Mind Over Magic
Disclaimer: SEE FIRST CHAPTER
Review Answers:
WhiteElfElder: I'm actually hoping to avoid that cliché for now as Harrison has more important things to focus on;
Bruinsfan30: When they're ready;
So, while he wasn't looking forwards to the lesson because of the dislike Professor Snape seemed to have for him, Harrison was looking forwards to one thing about the lesson at the end of his first week.
Getting answers…and if they turned out to be the wrong answers?
Well, then he'd consider Plan B; an option he really didn't want to take, but if he had no other choice, he'd do it.
Better to be well-educated than have someone trying to sabotage his progress just because of a pitiful, impotent hate he wouldn't bother explaining.
Chapter 7: All I Know Is I Won't Go Speechless
On the morning of their first Potions lesson, which also had the misfortune of being with the Slytherins, there was a sense of unnerved emotion among the Gryffindors that seemed to be mostly focused on two things more than anything else that week.
First, the point that Snape hated Gryffindors and, second, the fact that Snape really, truly, undeniably and all-round hated Harry…sorry, Harrison Potter, as well as anything and everything to do with the name Potter.
As for the aforementioned student, however, there were some of the lions whom were surprised to notice how Harrison seemed to be in his usual state of calm apathy. He quietly helped himself to some porridge and fresh orange for his breakfast while he also seemed content to toy with his wand, juggling it between his fingers as many had noticed him doing whenever he was in a relaxed state.
As usual, Neville and Hermione were sat on either side of the young student, though Neville looked more like a man who'd just been condemned to the gallows while Hermione had her head buried in a copy of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, as though she was revising for the lesson.
When the owl post arrived, many of the students rushed to gather their deliveries and, in some cases, reply to them.
However, for perhaps the first time all week, Harrison showed an air of surprise when Hedwig flew to him, carrying a letter that was rolled up and sealed with a strange crest. The crest showed a hammer and anvil with three differently-sized circles – one gold, one silver and one bronze – that surrounded a large letter G, said letter engraved onto the anvil with the hammer in the background, its shape similar to the mystical hammer Mjolnir.
Seeing the crest, Harrison extended his hand, allowing Hedwig to offer him the letter while she also helped herself to a bit of bacon.
As the young student took the letter from his owl, he frowned when he noticed the crest.
Next to him, Hermione, who'd been as surprised as everyone else to see Harrison's owl giving her human a delivery, blinked in curiosity as she asked, "Isn't that the Gringotts Crest? Why would they be mailing you, Harrison?"
"I don't know," said Harrison, looking once to Hermione, "But until I'm sure I can read this safely, I can't say either, so please don't pry, Hermione. Now, if you'll excuse me…"
With that, he rose from his seat and walked to the High Table, earning a few curious looks from the other students while, as he reached the table, Harrison noticed the headmaster watching him with the same curiosity as well as what looked like a glint of excitement. However, rather than take on the old man, Harrison looked to his Master, who looked up from his own breakfast with a curious air.
Before Filius could say anything, however, Professor Snape showed just how much he wasn't willing to deal with Harrison.
"Potter, back to your seat: five points from Gryffindor for disrupting the feast."
"In that case, why don't you make it a hundred, Professor? Surely that can sate your impotently-spawned appetite for hating me as well as the rest of Gryffindor for the full lesson, right?" asked Harrison coolly, earning a horrified look from Minerva as she looked towards the House Point glasses.
Harrison, meanwhile, cleared his throat before he asked, "In any case, my business isn't with my teacher; it's with my Master and, as I said when we were discussing options on day one, in case you forgot, I didn't name you my Head of House or my Master, now did I, sir?"
While Severus glared at Harrison, the young boy looked back to Filius, "Now, I'm sorry for disturbing the feast, Master Flitwick, but I was wondering if we might arrange a meeting for this afternoon to discuss something that has been brought to my attention?"
Here, he indicated the parchment in his hand, earning a curious look from Filius while Harrison remained apathetic, "I know it's not strictly-speaking Hogwarts business, Master, but just like my circumstances come with their own advantages, I was hoping yours might make you an ideal counsel for this business."
"I can help you if you want advice on such matters, Harry," retorted Dumbledore, but, not for the first time did Harrison ignore someone getting his name wrong, let alone the fact that it was the Headmaster who addressed him.
As Filius took notice of this, he cleared his throat, "Come to my classroom before dinner, Apprentice Potter, and you can also take back those five points Professor Snape took from Gryffindor House for bringing such important matters to my attention instead of just charging in there…what's the human saying? Half-cocked?"
"Yes sir," said Harrison, inclining his head to Professor Flitwick before, to the shock of the rest of the staff, Harrison did the same to Snape before he drawled, "See you in class, Professor!"
