this whole time despite my destined role in all of this." Harry sighed. "If it wasn't for Percy, I wouldn't know a bloody thing."
Language, Harry.
"Fine, mate. You and Dumbledore aren't on speaking terms." Ron said. "But you need to tell someone… Merlin, tell that Percy bloke if you have to." Now that gave Harry pause. Ron was… not the biggest fan of Percy to say the least. If he was suggesting to go to Percy of all people, it must be a pretty serious subject for him.
"Alright, I'll mention it to Percy, okay?" Harry relented. Sighs of relief came from his two friends as they leaned back in the chair, a muted thank you accompanying Hermione's descent. He was thankful to be done with that particular conversation, though he felt as though he hadn't heard the end of it.
Harry suddenly remembered his friends had something to tell him before the conversation had been hijacked by his desecrated hand. Eager to move to a new discussion, Harry brought their unexplored topic to the front. "Didn't you guys have something to tell me?"
Hermione brightened up and sat up straight in the chair, Ron copying her movements beside her. "Yes! Harry, Ron and I have been… discussing."
Ron nodded enthusiastically to her words, head bobbing up and down with her cadence. "We've been talking, mate."
Hermione cast a sidelong glance at Ron with narrowed eyes before continuing. "With all that's been happening-"
"All this You-Know-Who nonsense." Ron interrupted.
"Ronald." Hermione sighed.
"Hmm?"
"I've got this."
"Oh, uhh," He leaned back in the chair with a sheepish look. "Of course." Ron motioned with his hand for Hermione to continue. She waited for a moment to be sure Ron wouldn't interrupt further.
"With all that's happened with… well, you know." She made a vague gesture with her hand. "We're not going to learn anything from Professor Umbridge, and considering what you've-"
"Oh, I know where this is going."
"…you do?" Hermione questioned as she began to lean back in the chair in confusion. The firelight only enhanced her expression.
"Almost positive, but I'll let you finish." He didn't want to take away Hermione's thunder anymore than he already had. Letting her finish was the least he could do. She didn't. Hermione only stared at him with a blank expression until he said something else. "I insist."
Hermione raised one eyebrow. "Wellll… we were thinking, that maybe, you could teach us." Harry had begun to nod his head halfway through her sentence, already anticipating what she was going for.
"I'll tell you the same thing I've told everyone else." Harry thought he saw Hermione mouth something silently to Ron. Something along the lines of, everyone else? "Why would anyone want to learn from me?"
"You serious, mate?" Ron scoffed out his question. "You realize you've done things that adult wizards have trouble with?"
Harry decided to go with the same excuse he seemed to always be using whenever this topic was brought up. "As far as they know, those are just rumors."
"They all know they're more than just rumors." Hermione said with some attitude attached to the words.
"Why does everyone keep telling me that?" Harry muttered under his breath. His friends' hearing that sentence was unintentional, apparently he had misjudged their hearing capabilities.
Hermione shook her head slightly with a confused look. "Who else tells you that?"
"Oh, well…" Harry scratched the back of his head awkwardly. He hadn't expected them to hear that sentence, he was caught a little off guard by her questioning. "Katie told me… and Percy."
"Katie… Bell?" Hermione asked. Harry nodded. "When did she say that?"
"Uh, it was the other morning, after we did Percy's workout together."
Hermione raised her hand to make a point, before stopping in the middle of her breath as Ron cut her off. "I still think you're bonkers for doing that." He said before a realization hit him. Harry could almost see the lightbulb appear over his red hair. "Wait, that Percy bloke had the same idea?" Hermione's annoyed gaze that was directed at Rom swiveled towards Harry, eyes alight with the same question.
"Why?" Harry felt strangely defensive of the man, Ron always having made his dislike of the American known. "Don't want to do it now that Percy had the same idea?"
"I'm not his biggest fan, I admit." That was an understatement. "But I do agree with him on this one."
"Please, Harry." Hermione added, almost begging. He leaned back and removed his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose. He released a long sigh as his back rested against the cushion of the chair. Hermione's pleading voice shattered his last barrier of resistance, the desperation of one of his best friends finally reaching his heart.
