A/N I am terrible at doing anything consistently, so I apologise for the delay in this chapter. I do not own the rights to Harry Potter.
Chapter Five - The Hunt For Solitude
While there were plenty of unused classrooms around the castle, none felt quite right. They all felt like classrooms, which made sense, but they wanted somewhere they could relax. Draco checked the dungeons to find a room, though he did agree that the room shouldn't be close to the Slytherin common room. In the meantime, they'd spend most of their free time together exploring the castle further, hoping to find a room that fit their needs. The library seemed like the best place they'd found so far, but they couldn't exactly play exploding snap in there. Although they did spend a lot of time there for one particular reason. Draco's godfather.
It was well known around Hogwarts that Professor Snape was very strict, some would even say cruel. Due to his status as Draco's godfather, the five of them thought him being cruel was an exaggeration. However, they still split up according to their Houses in his lesson, due to his reputation for being strict. Neville with Parvati, Harry with a boy called Dean Thomas and Draco with a boy called Blaise Zabini. Padma had already had her first potions lesson by the time of the Slytherin and Gryffindor lesson and shared that she did think he was very strict. Over the course of the first Slytherin and Gryffindor potions lesson, Draco was heartbroken to see that his godfather could indeed exceed the limits of being strict and be outright cruel. Not to mention his obvious bias towards Slytherin. After all, Draco thought that Harry and Dean's potion was much better than Crabbe and Goyle's, despite those two Slytherin's being purebloods and Thomas being a mudblood. He didn't say any of his thoughts, knowing that his Gryffindor friends did not share his views on blood purity. Draco even decided to deliberately add eight horned slugs instead of four and his godfather never said a word, even praising Draco's potions skills. Zabini quietly hissed angrily at Draco for his error, a fact that only garnered a sharp look from Professor Snape.
The day after the lesson, Draco confronted his godfather about his unfair treatment. While Draco never told the others what his godfather had said, it was very clear that it wasn't good news as Draco suggested that Harry partners with him for potions. Noticing the treatment that Neville had received, Draco also asked Zabini if he'd partner with Neville in future. Zabini, like a consummate Slytherin, agreed on the condition that Draco would owe him a favour. Despite his dissatisfaction with owing a favour to someone he had only known for a little under a week, Draco agreed. However, all of them agreed that it would be best if Harry and Neville focused hard on studying potions, which led to the group spending a lot of time in the library. It didn't stop Neville's abuse, though it did get toned down a bit due to Zabini doing the majority of the work. From then on, Professor Snape switched some of his efforts to insulting Zabini's intelligence for choosing to work with Neville. Harry could tell that Professor Snape still wanted to insult him, noticing the professors mouth open and close a few times, the professor choosing to glare at Harry instead of insult his godson as well. The group did question why Professor Snape didn't impose a rule that required students to partner with their own house, but after a couple of lessons of Harry and Draco partnering up, they noticed him looking even more sour than usual, so assumed that the headmaster had refused to allow such a rule. Draco did let the others know that his godfather had pulled him aside and asked him not to partner with Harry, but Draco refused. So, despite receiving a lot of glares, Harry's potions lessons went quite well. Partnering with Draco was even beneficial in terms of his education, as Draco was quite good at potions.
So their first month at Hogwarts went quite well, exploring the castle for a suitable hang out spot, studying and generally being kids. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. This end took place on the twenty fifth of September. A couple of hours before curfew, Harry turned to Neville and Parvati and apologised to the pair of them. "I really am sorry, I'd love to have another game of exploding snap, but I'm feeling really ill at the moment. I think I'm going to have to go to the hospital wing." The others naturally looked concerned and asked if there was anything they could do. "Unfortunately not. Hopefully, there's something the matron can give me to settle my stomach, but if not then I'll see you tomorrow." His two Gryffindor friends waved goodbye and gave him get well soon wishes before Harry made his way to the hospital wing. He hated lying to them, but he wasn't allowed to tell anyone about his secret. It took him about ten minutes to walk there, at which point Madam Pomfrey gave him his last dose of Wolfsbane potion, which he drank with a grimace. He held back a few curse words at the vile flavour before a tap of her wand caused him to feel like an egg had been cracked on his head. As he looked down, he saw that his body was almost completely invisible. She then lead him down to the whomping willow and cast a spell at a particular knot on the trunk and told him to go through the passage. He smiled as he entered the passageway and leapt into a hug with the man revealed by a lumos at the end of his wand.
"Hello, cub." Remus then removed the disillusionment charm and began to lead Harry through the tunnel to the shrieking shack. "It's been quite a while since I've made this journey. The last time was not a happy experience. Truthfully, neither is this, though I do enjoy being able to see my cub again, despite the circumstances." Harry reassured Remus that he was happy to see him too. "I feel I must warn you, the shrieking shack isn't exactly pleasant on the inside. Wolfsbane potion wasn't created until a few years after I graduated, so I didn't have control. The inside of the shack is filled with the scars of my uncontrolled mind. Even without the damage, it wasn't the friendliest looking place." They arrived at the shrieking shack after a few more minutes and Harry had to agree with Remus' description.
