Here comes the fourteenth chapter!
* Review Response:
Thundramon, once the potion completely leaves Harry's system - which would be a couple of weeks after he stops taking it - he resumes aging at the normal rate. So, for all intents and purposes, he's now twelve-or-so aged boy; this also includes his Magic.
Kingdark, I'm sorry then. This Draco - at least for now - is on the bashing side of personality skewing. That said, I think that eventually he'll experience character development and will change (slightly?) for the better. Ron... given how he's portrayed in the first book, also won't exactly be a nice person if things don't go his way. Which they often don't since he has a tendency to put his foot into his mouth.
Ranmaleopard, JPElles, davycrockett100, jamnaz79, zainethedemonking, mizzrazz72, Tommy14, Wyrtha, ObsessedWithHPFanFic, llIMagic, magitech, akasanta, elvander72, YamiSlade, Kharneth666, Finder18, Necrogod, XPGamer, thank you for your reviews, folks!
The Sinful, perhaps, their popularity exists because they don't have much if any proper appearance in canon? - this lets authors write them however they want, while you can't do the same to the characters that have more 'screentime' without going AU route.
Ariadne Venegas, no, Gringotts operates on chronological age, so Harry's stunt with the potion doesn't mean anything to the goblins. Hermione will survive the troll. As for her house... I'm actually not sure, whether I should switch her over to Ravenclaw or keep her in Gryffindor.
WanderingReader10, maybe? Hedwig was a gift from Hagrid. Here, our favorite half-giant is doing the photo-album of Harry's parents instead. That said, Harry will eventually need an owl so he can send letters without renting owls from a post office or waiting for his friends to write him first. So, maybe, he will get Hedwig the next summer.
* AN: Great thanks to my friend Remilia - The Scarlet Moon for his help in polishing this chapter.
Also, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna receive a lot of flak for the character bashing that happens in this chapter, but...
Disclaimer: I DO NOT own "Harry Potter" franchise. No profit is being made. Same goes for any books, video games, anime or manga I may or may not use for ideas.
"speaking"
"parseltongue"
'thinking'
written text
A Year Too Soon
Chapter XIV: Back to Hogwarts
As Harry got back to his feet and brushed soot off his clothes, he couldn't help but wonder why every method of public transportation used by wizards that he came across was so uncomfortable. At least, the floo network allowed you to get from one magical fireplace to another nearly-instantaneously, so the discomfort of spinning madly through the artificial space while surrounded by flashes and howling noises of fire was somewhat tolerable.
Shaking his head, the green-eyed Potter directed his attention to the Hogwarts Express. Even though it was still only a few minutes past ten in the morning, the scarlet steam engine was already parked by the platform 9¾ and the first passengers were already boarding it. Seeing no reason not to join them, Harry picked his trunk and got on the train. Unlike the previous year, however, he didn't go for a compartment at the end of the train and claimed one closer to the middle instead. And once he was seated, knowing that it will likely be some time before his friends and acquaintances join him, Harry picked a book on the wizarding politics that he bought on Lady Greengrass's advice and started reading…
He managed to get about half an hour of uninterrupted reading before students started boarding the Hogwarts Express en-masse and people started peeking into 'his' compartment rather frequently. From there, it wasn't long before he was joined by Tracey Davis - the brunette appeared to be really happy to find a familiar face on the train. For a minute or two they just sat in silence. Then, Tracey shyly asked him what Hogwarts was like, probably afraid that she was distracting him from his book. Once reassured that he was reading merely to pass the time, though, Tracey became much livelier and Harry found himself under a barrage of questions about the classes, the professors, and everything else related to the life at Hogwarts.
He was busy telling his companion about what Transfiguration classes with Professor McGonagall were like, when the Carrow twins decided to make their appearance:
"Good morning, Harry, Tracey." They said as they entered the compartment.