"Alright, fine. We can give it a go." Harry relented, propping the round glasses back on his nose. "But you have to set it up." He pointed to Hermione. A small smile spread across her face as she registered his acceptance of her proposal. She quickly nodded her head to his terms, probably afraid he was going to quickly change his mind.
"There's more people than you believe." Hermione quipped. "I might have already asked around." Harry pretended not to hear that she had already planned without his consent.
"You should ask Katie." Harry supplied. "Claimed to know other students who might be interested."
"Didn't know you two were so close, Harry." Hermione cocked her head to the side with a smirk. Her frizzy hair swung back and forth with the motion, framing her face with mousy brown. Harry just rolled his eyes and shrugged, letting the question hang. A silence fell over the group, all three relaxing in their respective red plush chairs.
Harry's gaze fell into the fire, contemplating his new position that he was essentially signed up for and pestered until he could no longer resist. What was he even going to do? He didn't know how to teach anyone anything, much less his own peers; some probably even older and more knowledgeable than himself. Maybe he should ask Percy during their next workout…
Harry tore his gaze away from the flames, quickly removing his glasses and wiping his eyes - they had gotten dry from constantly staring into the flames sans blinking. He yawned, suddenly feeling how late it had gotten. He scanned the common room quickly, noticing the lack of students left hanging around. He leaned forward placing his elbows onto his knees and sighed. He quickly stood up before his muscles could protest too much and turned towards his friends who had whipped their heads in his direction, following his movement.
"I need some sleep." Harry said. He pointed his gaze towards Hermione. "Good luck with setting up a meeting."
Hermione smiled at him as he turned. A duo of goodnight wishes came from behind him followed by hushed whispers. They were no doubt planning the details for their new project of setting up a class of ill-informed teenagers. He shook his head, promising himself he wouldn't think anymore about it before getting a good night's sleep. He made his way up the stairs, releasing another large yawn. He couldn't wait to flop down in his bed surrounded by curtains, drifting into the realm of, hopefully, pleasant dreams.
"Just so ya know, when you're setting up a secret meeting, you shouldn't be so obvious." Harry and Katie had just completed their morning run and were slowly sauntering over to where Percy sat by the lake.
"What are you on about?" Katie tried to deflect Percy's statement, catching her breath once they reached the professor. They had been gradually improving with Percy's workout regiment, no longer collapsing from exhaustion after multiple tours around the lake in the morning. Still, they never completed the laps fast enough for Harry's liking… it didn't feel like improvement.
Percy glanced over his shoulder at Katie, raising his eyebrow in amusement. "If you're going to gather a bunch of school age kids in secret, the Hog's Head is probably not the best choice."
"Why not?" Harry shot back, unwilling to question Hermione's choice of venue. Hermione was rarely in the wrong.
"Think about it, Harry." Percy mused. "The Hog's Head gets almost zero business, right?" Harry nodded, the meeting being the first time he had been there himself. "So, a large group of kids entering this dusty old bar would certainly draw attention."
"But, Hermione-"
"There's a difference between book smart and street smart, Harry." Percy explained. "Hermoine's a genius, but sometimes…" He didn't have to finish the sentence, Harry got the gist. He winced as a small hand whacked his shoulder, sending a dull ache through his muscle. He turned toward Katie, who was just lowering her arm to her side.
"I told you we should have used the Three Broomsticks!"
"When was this?" Harry exclaimed, bewildered expression on, mouth slightly agape and eyebrows furrowed.
"I-" Katie stuttered slightly, shrugging her response. "I mentioned it." There was a short silence as Harry rolled his eyes and sighed. He turned back towards Percy, before quickly jerking his head towards Katie again, an attempt to get the last word on his lips.
"Well, I don't remember you saying a thing about it." Harry crossed his arms over his chest.
"Oh, you don't, do you?" Katie challenged, stepping closer to Harry. "Allow me to refresh your memory, then." She took a step back and swallowed, her eyes remaining locked on Harry's. "I said, 'we'll stick out in the Hog's Head', then you said, 'Hermione knows what she's talking about.'." Katie said the last part in a mocking imitation of Harry's voice, complete with head movement that caused her ponytail to flop here and there.
"Bollocks." Harry was facing her again. "That is not how I sound."
Katie scoffed, arms spread wide in a challenging stance. "That is exactly how you sound, innit."
