AN: I do not own Harry Potter or the Wizarding World Universe.

Chapter 20

Madam Pomfrey let him go that night with Ron Weasley. The red-haired Gryffindor glanced at him a few times. "Potter… I… know Neville uh…" he stammered.

"Left me?" Harry asked flatly.

Weasley winced. They walked down the corridor in silence. "He felt bad about it."

Harry nodded. "Needed to get the Stone away, right?" he asked, trying to keep the skepticism out of his voice.

"I only know what Hermione told me. She told us that the most important thing was to get the Stone and get out of there… of course… we thought it was Professor Snape not Professor Quirrell," he admitted.

"I didn't know about any of it."

"Yeah… I heard. Listen… I know Neville will say the same thing, but sorry about what happened," Weasley sighed.

"Thanks for the help. Quirrell made it clear that I wouldn't live. Without Neville's help, I would have likely died," Harry admitted.

"Yeah… yeah, well… have a good night."

Harry just nodded and went in the opposite direction. He knew the Gryffindors had their tower somewhere on the upper floors. Since losing the invisibility cloak, Harry hadn't missed it nearly as much as he did while heading for his Common Room. The last thing he wanted to do was have people look at him returning from being abducted. Neville had an invisibility cloak. He wondered if Malfoy did as well. Did someone think he'd been a pure-blood and sent one by accident? Royal Grammar School had programs for Dudley that Vernon's money had access to that others didn't. Harry certainly never went to the special classes for up-and-coming boys.

"Mate! Madam Pomfrey let you out early," Macmillan greeted when he saw Harry trying to sneak past the others. He'd almost made it to the boy's dormitory.

"Harry?" "Potter?" "Oh! He's back!"

Several other Hufflepuffs realized he was there and came over. In the blink of an eye, Harry was surrounded by his Housemates. Strangely, none of them laughed or chided him for being abducted by a crazy professor.

"Good on you for getting away."

"Well done, Potter, on those House points. Keep it up!"

"Good to have you back, Potter."

"Hey, point Longbottom at Snape next time. If anyone needs to go, it's him!"

"That isn't very nice!" someone shouted.

"Yeah, well, he isn't very nice."

No one asked him for the whole story. In fact, they seemed to want to ignore anything that had happened. In less than five minutes, Harry was in his dormitory without anyone following or asking questions. It was both nice and frustrating. He didn't want to talk about what happened, but at the same time, no one seemed interested.

Longbottom didn't return to class for a week. Both Granger and Weasley tried to talk to Harry, but he ignored them as politely as possible. The Headmaster took over teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Dumbledore always ended his lessons with, "Until next time, remember: vigilance, creativity, and a little bit of chocolate can go a long way in keeping the darkness at bay."

Most students were excited by having the powerful Albus Dumbledore teaching them. But, at least for the first years, it was about like having Professor Quirrell teaching them, except without the stuttering. In Harry's case, he didn't have headaches, and his scar never hurt.

The Headmaster's conversation with Augusta Longbottom stayed with Harry. He had no idea what to expect for the future, but he knew one thing: he wasn't sure what to think of Albus Dumbledore. If he knew about Vernon and Petunia and did nothing… then he didn't want to trust him. The Headmaster promised to get them ready and train them for whatever was to come… but so far, Harry hadn't seen anything different. He also couldn't bring it up with anyone because he'd pretended to be asleep.

"The whole school is waiting for Longbottom," Finch-Fletchley grinned. "I think those Weasley twins have a surprise for him."

Harry quietly ate as he listened to the low buzz around the Great Hall. The story of the evil professor trying to steal a legendary artifact had been told over and over with each telling making Longbottom seem more heroic. Ron Weasley would tell anyone about his expert chess game, Hermione's life-saving spells, and Neville's bravery in not only saving The Boy-Who-Lived but also the Elixir of Life.

"There he is!" someone shouted.

Harry made it out of the Great Hall without too much trouble. However, an unwelcome face waited for him.

"Can't stand being second to Longbottom?" Draco sneered. "Can't say I blame you. He's a fat fraud."