"Hello." The green-eyed Potter greeted Flora and Hestia back, before standing up and offering them his assistance with putting their luggage away. The twins, of course, graciously accepted his help. Once their trunks were secured on the overhead luggage rack, the twins seated themselves besides Harry and joined his conversation with Tracey, imperceptibly shifting it away from what awaited them at Hogwarts and towards catching up with each other…
And as he listened to the girls, Harry quickly realized that he has missed quite a bit of summer fun while he stayed at the 'Leaky Cauldron', reading one book or another when he felt like it. Perhaps, he should consider including a trip to Brighton into his plans for the next summer? - Tracey made it sound like it was a lot of fun, especially going to the beach part…
The young witch's tale, however, was soon interrupted by the arrival of the final members of the group: Blaise was the first one show up with Daphne making her appearance only a minute later. And once their trunks were secured, the two of them quickly joined the conversation, both eager to learn about their friends' adventures over the past couple of weeks and to share their own.
The Hogwarts Express was still clearing the London's suburbs when the compartment door slid open, revealing a thin, pale-skinned boy with sleek blond hair and steel-gray eyes. He was accompanied by a pair of 'bodyguards' - large and burly and not particularly bright-looking boys, who would have little trouble intimidating their contemporary…
The blonde quickly greeted Blaise, Daphne and the Carrow twins in a way that made it clear that they've known each other for quite some time, before directing his attention to Harry himself.
"And you must be heir Potter, right?" He asked politely. Upon Harry's nod he continued: "Please let me introduce myself. I'm Draco Malfoy, the Heir to the Noble and illustrious house of Malfoy." Then, almost as an afterthought, he introduced his companions as well: "And this is Crabbe and this is Goyle. It a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"Likewise." Harry said, while offering Draco his hand, who eagerly shook it. The compartment fell into silence for a few moments. Then, the blond wizard opened his mouth:
"I'm glad to see that you went the right way in the Magical world, Potter, and haven't made friends with the wrong sort." He said while looking over the people in the compartment, his eyes lingering on Tracey, who was a half-blood without close blood-relation to any of the important wizarding families, for a few extra moments. And while no one said anything to him about this comment of his, Harry could see clearly that his friends wouldn't think twice about helping him defend Tracey's honor, should Malfoy attack her... Thankfully for everyone, that was not why he came here: "I will be honored if you choose to join my friends and I for the train ride, Potter." Harry narrowed his eyes a little: while worded as a mere request, this was actually an order. And one that he didn't feel like following.
"Thank you for your kind offer, heir Malfoy, but, I'm afraid, I'll have to decline your invitation. I prefer my current company." He said as he leveled a penetrating gaze at Draco. The said blonde had a pink tinge appearing in his pale cheeks as he fought to hide his anger at having things not go his way.
"I suggest you think again, Potter." Malfoy said, politeness now absent from his voice. "And if you know what's good for you, you will make the right choice this time." Harry glared at the boy in front of him for a few seconds, before finally giving him an answer.
"I'd rather stay here with my friends, Malfoy." He said.
"Well then, do as you wish, Potter." Draco said. "Just don't come crying to me when your pitiful life is destroyed and you are nothing but an outcast of the Magical society. My father will most definitely hear how you spat on his goodwill and refused to pay the debts you owe to the house Malfoy." And not wasting another second, the blonde turned around and walked away.
"What debt is he talking about, Harry?" Flora asked, finally breaking the silence that reigned over their compartment for the last twenty or so seconds. The green-eyed youth shrugged.
"Hell if I know." He didn't remember making any deals with the house Malfoy, so he really had no idea how he could be indebted to them. Must be something that Draco thought up to make him do as he wished… Or was it? - no, there really was no way he owed anything to the house Malfoy... Shaking his head, Harry turned his attention back to his friends. "Anyway." He continued. "Where were we before this little interruption?" He asked, trying to resume the conversation they've had before Draco and his goons showed up.