Snape's nostrils flared as Harrison turned and walked out of the Great Hall, not even stopping to dismiss his owl, who seemed to get the hint all on her own as she flew off back through the window from where she'd come into the hall.
MoM
Even as breakfast got back to normal, however, Filius turned to his colleague before, taking a slow breath, he addressed said man.
"Now my student and protégé is not here, let me give you just a little warning of my own, Severus: rest assured, as well as discussing his first week and the efforts I know he's put into all his classes, I will be asking Apprentice Potter for a full description of what has happened in your lesson and, if I should find anything that hints at your usual anti-Gryffindor bias being made worse because it is aimed at him, I will take this higher!"
As Dumbledore opened his mouth to argue, however, Minerva cut him off with a warning shake of the head, while Filius went on, "As the apprentice of Hogwarts, his wellbeing is my responsibility as his master…a role I take more-seriously than I did the last person who could have earned such a right, albeit after her final years at Hogwarts and not in the same circumstances as her own progeny…so…choose your words carefully, boy!"
Suddenly, it was like the blood had drained from Severus' face while, on Filius' other side, Dumbledore also seemed troubled.
Once again, he hadn't managed to get a foot in the door as a result of that strange letter addressed to him.
The fact it was also sealed with the Gringotts Crest – the Gringotts Director's Crest at that – was doubly-worrying, especially given Harrison's strong relationship with Filius, his keen sense of self-loyalty and his apathy towards practically everything.
Now he was willingly trying to rile up Severus, ignoring the advice of Albus Dumbledore and going as far as distancing himself from everyone and everything, except the two students who seemed to be fixed on either side of Harrison, and just as protected – judging by what Albus had been told about the two spending their nights in guest rooms in Harrison's Apprentice Dormitory.
Albus didn't know how he might be able to find a way to get through to Harrison, even if only to find out what had gone wrong.
And that made him more-scared of anything that the boy might do than the thought of what he wouldn't.
MoM
After making a quick detour to the Chamber of Pride to safely store his letter, Harrison made his way back down to the dungeons for his first Potions lesson, though as he walked into the darker side of Hogwarts, a look of troubled emotion flashed across his face.
Why were the goblins contacting him?
More-importantly, what branch of Gringotts was trying to get in touch with him?
As with a lot of things, he remembered reading about the crest of Gringotts and seeing a picture of it in one of his books and, unlike the one he'd seen – a brown shield with two rolls of parchment out of the top; a single key cutting through the shield with Gringotts engraved in a circular-shaped engraving on the centre. Finally, there was the motto, Strength through Loyalty, over the base – the crest on his letter was very different indeed.
Official, judging by the form it took and the hammer and anvil, but different than the actual crest, regardless.
Putting his thoughts to one side for now, Harrison stopped outside the door to the Potions Classroom, leaning idly against the dark stone wall as he tried to gather his wits and emotional restraints for the lesson ahead.
Given the fact that he'd chosen Gryffindor as his rep-House as Apprentice of Hogwarts, he knew there'd be some Slytherins who'd be looking for a bit of justice on their part. Especially that vainglorious twit, Malfoy, who seemed to think Harrison had been more-insulting than he'd shown Malfoy he was willing to be by not only keeping the secret of his identity, but constantly blocking him whenever he tried to get in close with Harrison's circle.
But as Harrison had said before, he was willing to move into the modern era while Malfoy was still stuck in the Dark Ages, if not Georgian/Victorian, in a time where knowing the right names and being around the right sort of people was all that mattered to ignorant twits like him.
As long as the moron was willing to continue being a moron, Harrison would continue to push him away.
And besides, who was he to say Harrison owed him the right to know his name when they first met?
Privacy was a real thing in Harrison's life, so it was something he enforced, which was why he got on so well with Neville and Hermione.
Well, Hermione, but Neville was another story…
"Harrison?"
'Speak of the devil,' thought Harrison, looking out of the corner of his eye to see Neville and Hermione making their way towards him, the latter still apparently curious about her friend's sudden departure from the Great Hall and, most-likely, his letter from the goblins as well. As for Neville, he still looked a bit pale while he seemed to be fiddling with his own wand, much like Harrison would do whenever he sought to calm himself or figure out the best solution to a newfound problem.
"There you are," said Harrison, looking from Hermione to Neville, "Neville, if it's not too much trouble, I'd like you to be my partner for these lessons. At least then, you'll have something resembling a shield between you and whatever it is that unnerves you about our lesson, though I suspect it's our not-so-professionally-driven teacher, am I right?"
As Neville blinked in surprise, Hermione looked from one friend to the other before she asked, "Where did you go?"
"I had to make sure nobody could take what wasn't theirs to own," said Harrison in a matter-of-fact voice, earning a surprised look from Hermione before, remembering what he'd said to her before confronting Professors Snape and Flitwick, she closed her mouth and nodded, "Are you going to be all right, Hermione? I know Slytherins tend to look down on Muggle-borns and, other than us, you're not really a friend with anyone else."