Malfoy relished saying anything that might put Harry down. Harry was a poor little, innocent lamb who was tricked and had to be saved by another firstie.

"I know what happened," Harry answered evenly. "I also know you worked with Quirrell."

Draco's sneer would win an award in some magazine for best prat in Britain. "So you say."

Harry shrugged and went down to the Common Room. He didn't like putting his back to Malfoy, but there were several witnesses that weren't Slytherins in the Entrance Hall.

"Can we talk?" Longbottom asked the following Monday outside of Charms. He looked uncomfortable.

"After class. Library? Or somewhere else?" Harry finally answered after considering what he should do.

Longbottom glanced at Granger. She wore a frown, but Harry didn't think it was for him. She nodded. "The Library then, after class," Longbottom agreed.

Harry made it through the day without any issues. Even History of Magic with the Slytherins wasn't too bad. He made his way to the Library when he realized Bones, Abbott, Macmillan, and Harper were following him. After a moment, he realized that he had forgotten to tell them about meeting Longbottom.

"I'm," he started to say, but Bones cut him off.

"Going to talk with Neville. We heard this morning. We're coming to help. It's three on one. Well, we're now five on three."

Harry looked at her. Abbott flashed him a grin, and Ernie shrugged. "It seemed fitting," Harper added. "We're Hufflepuffs. We stick together."

"And you're curious," Harry smirked.

"And we're curious," Ernie agreed unapologetically.

Longbottom and his friends were already there when Harry and the others made it. Granger crossed her arms when they approached. "This was supposed to be just us," she huffed.

"Yes, well, Harry is alone… so, we're here," Bones argued.

"But you weren't there," Weasley grumbled.

"We were there in spirit," Hannah shot back.

Harry glanced at her. She stuck her tongue out at him.

"This is sensitive…" Longbottom sighed. "Everything… no… a story of what happened down there is in the school already. We both know the truth, Potter."

"We do."

Everyone looked at them. Harry could almost feel Abbott's excitement to learn the truth. He hadn't tried to tell his side of the story. First, Professor Snape warned him not to. He could see the sense in that.

"Then we should talk alone," Longbottom said as he raised his chin.

"I don't like what happened, but you did help me," Harry said slowly. "I understand why you decided to do what you did, but I'm not going to pretend that it wasn't…" he trailed off. He didn't need to say the word wrong. The look on Longbottom's face told him enough.

"It was," the other boy admitted. "Sorry. It… felt like the best option at the time," he said, glancing at the others beside Harry.

"Okay, so what now?"

"We were hoping to work together," Granger said softly.

Harry glanced at her. He didn't think things were going quite like she wanted. The Hufflepuffs hadn't even sat down.

Harry looked at Longbottom. "Do you agree?" he asked softly. "Your grandmother was… upset with the Headmaster."

"Gran was upset," he agreed. Neville looked at his friends. "I don't know how much I can say and to whom. Maybe… maybe this isn't the right time."

Harry nodded. He felt the same way. "Alright."

"That's it? Just ignore… You-Know-Who?" Weasley huffed. "Ignore the Stone and everything Neville did for you?"

Harry glanced at Longbottom, whose face was scrunched. He turned to Weasley. "Okay, what should we do?"

Weasley looked around as if someone would give him the answer. "I don't know… work together," he huffed.

"A plan, for sure," Ernie said with a nod. Harry glanced at him. Macmillan grinned at them all.

"We'll get back to you," Granger declared.

Harry nodded to her and turned around. The other Hufflepuffs followed him. They took a seat at a nearby table. Abbott broke the silence. "That was both amazing and frustrating! I knew you were holding back, and yet you didn't tell us anything when we asked... and just now... That's…. Ughh!"

Harry fought a grin. "Sorry to disappoint," he lied.

Bones rolled her eyes. "Anyone with half a brain knows there was more to the story. Sounds like you weren't the helpless princess Malfoy has been portraying you as," she smirked.

Harry shrugged. "Nothing was wrong about the story. It all more or less happened exactly like the rumors say," he admitted.

"Sure, like there is only one use for Dragons Blood," Daisy argued. "Longbottom obviously screwed up and didn't tell his friends something."

