Comments are awesome. Posts and Runs.
By Friday morning, the Slytherin first years had discovered a few things about the castle. For one thing, there were far too many stairs. According to the older students, there were one hundred and forty-two staircases on the main levels of the castle, but no one had ever counted the ones in the dungeons. There were also shortcuts all across the castle. None would move them from the North side of the castle, to the South side across the gorge. However, some would take them from the first floor to the fourth with just a few steps. Others would make it so they wouldn't have to cut across an open courtyard to get to class. Still, others would dump them out clear across the castle, making them have to run across three separate courtyards to get to class.
Harry only found this out on Thursday, when he asked Peeves the Poltergeist for help getting from the History of Magic classroom in the North Tower, which was actually the westernmost tower, to the Transfiguration classroom. Not only did they all get soaked, but they also found out that one floor down, a door led straight to the Transfiguration courtyard, with its covered walkways.
He did learn to never trust anything Peeves said. And it woke them up.
Leonore had been right about History of Magic, much to Harry's displeasure. The class was a waste of time. Binns didn't get a single name correct, not when he took the register, and not when he called on students. On the first day of class, Binns launched into a lecture on the Goblin War of 1192, the fourth recorded Goblin War. He droned on in a monotone voice the entire class, putting several students to sleep. Harry, Theo, and Blaise spent their time passing notes back and forth while playing noughts and crosses.
Opposite of him, was Professor McGonagall. strict and clever, she gave them a talking-to the moment they had sat down in her first class.
'Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts,' she said. 'Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned," she said
Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again. It was the most impressive thing Harry had seen, and he was excited to try it. But like Flitwick, all they did was take a lot of complicated notes.
And he was right on her not being one to cross. When half the Slytherin first years showed up ten minutes late to their second ever class with her, dripping wet, they earned her ire. She spelled them dry, took five points, and launched into her lecture.
It was made better when, halfway through class, she had them pull out their wands. She gave each of them a match, and set them attempting to turn it into a needle. Harry had been the first of only six students to make any difference to their match. Professor McGonagall showed the class how it had become silver and pointed. She gave him one of the points back.
Still, the first week of class had gone by faster than he could have imagined.
"Today could have been great," Zabini whined while they ate breakfast. "One class, just one. Then the whole afternoon free. But no, they just had to stick us with them."
He'd done nothing but complain since dinner the night before. The Slytherins had Potions on Fridays, their only class until Astronomy at midnight. All of them were looking forward to the class, Harry most of all. Until Hermione informed them in the Library the day before, that the Gryffindors would be sharing the class with them.
"I heard you the first time, Zabini," Theo said irritably.
Theo was the farthest thing from a morning person, and was prone to snapping at everyone for at least an hour after he woke up.
"But why them? Leonore said Snape is one of the best Potions Masters in the world. Learning from him, but…them!"
"Would you shut up!" Theo snapped.
Harry met Daphne's eyes across the table. They both snickered.
The dungeons were colder than the rest of the castle, but the ones the Potions lessons took place in were positively frigid. When they got there, the door was locked, and they had to wait in the corridor. Harry stood there shivering, wishing he brought his heavy, wool cloak with him. At precisely nine o'clock, the door opened allowing them to enter.
It was much warmer in the odd shaped room. It was a cross, with three rounded ends. The domed ceiling met in the center of the room, with carved supports wrapping up the corners of the walls. Shelves of books and glass jars with things floating in them lined the walls. Above those, painted on the walls, were flowing golden swirls, which became thick bands above the multiple doors in the room. Black lettering, in what Harry thought might be latin, was painted into the gold.
Twenty large tables that had wood burning ovens, covered by iron grates, built into them dotted the room in straight lines. Each of the tables had four stools sat in front of open flames coming up from small holes in the tops of the tables. Several ladles of varying sizes hung from each side of the table.
In the front of the room, if it could be called that, visible from all the tables, a large blackboard stood next to a round table. Strange instruments, some of which looked like old fashioned versions of things he had seen in his muggle science classes, sat on the table.
"Leave a spot for Neville," Harry said, choosing one of the tables nearest the center of the room.
Theo and Zabini sat with him, while the girls sat at the table behind them.
The Gryffindors came streaming in a moment later, choosing the tables away from the Slytherins. Hermione and Neville dropped into the open seats at Harry and Daphne's table. They were the only ones to cross some invisible line though, two lone lions in a sea of green.
Alex glared at them from his table near the door.
"I don't know what they're thinking," Harry heard him say. "Sitting with the likes of them."
Sitting with Alex was Weasley, Padma's twin, and some other Gryffindor Harry couldn't place.
"Isn't he your brother though?" the Patil girl asked. Parvati, he remembered her name being.
"I claim no relation to that traitor. He's not any better than the rest of those snakes though," Alex told her. "Just look at who he's been hanging around. But Longbottom, well…"
Harry rolled his eyes and tuned them out. "Is he still on about this?" He gestured to the silver crest of his robes, with its snake and green accents.
"Unfortunately. He hasn't shut up about it all week," Neville said.
A door off the side of the room slammed open. Silence fell over the class as Professor Snape stalked into the room, his heavy black robes billowing around him.