Sooner than Harry and co would have liked it, they got another visitor. This time it was a girl with a wild mane of bushy brown hair. She was already wearing her Hogwarts uniform, which was of the default color scheme that could only ever be seen on someone who hasn't been sorted yet. A firstie.
"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one." She said in a bossy sort of voice.
"No, we haven't. Sorry." Hestia replied without missing a beat. The bushy-haired girl let out a small, barely-noticeable sigh. Apparently, this was far from the first compartment she has checked. Being familiar with how exhausting constant failures can be when you're looking for something, Harry decided to help the still-unnamed little witch out:
"Why don't you find a prefect and ask them for some help?" He suggested. "If this toad is still on the train, they should be able to summon it." The girl nodded.
"Thank you." She said. This was followed by a moment of silence; it was all but written on her face that she wanted to ask them a ton of questions about Hogwarts and Magic, but, thankfully, she decided that finding her friend's toad was a priority, so she just thanked Harry again for his advice before leaving the compartment.
"I hope that the next time someone disturbs us, it's the candy cart lady you've told us about." Blaise said as he shut the cabin's door close. "Perhaps we could spell it locked?" He suggested next.
"Can't do." Harry replied. "The compartment doors are warded against all standard locking charms. Allegedly, to help the prefects maintain some resemblance of discipline."
"That's too bad." The dark-skinned youth replied with a small sigh while hoping that no other annoyance will bother him and his friends…
Unfortunately, peace and quiet didn't last for long: not even fifteen minutes later they got another visitor barging into their compartment. This time it was a boy with red hair and many freckles on his face. And since he bore more than a passing resemblance to the Weasley twins, Harry quickly concluded that this must be their youngest brother, Ronald, if he remembered correctly… The Weasley boy looked around the compartment before focusing his attention on Harry. Or, to be more precise, on his Harry's forehead, his eyes seeking out the infamous lightning-bolt-shaped scar there.
"You are Harry Potter, right?" He asked straightforwardly as he pointed at the green-eyed youth in a less than polite manner. And while the redhead didn't make the best of first impressions, Harry decided to humor him and answer his question:
"And if I am?" He asked back acock. The young Weasley smiled broadly.
"Cool. I'm Ron. Ron Weasley." He introduced himself, confirming Harry's guess about his identity. "Do you really have it? The scar, I mean. Can I see it?" He asked then.
"No." The young Potter replied immediately and decisively. He really didn't like people eyeing him like he was some rare animal in a zoo because of the scar the Dark Lord gave him on that fateful Halloween night almost ten years ago.
"C'mon, mate!" Ron pushed.
"I'm not your 'mate', Weasley." Harry growled in response, rising from his seat.
"B-But I want to be your friend!" The redhead exclaimed. "I mean, you are the one who defeated You-Know-Who. You can't be bad even if you are a sli-... Slytherin." Even though the young Weasley has swapped words at the last moment, Harry could make a good guess about what he wanted to say originally. And he certainly didn't appreciate being called a 'slimy snake' or anything along those lines. Putting such a label on his friends was just as bad. Finally, as an icing on the top of the proverbial cake, he really hated when people refused to see past this ridiculous moniker he got saddled with.
"Excuse me!.." Harry hissed, cold anger clearly audible in his voice: the red-haired boy, Ronald, was really trying his patience right now…
"What?" Ron asked back, totally confused about the reaction he got out of his 'mate'.
"Are you saying what I think you are saying?" The green-eyed wizard asked him dangerously.
"Huh? What are you talking about, mate? Everybody knows that Slytherin is where all bad people go." The redhead stated as if it was a fact. He opened his mouth to add something - likely something about Harry being an exception to this 'rule' because he was the Boy-Who-Lived, the defeater of the Dark Lord Voldemort, or some other such nonsense - but Harry interrupted him:
"So… My friends and I are evil just because we're proud Slytherins?" He asked pointedly as he glared at the Weasley brat in front of him. "You're just a prejudiced moron, Weasley. If there is nothing else, please leave us be." This turned out to be the last straw, and Ron's temper exploded:
"You!.. You are just like the rest them, Potter, an evil, slimy snake!" He shouted, his voice full of rage and betrayal. "Never talk to me ever again, you bastard!" Turning around, he then stomped his way out of the compartment, slamming the door shut behind him with enough force to rattle the glass.