"That was pretty clear," Ernie said with a nod. He kept looking at Harry.

"Maybe, maybe not. It's done, and we both survived."

"Can't we be mad for you?" Hannah huffed.

Harry shook his head. "I was angry at first, but I don't know that I would have known what to do either. I want to be mad, but again…" he finished with a shrug.

"Did you hear they are going to have a ceremony for Longbottom?" Macmillan asked.

"Yeah, this weekend. A short speech and handing out House Points is what I heard," Harper supplied.

"Why do you think they get a ceremony, and Harry gets… what, one hundred points and a pat on the back?" Susan huffed. Harry thought it was a good question. He wasn't sure what to think.

"Let's just get these essays over with," Hannah sighed and pulled out her school things.

The rest of the week flew by. Longbottom, Granger, and Weasley were heroes in Gryffindor. Harry saw the three of them grinning from ear to ear about the attention. For some reason, Susan was the angriest of all the Hufflepuffs that Harry was excluded.

"It just isn't right," she would complain.

Harry knew it was partly his fault. He didn't play things up like Ron Weasely did. He wasn't the smartest in the year like Granger. The nail in the coffin for Harry was that somehow, it got out that Harry tried to give Quirrell the Philosopher's Stone, but Neville managed to save it in the end. Never mind that he'd been tortured. That never got mentioned.

Strangely, one of the good things about the events in the dungeons was that Professor Snape didn't single Harry out anymore. Oh, Harry was sure the professor still didn't like him, but there was something else going on too. It might have been because he was the only one left with Quirrell's body. Whatever it was, Harry didn't mind it.

The other good thing was that he felt more accepted by the other first-year Hufflepuffs. No, that wasn't true. They'd been nice to him all year, even Finch-Fletchley. It was Harry who had changed.

"Welcome all," the Headmaster called at dinner on the first weekend of May. "I know many of you are waiting for this, so I will make it quick. What happened in the dungeons was a secret… so of course, the entire school knows," he said with a smile. A few people laughed.

Harry used his juice to hide his grimace. He wanted this mess to be over with. Hearing another Draco-special of The Damsel-Who-Lived was getting old.

"It has been a remarkable year so far. A year filled with challenges, courage, and I dare say a touch of mischief," the Headmaster said with a pointed look at the Weasley twins. "It is a time-honor tradition to award points to those who have demonstrated qualities we hold in the highest regard: bravery, loyalty, wit, and determination."

The Great Hall went quiet.

"For showing unparalleled bravery and quick thinking when faced with a most dangerous situation. Sometimes, the greatest acts of courage are those taken when fear is at its peak. Well done, young wizard." Dumbledore paused, his gaze focused on the Gryffindor Table. " Mr. Neville Longbottom shall be awarded fifty points."

The Gryffindor Table exploded with cheers. Harry didn't need to turn around to see Longbottom's face. Susan stared at Harry. He grimaced and kept drinking.

"It is often said that knowledge is power, and that night, your wisdom shone brightly. To Miss Hermione Granger: for your quick thinking, sharp intellect, and unwavering composure in the face of uncertainty, I award Gryffindor fifty points"

Again, the Gryffindors exploded with cheers. Harry saw other tables, even his own, clapping and cheering too. There were a few eyes on him.

"Loyalty and sacrifice, such as what was displayed during an excellent chess match, is one of the truest forms of bravery. To Mr. Ronald Weasley: for your loyalty and determination to stand by your friends, even when danger loomed large, I award Gryffindor twenty-five points."

Harry ignored all the cheers. He knew he had his cup up to his face for too long so he sat it down and tried to smile. It probably looked sickly.

"It takes no small amount of courage to stand firm and advocate caution when others are intent on charging forward. To Miss Lavender Brown: for your attempts to prevent your fellow students from putting themselves in harm's way, I award Gryffindor ten points."

This time, the cheers were a little less pronounced.

"These acts of bravery and camaraderie reflect the very essence of what it means to belong to this school and, in particular, to the House of Gryffindor. Let them remind us that greatness is not found in solitary triumphs but in the bonds we forge and the values we uphold."