"The Gryffindors call him the Dungeon Bat, according to Leonore. It's not hard to imagine why," Zabini whispered to them as Snape passed.
With a stern look in their direction, Zabini fell silent again.
Snape began taking the register. When he got to the Ps, he said, derisively, "Ah yes, Alexander Potter, our new celebrity."
Almost all of the Slytherins sniggered along with a few of the Gryffindors. Harry was pleased that at least one professor seemed to not like Alex.
Professor Snape glared at Alex as he finished calling names, then he said, "You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making." He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word — like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort.
"As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses … I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death – if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."
That was an introduction if there ever was one. It was less threatening than his speech in the common room. Harry itched to try his hand at them, to learn any bit of knowledge the man let him have.
"Potter, the Gryffindor one!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
Harry immediately perked up, and looked at Alex. As did the rest of the class. The first chapter of their Potions book had gone over a lot of potions, demonstrating the versatile uses of various ingredients. He remembered reading about those two in particular.
Hermione's hand shot into the air, but no one else's did. Something he'd noticed that was completely different between Hogwarts and his muggle school was that no one raised their hand here. The professors called on specific people to answer questions instead of asking for volunteers.
Daphne glared at Hermione, subtly trying to make her lower her hand.
Alex glanced around with wide eyes, looking for help. Harry doubted he had even cracked his potions book yet. He'd been even less interested in the potions lab than he was the library the few times James and Harry had used it.
"We are waiting, Potter," Snape said. His eyes were filled with hatred as he watched Alex struggle.
"I, er.." Alex stuttered.
"I don't think he's ever met an adult that didn't like him," Neville whispered.
"I don't think so either. This is great!" Harry whispered back, smiling viscously.
"Tut, tut – fame clearly isn't everything," Snape said. He stalked closer to the table.
Every eye in the room followed Snape as he moved.
"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"
Page ten, under Basic Safety Principles, a bezeor was listed as a vital item to have on hand for any potioneer.
Everyone at his table was shaking with laughter. In fact, Hermione was the only person near them not laughing. Daphne had given up trying to get her to lower her hand, and had settled for glaring at her. And Hermione had not noticed, her hand was stretched as high as it would go into the air without leaving her seat.
Weasley looked back and forth between Alex, who just sat there with a shocked look on his face, and Snape. Patil scribbled furiously, and shoved a small piece of parchment at Alex.
Snape moved swiftly, snatching it up before Alex even noticed it.
'Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter? Would just let your friends do your work for you," he said after reading it.
"This is the greatest thing I've ever seen," Theo whispered.
"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?" Snape said after another minute of Alex not answering.
At this, Hermione stood up, her hand stretching towards the dungeon ceiling.
Daphne groaned, and buried her face in her hands.
Finally, Alex seemed to find his nerve. "I don't know, but aren't you supposed to, Professor?" he spat.
There was a sharp intake of breath around the room. A few Gryffindors laughed.
"He didn't!" Zabini whispered.
"He did," Harry said.
"He's dead," Theo said.
"Detention, Potter," Snape growled. Then he turned away, and began stalking through the room. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?'
There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Snape said, "And ten points will be taken from Gryffindor house for your cheek, Potter."
Half an hour later, Snape ended his lecture, and had them pair up. He set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. The recipe for which was written on the blackboard.
Harry ended up with Neville, whose hand wouldn't stop shaking. After the sixth mangled stalk of aloe, Harry said, "Let me prepare things. You stir."
They worked quietly, with Harry whispering "Stir slower," and "Wait for a minute," occasionally.
While they worked, Snape swept around the room, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs. He criticized nearly everyone, not limiting his brutal words to just the Gryffindors. Only Malfoy was exempt from it. He avoided Harry's table, which was good, because every time he came close, Neville began to shake.
"Just ignore him," Harry said, passing the horned slugs to Neville to drop into the boiling cauldron.
"Look at this, Harry," Theo said as they fell in with a plop. "It's different."
Harry turned to look . Theo was pointing to the recipe in their book. The next step was written differently on the blackboard. Snape had written for them to stir desolil three times before adding six drops of water. The textbook skipped that step.
"That's interesting," Harry said. Then, "Neville, no!"
It was too late. Neville dropped something solid into the cauldron. Instantly, a loud hissing echoed off the walls and clouds of acid green smoke filled the dungeon.
Harry lept back, moving away from the sludge that had been Neville's cauldron spilling down their table. Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Neville, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his body.
Snape stormed towards them, and snarled, "Idiot boy!" as he cleared the spilled potion away with a wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"
Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose.
"Zabini! Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape said. Then he rounded on Harry, who had just retaken his seat.
"You — Potter — see me after class," she said then stormed away.
"What was that?" Theo asked as he and Harry finished the potion.
"No idea," Harry said, wondering what he could have possibly done.
When Harry stood to take the glass vial up at the end of class, Theo stopped him.
"I'll take it," he said.
It was probably for the best. Harry made himself busy cleaning their station as Theo joined the crush of students walking up to Snape's desk.
"We'll wait for you outside," Hermione said as the girls joined Theo in leaving.