Harry jabbed his finger at her. "If you believe-"
Regardless!" Percy cut them both off from his spot on the shore. They paused, whipping their heads to him. The two didn't move from their spot in each other's face, but they did at least relax their shoulders. "You have to be more cautious going forward, if you're doing this, the wrong people can't get wind of it." Both of them knew who he was talking about, a certain unsavory professor.
"Should've listened to me, eh Harry." Katie wasn't missing her chance to win their little competition, stealing the last word from Harry.
"You guys argue like an old married couple." Percy rolled his eyes, rising from his spot on the dirt. He brushed off his pants, turning towards the pair with his eyebrows raised and a sarcastic smile.
"And how would you know that?" Katie threw her hand up in the general direction, seemingly waving off his observation.
"Believe me, Ms. Bell. I know." Percy's voice had taken a much sterner tone than moments ago.
Katie leaned over to Harry, her mouth settling quite close to his ear. She whispered, and Harry could feel her breath rolling slowly over, tickling his ear. "What do you reckon crawled up his bum?" A smile laced with amusement found its way from Harry's nose, which he swiftly tried to cover up with a fake cough and a hand over his mouth. Unfortunately, Percy would not be fooled so easily.
He raised a singular eyebrow at them as a stiff breeze blew by, messing up Percy's windswept hair even more than normal… there hadn't been a breeze during their run. "Oh? What's so funny over there?" A dangerous glint was present in his eyes, one that Harry had witnessed before when Malfoy had been acting out in class.
Harry cleared his throat and quickly gathered himself, standing up straighter despite his sore muscles. A slight shuffling from his side indicated Katie undertaking the same process. "Um, nothing." Harry spoke. "Sir." He swiftly added on before Percy could respond.
The breeze died down as Percy's face relaxed into the easy, lopsided smile he was known around the castle for. "That's too bad." He said. "I do like a good joke." Harry shared a glance with Katie, asking with his eyes if she knew any good jokes to tell their Professor. She just shook her head and shrugged, not proving any help in the subject.
"The headmaster fancies a good joke, too." Harry blurted out after a short moment of silence. Percy scoffed immediately, rolling his eyes and shaking his head at the idea. Harry didn't know what was so bad about that.
"Dumbledore's jokes are terrible." Harry didn't think they were that terrible, there were a few good ones mixed in here and there. For example, the one where two wizards and a troll walked into a pub…
"Anyway." Percy interrupted his thoughts. "We're done for this morning."
"Honestly?" Katie questioned. "That's it?"
"That's it." Percy nodded his affirmation. Harry was surprised as Katie. Usually they had loads more exercises after their run, at least another hour before they were dismissed. To be done that early, to get off that light, was unusual.
"Why the long faces?" Harry couldn't see Katie, but he could imagine her shocked expression. Mouth slightly agape, eyebrows scrunched together in confusion… it was the same exact expression currently mirrored on his own face. "Thought you'd be happy." It took them some time to form a response, stuttering and fumbling through their words in light of the circumstances. Percy was a mighty tough trainer, and to get off the hook really caught the two students off guard. Harry finally got his mouth to work the way he wanted it too.
"We are happy." Katie nodded enthusiastically beside him. "We're just…" Harry knew what word he wanted, it was floating around his head but refused to make its way to his lips for some reason and Harry was left sprouting out unintelligible noises and half words that sounded like the ramblings of a senile old wizard. He was flailing his hands in the hopes that the movement would somehow relieve him of his struggles and force out the end of the sentence. Harry wished he could point to the run for his lack of function, but he had long since recovered from that by now.
"Shocked?" Katie supplied. It wasn't exactly the phrase he was going for, but it was better than leaving the sentence as is. He looked over and pointed towards his teammate, which Katie responded to with a frantic nod. Harry reciprocated and they wordlessly agreed on ending the hanging phrase on that note.
"Yeah… shocked." Harry breathed out weakly, relieved to rid himself of the struggle of his own creation. Percy, during all of this, just stood there, staring at the pair as they stammered and fumbled through their line. The growing smirk on his face made it all the more difficult to actually remember how to do english.
"I thought I'd let you off easy this morning, but if you want to do more…"
"No no no." Both Harry and Katie took a step towards the professor and shook their hands frantically, attempting to wipe clean the idea from his mind. A small huff accompanied another smirk towards the two. "That's what I thought."