Several more cheers came from the Gryffindors until someone quieted them down.

"I think you will find these points more than reasonable for the dangers they all faced. Please, continue with dinner," the Headmaster finished as he took a seat.

Harry happened to catch Professor Sprout's expression. Her face was red, and Professor Flitwick was patting her arm.

"What bullocks," Ernie whispered. "Nothing at all for you?"

"I got my House points," Harry said, but he felt the same. What just happened was not just or fair. He'd done as much or more than the others. Particularly Lavender Brown's points. "It was more points than any one of them," he admitted.

"Just no public recognition," Bones said flatly.

Dumbledore and Augusta Longbottom's conversation came to him then. Was he the substitute? Anger bubbled up inside him. He didn't want the praise, but at the same time, he was there. Quirrell had lured him there. Harry, not Longbottom, had defeated the professor and Voldemort.

Harry made it through dinner as long as he could. As soon as people started leaving, he made his way out. Several other Hufflepuffs left too, including those he was beginning to see as friends. They'd been there for him, but he hadn't been as nice in return.

Diggory stopped in front of the Hufflepuff Common Room opening and turned around. He locked eyes with Harry. "I think most of us know that something more happened down there, Harry. We're Hufflepuff and always take care of our own," he said quietly.

It was then that Harry saw Head Girl Fiona Merriweather holding a cake with a number one on the top. "Professor Sprout wouldn't tell us what actually happened down there. However, we know that you, not the Gryffindors, managed to beat Quirrell. It might have been Longbottom's spell that… finished him, but you beat him. For that, you got one hundred House points. It might not mean much to the rest of the school, but to us? We care, and we know," she said as she put the cake in his hands.

"Well done," she whispered and kissed his cheek.

Harry fought back embarrassment and tears. He moved a little farther into the Common Room and realized more than just the handful of Hufflepuffs were coming in. Before Harry could escape to his dormitory, he got congratulations for his hard work, well dones, and other words of encouragement.

"This is how we recognize each other, Potter," Daniel Cooper, a seventh-year student, said as he clapped Harry on the shoulder. "We don't need the rest of the school's recognition. Leave that to the others. We know how hard you work and how hard you fought down there. That's all that matters."

"Don't let that mess in the Great Hall get to you, Potter. You're a Hufflepuff. We take care of our own, and we recognize our own," Chambers grinned.

"You look like you're about to cry. If you do, do it because you know you deserve it," a student he didn't know the name of said with a smirk.

They finally let Harry retreat to his dormitory with a large helping of the cake. The house-elves prepared about fifteen more cakes for all the Hufflepuffs to share.

"Your face, mate," Ernie laughed. "I know you don't want to talk about it, but Professor Sprout did. She said you made us proud, and that's how Hufflepuff takes care of their own. My brother told me about it before I got here. You'd like him. He's all serious about everything like you are."

Harry breathed out. The bitterness was gone. The others were right. He didn't need anyone else in the school to know. Honestly, he didn't want the rest of the school to know what happened. However, not being even acknowledged was hard to sit through. The Headmaster could have said something about him, even if it was that he already got his points.

"You knew?"

"Yeah, mate. We all knew. Your not-girlfriend was the one who wanted to do something the most. She approached Susan, me, Daisy, and Hannah. Bloody damn well near tore our heads off trying to find out what actually happened. Diggory is a good bloke and was with her. They went to Professor Sprout and told us to make sure you didn't start hexing the Gryffindors or something. We hoped Dumbledore would at least mention you and maybe throw in some House points, but this was set up anyway. As Merriweather said, we always take care of our own," Ernie said, suddenly serious.

"You just better have something ready for me when I do something big," Finch-Fletchley said from the doorway.

"You might be a prat, Potter, but at least you chose Hufflepuff," Green laughed.

The others filed in shortly after. Cauldwell just gave him a thumbs up and moved to his bed. Hopkins came over and leaned on the wall separating Ernie and Harry's space. "I know you've had a pretty shite history, Potter. Haven't dealt with some tosser parents, but my cousins… yeah… I get that. You're the only one who still calls everyone by their last name or waits until someone talks to you. We're Hufflepuffs. Theres some old story about one for all and all for one. Just keep that in mind."