"…Did it on purpose, Poor Longbottom," he heard Alex say loudly as he packed his own things.
"The only person picking on Neville is you," Hermione snapped as she passed him.
They were the last ones in the room, and the door slammed closed behind them, cutting off Alex's response.
Slowly, Harry approached Snape's desk.
Snape glared at him with his dark cold eyes.
"Sir?" Harry asked cautiously.
"I have enough to do, without dealing with your juvenile games," Snape said coldly. "Tell me, Mr Potter, did you think it was funny to let Mr. Longbottom add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you?"
"I didn't…"
Bullying Neville, that was Alex's game, not his.
"Silence. I don't know what trick you pulled with the Sorting Hat, but I will not have you openly bullying other students IN MY CLASS and bringing disgrace to Slytherin House."
"Sir, I didn't…I wasn't," Harry stuttered.
"Do not talk back to me!" Snape said nastily.
"But Sir," Harry pleaded, but Snape wasn't listening.
Instead, he just glared at Harry. "There will be no detention this time, but believe me, if something like this ever happens again, you will regret it. Understood?"
"Yes Sir," Harry said softly, not really understanding what just happening.
"Good, Get out of my sight."
Harry fled. And ran straight into Hermione. She and Theo were waiting in the long, portrait filled corridor just outside.
"Are you okay?" Hermione asked, placing her hands gently on his shoulders.
"I'm fine," Harry snapped and pulled away.
Hermione's hands dropped to her side, hanging uselessly.
"I think he hates me,"
He told them about what happened.
"Why would a professor say that! It's not your fault. I was right there and saw everything," Hermione said, outraged. "I should go in there and set him straight,"
"No," Harry said. "It's fine, really."
Theo made a noise, they both turned to face him.
"What is it?" Hermione demanded.
"It's…well, it's public record. Snape was a Death Eater. Dumbledore got him off in some closed door session a few months after the war ended. The next year, he was hired as the the youngest professor in Hogwarts' history," Theo explained.
"That explains Alex, but not Harry," Hermione said.
"Actually, it does, somewhat. Though how he got hired in the first place," Harry said.
"We'll figure it out later. Everyone's waiting for us in the Library," Hermione said.
Sixth Years from all houses were pouring in, snapping at them to get out of the way.
"Hadrian," Killian greeted as he passed them
"Hi," Harry said, waving. He wanted to ask the older student about Snape, but Killian looked as though he were in a rush.
Their little study room was crowded when they finally reached it. Neville was missing, but a dark haired boy with an aristocratic face, wearing Hufflepuff robes sat next to Susan on the sofa. Blaise had his eyes closed, leaning back in his chair, while the rest of the girls were bent over a fashion magazine.
"Finally!" Daphne said when she saw them. "What did Snape want?"
"To yell at me about bullying," Harry said, flopping into one of the empty chairs.
"What?" Susan, Padma, and Sue all said.
He explained what happened with Neville to those who didn't have potions with him, and what Snape said after.
"That's something Alex would do," Susan said, echoing Harry's thoughts.
"Neville said he read the directions wrong. He's being kept for the afternoon in the hospital wing. Should be back by dinner," Blaise said.
"He was just supposed to be stirring," Harry moaned as they all pulled out their books.
Hogwarts assigned a lot of homework. It wasn't necessarily hard, but it was time consuming. Lots of reading, long essays. Half the information he needed wasn't in the books, and they had to go hunting through the library. He missed worksheets, and said so.
"I like this more. They were always too easy," Hermione said.
"Wait, you're muggleborn?" Susan's friend asked.
"She is. I'm not. Is that a problem?" Harry asked.
"No, just…" The boy said.
"Harry, this is Justin Finch-Fletchley. He was nominated to accompany me," Susan said distastefully.
"Nominated?" Padma asked.
"Yeah, the other Hufflepuffs don't trust any of you, so they picked him," Susan said. Neither her nor Finch-Fletchley looked happy about it.
"So, are you muggleborn too?" Hermione asked.
"Yes." Even his voice was haughty. "I was down for Eaton before I got my letter."
And that explained everything Harry needed to know about the boy.
"My parents wanted me to go to St. Pauls, but I rather liked Westminster, though I'd have had to wait a few more years," Hermione told them, then she looked at Harry.
"Don't look at me. If James hadn't shown up, I'd have gone to the local state school," Harry said.
"If you're not muggleborn, why did you go to a muggle school?" Finch-Fletchley asked.
Harry didn't think he liked Susan's housemate much.
"It's not all that uncommon for halfblood, especially those with a muggle or muggleborn parent. But," Tracey said.
"It's a long story," Harry said, and didn't elaborate.
When Harry went off in search of a book on the Goblin War they were studying, Susan followed.
"I'm sorry about him," she said as they prowled through the stacks. "Apparently his family moves in the equivalent circles of yours and Daphne's in the muggle world. They thought if anyone could simultaneously understand Slytherins and rub his blood status in your faces."
"It's a clever move, useless, but clever," Harry said. Then he asked, "This was Ernie wasn't it?"
"It was. Honestly, I think he'd get along better with Malfoy or Alex."
