The first day at Hogwarts School passed quickly, and found the first years all together again at dinner and then headed back to the House. Harry decided he'd better write home - or else he would never remember - and simply sat down at the sofa already collecting some other first years and leaned over the writing table .

Harry was unsure of what to say. He'd never been away from home in this respect - semi-permanent - at most he'd spent a night at the flat with Sirius or Remus, but his parents were usually there. And his brother, of course. Can't forget him.

So this made the task of writing them a letter feel a bit stilted.

I'm in Slytherin, and yes, I've already made friends. Made a bit of chat, if you can believe it. Hogwarts is as splendid a castle as you've ever described it.

Was he supposed to tell them how the inside of the Slytherin commons looked? How the curved ceilings towered in warm light, and the fireplace was adorned with writhing stone snakes? Harry felt it was almost wrong to give away what was now his, solely his. A sanctuary of sorts. The home away from home. But then again, his mother had described to him the windows on the far wall in here, showing the depths of the Great Lake. It was not much of a secret then, and if it ever was than it was broken long before Harry had a chance to covet it.

I've had Defence, Potions, and Herbology just today. It's the first day. I had thought Defence would be more interesting, but I did hear from other groups that Charms lets us actually practice some magic. Potions was fine, though Professor Snape is tough. I can't say much of it besides that. He's my Head of House too, but even the others are wary to go to him for help in any way. I haven't seen Professor McGonagall yet, only at meals I suppose. Herbology was good. Lots of dirt. I think I will get used to Hogwarts.

Harry was beginning to realise he didn't have much to say.

The prefects have been very helpful - the fifth year ones. I think the upper year prefects have other jobs around Hogwarts, like mum used to do patrolling about and whatnot. I'm not entirely sure. I like our dormitories, except that someone snores and I thought people only did that once they were old.

I hope everything is good at work and at home.

Love,

Harry

That sounded about right, he thought. It was personable, wasn't it?

He heard a snicker from over his shoulder. "Love, Harry," a voice mocked.

"Shove off, Colin," Harry said, hastily folding his letter over. "And nice work in Herb - wasn't it you that lost us five points?" He carefully put his letter in its envelope and tucked it into his robes.

"Beginner's luck," Miles said. "Didn't you say, Colin?" Miles was still sour that Colin managed the pantsing charm they'd been practicing earlier that evening, while he couldn't even get the belt to twitch.

Colin rolled his eyes so hard he flopped back down into the sofa with the effort. It wasn't the prime location in the commons, they were sequestered more over by the drafty entrance hall. The most vaunted seats in Slytherin were arranged by the huge fireplace, of course, which had a large, curving leather sofa and floor cushions and three armchairs. These were all seats dominated by the upper years, something they learned pretty instantly. Stinging Hexes were very motivational, and no one would be stupid enough to retaliate against an older student with so much experience.

The girls in their year were all in their own sort of gang, but here in the undesirable corner they all meshed together regardless of gender.

"Did you try to drown Viola Richmond?" Asked Reagan Mulciber. She was friends with the twins too, like Lucinda, but had spent all day glued to Adelaide Murton.

"That's a strong word," Harry said, quite over the murder accusations. "Drown."

"She's horrid ever since she got passed off to her relatives. Terribly rude, isn't it, to snub you?"

"Because of my father's title?" Harry snorted. "I think he'll live a long while yet. No worries."

"Well, more so because she might've checked if you were the sort to drown people on first offences."

"Good way to ensure there isn't a second," Lucian said.

"No one was drowned," Harry sighed. "Little rumourmongers. Mind you, how can you check that sort of thing if you haven't made a first offence? Offer up someone else? And it was Lucian that pushed her over, let's be clear."

"So you did!" She crowed in success. The fist pump was as attention-drawing as the loud exclamation. Harry and Bole bowed their heads down as other Slytherins looked up irritably at the noise.

"Did not," Harry denied.

"Too late," Reagan told him. "And besides, she's a Gryffindor." She shrugged. "Still, you're crazy."

"Nice," Bole said to Harry as Reagan turned away. "Smart."

"Shut up," Harry said. "Let me see your Defence scroll, I can't stretch this assignment for another two inches of parchment..."

He managed, in the end, but only just. It was the most boring thing he'd ever written, and he couldn't even bear to read over it again to look for mistakes. "She'll get what she gets," Harry said of the Defence Professor.