Harry let out a deep sigh. This could've gone much much better...
He was brought out of his thoughts by two pairs of hands snaking around his torso.
"Pay him no heed, Harry." Hestia whispered into his ear reassuringly as she and her sister gently pulled him down between them. "You're our friend, and that's all that really matters."
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Thankfully for Harry and his friends, the rest of the train ride was rather uneventful. That, of course, didn't mean that no one else stopped by their compartment, but those little disturbances weren't anywhere near as bothersome as Malfoy's or Weasley's self-centered attempts to force themselves into Harry's circle of friends. Indeed, the group was actually looking forward to the candy cart lady and her trolley full of wizarding sweets, and, between the six of them, they bought nearly a galleon worth of confections. And the bushy-haired witch that was looking for a missing pet toad - now accompanied by the said toad's owner and the gadabout amphibian itself - stopping by to say a 'thank you' for his advice made Harry feel quite good…
Eventually, the train began slowing down and the conductor announced that they would be arriving at Hogsmeade in half an hour, which meant it was the time to change into Hogwarts robes. The girls were kind enough to let Harry and Blaise put their uniforms on first. Then, it was the boys' turn to wait in the corridor while their pretty companions changed.
Then, Harry and Flora and Hestia had to spend the remaining few minutes of the train ride reassuring their friends that their friendship won't end even if they end up sorted into a house other than Slytherin. For whatever reason, Blaise, Tracey and, especially, Daphne were scared of getting abandoned due to being sorted in a different house…
While the first years got their first sight of Hogwarts and its majestic beauty whilst riding across the Black lake on enchanted boats, the older students had to take the "horseless" carriages to get to the castle. And, for whatever reason, it required them to take the different exits from the Hogsmeade platform… That, however, didn't stop Harry and the Carrow twins from making sure that their three friends safely joined the rest of the firsties who were gathered around Hagrid the gamekeeper, waiting for the gentle half-giant to take them to Black lake. They were about to head for the carriages, when...
"Harry!" Hagrid called, his powerful voice booming over the chatter of the excited students on the platform. "Can I have yeh for a few words?"
"Uhmm… Okay?" The green-eyed wizard said, unsure what Hagrid wanted to talk to him about.
"People have finally replied teh my letters, Harry." The Hogwarts' gamekeeper said. "When yeh have time, please stop by my hut, I'll give yeh the photos." Ah, Harry thought, so this was about the photographs of his parents that Hagrid has promised to him when the two of them met in the Diagon Alley during the summer holidays.
"Wow, thank you, Hagrid." The young Potter said. "I'll make sure to drop by your place - say - tomorrow in the afternoon, if that's alright with you."
"Of course, Harry." The half-giant responded with a nod.
"See you tomorrow then. And thank you once more." Harry said, before rejoining Flora and Hestia as the three of them continued on their way to the area where "horseless" carriages that would take them straight to Hogwarts were parked…
"What was that about, Harry?" Flora asked after some time, her curiosity about what Hagrid wanted to share with her friend finally getting the better of her. Her twin sister sister appeared to be just as curious.
"Ah, well..." The green-eyed youth began. "Our dear Hagrid decided that he wanted to gift me with an album full of my parents' photos for my birthday. But the people he asked to share their photos with him didn't reply in time for that, so he could only gift me the photo he had himself. Now, though, he got his replies and wants to finally hand those photos over to me." The girls just nodded in response, not really knowing what to say here.