"Are we stuck with him?"
"For now. Same way Daphne is stuck with Hermione," Susan said.
"You noticed?"
"I think everyone has," she said.
The two girls had different opinions on everything. The phrase from two different worlds had never applied to anyone more than them. It had been hard work keeping them from clashing.
Things only got worse as the weekend passed.
Sleep deprived and exhausted from Astronomy, Harry lagged behind as the group met up outside the Great Hall after breakfast the next morning to explore the grounds.
They spent most of the morning wandering the castle. There were a total of fourteen courtyards within the castle. Some were tiny, large enough for a bench and maybe a tree, others were sprawling areas where large groups of students congregated. Still, others were multi-tiered stone spaces filled with statues and all types of seating. Almost all of them had some sort of fountain.
Outside the castle walls, the grounds sloped in all different directions. There were vegetable gardens, flower beds, and even paddocks of magical creatures dotted across the sloping grounds. Off the Northern and Eastern sides of the castle, the Black Lake skirted around the base of the mountain, flowing into the gorge and circling half the castle. The sloping grounds on the western side met shallow pools of lake water. Other areas looked down on the water below from high cliffs.
Sitting outside the Bell Tower was the main lawn. Cobblestone paths looped erratically through it, leading from the Main Gate to the castle doors. Circled by rings of paths, and surrounded by students relaxing in the sunlight was the widest fountain. It was at least twenty feet across, with multiple fountains rising up from it. Across a small footbridge, there was a lush open field that led to the base of the Owlry, which rose up high into the sky.
The Clock Tower's courtyard led to a long, rickety wooden suspension bridge that stretched out over a rushing river. It let out into a circle of standing stones. A steep stair cut into the cliff side led them down. Off to one side was a massive tree that tried to hit them when they got too close. The giant of a man, Hagrid, had a small hut off to one side, with oversized pumpkins growing in the garden beside it. It backed up to the edges of where the Forbidden Forest was encroaching on Hogwarts grounds. His hut, which they had found incidentally, was surrounded by a large, loud group of Gryffindors.
Beyond that, edging the forest, the ground sloped down to the lakes edge.
It was mostly deserted, and they spread out the blankets Susan brought beneath the canopy of a cluster of oak trees.
"That was exhausting," Susan said as she slipped her shoes off and laid down on the blankets.
As they wandered about, hiking across the castle, Padma and Tracey complained about their feet hurting, while Daphne and Hermione sniped at one another about everything.
"That last from McGonagall was awful. It took me half the night to complete it," Sue said while they munched on the snacks from Susan's basket.
The one she made Finch-Fletchley carry around all day.
"Binns' was worse, I think he made up half of what he told us," Lilly said.
"No, but most of the stuff is really obscure. I had to write Gran," Neville said as he joined the girls in slipping his shoes off.
"How is Regent Longbottom?" Theo asked.
Harry had only ever heard her called Lady Longbottom, and he made a note to ask about it later.
"Gran's good," Neville said. "Bored without me to fuss over, according to her letters."
"Tori is already regretting having Mother's undivided attention," Daphne said.
"Well, I think most of our parents probably miss us. Mum's going crazy without Parvati and I there," Padma said.
"Speaking of your sister," Hermione said. "What gives with her hanging around Alex all the time?"
"She's an empty headed fan girl. She's been half in love with him for years. Her and Lavender both," Padma said.
Theo and Blaise faked gagging.
"Why?" Hermione asked.
At the same time, Harry asked, "How?"
"The books of course," Padma said.
"There's all kinds of Alex Potter adventure books out there," Susan explained at Hermione's confused look. "James sued one of the publishers, then backed another. They're awful books. Aunt Ami hated them and never let me read them, but lots of kids love them."
"My father refused to buy them," Theo said.
"There's no shock there," said Sue.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Theo snapped.
"Everyone knows your father got off on a technicality, Theo," Daphne said. "It's no surprise he wouldn't want you reading that drivel."
Theo glared at her, but let it go.
"Gran wouldn't buy them either. Of course, I had to deal with the real Alex, so I never had an interest in reading them," Neville said.
"Ugh, He really has been the worst," Susan said.
"What's the deal with him?" Finch-Fletchley asked.
They all turned to look at him. Finch-Fletchley was sitting on the edge of the blanket, as far from them as he could get without being on the grass.
"What do you mean?" Tracey asked.
"I mean, why do so many people whisper about him and follow him around like he's famous?" he asked.
"Because he is," Lilly said.
"Don't remind me," Harry said.
"Why?" Finch-Fletchley asked.
A few beats passed with no one saying anything. Finch-Fletchley looked like regretted asking.
Finally, Harry spoke, "No one told you, did they?"
"Told me what?" he asked.
"I wasn't told either," Hermione said. "I only know because I bought simply every book I could after Professor McGonagall delivered my letter."
"What exactly do they tell muggleborns? I've always been curious," Lilly asked.
"Not much. They explain magic, the school and give a few demonstrations. That's about it. They leave us a bunch of leaflets and directions to get to Diagon Alley," Hermione said.