"Percy," Katie started. "Not that I'm questioning you, but why?" If Harry was being honest, he was wondering the same thing. He just didn't want to risk Percy changing his mind about the whole 'letting them off easy' thing.
"Kind of sounds like a question, Katie." Percy quipped with another smirk. Percy was having entirely too much fun messing with them.
"That's not… I- I wasn't-"
"Relax, Katie." Percy cut off her stuttering attempts. She relaxed her arm, which had been shot up with haste in the beginning of an attempt to plead her case. "Not every workout has to leave you passed out in the dirt." He moved to look over the lake, speaking to them from over his shoulder. "Besides, you're both making good improvement, so I cut you some slack."
"Improvement?" Harry didn't believe that one bit. "I've not gotten any faster with this." He waved his hand at the lake. He never actually timed himself - and he wasn't sure if Percy did either - but from the eye test, he wasn't running any faster. "How is that improvement?" Harry didn't raise his voice intentionally, it was the stress taking over. The pressure to get himself ready for what was to come, what he had to do in order for the wizarding world to have any hope of survival.
A soft weight made its presence known on his shoulder and he could feel the tension instantly leave his body. He spared a glance at the weight that remained on his shoulder, a calming presence that left him devoid of annoyance. He found a small hand perched there, seemingly having absorbed his tension and transferred it into the person it was attached to. Harry's shoulders had relaxed, but Katie's hadn't. Her hand was removed in a flash once he looked, almost as if her hand had unconsciously found its way to that spot. His gaze traveled from where her hand had lain to meet her own eyes. Her eyebrows were scrunched together over the bridge of her nose, concern swirling in her brown eyes.
Harry offered her what he hoped was a reassuring smile as he removed his glasses, wiping the lenses with his sweat-soaked shirt. He could still feel her intense gaze on the side of his head when he turned back towards Percy, hoping for an explanation on this so-called 'improvement'. He gradually felt the pressure from Katie's eyes lessen once Percy began his explanation.
"Well for starters, you aren't collapsed in the dirt." He explained. "I'd call that progress."
"I haven't gotten any faster." Harry countered. "Isn't that what this is all about?"
"This isn't about speed, Harry." Percy seemed almost… disappointed, maybe the fact that Harry hadn't completely understood the purpose of the exercise bothered him. For whatever reason, that expression did not belong on the young professor's face; and Harry hoped to never see it again.
"About endurance." Katie stated, borderline questioned.
"That's right, Katie." The expression was thankfully gone. "It's about the ability to keep going, even though you have nothing left in the tank. Pushing through the sore muscles, the aches and pains, exhaustion. Endurance and perseverance is how you survive, not speed. You have the reflexes and speed to dodge spells, Harry. I've seen it when you play quidditch. But, if you only have enough to dodge three spells, well… you won't last long." By the time he was finished, Harry now understood that he had been focusing on the wrong aspects of their training. "Speed is nothing without endurance."
"I understand."
Percy smiled and nodded towards him. "Good." He gestured up the hill towards the castle. "Now go. Take the day to relax."
Harry reached down to the ground one more time, stretching his legs for the last time before the trek to the castle. His eyes followed Katie as she walked across his vision. "Coming, Harry?" She asked, slowly backpedaling away from the lake. He finished his stretch, standing upright and moving to follow her lead.
She reached out and placed her hand on his forearm, halting his progress up the hill before he could pass. Her hand wasn't necessarily rough, but it wasn't soft either, stuck perpetually somewhere in between; years of quidditch had made sure of that. One thing was for certain though; Katie's hand was warm, especially after their morning workout, her elevated body heat had not completely dispersed and it caused a few beads of sweat to slightly sting his arm where his skin had become a little too dry.
It was a welcome feeling after huffing a few laps around the lake in the crisp morning air.
"See you around, Percy." Katie called out, still holding Harry in place. He glanced over his shoulder, body still facing the lake where they had left him. His head dipped slightly so his chin met his shoulder, as he gave them a two-fingered salute with his right hand.
Recognizing the dismissal, Katie turned and began marching up the hill. "Well, c'mon then." She waved Harry on. "I'm starved."