Suddenly, Hermione's eyes widened while Neville frowned, "Harrison, that wasn't very nice."
"The truth rarely is," argued Harrison, clearing his throat for a moment, "Just don't let yourself get stuck with Weasley: judging by the impression he's given me this week, I'd theorise he'll be content to let you do all the work, then take the credit for it and blame any failures on his part on you."
While Hermione nodded, a part of her still unused to Harrison's lack of empathy towards anyone other than he, himself and his, Harrison looked back to Neville, "As for Professor Snape, let me handle him, Neville. You just stay on task and, if you need it, don't be afraid to ask for assistance. Also, I know they're not necessarily the same, but if you can, try and imagine you're cultivating plants in Herbology rather than brewing up pots of dangerous, life-altering potions that tend to explode if something goes wrong. Find your strength and you'll be able to handle your weakness."
Not for the first time that week did Harrison's words strike a chord with Neville while, yet again, Hermione found herself wondering what it was about said boy that made Harrison act so…different…so open with him.
Before she could get an answer, however, Hermione turned, as did the boys, when the door to the Potions Classroom suddenly clicked open.
While Hermione looked curious, Harrison scoffed as he muttered, "Cunning move, Professor: have a timer on the door's magic so that the students come in and take their seats while you make an overdramatic entrance, most-likely after assessing them as they wait around. Any who muck about like little kids, you choose as targets and decide aren't worth your time, but for what you might call the select few, just like the attitude of your purist delinquents, you make an impression…most-likely because of some speech about what they will never be able to do, but you say they will anyway."
Finishing his impressive-sounding theory, Harrison sighed deeply before he walked into the classroom, Neville and Hermione following in his stride.
As they took their seats, however, Hermione nudged Harrison, earning a sharp flinch from Harrison before he glared at her.
"What?"
Suffice to say, Hermione was shocked by Harrison's violently-harsh reaction, though she tried to maintain her composure as she told him, "I…I just wanted to say that, if you're right about Professor Snape, I…I'll do your homework for the whole weekend."
"No, you won't," drawled Harrison, looking back as the rest of their classmates joined them, though there was still no sign of their teacher, which made Harrison scoff before, as he sat back down, he told her, "Unlike others in your House whose names I won't mention, I get by on my own achievements and do all my own work, thank you very much, Miss Granger!"
Hermione didn't know what she'd done wrong, but judging by the iciness in Harrison's voice, and how she'd suddenly gone to being Miss Granger and not Hermione, she guessed it was something bad.
MoM
Four minutes after the last student had taken their seat, Harrison rolled his eyes when he heard the door to the Potions Class open before the low, jaws-fused-together voice of the Potions Master started to address the class as he made his way forwards, his black robes again billowing behind him like the wings of a bat while he spoke.
"There will be no foolish wand waving or silly incantations in this class; as such, I don't expect you all to understand the fine art and noble science that is potions making. However, for those select few who possess the predisposition…"
'And here comes the unnecessary sales pitch,' thought Harrison, resting his chin against one hand as he listened to the teacher's tirade.
"I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses…I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory and even put a stopper in death…"
Again, Harrison rolled his eyes before he drew himself up, his eyes never leaving those of the Potions Master as he pretended to show due interest before, to his amusement, he heard Severus drawl, "Mr Potter…our…new…celebrity…"
Deciding to go with his first instinct, which was to rib the shit out of anyone who instantly annoyed him or made him look like something he wasn't, which was something Severus had done by being so openly and unchallenged in his bias against the boy, as he drawled, "You mean there have been other celebrities here at the school? Wow, does that mean I'll get into the Hall of Fame one day too, Professor?"
"Silence!" snapped Snape, though when he did, he saw the edge of Harrison's lips twitch before he inclined his head to the Slytherin Head.
"No disrespect intended, Professor, but you did address me, so which is it? Silence or speak?"
As Snape opened his mouth again, most-likely to remove points from the Gryffindor for his cheek, he was cut off when he remembered the icy glare in Filius' eyes and the warning of showing too much bias against Harrison for him being who he was and not who he wasn't.
And, judging by the fact Harrison's lip twitched again in amusement, he must know Filius had Severus by the gobstones, which made the man even angrier as he drew out a slow breath, "One point from Gryffindor for cheeking off a teacher; however, you are correct that I addressed you, so let's see just how special you think you are. Tell me, Mr Potter, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
As Harrison considered the question, narrowing his eyes as he suspected there might be something more to Severus asking such an advanced question, his hand snatched out, stopping Hermione from putting her own hand up, as she was prone to doing in lessons, before he muttered, "He asked me, Miss Granger, not you…though I'm surprised by the question."