"James gave me the books my mother got at Flourish and Blotts, some sort of introductory package. They're extremely unhelpful," Harry told them.
"Who delivered your letter, Justin?" Susan asked.
"Professor Vector," he said. "My sister watched her curse our security guards when they wouldn't let her in. My believed it all a little too quickly, though Mother still isn't sure we made the right decision."
"Security guards?" Tracey asked.
"Mother is an MP, and Father's CEO of a communications company," he said.
"I don't know what any of that is," Daphne said. Her words were dismissive, but her tone, Harry thought she might be curious.
Together Harry and Hermione explained what an MP was and what they did. They tried unsuccessfully to explain what communications were. Finch-Fletchley was no help.
When everyone's faces still showed confusion, Finch-Fletchley said, "That's how I feel all the time! I don't understand what's going on most of the time, and I never know what anyone's talking about!"
"Has no one tried to explain things to you?" Lilly asked.
"No!"
"I've got some books I can loan you, Finch-Fletchley," Harry said.
"I do too," Hermione added.
"Thank you. By the way, it's Justin."
"Merlin, please. Everyone needs to stop calling me Zabini," Zabini said.
"Touching," Theo drawled. "Now that we're all on a first name basis, can we move on?"
A few hours later, when they had all gone to their separate tables for dinner, Tracey said, "I wasn't aware they gave so little information to muggleborns."
"I imagine if they gave more, there might be less prejudice against them," Lilly said.
"Doubtful," Blaise said. "Italy brings them in at a younger age, tries for more integration. According to my Nonna, it does help, and there's not as much emphasis on blood status as there is here. There's still a lot of prejudice though."
"It's worldwide. I mean, if it wasn't Grindelwald wouldn't have been so much of an issue," Daphne said.
"Or so popular," Theo added. "Half the fight against him was that he was so well liked by the masses."
"Still, they really should give more information to them. Imagine what they don't know!" Tracey said.
"I don't have to," Harry said sarcastically.
When they tried to apologize, he waved them off. "That's on James, no one else."
He couldn't shut his mind off that night. Thoughts of Hermione and Justin, and all the other muggleborns at Hogwarts raced through his head. About how things could have been, if not for James abandoning him. If not for James showing up and helping him adjust. He thought about the wars, and how he thought he'd been thrown to the wolves, so to speak, but in reality he had access to resources they never would. Like the massive private library he'd haunted all of August.
Malfoy's snores echoed around the room. The rusting of Blaise's sheets as he tossed and turned were as loud as Harry's heartbeat. Even Crabbe's muttering seemed to bounce off the walls. The logless fire crackled and popped as it burned in the pool. The drawn curtains around his bed seemed to grow darker, and the bed smaller.
Harry sat up quickly, spots dancing in his eyes. His head felt light, his arms too heavy. He could feel his heartbeat down to his toes.
"Master-Speaker?" Morgan asked.
It felt as though he were moving through molasses when he turned to look at her.
"Open the curtain, Master-Speaker," she said.
It took ages to open them, but when he did, the room finally went silent. Air rushed back into his lungs. The room was still too small, and he needed more space to breathe.
"Come on," he said.
Morgan wound herself up his arm and draped herself across his shoulders.
They left the common room, and went deeper into the dark cold dungeons. He passed the staircase that went up to the Reception Hall, found the old room they used to hold detentions in, and kept going.
Deeper and deeper he traveled, down staircases, hitting dead ends and doubling back, only to turn down new corridors. He wandered for what felt like hours. Eventually, he got curious. Most of the doors wouldn't open, even with unlocking spells, of which he now knew three.
As he wandered, his breathing went back to normal, and the racing thoughts vanished in the darkness around him.
They were in the depths of the dungeons, he had passed a massive ballroom two staircases and six corridors ago. The rooms that were unlocked were empty spaces filled with nothing but dust.
"What's down here?" Morgan asked.
The damp corridor with moss growing on its walls held nothing but more doors. Only the center door opened. Beyond it was a short hall, at the end, just on the edges of the light from Harry's wand, was another staircase.
"Let's find out," he said.
It reminded him of the first weeks at Linweald, crawling through the old storage rooms. In just a week, he'd forgotten how much he enjoyed it.
The flight of stairs went up a floor, to a low narrow hall with only a rusted suit of armor in the center, and a tapestry so faded, he couldn't make out any details on it.
"I smell fresh air," Morgan said.
Harry didn't see how that was possible. They were deep under the castle, as far from fresh air as they could possibly get.
He pulled the tapestry aside. There was a narrow, steep staircase leading up.
It let out into some long abandoned office, with a sleeping area around a corner. Beyond the high arches, in a second smaller room, was a bank of windows looking out into the darkness of the lake.
"This is cool," Harry said. "Killian said we're encouraged to find our own places. I think I just found mine."
"Killian?"
"Older student," Harry told her. "He's my mentor."
"Like me?"
"Sort of." He smiled at her. "I'll have to bring Theo and Daphne down here."
"Can I meet them yet?" Morgan asked.
She had been bothering him all week about meeting his new friends. And she was tired of being cooped up away from Harry with no one to speak to. The only time he could spend with her was late at night, after his roommates had fallen asleep.