The Great Hall was practically empty, it being too early on a weekend for anyone in their right mind to be awake. The only occupants when they wandered through the doors were most of the professors and a smattering of students who preferred to begin their day earlier than the average human.
The most crowded table belonged to Ravenclaw, where a few students were absentmindedly picking at their food while their nose was stuffed into the text of a school book, oblivious to the world around them.
There were two students dressed in green at the end of the Slytherin table, who he quickly identified as Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis. The former sent him a scathing glare with her icy blue eyes that sent a shiver down his spine. He quickly averted his eyes, unwilling to enter a battle of wills with the Ice queen. Tracey, however, seemed much more of a morning person, even shooting him a small wave with her hand barely emerging above the table. It caught him off guard, and he almost wasn't able to awkwardly return her gesture.
Katie shot him a confused look, having noticed the exchange between himself and the two Slytherins. He shrugged as they passed the Hufflepuff table, the only group of students actually talking to each other as they ate, true to their house characteristics.
They were the only two students from Gryffindor who had gotten out of bed, a normal occurrence for what was quickly becoming a tradition for the pair. They sat down across from each other at the empty table, their routine taking over. Katie sighed as her butt reached the bench, closing her eyes and leaning her head back for a moment.
"Bollocks!" Harry had completely forgotten to ask Percy about helping with their little club. Katie opened her eyes, but kept her head back, looking at him down her nose.
"What now?"
"Nothing." Katie's expression forced him to continue. "Just forgot to ask Percy something."
"Ask him… what?" She motioned him to continue, throwing her hand in slow circles.
"Just to uh, help with the special…project." He whispered. A look of realization flashed across her face when she finally tilted her head back to a normal angle. Ahh, she mouthed silently.
"Morning, Harry." A figure plopped down on the bench next to Harry, breaking his brief exchange with Katie. He saw an odd look cross Katie's face, her eyes narrowing as she took in the newcomer. He glanced over to see green outlines on the black robes that covered her arms. "Didn't mean to interrupt."
"No, it's fine." His eyes traveled upwards. "Morning, Tracey." She fixed him with a smile that had no business existing that early in the morning before turning towards Katie across the table. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Tracey." She stuck her arm out across the table.
"Katie." Her return greeting was much less enthusiastic, and a far cry from her usual upbeat self. She reluctantly returned the offered hand, her eyes narrowing even more as their hands met. "What do you want?"
If Tracey was put off by Katie's suddenly cold demeanor, she didn't outwardly show it. Harry could only assume it was a skill developed after years in the snake pit. "We were curious-" she pointed to herself, followed by a point across the hall to Daphne, whose expression had not changed a bit. "-yes, Daphne as well. Even though she doesn't show it." She answered the unasked question before it could interrupt her own question. "We were curious what you two were doing with the good Professor down by the lake."
Tracey took a second for either to respond. When she didn't get anything, she continued. "We're early risers, doesn't do any good being the last asleep in Slytherin." She explained nonchalantly.
"That's none of yo-"
"Working out with the Professor." Harry cut off Katie's cold reply. "Preparing for anything that might happen."
"Working on spells?" Tracey questioned, tilting her head, brown hair waving with the force of gravity.
"No." Harry shook his head. "Just running, really." Tracey shot him a look that clearly conveyed her disbelief. "Honest."
"Why?" Tracey's next inquiry was accompanied by a bewildered face.
"Why do you want to know?" Katie ground out between her teeth.
Tracey looked unsure, eyes darting between the entrance, Daphne and the two of them. She eventually leaned in close to the two of them, dropping her voice to a whisper. "It's not safe for us in Slytherin." She admitted, her voice not nearly as confident anymore. "It gets worse everyday, and the only thing giving us protection doesn't have much more time." Her eyes shot back to the Slytherin table for a split second. "She's going to hate that I told you but… if Daphne's father has anything to say about it, she'll end up as Malfoy's plaything. And I'm a half-blood in Slytherin, who knows what'll happen to me." Her voice was shaking slightly now, her fears surfacing in front of their eyes. "I just want her to be safe."
Harry shared a quick look with Katie, her eyes had lost the hard edge that had made its presence known when Tracey appeared. "Why are you telling us all this?" Harry asked.