Suddenly, as Harrison thought on his answer, letting his mind direct him to the ingredients Snape had spoken about, his eyes widened suddenly, though only for a second or two, as he came to a different answer to the one Snape clearly expected.
MoM
Asphodel was a type of lily plant that, in olden times' studies of floriography, meant I will follow you to the grave, while the wormwood meant absence and tended to symbolise bitter sorrow, usually in conjunction with its bitter aftertaste.
'Bitterness towards one that they follow to the grave?' thought Harrison before, subtly, shaking his head as he mused, 'No…that can't be it…there has to be another meaning…could he feel bitter because of her death? What? Is that meant to mean he cared for her or something?'
MoM
"Potter?"
Snapping out of his train of thought, Harrison looked up before, meeting Snape's eyes again, he took a shaky breath before he hissed through clenched teeth, "You heartless bastard!"
A collective gasp followed Harrison's shaky, hissing words as he looked up into the coal-black eyes of his teacher; at the same time, Neville's eyes widened, as though he too had figured out the secondary meaning while, as Harrison glared daggers at the Potions Master, he saw the man's eyes widen back before his voice cut through the silence.
"What did you just call me, Potter?"
"Oh, I'm sorry," drawled Harrison, rising from his seat, though he was so tense and unyielding that he made some nearby think of a rattlesnake that was now doing La Cucaracha with its tail – including Neville and Hermione, who was watching with silent alarm, though more at the fact Harrison had cussed out a teacher – as Harrison drew himself to his full height before he addressed the Potions Master again.
"Is your sense of disgusting hypocrisy and desire to flaunt your loathing for the dead blocking up your ears…or is it just that sea of greasy black that you call a hairstyle that deafens you, you overcompensating, pig-ignorant, heartless hypocritical arsehole?"
"How dare…"
Before Snape could finish, however, Harrison raised a hand, silencing the man as he snarled, "No: you don't get to speak. It's my turn now, Snape, and you're going to learn something from me! First, let me answer your question as a student would and say that powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood creates a sleeping draught so powerful, it is commonly known as the Draught of Living Death, which, if brewed potently enough, can kill with a single drop!"
He didn't raise his voice.
And yet, the sharpness of his voice didn't diminish as he went on, hissing through his teeth in a way that almost made him sound like Snape himself as he pressed on, his eyes never losing that cold, dangerous light in them.
MoM
A light that actually made Snape's eyes widen as, in them, he saw something he definitely did not want to see.
Or rather…someone…
MoM
"However, you incompetent oaf, the other answer to your question is this: no matter how much you regret the death of a lily-named being, nothing you say or do will make me ever think of you in whatever way she may have done. As far as I'm concerned, you had one chance to honour the fallen and share tales that might have made me respect you a bit more, maybe even consider you an honorary second mentor as well as Master Filius, but, as far as I am concerned, Snape: you can regret Lily's death all you want…it doesn't matter because, like my Father, she's dead!"
A ripple of magic seemed to follow Harrison's words, making Severus stumble back, fear now present in his eyes as Harrison's lip curled into a sneer before he went on.
"However, if that regret is because of some ass-backwards excuse you may feel responsible for her death, then consider this your one and only warning: hate the dead and who they were all you wish, but if I find out you had anything to do with my family's destruction, I swear to you, in the names of all who came before me bearing that name you loathe so much, I will make what I did to the last people who screwed with my heartstrings look more like a pile of canine excrement left on a doorstep in a burning paper bag compared to what I will do to you, you pathetic insect!"
A flurry of movement rose from behind Harry…
"MR MALFOY, DON'T YOU DARE RAISE YOUR WAND TO MY APPRENTICE OR YOU AND YOUR FATHER WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH ME!"
The fact that Professor Flitwick had even managed to reach the classroom, much less get in without anyone else noticing, made more than a few students take note of just how powerfully the bond between Master and Apprentice was for Harrison and the goblin teacher.
As for Harrison, he walked around the desk and, reaching Snape, he asked, "You want a reason to hate me, though? Here…"
The sound of Harrison's fist breaking Snape's crooked nose would be something that would make every Gryffindor pleased that this unique student was one of theirs, while, at the same time, Harrison scowled as he looked at the now crumped-up Snape.
"I quit…I'll find a teacher and pay for them myself; better a real mentor than scum like you…Neville? Granger? I trust you two will be joining me?"
Neville was quick to agree.
Hermione, however, was left wondering, again, why Harrison was so cold towards her.
As for Filius, he barely got to Harrison before the boy ignored his Master's presence, as well as the respect he'd earned, as he stepped over the goblin's smaller stature and headed for the door, not even bothering to apologise.