"Maybe," he said.
Then he realized, "Do you know how to get back to the common room?"
Morgan did not, and it took twice as long for him to find his way back to it.
Sunday was his worst day at Hogwarts so far. The day started out well enough, even though he was exhausted. It had been after four by the time he managed to find his way back to the common room.
After breakfast, Harry and the others trooped back out to the banks of the Black Lake, intent on spending another day outside.
Harry planned on taking a nap, and leave managing Daphne and Hermione to the others. The two girls had barely spoken except to snap at one another for hours. They'd had some argument that Harry hadn't paid attention to on the way out there.
"Honestly, I hate robes," Hermione said as the girls were going through Daphne's fashion magazine. "There's so much fabric, and they're hard to move in without tripping over. They're so outdated and impractical. And simply everyone has been staring at me all day."
"It's because you look like some ridiculous trollop," Daphne said, eying the other girls clothes with disdain.
Hermione was wearing fitted jeans and white trainers with a loose, bright purple sweatshirt. Her unruly curly hair was pulled back by a clip that strained to hold it back. Daphne and the other girls though, had their hair perfectly done up, and were wearing light women's robes. Harry had no time to learn about Witches fashion, but it was very different from muggles. For one thing, it didn't show much skin, let alone the shape of their legs.
Harry thought Hermione looked comfortable, even if he preferred his robes over muggle clothing. He still winced at Daphne's words.
"A trollop! What is this, the eighteen hundreds!" Hermione screeched.
Both girls were standing nose to nose on the blankets, glaring at one another.
"The only Witches who show so much of their bodies are the whores down Knockturn's side streets," Daphne said.
"You're all just going to let her talk to me like this!" Hermione shouted, her voice turning shrill and hurting Harry's ears.
"Most muggles dress like that," Harry said.
Justin, the only other person not in robes, confirmed it. "She's more covered than most muggle girls our age," he said.
"Well, in case she hasn't noticed, we aren't muggles!"
"That doesn't mean I have to change how I dress."
"You do if you want to fit in," Daphne spat. "It's bad enough you act like…well, like some interloper who doesn't know their place.."
"Know my place? You're no better than I am!" Hermione screamed.
"Well, I don't subject people to awful clothing and bad manners," Daphne screamed back
"Bad manners? I have bad manners!"
"Yes, you do!"
"Well, I don't, then neither do you. My parents told me that if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. So maybe you should SHUT. YOUR. MOUTH"
"Do you think they'll start pulling hair?" Blaise asked quietly.
"I hope not," Theo said.
They both chuckled. Harry rolled his eyes.
"No one cares what your filthy muggle parents think!" Daphne shouted.
"Daphne!" several people screamed.
"You…you…you bitch!" Hermione said, shocked.
Daphne's wand was in her hand before anyone could stop her. "Locomotor Mortis," Daphne said, pointing it at Hermione.
Instantly, Hermione's legs snapped together, her knees locking. With a furious shout, she toppled over, right into Lilly's and Susans' drinks, which soaked her clothing.
"Finite," Sue said softly, and Hermione's legs relaxed. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Hermione scrambled up, pulled her wand out, and turned to face Daphne. Tears were streaming down her face.
"Try something, and I'll do it again," Daphne taunted.
Hermione lowered her wand.
"Seems you finally learned something," Daphne spat.
Hermione turned and ran as the other girls began shouting at Daphne.
Harry glared at Daphne. His own wand was steady in his hand, pointing straight at her. "That was cruel. Ap Mordeo."
She screeched as the stinging hex hit her hand.
"You deserved that," he said, then stormed off.
Harry and Neville chased Hermione back to the castle and across the Quad.
The quad was a large courtyard between Ravenclaw towers and the Turis Magnus. It was a multi-leveled space, with stairs and balconies wrapping around the exterior of the castle walls. Doors led back inside at different levels. At one end, sat a stone gazebo. Several fountains lined the edges between the staircases, and trees grew all around the stone ground. Some even grew on the upper levels.
"Hermione!" he called.
"What?" she snapped, turning back to look at him and Neville. Her face was red and blotchy, and her eyes swollen.
Students everywhere turned to look at them.
Including Alex, who had been holding court with his admirers on one of the upper levels.
"How could you just sit there while she said those things?" Hermione cried. "Why did you let her talk to me like that?"
"Can we do this somewhere more private?" Harry asked, shifting from one foot to the other.
He wasn't sure why he didn't stop Daphne sooner, or at all. There really wasn't an excuse. Harry looked around, panicking.
Alex pushed his way towards them with Weasley, Ernie and Cormac following close behind.
"No," Hermione snapped. "Just…go back to your awful friends."
"Hermione," he pleaded.
"No. She's horrible! I tried, I really did. But you didn't even try to defend me!"
"Daph was out of line, but…"
"Not buts!" she said. "Please, just leave me alone."
Alex reached them. "You heard Granger," he said, wrapping his arm around Hermione's shoulder. "Leave her alone, traitor."
"This doesn't concern you," Harry snapped.