"Daphne trusts Professor Jackson." Tracey replied. "And he obviously trusts you… and I'm desperate." Her face morphed. Instead of the bright, confident Slytherin, she was more desperate, vulnerable. "Listen, what I just said has to stay between us…. Please." Tracey's eyes darted between Harry and Katie, a silent plea in her gaze. Harry felt Katie's eyes burning a hole in the side of his head while he hesitated to agree to her terms. But, something in Tracey's voice and that hint of desperation in her eyes compelled him to agree, she had never wronged him before. Even during the Chamber of Secrets debacle…
He shifted his eyes towards Katie after giving his word, his decision being made. He raised his eyebrow, coaxing her to just go along with Tracey's terms. She exhaled after a short time, finally giving in and accepting the deal. "Fine." Her tone wasn't the most eager, but it seemed good enough for Tracey anyway. "Why do you trust me then? I don't think we've ever talked to each other."
"Honestly, I don't." Tracey shrugged. "But I needed to talk to Harry and you're better than Weasley. He would have started screaming as soon as I walked over here because I was sorted into 'the evil house'. Besides, from what I hear, he won't be awake for another hour, anyway."
Katie exhaled through her nose, her slight amusement showing on her face. Harry was sure that Tracey picked up on it. "Sounds about right."
Tracey smiled at her, probably glad she wasn't on the receiving end of her glare anymore. "So, could you talk to Professor Jackson? I'd do it myself but we're not familiar, and Daphne is much too proud to ask for help."
"And you aren't?"
"Apparently not."
Harry sucked in a deep breath, slowly exhaling through his nose. His eyes lingered on Katie as he responded, the decision lingering in his head. He made a show of considering her request, but he had already made up his mind when Tracey voiced her concerns. Being able to stick it to Malfoy didn't hurt either. "Alright… I'll talk to him." He tore his gaze away to see a huge smile spread across the Slytherin girl's face.
"Thank you so much!" She quickly moved forward and engulfed him with a quick hug, throwing her arms around his neck. He was too stunned at the contact to move, so he sat stiff as a board until she retracted her arms. "Me and Daphne enjoy spending time in the library, whenever you have an answer."
Harry nodded his understanding, his next question having just been answered. Tracey rose from the bench, swiping her hands on her robe and glancing at the doors. "I've got to go before one of those entitled pricks gets their bum out of bed." She hurried across the hall, robes flowing around her fast moving feet. Katie followed her with a glare that had made another sudden appearance. Harry watched as Tracey reached the green table and began to whisper in Daphne's ear, presumably about what they had just discussed.
"Harry, are you sure about that girl?" Katie asked, her glare having receded when she found him once again.
"Do you have a problem with Tracey?" He was genuinely curious, he had never seen Katie act like that before. She had always been upbeat, friendly and warm… not cold and rude.
Her cheeks reddened a touch, and she looked at the table, rubbing the back of her neck. "Suppose not, it's just… Slytherins are Slytherins for a reason." She refused to meet his gaze.
Harry never thought that Katie would be harboring any preconceptions about the other houses, but now that he thought about it, it didn't surprise him. He had been the same way, as with many other Gryffindors. They had bought into the Slytherin reputation, not that people like Malfoy did anything to dissuade that. "No, I'm honestly not." He admitted, answering her first question. "But if what she's saying is true, and they do need help… I wouldn't be able to sleep if I chose not to. They had no control over where they were sorted, I'm not going to hold it against them."
Katie let out a big sigh, cheeks even more red after his little 'speech'. "You're right, Harry. I- I'm sorry. I just-" She spared a glance at the table on the other side of the hall. "Nevermind." She turned back, keeping her eyes on her plate.
"S'alright, Katie." Harry reassured her. "It's tough for me too."
"Yeah…" Katie still refused to look at him, keeping no her eyes on her breakfast as she poked at it with her fork.
They fell into a silence, silently picking at their breakfast as the great hall began to gradually fill around them. A particularly jovial group of Hufflepuff fourth years entered the hall, drawing his attention as they shuffled down the table, laughing and good-naturedly shoving one another around. Harry wished his life could be so simple, just a normal wizard whose biggest concern was the upcoming OWL's at the end of the year. Maybe what profession he was going to enter after school. Instead, he was stuck worrying if he was even going to be alive to graduate from Hogwarts.