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As Harry quickly realized, the Sorting Ceremony was something entirely different when you weren't the one being sorted. Sitting there quietly and clapping whenever someone got sorted into Slytherin was kinda boring. The fact that the Sorting Hat often took its sweet time to decide where to put this firstie or that one wasn't really helping to alleviate that boredom either… Eventually, though, Blaise Zabini was made a Slytherin - just like Daphne and Tracey before him - and the Sorting Ceremony was finally over.
The young Potter was really glad that his friends all got sorted into Slytherin. Of course, neither he, nor Flora and Hestia lied when they promised to be their friends regardless of where the Sorting Hat put them, but… It was just so much easier to be someone's friend at Hogwarts when you were in the same house…
Unfortunately, his friends weren't the only new snakes in the den. Malfoy and his two goons got sorted there as well. And, given how their encounter on the Hogwarts Express earlier today ended, Harry could clearly see how that would cut deeply into his hopefully-peaceful school time, at the very least for the foreseeable future…
He was brought out of his thoughts by the headmaster's short and a bit crazy 'speech', immediately after which the golden plates on table suddenly became full with all sorts of delicious foods. It was the time to feast and Harry was undeniably hungry. He could worry about whatever problems Malfoy would try to cause him later.
Once the feast came to an end, Dumbledore once again rose from his throne-like chair. It took the students in the Great Hall a few seconds to fall silent and, once that happened, the old warlock gave them a number of start-of-term notices. The first of which, of course, was introduction of the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Quirinus Quirrell. The turban-wearing wizard stood up and gave a polite bow as the students clapped for him. He then quickly thanked everyone for the warm welcome he was given and gave the word back to the headmaster.
Dumbledore then proceeded to inform the first year students and remind their seniors that the Forbidden Forest on the castle's grounds was, in fact, forbidden. He also informed that using Magic in the corridors was still forbidden. Next, he said a few words about the quidditch trials - a part that Harry didn't even bother to listen to… Then the headmaster dropped the proverbial bomb:
"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death." The aged warlock said with an utmost seriousness in his voice. Regardless, a small number of students thought that it was a joke and laughed. For about five seconds, before they too realized that the headmaster was not at all joking.
"Is he serious?" Harry asked Flora, who was sitting next to him. "He let something that can kill us into the castle?" The youthful witch shrugged.
"I don't know, but he sounds pretty serious." She replied. "And, whatever that mysterious 'painful death' is, it is clearly put there to guard something… I wonder what is hidden in that corridor..." A light punch to her shoulder from her twin interrupted her from finishing her line of thoughts. "Hey, it's not like I'm saying that we should go investigate." Flora tried to defend herself. "I'm just wondering what could be valuable enough to require such a dangerous protector."
"I'm more concerned with the fact that the headmaster thought it would be wise to have something like that around the school." Harry said. "What if whatever is guarding that corridor gets out and starts attacking students?" He asked. "If he's trying to protect something really valuable, shouldn't he have kept it somewhere deep in the bowels of Gringotts? Yes, there was a successful break in this summer, but, still, there are no recorded instances of someone managing to actually steal something from the goblins in like two centuries." The young Potter was about to say something else, but the Great Hall descended into a cacophony of voices as the students started singing the Hogwarts' school song, each to his or her own tune.
Eventually, when the Weasley twins, who were singing along to a very slow funeral march, finished singing, and everyone in the Great Hall clapped, Dumbledore doing so the loudest.
"Ah, music." He said, wiping a fake tear from his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!" And thus the feast was over. Harry, Flora and Hestia rose from the table and joined their housemates, who were leaving the Great Hall for the Slytherin dungeon. Alas, it wasn't time for them to relax and enjoy the rest of their first evening back at school just yet: professor Snape was going to give his own welcoming speech, and that was an event they weren't allowed to miss...
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Professor Snape's speech was more or less identical to the one Harry remembered from the previous year. At least until the Potions Master got to the policy enacted within the Slytherin dungeon this last spring:
"...And, finally, I would like to remind everyone that, in accordance with the policy enacted at the end of the previous academic year, the usage of derogatory language towards those of lesser social or political standing will no longer be tolerated within these halls. The offending parties will be punished severely." Snape promised.