"It does, when nasty little snakes are terrorizing one of my muggleborn housemates," Alex said loudly, drawing the attention of more students.
Whispers broke out around them. Not one person in the courtyard was someone he recognized from Slytherin.
"Hermione," Harry pleaded.
"She doesn't want you here," Alex spat.
"I don't need your help, Potter," Hermione said, shoving away from him and storming off.
"Move," Harry said, trying to get around Alex to follow her.
"She wants to be left alone, so leave her alone," Alex said.
"I didn't ask your opinion," Harry said. "This is between me and her, not you. So stay out of it."
Alex pulled his wand out, pointing it at him.
Harry took a step back.
"No more games. Leave her alone," Alex said.
Harry ignored Alex, and shouted at Hermione's retreating form. "Is this what you want?"
"Talk to her again, and I'll hex you," Alex said.
Harry laughed. "You will? Have you learned any yet?'
There was movement all around them.
"Don't, Harry," Neville warned.
Harry didn't listen.
"Try it, I dare you," Harry said, focusing completely on Alex.
Alex shot off a spell. His aim was awful, and a lifetime of dodging punches from people bigger and meaner than Alex, Harry easily sidestepped the bright yellow spell. It whizzed past him and fizzled out.
"I am so done with him," Harry said to Neville, then smiled at Alex.
It was sharp, and there was nothing nice in it. He'd spent his entire life running and cowering from bullies. Spent the summer hiding away to get away from Alex's torment. He vowed, then and there, he never would again.
"Good try," Harry taunted. "You won't get another chance. Petrificus Totalus."
His spell hit dead center, and Alex froze in place. His body dropped to the ground with fury in his eyes.
Harry did make one miscalculation. He forgot about the other Gryffindor boys.
"Run," Neville said. "I'll talk to Hermione."
Harry didn't wait, and sped out of the courtyard, Cormac, Ernie, and Weasley hot on his heels.
Down into the dungeons he went, and looped through a false wall he'd found the night before to get away.
Only a handful of Seventh Years were in the common room when he came in. All the other students were outside or elsewhere in the castle. Where they would stay until evening.
"I'm in so much trouble," he told Morgan when he was safely ensconced in his room.
"What did you do?" she asked.
After he explained, she said, "Want me to bite him?"
"What is with you always offering to bite people? It'll kill them."
"It's a good way to get rid of problems," she said like it was the simplest thing in the world.
Harry laughed hysterically. "Thank you. I needed that," he said.
"It wasn't a joke," she said defensively.
He sat there, talking to her in a way he hadn't since summer ended. Harry missed Morgan's companionship, even with his new friends around. For one thing, snakes came with a lot less drama.
An hour later, he heard voices coming up the hall, and tossed the blanket over her.
"Keep quiet," he said.
It was just Theo and Blaise.
"We were wondering where you disappeared to, mate," Theo said.
"Yeah, Daphne's pissed at everyone, and the three of you never came back," Blaise said. "Then, we hear you cursed Alex."
Harry groaned, and went to flop back. He only remembered Morgan at the last second, and barely avoided squishing her.
"What do you have there?" Theo asked.
"Nothing," Harry said a little too quickly.
"Sure it is," Theo said and yanked the blanket back. Then he screamed.
"What is…is that a snake?" Blaise asked, astonished.
Morgan peered up at them both, laughing in a way only snakes could.
"Er — yes?" Harry said.
"Where did you get a snake," Theo asked, recovering from his shock. "What kind of snake is it?"
"Her name's Morgan. She's a black adder," Harry said.
"Seriously, where'd you get her?" Blaise asked, coming closer to look at her.
Morgan preened under the attention, squirming around so the magical light glinted off her black scales.
"I've had her for years.
Theo looked at him. "You have a venomous snake, named after the greatest Dark Witch of all time, and you got her before you even knew you were a wizard?" he asked.
"Yes."
Theo collapsed into laughter, and Blaise followed him.
'Don't tell anyone about her," Harry said.
"I won't say a word," Blaise said.
Theo didn't seem capable of talking; he was laughing too hard.
"What's so funny?" Morgan asked, her tongue tickling his hand.
They knew about her. The founder of their house was said to have been able to talk to snakes. Harry made a decision.
"I have no idea," he told her.
Theo stopped laughing.
Blaise's eyes bugged out of his head.
"What?" Harry asked, innocently.
"You just…I…you can…how?" Theo stuttered.
Blaise was just staring open mouthed at him.
"I didn't quite catch that," Harry said.
"You talked to a snake. How?" Theo said, finally seeming to recover.
"No idea. I've always been able to talk to snakes," Harry said.
"This is.." Theo seemed at a loss for words.
"Big? Bad? Terrifying?" Blaise supplied helpfully.
"Neither, because you aren't telling anyone," Harry said.
"But, respect from the upper years? We're Slytherins. That you can speak to snakes means something," Blaise said.
"And how exactly will it help me, if people outside of Slytherin know? James said it was Dark, to be a parselmouth, was he wrong?"
"No. The Dark Lord was the last known person who could," Theo said.
"And who am I?" Harry asked.
"Okay, point. But you're giving up a lot, by not telling anyone," Blaise said.
