Harry potter and the Time of retirement
Everything related to Harry Potter belongs to JKR
Chapter 8
Lunch time was almost over at Hogwarts and Harry was enjoying his own tea and desserts, while chatting with his house mates and launching a stress-filled look at the empty seat of the headmaster. Three days had passed since his visit to Hagrid and, unsurprisingly, no invitation to talk ever arrived from Dumbledore. Now, arguably, three days were not that long of a waiting period when a student wanted to see someone as busy as the headmaster but Harry still resented the cavalier attitude with which his request had been dismissed, or at least postponed. He was not asking for a favor after all, but to have back what was his – and had been kept away, even in Dumbledore's eyes, for years. That was why he planned to just ask personally for an appointment that morning, and why the absence of the headmaster seemed like a taunt to his plans.
With a sigh, he decided to let the matter rest until dinner and to focus back on the conversation the other kids were having at the table.
"It was certainly time they let us try flying, I would say. Stupid Longbottom" spoke Zacharias.
"He does seem clumsy... but everyone can crash down. Beside, I think the real reason they suspended the class is the fight between those other two guys" said Ernie with a smile.
"I do wish I could have seen the scene. I heard it was pretty funny" added Harry, joining the conversation.
"If they managed to cast even a single working spell, they would have not been forced to start slapping each other" said Wayne from his corner of the table, amused.
"Those two are always, always fighting. What's the matter with them?" said Hannah, interrupting her talk with Susan for a second to turn towards the boys. It was Susan that answered her, though.
"My aunt says their two families are famous for hating each other, at the ministry. Something to do with their position on muggleborns".
"Maybe you should thank Weasley then, Justin. Become best buddy or something" said Zacharias while turning to watch at Justin, that was in front of him. He did not seem angry, though.
"I should certainly thank him, since he embarrassed you 'purebloods' once again. I must say its a tough race between he and Malfoy, on who's worse."
"I don't like Weasley either. When he learned I was a muggleborn he said for ten minutes straight that it was ok, and when I sort of said thanks he was so full of himself. Like he expected a medal" said Sally-Anne, without raising her eyes from her plate.
So, she was a muggleborn: judging from the other Hufflepuff at the table they already knew, but Harry must have missed this nugget of information while he was wandering around. It made sense, though.
"I care little about those two, but it irks me they cancelled our flying class because of them. Flying is one of the few things I think I hope to enjoy, here at Hogwarts" said Harry, with a small smile.
"Really? I was starting to think nothing could ever please you, Harry" said Hannah, teasingly.
"Yes, me too. It must be that when you fly you are alone" added Megan, but with a smile.
"Even if you were good at it, I doubt you would work well in our house team. Maybe not even as a seeker... not that anyone has a chance, with the new one we just got, Diggory" commented Ernie.
"Seeker? That player that gets a ridiculous amount of points when he catches the ball?" said Justin.
"There are good reasons on why the snitch decides the game, Justin. Stick to that muggle soccer, if you want to complain again" said Zacharias irritated.
"It's not my fault that rule is so stupid no one is able to justify it. But I guess, if tradition is all you have, you must stick to it" said Justin with a smug smile. At this, even Ernie seemed stressed.
"Do you really have to be a smart ass every time we tell you something is traditional, Justin?"
"Not every time... just once for each time I hear Zacharias say his way is better."
"I swear you two are SO annoying, guys" said Susan.
"Yeah. Like, you are the Malfoy and Weasley of Hufflepuff" added Hannah.
"Zacharias would be Malfoy, I think" said Megan with a dead-pan face. "Do you want to be Weasley, Justin?"
"Eeew... no thanks" said Justin with a disgusted face.
"For once, I agree. Don't mix us with those two" said Zacharias.
"Don't worry Zach. If they keep comparing you to Malfoy, you could tell your Father about it" said Harry rolling his eyes.
At this, everyone giggled. After a while they stood up, going outside to the quidditch pitch.
"All right; now you know the basic commands and the general do's and don't. It is time for you to try to fly on your own, so long as you take same precautions. Do not fly faster than a person running, and don't you dare fly higher than your own height. Any last minute questions?" said madame Hooch near the end of her hour, while looking over her combined class of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw first years. No one answered, and it was in fact obvious that most of the boys were done with talking and just wanted to fly around. Some of the girls looked a bit more unsure, but no one stepped back.
"Very well, then. Go!"