"May I ask you a question, Harry?" Katie whispered, leaving behind her intense scrutiny of the waffle that sat on her plate. The extra voices made it more difficult to decipher what she was saying, so Harry leaned forward slightly across the table.
"A question?" He returned, unsure if he had heard her correctly. He gave her the go-ahead after she confirmed her intentions.
"How come you got so angry back there?" She gestured in the vague direction of the lake. The fresh memory pushed itself to the forefront of his mind, knowing exactly what she was referencing. Percy's insistence that he had been making progress replaying in his head.
"I wasn't angry, just… frustrated." Katie rolled her eyes at his fine line of distinction. It was quite a fine line, he'll admit. But frustration sounded better than anger. Katie motioned him to continue. "There's just a lot happening. I have loads to do." Harry sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"School work?"
"No, not that sort of work. It's other things…" He hesitated to tell Katie any details. There were things that only he, Ron and Hermione knew about the situation that he found himself in. Well, them and Percy… and Dumbledore… and the whole order; they were the only students at Hogwarts privy to that information though. Katie had been a good friend since she joined him for his morning workouts with Percy a couple months ago, and they had been much closer than he would have anticipated when his fifth year began. Still, entrusting her with what Percy shared specifically with them… it was a whole other situation entirely.
"Harry." She must have sensed his hesitation to share what was giving his pause. A soft, reassuring look is what greeted him. Perhaps Katie should be an actor after she graduated; the amount of times her mood had changed since they had sat down for breakfast was astounding. "If you don't want to tell me, that's fine. Honest. Just remember that I do believe you."
"Yeah…" He was never able to get a good grasp of those types of conversations… feelings and emotions and such. Their meal was rapidly trending into an awkward silence, neither party really knowing how to continue the conversation. Harry scratched an ever-present imaginary itch on the back of his neck while he popped another bite of food into his mouth. His swallow was painfully awkward, and Katie wasn't faring much better. He was racking his brain, searching for a topic that would relieve the awkward tension between them. The fact that the hall was filling up with increasingly rowdy students helped, giving him more ammunition to comment on. In the end, he settled on a topic that was familiar to both of them, which he probably should have gone with to start.
"So, how's quidditch?" He honestly hadn't even thought about quidditch since Umbridge had decided to end his year, he had kept himself plenty busy with other activities.
She accompanied a small shrug with a non-committal hmph, gaze fixed out one of the great hall's many windows. "Sloper and Kirke are…well they're beaters." Katie didn't sound too inspired at the moment. "Ginny's real good though, but she's not you."
Harry felt his cheeks begin to heat up at the praise, receiving compliments was still not a skill he had mastered. Before he could employ his usual defense of stuttering out self-deprecating reassurances, Katie resumed her explanation with a sigh. "Doesn't feel as much of a team anymore without you guys. Angie is trying, she really is. It's just… sometimes I think there are more important things to be focusing on." Katie admitted, looking down at her empty plate.
"Are you saying you're going to quit?" Harry asked, appalled at what he was hearing. Katie Bell, one of the best chasers in the school and someone who, apparently used to, sleep and breathe quidditch, saying it's not important? Not what he expected her to say.
"Quit? Merlin, no!" She was taken aback by his suggestion, now leaning away from the table, hands perched on the edge. "I wouldn't do that to Angie. Besides, I'm no quitter." She relaxed, slowly shifting back to a normal sitting position on the bench. "Spending more time with you and Percy, Quidditch just…" she hesitated, trying to find the correct words with her hands waving in front of her chest. "I may not know all the details, but it appears as though more crucial stuff is happening than a game of quidditch." She finished simply, dropping her hands to the table.
She was right, of course. Katie just didn't know the full extent of what the Wizarding World was up against… well, half the Wizarding World anyway. She had already made it clear that she had believed him since he had emerged from the portkey with Cedric's body, ranting and raving like a lunatic. She had supposedly never doubted him, and perhaps he was taking that for granted, seeing as how so many others refused to acknowledge the signs of Voldemort's impending return. It was a nice change of pace, with how many others - even some from his own house - refused to interact with him because of the events of the third task. Perhaps he should put more trust in her, she had done nothing to prove she wasn't worthy of said trust, but… Harry felt like he should keep the more personal details close to his chest until he was absolutely sure. Was he developing trust issues? It's a strong possibility.