"James is barely tolerating me being a Slytherin. I don't know what he would do if this came out."
"Fine. It'll stay between us for now," Blaise relented.
"Thank you." Harry said.
"Well, now that that's settled, we're late for dinner," Theo said. "Also, still the most interesting person in our year."
"I don't really want to eat," Harry said.
"Too bad. You cursed your brother in front of half the school. You can't afford to hide down here."
Eyes watched him, glaring, from the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables from the moment he entered the Great Hall. Some people openly stared at him, others whispering to their friends about him. Even some of the Ravenclaws couldn't stop glancing at him.
Harry ate slowly, careful not to drop any food on himself under all the eyes. Even some of the Professor's kept glancing at him.
Hermione sat with Neville, but they both sat with the third years, far away from their year mates. Hermione refused to look their way, but Neville waved, which caused a few of his housemates to glare at him.
Daphne sat with them, but refused to speak to Harry. Instead, everything she said came through Tracey and Lilly. It made conversation awkward.
Still, no one brought up either fight, and Harry left as soon as it was socially acceptable to, thanking Merlin he had avoided getting in any sort of trouble for the incident.
He spoke too soon though. Killian and Leonore were waiting for him when they reached the common room.
"Let's go, Potter," Leonore said.
"I'm dead," Harry moaned.
"Good luck," Theo said as the prefects led him away.
They marched him up the steps at the back of the Assembly Hall.
Behind the statue of a bearded man with heavy robes draped around him holding a skull in one hand and a snake covered staff on the landing, before the stairs split up to the Seventh Year dorms, was a door. Inside was a small round room. Inside the room was a small, plain desk and a couple of chairs.
"Sit," Killian said, and all but shoved Harry down into the uncomfortable chair.
"Where are we?" Harry asked.
"Slytherin prefects office. We're the only house with one," Killian said.
"RIght."
"What were you thinking?" Leonore shouted as soon as she closed the door behind them.
"What?" Harry asked.
"Your brother," Killian said. "There's no need to shout, Leonore."
"Yes there is! Do you even understand what you've done?" Leonore said.
"What I've done? He tried to curse me," Harry said.
"That's not what I heard."
"Well, it's true."
'The truth doesn't matter," Killian said. "Explain yourself."
Harry told them about the fight between Hermione and Daphne, about chasing after her and the argument in the Quad. And about Alex.
Killian sighed.
"It's worse than we thought," Leonore said.
"It's not," Killian said. "Look, Hadrian, you have to look at the optics. At what the rest of the school saw. The Granger girl is muggleborn, she's not even trying to hide it. She was crying as you chased her into the Quad. Regardless of what happened, others saw what appeared to be Alex defending her from you. Then you cursed him." Killian held up his hand, stopping anything Harry might say. "I didn't say that's what happened. I said appeared to happen."
"The Hogwarts rumor mill is brutal," Leonore supplied. "I'll talk to Daphne. You make up with Granger. And don't go anywhere outside the common room alone."
"Why?"
"People are going to try to curse you," Killian said, leaving no room for argument.
"Go to bed," Lenore said. "We'll work on damage control."
Harry got up to leave.
"Hadrian," Killian said before he exited. "Good aim."
"Thanks."
Unfortunately, it was the day that wouldn't end. Malfoy was waiting for him in the deserted hall outside their dorm.
"Move," Harry snapped and pushed past him.
Malfoy let him pass, and followed him into the dorm.
"Move," Harry snapped and pushed past him.
Malfoy let him pass, and followed him into the dorm.
"Fighting over a mudblood in front of everyone," he said. "I knew they shouldn't have let some blood traitor like you in."
Harry didn't know what a mudblood was, but the way Malfoy said it, he was sure it wasn't nice.
"What did you say?" Blaise asked, standing up from Theo's bed.
"You heard me. Potter, you're just the up jumped spawn of some mudblood bitch that tricked one of her betters into marrying her. You don't deserve to be in this house."
"Excuse you?" Harry said, carefully.
Rage like he'd never felt before surged through him.
"You heard me. You're a disgrace to this house."
"Shut your fucking mouth, Malfoy," Harry snapped.
"Aren't you in enough trouble as it is? What are you going to do?"
"Draco, back off," Theo said.
"I wonder how disappointed your father would be to hear what you're friends with," Malfoy said.
"Less than your mother would be to hear how you've been trying to use her house for your advantage," Theo said.
Malfoy blanched, his pale skin flushing a bright red. Malfoy moved to curse Theo.
"Ap Mordeo," Harry said.
At the same time, Theo said, "Petrificus Totalus."
Malfoy fell onto the floor frozen, his eyes wide in terror and pain.
Crabbe and Goyle moved to either curse them or help Malfoy. Harry aimed his wand at one, Theo at the other.
"Either of you tries anything, you can join him," Harry said.
The two of them looked between Harry and Theo, then turned to their own beds.
Harry stepped up and bent down next to Malfoy's prone body.
"He can still hear us," he asked Theo.
"Yeah."
"You can stay there, until you figure out how to help yourself, or until morning. Keep my mother and Hermione out of your mouth," he said.