By the time they had all shuffled off and up the stairs to their dormitories, Harry'd forgotten all about posting his letter. When he was undressing for bed it fell out of his day robes and he looked at it, appalled. He was already a day late writing his parents and he was still full of energy. The night was young and the breeze from the small balcony doors was warm. He bit his lip, considering the idea. He had already made up his mind. Harry slipped back into his oxfords, and buttoned his cloak again over his clothes. Miles rolled over on his bed, curtains still open.

"What are you doing? " He asked, in a loud whisper.

"Nothing," Harry said.

Lucian, from his other side, had sat up. "I'm not tired," he told Harry in that same loud whisper.

"We can all hear you," Graham Montague said at full volume. "Don't lose us more points, like Colin." Even though none of the boys were talking to Graham, a wave of snickers passed through the room at the reminder of Colin's point loss.

"I just forgot to post my letter," Harry said.

"Do it tomorrow," Graham snapped, and closed his curtains angrily. This lost some of its effect because they didn't close all the way right away, and he had to repeatedly yank one side of the grey cloth over and over. Lucian and Harry choked a bit on their laughs, and it didn't help imagining how red and embarrassed the other boy must feel from the other side of the room.

"Well," Harry whispered, much quieter than before.

"Let's go," Lucian said, already tying his oxfords back on.

Miles was watching them from his bed. Harry paused. "You want in?" He asked.

"Yeah," Miles said, nearly shyly. He peeled out of bed with his shoes still on and ready. As they snuck down to the commons they came across their first problem: upper years. There were still lingering students by the fire, laughing and sharing drinks over a few, large open tomes.

"Just be very quiet," Harry said, as if the other two hadn't figured. They crept, and crouched, along the far wall from the fire. The shadows hung here, not as thickly as Harry would've liked, but the upper years seems utterly unconcerned with anyone else being in the commons. They made it out of Slytherin with ease.

The walk to the Owlery was fairly without incident. Making it across the grounds was a bit terrifying. Every shadow that danced across the grass and stone was deceptive, and Miles was very convinced all of a sudden about the stories his aunt had told him about monsters hunting the grounds at night. Still, they made it to the singular tower in one piece. This is where it became difficult. They were not alone. The echo of footsteps and faint voices came from the narrow stairwell, and they all exchanged looks.

"I'll go," Harry said. "That's what we're here for. I mean if it's just students it could be fine, as long as they aren't in Slytherin they won't know we're first years and therefore breaking curfew. And one of us in trouble is better than all three."

"You just want to see who's up there," Lucian accused, without malice. Harry did.

He walked very slowly and carefully, and it felt like an age before he reached the first owl landing. He saw rather than heard two figures, and nearly gave away his position entirely as he felt warm breath at his back.

"Miles," he hissed.

"Sorry, I would rather be up here than down there," he shuddered. Harry rolled his eyes.

"I'm going to try to move closer," he told Miles.

Miles shrugged uneasily, and followed him.

Suddenly it was like they had broken through some barrier and sound reached them. Standing behind a row of nesting boxes, Harry and Miles began to hear the hurried conversation.

"The earliest they'll be able to deliver is November," a boy said.

The other kicked the ground. "I knew bringing in Neri was stupid, that girl's completely absentminded. No offence to Gemma's choice in friends but really, that doesn't mean she can handle this."

"Do we have enough until then?"

"Maybe end of this month," the other said sourly. "At best. We were really relying on that mongrel twit and look where it's gotten us."

"Square one, Snape's office."

"No," the other boy said sharply. "Not yet, that's too... no." Miles squeezed Harry's shoulder and got really close to his ear to whisper barely,

"That's Thaddeus Nott, he's a fourth year," with no little awe. "He's... scary."

"Maybe your father," suggested the other boy but like lightning a bolt of red hit his knees and he howled, collapsing.

"Hilarious, Jugson," said Nott. "Be more of an idiot."

"Sorry," he said from the ground, gasping. "You arse." Nott laughed as Harry and Miles exchanged twin looks of fear and finding it impressive. What hex was that?

"Leave the rest in the same place, in the dorm. And we'll figure it out, Jugs. Don't worry yourself." Nott reached out a hand to help up the boy he'd just hexed. The boy took it without hesitation, and the two of them laughed. Laughedtogether.

Harry had never seen such a strange interaction.

"Do you think she got cold feet?" 'Jugs' asked. "Neri?"

"Doesn't matter," Nott said. "She's jeopardised the supply."

A moment of silence was shared between the two.

"Yeah," Jugson said. "She did." His voice was hard. Nott raised his wand again, but he frowned in the moonlight. "What?"