Though only Filius saw the tears that Harrison refused to shed as he left the class, leaving the goblin to glare at Severus before he hissed at the room in general;
"What happened…tell me everything now! And if anyone dares to lie, you'll be in detention with Filch until you're graduating!"
MoM
'Be numb, be dead, don't let them in, don't let them see…be numb, be dead, don't let them in, don't let them see…be numb…be dead…come on!'
Over and over, Harrison repeated a mantra that had helped him best all the distractions – as he'd thought of them – that tried to break through to his heart and soul, ever since the loving Millers and the Muggles who helped them showed their true colours.
Never before had he thought he would meet someone he loathed and detested as much as Mr and Mrs Miller, but then he'd met Snape and seen just how deep a wound the prick was willing to inflict, with his hypocrisy and his attempt to confuse and disorient Harrison into being someone he wasn't. Maybe even make him admit that Snape had actually beaten him because the question confused him, what with being two answers in one.
As he tried to focus on his mantra, Harrison's mind was less-focused on the task at hand and more on the riddle that Snape had dealt him such a crushing blow with, while, at the same time, trying to remind him just who the hell he really was now, all thanks to people like them.
He was Harrison James Potter.
And he didn't care…no…he couldn't care…not about anyone, anything or any distractions
He had to find his comfort zone; and, to do that, he had to get away from the Potions lab.
That was all that mattered.
Which was how, after declaring his intention to never let Snape teach him anything ever again, Harrison raced for the Grand Staircase in such a crazed, obsessive manner that he could have been described as insane. He had this mad glint in his green eyes that seemed to be omnipresent while his steps moved with such speed and agility that he hardly even seemed to touch the ground.
All the while, his mind kept repeating his mantra.
'Don't…let them in…damn it, Harrison! This should be cake for you! Come on…block it out…go dead…go numb…they don't mean anything…you are your own person! You don't need them…be dead…be numb…don't let them in…don't let them see…'
He was so lost in his mantra, he didn't notice the shimmering liquid trickling down his cheeks as he raced for the only thing he could think of.
Sanctuary…
MoM
Even when he reached the portrait that guarded his dormitory, Harrison didn't calm down.
He didn't calm himself as he gave the password, though he had to give it three times because of how he was stumbling over his words. He didn't calm down when he was in the familiar surroundings of his Common Room, his faithful feline friend, Loki, reacting to the sudden welcome presence of his master as he mewed in greeting, though Harrison didn't seem to hear him.
He didn't even calm down when he stormed into the empty room that he'd long-since decided would be used for training and spell practice.
On the contrary, he slammed the door so hard that Loki was startled while the windows rattled.
In the training room, Harrison paced in frenzied circles and circular patterns, his steps taking him in a direction that, had anyone been able to track said footsteps, they would have found them creating an endless infinity symbol as the young man paced.
"No," muttered Harrison, though he was speaking to no-one in particular as he gasped, "He hasn't…he hasn't beaten me…I don't get beaten…and I don't feel a thing about it. They're gone…they're dead; I don't need them distracting me…I feel nothing…for nobody. Not fear, not love, not joy, not sorrow…I am…hollow!" (1)
And yet, still he paced, moving in his cycle until, unable to hold it back anymore, Harrison slammed his fist into the brick wall of the training room, his teeth clenched so tightly that they could have shattered with the strain. However, while his teeth didn't shatter, the bones in his hand did, as the fierce snapping, breaking noises that followed the punch indicated, earning a growl of frustrated pain from Harrison as he yelled at the heavens.
He didn't really say anything when he yelled; he just screamed, roaring like one of the lions on the entrance to his dormitory before, unable to hold it back anymore, he sank to the ground, clutching his broken hand while he curled his knees to his chest.
Then, for perhaps the first time in years, Harrison Potter did something he'd never done, no matter how hard things got.
He wept, his warm, but salty tears running down his cheeks while he sobbed and whimpered, both from the pain in his hand, but even more for the bigger pain he felt drilling its way into his perfectly-forged, emotionless, diamond-hard walls of defence that he had built up many years ago in a bid to help him survive against a world that would never accept him for anything more than what they wanted him to be.
The pain he felt drilling into the very core of the last place Harrison ever wanted to admit being hurt.
His heart…
MoM
When Hermione noticed Harrison was yet to turn up for dinner, the first thing she felt was worry, closely followed by her damned curiosities flaring up as she wondered if his absence had anything to do with his hurried departure from Potions earlier that day, not to mention his cold demeanour and how it had changed towards her.
Even though he had offered her a place in whatever new Potions class he was going to arrange – or Professor Flitwick had said he was going to arrange when, after being asked about the build-up, the goblin had told Neville and Hermione he'd deal with it, and all they had to do was try and look out for his young apprentice, as they'd tried to do all week.