"So, you are saying that no longer can call mudbloods 'mudbloods'?" Draco asked loudly, almost interrupting the professor.
"Exactly." The head of Slytherin replied simply as he sent a glare at the blond boy, making it clear that he was not happy with his impatience and lack of courtesy. "I shall overlook this one, Mr. Malfoy, but don't think I will be this lenient in the future." The Malfoy heir was certainly not happy to hear this as he 'exploded' a moment later:
"This is bullshit!" He exclaimed. "How could the Noble house of Slytherin be so overrun by mudblood lovers and blood-traitors? Just wait till my father hears about this unforgivable insult to the legacy of the great Salazar Slytherin!" A few people around the common room nodded in agreement with young Draco, but the majority didn't share the sentiment.
"Be quiet, Malfoy." Adrian Pucey, one of the Slytherin chasers, barked as he stood up from the armchair he had been sitting in. "I, too, am not a fan of this policy." He said while shooting a glare at Harry. "But as it was explained to me this summer, this is actually a valuable lesson to all of us who ain't content with living their lives as worthless mediocrities."
"And what lesson would it be, Mr. Pucey?" The Hogwarts' Potions Master asked with a fake curiosity, while a number of students were suddenly playing much closer attention to what was going on.
"That we can't always have the freedom to express what we think about people. The last thing you want is to insult someone who is more powerful than you, especially when you need something from them..."
"Don't be ridiculous!" Draco said loudly as he took a step towards the older boy, his two flunkies trying their best to look intimidating - something that clearly wasn't working. "There is no way filthy muggles can be more powerful than us, wizards of pure blood!" Adrian sent them a glare, making all three cow and take a step back.
"Who said anything about muggles, Malfoy?" He asked. "We don't like, say, professor Dumbledore, but that doesn't make him any less the most powerful wizard alive that he is. If you ever need anything from him, I doubt you will be anything but the image of politeness while he's within earshot." Draco shrugged.
"Yeah, we all know that the muggle-loving fool is powerful and all, but what does this all have to do with us not being allowed to tell the mudbloods that they are nothing but worthless trash?"
"A detention, Mr. Malfoy?" Professor Snape asked smoothly. "Perhaps, some cauldron scrubbing will teach you to abide the rules?"
"What?! You can't do that, professor!" The blonde shouted. "I'm the heir to Malfoy fortune; I can call those dirty mudbloods whatever I want!" The Potions Master, however, wasn't at all impressed by this. And he didn't hesitate to make it known:
"Another detention then, Mr. Malfoy? Let's see if this can correct your attitude." It took Draco, whose face was now red with anger, a few seconds to come up with a response:
"My father will hear about it!" He 'threatened' rather pathetically - something that did absolutely nothing to improve his image.
"Stupid brat, thinks that the world owes him just because his sire has some gold. I would never pick a little worthless shite like this as a student of mine." Harry, who has been silently observing the spectacle unfolding in front of him from an armchair next to the ever-silent portrait of Salazar Slytherin, suddenly heard an unfamiliar, slightly hissing voice. Almost jumping out of his seat, the young Potter looked around, trying to find the speaker. Alas, there was no one… Except for the portrait, who was currently looking with contempt in the direction of Mr. Malfoy. Then, Salazar's portrait noticed Harry looking at it. "A speaker? How curious."
"Uhm… Excuse me, sir?" The young Potter asked.
"Yes." Salazar said, nodding to himself. "Definitely a speaker." He then fell silent, leaving Harry to wonder what he was talking about. A speaker? The green-eyed youth had no idea what that meant. And he couldn't come up with any answers as the the common room suddenly became completely silent. Something must have happened there… Turning around Harry saw that pretty much everyone was staring at him.
"What?" He asked, not really understanding what was going on.
That's all, folks!
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