They were in an incredibly dusty room with two badly damaged and moth eaten armchairs and a sofa that had been knocked over. Claw marks covered the walls and the boards covering the window. Remus used his strength to sit the sofa up, revealing it to be in no better shape than the armchairs. Harry tried not to think about what the stains on the floor were, though he was sure he knew exactly what they were. A rickety staircase leading to a second floor was visible, though they didn't go up it. Remus cast a few mending charms on the sofa and sat down, looking at Harry with tired eyes. Harry joined his adoptive father on the sofa as the two waited for the Change.
It wasn't long before Harry could feel it. The intense pain shooting through his body. Unfortunately, Wolfsbane did nothing to prevent the pain of the Change, only allowing a werewolf to keep their mind. He collapsed off the sofa, dimly aware of his father doing the same. He didn't notice when the charms on his clothes activated, transporting them to the wardrobe in the upstairs bedroom. He writhed in pain, his very veins feeling as though they were filled with acid. He felt his jaw break, slowly growing elongated to form a snout. His mouth filled with blood as his teeth shifted into sharp fangs, piercing his tongue as he was unable to move it in time. The skin on the ends of his fingers and toes split open, as his claws came through, stained red from the violent growth. His arms and legs lengthened, the bones repeatedly breaking and healing until finally reaching the correct length. Finally, his black fur began to sprout, matted and wild, with not even his werewolf form being immune to the Potter Curse. He lay there for a few moments panting to catch his breath, before his amber eyes opened at the feeling of a wet muzzle nudging his head. Looking up, he saw Moony staring down at him. With a series of whines and growls, they both reassured the other that they were fine. Moony then helped direct Harry's wolf upstairs to the bedroom, where they both curled up on the bed and tried to get some sleep.
Both were woken up at seven in the morning, by a pain just as intense as the night before. After a few moments of recovery, they got dressed and Remus apparated the pair back to his house, before Harry flooed to the hospital wing, where Madam Pomfrey was waiting to smuggle him back into his own bed there. Luckily, there was no one else in the hospital wing, though Harry doubted his luck would remain that good on nights of the full moon.
After breakfast finished, Harry was greeted by his four friends, all of whom were very worried about him. "I'm fine now, just exhausted. Even though I slept pretty much the entire night, it didn't help at all with resting. Madam Pomfrey's already said I should stay here for the rest of the day, but I'll see if I'm feeling better enough after lunch to rejoin the search for a good hangout spot." His friends all looked concerned and told him to stay for as long as he needed to recover. Draco asked if Madam Pomfrey had told him what it was. "It's an ongoing thing. I've had it for as long as I can remember, but it comes and goes." The twins looked shocked and hurt at the revelation that he's had this mysterious illness for so long without telling them. "I didn't want you to worry. Trust me, I'm fine, it isn't really that bad, just leaves me feeling very unwell for a day or two before I get better." He could see that they still didn't look too convinced. "Really, I'm fine. Just focus on trying to find a good hangout spot while I'm in here. Try some of the other corridors on the third floor that aren't forbidden, I'm sure most people will avoid the entire floor, so maybe we'll have some better luck there?" Harry's friends all perked up and left then, promising to find something good before leaving. Harry could smell that they were faking it, but he appreciated their effort. Although, as he could no longer see Draco's face, he missed the slight narrowing of his eyes in thought.
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The group of friends were unable to find a good place on the third floor, even after Harry rejoined the group once he was feeling better. Of course, this may have had something to do with their complete lack of effort during Harry's hospital stay. Instead, they spent the majority of their free time searching the library for anything they could do to help with Harry's unspecified condition. With so little to go off, they knew the chances were low that they'd manage to find anything, but they still tried. They spent a lot of time searching, though they were sure to tone it down after Harry was released. They all realised that Harry didn't want them to worry about his condition, so kept their studying to themselves. On the first of October, whilst on the hunt for a suitable hangout spot, they were greeted by two faces that had so far stayed away.
"Mr Potter, could you and your lovely compatriots join us in this unused room?"
"We promise to act like complete gentlemen."
Harry and his friends followed the Weasley twins into the abandoned classroom they'd been about to inspect, with Harry correctly identifying each Weasley twin and introducing them to the others. Fred was the first to speak once they were inside. "We'll level with you."
"Our dear brother, Ronniekins has asked us to prank you back onto the right path."
"His words, not ours."
"We believe he means prank you until you stop being friends with Mr Malfoy and decide to be friends with him."
"Personally, while we have no love for the Malfoy family, we'd hate to do anything to draw the ire of the famous Boy-Who-Lived."
"Though, we do also feel the need to advise you on the rumours he's spreading."
"Namely, that Mr Malfoy here is corrupting you into becoming future Death Eaters." At this, Draco felt the need to defend himself.