Speaking of Neville, he was sat in the Great Hall with her, though when she looked to him for any possible explanations, she saw the same confusion and bewilderment on his face as he asked what she was thinking, "Have you seen Harrison, Hermione?"
"Not since Potions," said Hermione, looking now to the High Table before she frowned, "That's odd; Professor Flitwick's here, but I thought he had a meeting with Harrison about the letter he received at breakfast?"
"Should…should we ask?" asked Neville, earning a shrug from Hermione before he gulped, "Whether Harrison's here or not, he is Harrison's Master and his quote-unquote Head of House, so if there's a problem with him, I guess we should direct it to Professor Flitwick, shouldn't we? I mean, what if he's hurt or he…what if someone's tried to attack him or…"
"Calm down, Mr Longbottom," said Professor Flitwick, his sudden appearance at the Gryffindor Table startling Neville while Hermione swallowed hard as she saw the aforementioned Professor look up and down the table, "So, he's not here either, then? I admit, I was a little concerned when he didn't come to my office as we'd agreed: have either of you two seen him?"
"Not since Potions," repeated Hermione, but as soon as she said it, Filius' eyes darkened as he looked from her to the High Table.
To his outrage, he saw Severus looking at the situation and, although he'd never admit it, the man looked like the cat that ate the canary.
Filius made a silent vow to deal with the smug prat, since it was clear the so-called authority in the gold chair had done jack with a side order of shit.
MoM
When Hermione spoke the password to Harrison's dormitory, a part of her thankful he'd trusted her and Neville with said password, she was a little concerned by the fact that the Common Room was empty, though she could see the rolled-up letter from Gringotts as well as Harrison's cat, Loki, who prowled over to her, meowing in worry before he purred when Hermione scooped him up into her arms and began petting him delicately.
She could also see Harrison was in attendance since his things had been left near the table while, to her slight concern, Hermione saw the door to the training room was ajar. As she made her way towards the door, Hermione was also aware of Professor Flitwick and Neville following her, though when the goblin professor saw the empty room, he suddenly looked worried.
Edging her way towards the door, Hermione gulped as she slowly wrapped her fingers around the hilt of her wand as she prepared to use magic just in case they walked in on a training session gone awry before, knocking on the door, she asked, "Harry…Harrison? Are…are you in there?"
"Go away, Miss Granger," replied Harrison coolly, his tone nothing new to Hermione, though when Professor Flitwick heard him address her as Miss Granger and not as her first name, he was again concerned for his student's wellbeing, especially since Harrison's usually-apathetic tone was more-emotionless than normal.
Dare any of them think it, but the boy sounded dead to the world around him.
Swallowing down her own worries, Hermione tried again, "Harry…Harrison, Professor Flitwick's here; you…you missed your meeting with him…"
"My apologies, Master," said Harrison, his voice still as dead as he seemed to be, "I can reschedule if you wish; now please, leave me alone. I know it's a free period this afternoon, but I'd rather be left to my own devices, thank you very much."
"Mr Potter," Filius piped up, gesturing for Hermione to move aside while he addressed his troubled protégé, "Mr Longbottom and Miss Granger told me about this morning's lesson. I know what caused you to become…whatever it is you've become as a result of it; the question Professor Snape asked. And, if I am right, I promise, he will not get another chance to play with your heartstrings again."
"That implies I have a heart with which I have the strings for insects such as him to play me on, Sir," drawled Harrison darkly before Hermione and Neville moved back as they heard a sound indicating Harrison was moving.
Seconds later, the door opened.
When it did so, Hermione blushed while Neville's eyes widened as they both got a look at Harrison when he wasn't quite so formal with the world around him. He'd shed his Hogwarts robes in favour of a tight-fitting, dark-blue t-shirt that seemed to fuse to his lean frame like a second skin. This also exposed the slight pallor to his arms and his waistline, especially since he also wore a pair of knee-length shorts and nothing on his feet.
To Hermione's concern, Harrison also carried his wand in one hand and, as he stood in the doorway of the training room, he idly toyed with it, as he usually did whenever he wasn't on task or working on schoolwork, as he juggled it between his fingers while he went on, "I don't know what you think you've figured out, sir, but I'd appreciate it if you kept it to yourself."
"Harry…"
"It's Harrison, Miss Granger, or did you forget that too?" argued Harrison, earning a gulp from Hermione.
"What…what did I do?" asked the brunette, earning an empty glare from Harrison, "We…we were getting on so well, but then…then you stopped and…and you're so cold and formal with me. Why, Harrison? What did I do to deserve this? Whatever it is, I'm sorry."