And with that, everyone split and rose over the field. Many stayed in small groups, flying together and talking between each other but some, Harry among them, just dashed for the highest level they were allowed to reach. Harry had no intention to show off but it had been so, so long since he could just relax a little and enjoy the air. He had never been an athletic person, not that it was a respected quality in the magical world anyway, and pushing his broom to the limit has always been his favorite physical activity. So, after a couple minutes of just roaming through the field at the highest speed he could get away with, he decided to zig-zag among the lower branches of the trees moving up and down among them, avoiding obstacles at the last moment and just enjoying feeling silly for a while. At one point, a whistle draw his attention: madame Hooch recalling all her students back on the ground. A bit sad, he headed back towards the others.
"Very good, everyone. Now, you may remember how first years are not allowed to own brooms: that is for your safety. In future classes, i will explain how to perform more complex manouvers. Iff you want to fly more, you have to come back here at special appointed time and fly under my watch using our school's brooms. If any of you would like to be selected by his house's quidditch team the coming years, I suggest you take advantage of this possibility. Anyway, the lesson is over so if you have no final questions..." said madame Hooch to all the children around her. Harry, still in a good mood from before, could not contain himself.
"I think Justin here wanted to ask something about the seeker, madame" he said with a grin.
"Really?"
"Way to go, Harry. No, wait..."
"Oh god..."
"You know, staying silent suits you more, Potter." That was Zacharias, obviously. Even Justin, for his part, seemed troubled; or maybe, it was all the stares he was receiving from Ravenclaws, who were looking at him like he was a weird animal – or an idiot.
"Right, right. Lame joke, I take it back" said Harry. At that, a confused madame Hooch dismissed the students and the small group of Hufflepuff went their way mixing with the Ravenclaws that had shared the class with them.
"So, when exactly are those other flying sessions? She didn't say that" asked Susan to no one in particular.
"She couldn't, because they are not fixed. The weather, and all that" said Lisa Turpin. The girl next to her, Su Li, added:
"Beside, training for the quidditch teams take precedence, so other students get what time is left" she said, with just a touch of bitterness in her voice.
"Big surprise. Flying might be the only thing this place offers beside studying, and yet we have to wait for the teams even though they do it all the time" said Zacharias with contempt. Everyone, who more and who less, seemed to agree.
"Next year, you can buy your own broom and fly all you want, though" added Trevor Boot. Michael Corner, on his right, nodded at the idea.
"I am pretty sure you can ask madame Hooch permission to use the field, also, if the teams are not using it. Older years organize small games of quidditch... usually with modified rules" said Harry. To be honest, he never noticed something like this happening but he would not mind playing a game at least once in a while. As a chaser, maybe.
"That would be cool. Flying was awesome, finally something that I can really brag about with my parents at home" said Justin with a big smile. He was one of those who flied by himself during the lesson, getting scolded by madame Hooch once in a while for being too fast or too high.
"I don't know if they will let us play on our own this year. We could still ask, though" said Trevor Boot.
"We should totally do a boys-girls match. We would wipe the floor with you" said Susan, but in a light tone. All the other girls seemed to like the idea anyway.
"Yeah, I can imagine you start crying the second you get hit. Or maybe when the wind lift your uniform's hem" said Michael Corner, while the boys sniggered. Unsurprisingly, the group split in two on the way back to the castle – and it was not along house lines.
Dinner time was over – and Dumbledore still had not shown up at the table. Yet, Harry took it in stride: maybe it was the remaining good mood from the flying lesson, but he decided to not stress over it; the day after, or even the month after if needed, his chance would come. A longer wait also meant more pressure on the headmaster to grant him what he was asking, anyway. So, after a short pause at the table he decided to go and visit the library. It was time to start dealing with his numerous problems, from how to identify if he still had a piece of Riddle's soul inside his head, to deal with the very same wraith's presence inside the castle. The latter, especially, before it attempted to kill him.
While it was unlikely there would be some cursed-looking pamphlet named 'Soul magic: 7 ways to identify horcruxes' somewhere, a couple books inside the forbidden section might contain some hints on what kind of rituals were effective against spirits. Plus, Harry distinctly remembered how there had been an attempt to get rid of Peeves in the past, the famous 'Rancorous Carpe's Trap', and a chronicle of that could give him an idea on what not to do at least.
When he arrived, though, his eyes were drawn to Hermione sitting down on one of the table, apparently busy completing her homework and being, unsurprisingly, all alone. A shard of pity struck him: Harry was confident that, just like his original first year, Hermione was mostly friendless and he wondered if his rejection on the Hogwart's Express had been only the first of the bad memories she created already. Not that she was without fault: the girl's real problem was her lack of consideration for others; valuing grades and respect for the rules were positive qualities, but not the kind you want to be forced upon you by your peers, exactly what she constantly tried to do in Gryffindor for all he could remember. Or, at least, that was what Harry assumed she was still doing as he never saw anyone but Neville ever initiate a talk with her – and even then, only for short periods.