"Nothing," Nott said finally, waving it. "Or we'll see."

The two left side by side. Miles and Harry didn't move for forever.

"I hope Lucian had the good sense to hide himself," Miles said shakily.

"What was that about," Harry said to himself. Miles eyed him.

"Not much of our business, was it?"

Harry mailed his letter, and again, they made it suspiciously easily back to the castle main. They were extra wary of the common room, knowing that Nott could still be lingering around, having filled Lucian in on the way back. But only one girl was there, sleeping on the curved sofa by the fire, book open across her lap.

Sleep came quickly after all the excitement, but Harry dreamt strange dreams - of falling from the sky, and the visage of Professor Snape shaking his body awake after he'd hit the ground - but he couldn't wake - he could barely make out the Professor's face as he passed out.

The morning dawned cold and gray.

"I want to know what's in the dorm," Harry said to Lucian as the others dressed. "Maybe there's a clue to what they're up to."

He nodded to Harry, and Miles sucked air through his teeth but didn't argue.

They decided on right then, during today's breakfast - when everyone would be gone to eat. Harry and Lucian lingered behind, while Miles went on with the rest looking quite nervous for the two of them. Harry figured his state of mind around Thaddeus Nott would be a liability.

Again, like the night had began yesterday, their journey to the fourth years boy's dormitories was surprisingly easy. Harry was going to snoop, and Lucian would keep watch as they agreed. But Miles' warning and general fear was catching, and Harry's partner in crime was getting antsy with each moment they lingered.

Lucian was hovering by the door nervously. "Harry, hurry up," he said. "I can't just duel the way out of here if you don't hurry."

"I'm trying," he said. "Oh, look, someone's left theirs unlocked." The last trunk, at the furthest bed, in fact. The lock was open, in fact there wasn't even a lock. The trunk had a small latch and nothing else to protect it. Harry made a silly mistake and didn't think about how else it maybe be protected. He took both hands and lifted the lid open.

He squinted. He couldn't make out any of the contents - and he leaned forward for a better look.

"Argch!" He squeaked as he felt an oomph to the back, like a forceful wind and he tumbled awkwardly into the trunk. Before he could sit up all the way, the damn thing snapped shut, pressing his head and hands down inside.

It was really dark and it smelt like shoes. In a bad way.

"What gives? Let me out!" Harry banged on the lid to no avail. His ears felt muffled in here, like sound was as far away from the inside of this trunk as light was.

Maybe Lucian had left him behind, as he got no response. The minutes ticked by, stifling and again... shoe-scented.

Maybe he was going to die in here... but he heard something. The door! Accompanied by feet heavier than any of Harry's year mates - he would know, he spent a lot of time listening for his parents' footsteps on the stairs so he could stay up late, versus his brother, and he could even tell apart Sirius, Peter, Mary, Alice...

Voice that were distinctly not Bole's wafted into the dormitory.

"Definitely not...Snape... first day back..."

"Not my fault Neri... I told... the gillyweed..."

There was a shuffling sound, and something was moved. Picked up? From the floor. Harry strained his ears in the dark of the school trunk. He held his breath until they began to speak again.

"More than enough for the first week," the voice had gotten closer and much clearer, and Harry nearly jolted hard enough to give away his position.

"Snape's stores are too limited, it's not worth getting caught and the whole thing blowing up because Neri couldn't manage her part."

A pause.

"So, she's out?" That was definitely a girl's voice, Harry realised.

The boy snorted. "if she isn't, she'll have to really make it up to... well."

"I've got the Ravenclaws on me already," the girl said, in an equally good mood. "What's Neri's problem, isn't mine, alright? She messed up."

"And you messed up by suggesting her to -"

Harry squinted in the dark, as if that would help him decipher the sudden silence better.

With a click that made his heart lurch, the trunk banged open - the lid slamming against the bed behind it and the light of the room burning into Harry's unexacting eyes. Above him were two very unimpressed faces, with wands withdrawn.

Harry couldn't think of anything clever to say, and felt rather trapped despite the lid now being open. Instead of thinking of something - anything - he blurted out, "But girls can't be in the boy's dormitories!"

Thaddeus Nott was looking down on him in ill-concealed surprise and no small amount of anger. "So, what did you hear?"

"I didn't hear anything," Harry said indignantly. "I've been stuck in a trunk, bit hard to!"

"Sure," the girl said. Harry thought her family name was Farley, he'd seen her in the commons with older girls, hanging around the Quidditch team by the fire. "And what are you doing in a trunk?"