"You touched me," said Harrison coldly, earning a shocked look from Hermione before he sighed, "I would have thought my effort to distance myself from our peers would have shown you that I hate being touched, let alone in such a jokey manner as a punch to the arm. I'm not some little kid who needs to be concerned with such juvenile acts…"
"So, when I did it in retaliation to your guess…" gasped Hermione, before she blushed hard as she gulped, "I…I'm sorry; I didn't…I didn't know…"
"Of course, you didn't," agreed Harrison, moving past her and Filius as he added, "Because you didn't ask."
"More like you never warned us!" exclaimed Neville, earning more shocked looks from Hermione and Filius, since they couldn't remember a time where they'd heard the aforementioned boy sound so confident or strong with his words.
As for Harrison, he just stared blankly at Neville as the boy gestured towards Hermione, "What is with you, Harrison? Even when you say we've earned your trust, you still keep us at arm's length and leave us in the lurch. How are we supposed to be made aware of anything to do with you if you won't open up, after everything we've done to try and help you adjust to…to what's happened? But you didn't and do you know why? Because you chose to close yourself off to everything else but whatever the heck's wrong with you after Snape asked you about your Mum!"
Suddenly, Harrison wheeled around, his wand now pressed beneath Neville's chin while his green eyes shone with warning.
Neville, however, didn't even flinch, which was rare for him, "As you said, I'm a Herbology prodigy, Harrison, I know what the asphodel plant and wormwood mean in terms of definition and, while they do mean the same thing for the Draught of Living Death, the fact of the matter is Snape could have asked anyone that question, but he asked you and do you know why?"
"To…to…to throw me off my game," whispered Harrison, though his wand hand trembled as he said it, "To…to try and…and…"
"To beat you before you had a chance to be like the guy he hates more than anyone else," said Neville, a note of finality in his words. "Despite the warning that Professor Flitwick says he gave the guy after you talked to him at breakfast, Snape wanted you to know he knew where to hit you and make it last and, look at that, Harrison: he succeeded! You're always so confident in your abilities, Harrison, but all it takes is one reminder of a time you never even think about and you fold like a house of cards!"
Suddenly, Harrison's body trembled even more than his wand hand was doing.
At the same time, Hermione's expression softened while her heart grew cold with concern when she saw the edges of Harrison's eyes wrinkling and straining to hold back the tears he wanted to shed.
At the same time, Neville swallowed hard before he went on, "Now I don't know what you're thinking, Harrison: Merlin forbid anyone has been able to figure that out, but I do know this. I've known you for all of one week and, already, I've seen you show equality, strength, and both a keen sense of independence and observation that makes you someone nobody can figure out. You also hold yourself atop a very tall mountain, probably even taller than Everest, which others find impossible to scale…and I don't even know why I'm using that euphemism, but I am."
"It certainly fits," said Filius, earning a sideways look from Harrison, "Like Mr Longbottom, I know what the riddle meant and why Severus addressed you with it, but unlike you, Harrison, I do not let it linger because, if I did, I'd be admitting defeat when I have no reason to."
"But…but he knew her…" gasped Harrison, his voice edged by a note of pain, "And he…he's let me know he…he knew her enough to…to care and beyond the grave…he feels bitter; why? Is…is he bitter I'm alive and…and she isn't? Does he…does he wish I had died and not her? Was…"
Suddenly, Harrison asked a question that did stick with Filius for a long time afterwards.
"Does he feel he was somehow responsible for it?"
"We don't know," admitted Filius, his voice edged by a note of sorrow given what Harrison had just said, as well as anger that he silently aimed at the guy who was, obviously, protecting the dishonourable pillock.
Filius silently vowed to get the best in the world if that was what it took to help Harrison, but also to stick it to, as he knew James used to call the foul, loathsome little cockroach, Snivellus about crossing swords with a young warrior under the charge of a goblin Master like him.
At the same time, he saw more signs that reminded him this was a boy he was dealing with, even though Harrison Potter was more-mature than his eleven years suggested most of the time, which was why he kept his tone calm and reassuring, perhaps even fatherly and warm, as he continued.
"All we can do is decide for ourselves what we do with the truth as we see it. That is what it means to be human, which, coming from someone like me, is a rather ironic thing to say, but it is the truth."
As Harrison's wand continued to tremble, Neville slowly lowered said wand from his chin, though his eyes never left Harrison's as he continued to listen to his Head of House's sound advice, "However, whatever the truth may be, it is neither a mystery nor a dilemma you need to face alone, Mr Potter. And as for your adamant dislike of being handled physically in any way, even by those you call your friends, I'm afraid I must side with Miss Granger and Mr Longbottom when they say if you do not share these things with them, how can they be sure to avoid it?"
"They're not my friends!" whispered Harrison, turning away from a stunned Neville and a white-faced Hermione as he added, "They're classmates."
"Classmates who've managed to get closer to you than you've let anyone get ever since you walked into this place, even me," said Filius, clenching his fists as he knew his next words might decide his own fate with Harrison, but it had to be said.