"Blimey, Mate." Harry felt the bench tremor under the force at which his friend flopped down onto the wood. "How long have you been up?"
"Six, I think."
"You're mad, that's way too early." He settled into the seat and began spearing different breakfast foods. "Oh! Morning, Katie." He finally noticed her sitting across from Harry. He only received a slight, tight lipped smile and a nod as a greeting.
"You say that every time." Harry observed. Every time he saw Ron after a workout, the redhead mentioned how it was earlier than anyone should be out of bed.
"And it will be true everytime." He shot back, already beginning to stuff his face.
Ronald, please." Hermione's scathing tone reached his ears as she sat down next to Katie much more gracefully than Ron. She rapidly exchanged a greeting with Katie. "I don't know how you get him out of bed in the morning, Harry. It's like pulling teeth."
"I've nearly given up." A short giggle came from the two girls who sat across from him following his admission.
"At least he gets out of bed for quidditch." Katie joked. "We'd be playing without a keeper."
"Now that's worth getting out of bed for." Ron pointed his fork at Katie, swallowing his food thickly. He froze for just a moment before the temptation of a delicious breakfast overtook his priorities once again and he returned to his meal.
Katie's head suddenly shot up, swinging in the direction of the approaching Gryffindor quidditch captain as she called out her name from down the table. Katie confusedly removed herself from the bench, meeting Angelina when she arrived. "Hey, Angie." Angelina gave a hasty wave to the golden trio, leaning in close to whisper in Katie's ear. Her face gradually reached a point of realization the longer the dark-skinned captain whispered. They separated themselves and Katie turned to address the three who had been observing the interaction.
"I've got to go." She said simply, not elaborating a bit. "Ron, Hermione; good to see you. Harry, you got syrup on your shirt." Katie took off after Angelina without another word.
Ron guffawed, covering his mouth with his hand only just keeping his bite of food inside. Even a quick giggle escaped from Hermione before she quickly bottled it up. His hand found the offending spot in no time, leaving behind a sticky residue on his fingers that he was sorely tempted to lick off… he managed to restrain himself though.
Harry sent Hermione a look, silently pleading for her assistance. A quick wand wave was all it took and his shirt was back to looking like new, the syrup remaining no longer.
"Good turnout yesterday." Hermione casually said among the chatter in the great hall. Harry had to wait for Ron to get his mirth under control before she could broach the topic, however. He patiently waited for Ron's chortles to cease before responding.
"More than I imagined." He said truthfully. Harry had assumed only a handful of students would be willing to participate, with most of those claiming their residence in the Gryffindor tower. Instead, there had been nearly forty young witches and wizards packed into the small pub, every house besides Slytherin being represented. Many of those he would consider a friend and had anticipated they'd show their face; others, not so much. But they made sure that all those looking to participate were welcome, though he doubted any Slytherin would be caught dead in their little 'club'. Thinking back on it, he now understood Percy when he said the group was not as under the radar as they had previously thought. He imagined that was the most patronage the Hog's Head had had in the last century or so, judging from the peeling paint on the dingy walls and dusty atmosphere the pub sported.
Even so, it was a promising turnout, more so than he anticipated. Now, he just had to figure out what to start with on their first meeting. They had just formed the group, not even one meeting had come to pass and he was already wondering how the Hogwarts Professors did this every year. He almost regretted agreeing to Hermione's proposition. If he was being honest, he would have turned her down if not for Percy's insistence on the same subject, he had formed an inexplicable trust for the man - and Harry was not one to trust so readily. Despite the doubts that had already crept into his mind, he had given Hermione his word and he refused to run away from that.
Hermione looked so excited talking about their new group project he did not dare rip that away from her. It was odd seeing Hermione so upbeat about blatantly breaking the rules; in the prior years she had gone along with their rule-defying shenanigans with a certain degree of trepidation, but now there was none to be found. It was relieving to see her more flexible, they would have to do much more of that in the coming few years.
That was in the future, and Harry would worry about that when the time comes. But for now, Harry had a lot of things to figure out; mainly how to teach a group of kids his own age how to protect themselves when the world wouldn't.