Harry tried to not look suspicious. This was hard to do in his current predicament.

"I just..." he started weakly.

"Lucky thing you didn't think to check for a cursed trunk, did you, firstie?" She sneered. "Not too clever, now."

"It was you," Thaddeus said, with calm certainty. "At the Owlery, wasn't it?"

"No," Harry lied.

"Yes it was," Thaddeus then did a most unexpected thing; he smiled. "Quite the little sneak, aren't you?"

Harry was unsure. The older boy's voice was now inviting, and his face crinkled around the eyes a little, like when people were happy. But Harry knew that laying inside a trunk under the wand of an upper year was not a good place to be.

"You must be a first year," the girl said, Farley. "Looks new to me." She looked less friendly, but then again she didn't look like anything. Harry couldn't tell a thing about what she was thinking by the look on her face.

"You have a name?" Nott asked.

"Harry Potter," Harry said. He might as well have signed a death certificate by the way that Farley's face darkened.

"A Potter kid," she hissed. "Nott!"

"Relax, Gemma," he said. "Look, Potter, what were you doing in here? Be honest."

"Nothing," Harry said. He was panicking, he had no idea what to say.

"I think," Nott said, still smiling. "That you heard us at the Owlery, didn't you? Someone was there..."

Harry's mouth was dry. There was nothing he could say. He was so very dead.

Farley looked even grimmer. "I can get Marius - " she told Nott. "He could... fix the kid - "

"No need," Thaddeus said. "Isn't that right, Potter? You aren't going to tell anyone anything, are you?"

"I'm not a snitch," he said bravely. "Not that I heard anything worth repeating, as is."

"Heard enough to snoop in here," Farley snarled. "It's a bigger risk than breaking into Snape's," she pleaded with Nott. "We can't let him go."

Who was still smiling. "Well, Potter, you have to make a promise. So we know we can trust you, you know. Hold out your arm - slowly, if you will. I recommend not trying to hex me."

"I wouldn't," Harry said solemnly. He knew that would be very stupid, and both of the upper years laughed at him. His face burned.

"Good," Nott said smoothly. "Oh - and Opercula Molu - you little sneak!" Despite it all, he sounded friendly and even a bit proud.

Harry screamed as his knees went the wrong way.


Most of the boys were together on the couch as Harry and Lucian retold their tale (at least, what parts Harry could tell), starting at the owlery sneaking.

They'd just gotten to the part where they decided to break into the fourth year dormitory, and Harry was stuck in the trunk when a boy and a girl walked in chatting. It was Thaddeus Nott and Gemma Farley.

"Oh, terribly funny," Miles said. "Nott didn't catch you." He snorted. "You're still here, after all."

Lucian had such a solemn look on his large, square face that Miles frowned.

"You are joking, aren't you? I'm surprised Nott didn't kill you. It was a stupid idea- and none of our business - "

"I ran when I heard people on the stairs," Lucian shrugged in a way that said he was sorry for Harry, but happier for himself.

"Well," Harry began, "he did curse me -"

"You two are mad," Cassius said, looking impressed.

"And not an ounce of wit between them," exclaimed Flora Carrow. (He'd finally figured out which was which - Flora had curly hair and her twin Hestia had pin-straight). She had been sitting at the couches with them, but reading rather intently. It seemed she was listening, too.

"I'm terribly witty," Harry said with no small amount of outrage. "And now I won't be telling you anything." He waved her off.

Flora rolled her eyes. "I don't want to know anything that makes Thaddeus Nott curse me. That's not clever at all."

The boys all turned stoutly away from her and huddled, and she sighed and got up to leave. "Idiots," she said, loud enough for them to hear.

"Oh whatever," Cassius said. "So, what were they doing in there?" He got elbowed by Terence when he started sniggering.

Harry flushed at Cassius' idea. "I can't tell either way," he said solemnly, kind of enjoying the singular attention he was receiving. "Not that, Cass, gross... but I swore an oath after they caught me." This got him a round of awe-inspired looks.

"Wicked," Flint said.

"Yeah," Harry said airily. As it was, Nott had just walked in the commons with Marius Malfoy, the fifth year boy prefect, and Ismelda Murk, the fifth year girl's prefect. He actually looked at Harry, and gave a one fingered wave before turning away.

"Really wicked," Flint said, echoing the thoughts of all the boys present. It was almost worth the knee-reversal hex and the oath he'd swore over a secret he didn't really understand.