"Whether you will admit it or not, you have been friendlier with them than you have anyone else, Harrison: the lessons you offered them, the aid you wanted to give to Mr Longbottom…Neville, to make himself a better wizard. Why, I'm sure the two of them are wondering why you're even being so friendly with a boy you hardly know…I know I have often wondered, but I've chosen to let it go because I see the true meaning of what it means to be in a House when I look at you three."
"Hear, hear," said Neville.
As for Hermione, she gulped before she told him, "We…we are your friends, Harrison; you might not call us that, but we call you it because we trust you to be our friend and someone we can be…ha…"
She let out a soft, but warm laugh as she said the last part before she went on, "Someone we can be kids with. And Professor Flitwick's right too; I have wondered about you and Neville, but I let it go because I thought you were…you were being like the rest of us by being around him…and me."
Harrison remained quiet, but this time, it was Neville who piped up as he explained, "Harrison, whatever might be your reason for believing you don't need friends, that's your business and, even if it means being kept at arm's length, we won't pry…will we, Hermione?"
Hermione shook her head while Neville went on, "But don't think you need to be alone to confront the demons of your past; you more than anyone could use those you can rely on to keep your secrets, act as your shield and, if necessary, your sword against the world, especially with how half the school sees you for a celebrity and the other half sees you as a Dead Man Walking for one reason or another. You can't do this alone."
"Why not?" asked Harrison, moving to the table where he seemed to lose himself in observing the patterns in the wood.
"I have done so far…I tried being a kid, being normal, and all it got me was lies and false aid…so I am better off alone."
For a moment, none of the others knew what they were meant to say; however, as Neville looked to Professor Flitwick, his head snapped to where Hermione was standing as she told Harrison, "If you think that, Harrison, then maybe you should have died ten years ago!"
Neville's eyes widened with horror when he heard this, while Professor Flitwick exclaimed, "Miss Granger: what do you think you're saying?"
"Something she hopes will get me to make a response that shows I'm capable of feeling," drawled Harrison, looking to Hermione, "But it won't work, Hermione: in case my other little slip with Snape didn't show it to you, I've faced the worst sort of mind games and I'm still standing, which is more than can be said for the guilty parties, so if you want to double-cross me into some kind of emotional trap, you'll have to try much harder than that."
For a moment, Hermione looked shocked that Harrison had seen through her so well.
However, after only a moment, her expression softened as she asked, "That's your opinion, is it?"
"Yes," said Harrison.
"Very well, Mr Potter," replied Hermione, looking now to Neville as she told him, "Come on, Neville: like he said, we've got a whole afternoon to ourselves. Why don't we go and stretch our legs a bit?"
"If you're hoping for a future date where I come running, begging for help, you'll be waiting a long time, Granger!" insisted Harrison, earning a sideways glance from Hermione as she scoffed.
"Maybe, but it'll be worth it if I spend it with my friends," replied the brunette, looking once to Filius as she added, "See you in class, Professor."
Then, without another word, Hermione left, a confused, bewildered Neville following close behind her.
Once the portrait hole closed again, Harrison snorted before he muttered, "Pathetic…does she actually think this play will work?"
"Maybe she believes her friend will decide that for himself," said Filius, earning another scoff from Harrison before the professor asked, "At any rate, since I'm here and you're here, why don't we look at the letter you received this morning?"
"I'm not interested," drawled Harrison, earning a surprised look from Filius that turned into one of disbelief when Harrison fed the letter, seal and all, to the flames, leaving nothing but ashes in his wake as he stared at the flickering flames. "I told you before, Professor, I only care for me, myself and I, not for the demands of anyone else, least of all Gringotts' desire to know everything about every client that comes through their doors. So, whatever they want, you can tell them I decline their correspondence and will continue to do so until they learn the same lesson everyone should."
"And what lesson is that, Mr Potter?" asked Filius, earning a final scoff from Harrison as he looked to said teacher before he answered him;
"This is my life…and I will live it by my choices!"
Chapter 7 and, in trying to lock up his emotions again, it looks like Harrison has become something much more dangerous than even the sleeping dragon tickled, but will Neville and Hermione's gambit work or are they just helping create Voldemort Version 2?
Also, will Harrison be able to work through the sea of red surrounding him and his thoughts and feelings, not that he's admitting to them, thanks to Snape's hypocrisy and find the prodigy inside again?
Keep Reading to Find Out
Next Chapter: Neville and Hermione make a ballsy move, but all they're really doing is earning the attention of the Lone Wolf; also, Harrison has a sit-down with his…not-friends, which leads to some interesting changes for all;
Please Read and Review
NUMBERED ANNOTATIONS (1)
A line from Hugh Jackman's Van Helsing movie that sums up Harrison's hope for his feelings, or lack thereof;