"I am certainly not doing anything of the sort." He looked at the two identical gingers with a stern expression, one that may have been tinged with a slight sense of superiority, though he was trying to hide that. "Harry and I may certainly disagree on certain things, most notably the topic of blood purity, but I have not and will not make any attempt to sway him to my side. I have agreed to keep my own opinions to myself, unless first asked to discuss them. Whilst I would be very happy if Harry and the others began to agree with me on such matters, I will not force my beliefs onto them. I'm sure they're all smart enough to know that I'm hoping that they will be influenced by my views, but I am also sure that Harry at the very least is hoping that I will be influenced by his views." Draco thought for a moment before speaking again. "As a matter of fact, part of the difference in opinions is why I was so outraged at my godfathers treatment of Harry. Crabbe and Goyle's potion on our first class was much worse than Harry's and they're both pureblood's, whereas Harry's partner was a muggleborn."
Fred pulled a face. "You don't actually think that, though." Draco frowned and confirmed that he did.
"What my dear brother means is, you didn't actually think of Harry's partner as a muggleborn." George eyed Draco cautiously. "You thought of a very different word, didn't you?"
Draco's eyes widened in understanding. "I know the word you are implying I thought. One of the first things I agreed to when mine and Harry's friendship began was to not use that word around him. Indeed, I haven't actually used it at all since meeting Harry. Not even within the Slytherin common room." Harry smiled slightly, understanding that Draco had probably thought the word about Dean, but appreciating his refusal to use it out loud.
Fred shrugged. "Well, that's not really any of our business."
"We only really wanted to let you know that Ronniekins asked us to prank Harry straight."
"And inform you about the rumours our dear brother has been spreading."
"Very few believe him, but there are a few that are buying into it."
Harry smiled and nodded at each twin in turn. "Thank you, Fred and George." He looked at each twin as he said their names. "If he thinks that a few pranks will end our friendship, then he's got another thing coming. Although, personally, I feel like I should live up to my Marauder heritage." Both twins eyes widened and locked onto Harry. Harry then turned to lead his friends out of the room, before stopping briefly. "Before we go to plan out a few pranks to get your brother to back off, any chance you know of somewhere my friends and I could hang out in our free time?" The twins then suggested the kitchens as an option, explaining how to get in. Harry noticed the pair looking deep in thought as he and his friends left the room and began to wonder if they'd found a certain map. The group of friends then went to the kitchens to inspect their new potential hang out location. They all agreed it worked, but wasn't ideal. However, they decided to stick with the kitchens for now and return to looking at a later date.
A week passed and they enjoyed the freedom of the kitchens, rarely spending any time in their own common rooms. Harry was aware that this caused the youngest Weasley boy's rumours to gain more traction, however he didn't particularly care. Especially after Draco managed to gather six spiders together, which promptly ended up decorating Ronald's toad in the hole one evening. Harry fought hard to keep his laughter contained, but still shed a few tears from the effort. Although, they did gain another irritation in the form of a second year Gryffindor by the name of Cormac McClaggen.
After he was made the seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team, he seemed to grow even more egotistical and made an attempt to befriend Harry. Harry was already aware of McClaggen's heightened ego and narcissism by his constant boasts in the common room, so the group of friends weren't exactly his biggest fan. Somehow McClaggen got it into his head that as he was now on the Quidditch team, he was destined to be a famous professional seeker when he finished school. To his mind, this meant he should also have equally famous friends. This naturally meant Harry Potter.
"Hey, Potter." McClaggen sat down to breakfast one morning, forcing his way between Harry and Neville, reminding Harry of the last Gryffindor who'd tried to befriend him. "I was thinking we should be pals. After all, you're the Boy-Who-Lived and I'm going to be the future star seeker of the Wimbourne Wasps. It only makes sense. Besides, you don't want to be seen hanging out with a borderline squib and Death Eater spawn." McClaggen then shot Harry a cocky grin, seemingly unaware of the glares he was receiving from the Patil twins and Draco.
"McClaggen, I assure you, I would much prefer to hang out with Neville and Draco than I would you." Harry then gave McClaggen a look of such distaste that Draco would later ask if he'd been taking lessons from his godfather. "As a matter of fact, I'd prefer it if you'd leave. I wouldn't want people to see you speaking to me and getting the wrong idea." McClaggen turned as red as his tie and muttered some angry words before storming off back to his friends. Surprisingly, it was Neville who first suggested that they prank McClaggen in revenge. A suggestion that the others wholeheartedly agreed with. Therefore, all five of them were delighted to see all of McClaggen's hair fall out the following morning at breakfast. Even though none of them had been behind the prank. It seemed that the Weasley twins had noticed Harry's immediate dislike of McClaggen and decided to demonstrate their own pranking prowess to the son of a Marauder.
A few more weeks passed, with the group of friends enjoying each other's company, though just over a week before Halloween, the mood was ruined by Harry once again spending the night in the hospital wing. This of course led to even more studying of potential illnesses by his friends. Though, none of them suspected just how he was spending that night, nor could they have imagined the pain he was going through.