'Should i help her?' wondered Harry. He was seriously unsure: he was getting used to his new situation, but still felt guilt for the scene in the train, and this girl had been one of his old and most valued friends. Well, her older counterpart. On the other side, starting a conversation out of nowhere would have been awkward in the extreme and this was the exact kind of problem her parents were supposed to help her with. Really, how hard could it be to write her 'Honey, maybe with the other girls you should listen more and nag less'. Only, they probably did it already – and she did not listen, too sure of being in the right. As she would not listen either if Harry tried that approach, too, he thought. A true lemming.
Suddenly she raised her head, and when she looked at him her eyes hardened. For some reason it seemed like she was even angrier than before and Harry decided to let it go, for now. He turned, only to end up almost in the face of Malfoy, who was watching him from behind.
"The teacher's pet. For a second, I feared you wanted to address the muggleborn, Potter."
"...no. Draco Malfoy, right?"
"Right. I have been observing you lately, Potter; Hufflepuff may not be a prestigious House but it is free at least of the crude stupidity of Gryffindors, and you do seem to be competent. So I decided to offer you again my help."
"I wasn't aware I needed help in anything, Malfoy" said Harry while starting to walk trough the history section, but nodding at the boy as to imply he could follow. "What help are we talking about, anyway?"
"Introductions to other members of respected families, of course, and the company and recognition it comes with that. Potter is an old, still respected name; we would be happy to have you among us" said Draco. Surprisingly, under his air of superiority, he seemed sincere: he had probably been taught to value blood, so he must recognize Harry as his peer – or something close to it.
"I don't mind knowing new people, Malfoy, but with us placed in different houses I don't see how that would work. And what about that Ronald Weasley?" said Harry.
"What about him?" said Draco with anger appearing in his eyes. "He spread more lies about my father, hasn't he?"
"Not that I know... even though it's likely. I meant more ike, I could do without another embarrassing scene like the one on our first night."
"Ah... yes, that was..." started Draco, who appeared unsure how to describe it. Eventually, he continued with an ironic smile "That was typically Weasley, I fear. Loud and vulgar. Ignore them, Potter. You need to meet real wizarding families, especially if those voices I heard are true."
"Excuse me?" Harry said, turning over completely towards Draco. 'What voices?'
"There has been several unpleasant rumors about our head of house, lately; older years in Slytherin say how that tends to happen. The problem is, everyone seems to agree you have been the source of them. A lie, I am sure" said Draco, back to his air of superiority.
"I don't like to invent rumors, Malfoy, especially about an head of house."
"Well said!" commented Draco, pleased. "Still, spending time with us would make it clear you are not that kind of wizard."
At this Harry, that was scanning the history section, started thinking on what to answer. On the downside, he had little desire to pander to another group of children who promised to be way more annoying and stuck up than his own house mates; plus, no matter his boasts, knowing first years' slytherin offered no real value. One day, maybe, but not now. On the plus side, saying yes was much more easier than offending Malfoy by refusing what he probably thought was a kind offer: to welcome back into proper society the poor wizard mistakenly raised by the evil muggles. What was the worst it would happen if he said yes, a random invitation for dinner during school breaks? More
Slytherins saying 'Hello' to him inside the castle? He could deal with that more than he wanted to deal with a constant barrage of insults and provocations. His decision taken, he pondered on how to make his answer more pompous and Malfoy-styled.
"It is very courteous of you to offer this, Malfoy, so you have both my gratitude and my assent."
That was probably a bit too much; even Draco seemed slightly weirded out.
"Yes... good. I'll talk to my class mates then, and I'll let you know when we can meet. Goodnight, Potter."
"Goodnight, Malfoy" said Harry, waiting for him to leave before finally picking up his book about the attempt to exorcise Peeves. Its title, 'Chronicle of the fight against Hogwart's Poltergeist, year 1876' promised a professional retelling of the story, at least. Satisfied, he checked it out and started walking towards his common room, meeting Hermione's eyes again in the process: they seemed even more hostile now, if possible, and he could only imagine how she drawn her own conclusions on him and Malfoy starting to talk while watching at her. Torn between annoyance at her stubbornness, and a bit of shame over his own inaction, Harry started the tour back.
Author's note: according to Potter Wiki, 'Rancourous Carpe's trap' is a real in-canon event of Hogwart's history, shown in 'Pottermore'