Harry nodded. He understood what Hopkins was telling him. Wayne wasn't around often and didn't jump at a chance to work with Harry on any group or partner assignments. Harry also knew it was his fault.

"Thank you… Wayne," he said by way of apology.

"You don't need to change or anything, Harry. Just remember, we aren't your enemies, and most of us don't hate you," Hopkins laughed.

"How come you said his name first," Ernie sighed.

Harry stared at him. "Fine, Macmillan," he said with an exaggerated nod.

"That isn't what… never mind, Potter."

"Thanks… and have a good night, Ernie," Harry said as he closed the privacy curtain.

Sunday seemed to mark the end of the Professor Quirrell saga in the school. Everyone seemed to instead focus on the second to last Quidditch match of the year outside the final game for the Inter-House Quidditch Cup. Ravenclaw versus Slytherin would take place on the sixteenth of May. The year's final match would be on June sixth between Hufflepuff and Slytherin. The fifth and seventh-year students would take their O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s the following Monday.

Some students still talked about Dumbledore filling in as the Defense professor, but, at least for Harry, it felt like the public ceremony put the rumors and speculation to rest. Malfoy and several Slytherins still called him The Damsel-Who-Lived, but that wasn't very often. They had bigger problems to deal with, namely every other House aiming to ruin their chances at the Inter-House Cup.

"I'm not joining the Quidditch team," Harry declared the following Tuesday when he saw the Slytherin Terrence Higgs holding a bloody nose from a flying book that attacked him out of nowhere in the Entrance Hall.

"Probably a good idea," Ernie grimaced. "You have to admit. They brought that on themselves. Attacking other teams, and now that they're positioned to win, every other House turns on them."

Harry shrugged. "I don't know… why can't they just do all this on the field?"

"Pitch," Hannah corrected with a smirk. "At least we have a shot at winning," she sighed.

"Did anyone else see Rollins, the Ravenclaw Keeper?" Owen asked. "Someone said he got hit with a Stinging Hex to the face."

Harry glanced at Cauldwell. He seemed friendlier and more open than before.

"Nah, mate, but I did hear one of the Weasley twins got Warrington stuck in a girl's lavatory. A Ravenclaw Prefect found him and took points for being a creep," Tobias laughed.

Not everyone was as friendly with Harry after the ceremony.

"So, it takes a party to be thrown in your name for you to be nice to people?" Beatrice Longworth huffed as they left History of Magic.

Harry winced. He supposed he deserved that. She'd worked with him a few times in Potions and had tried to talk to him. He hadn't given much more than his standard nods or one-word answers.

Megan Jones and Martha Gordon weren't as forgiving as the boys seemed to be too. They at least didn't scrunch up their nose when he tried to talk to them.

"They'll come around," Daisy shrugged. "Or they won't. It really doesn't matter. They like gossipy stuff and boys. Really… why are they in Hufflepuff?"

Susan rolled her eyes and shook her head. Hannah snorted. "Like you don't like both of those things too," she chided.

"Yes, but they aren't my entire focus in school. If I hear one more time how Donovan has amazing eyes, I might hurl."

"Does he?" Ernie asked.

Harry snorted.

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean anything," Daisy argued.

Harry and the others started to feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of essays and assignments due. "Why do we have two reading assignments with summary essays on top of an essay on moly for Potions?" Wayne complained. "It's Quidditch weekend!"

"I think that's the point," Bridget sighed. "Professor Snape wants to make everyone too tired to play so his team can win."

"He would do something like that," Daisy said darkly, glaring at her coursebook.

Professor Snape wasn't the only one who piled on the work. It got to the point that Harry couldn't do the same level of detail in his notes that he had in the past. Now, he just jotted down the books he used so he could go back later if he wanted to.

"Would it hurt us to just ignore all this and…" Hannah asked before several people said, "Yes!"

"It doesn't have to be great. Let's get it done so I can see the sun again," Wayne complained.

The first-year students weren't the only ones feeling the pressure. Harry watched some of the fifth-year Hufflepuffs study together for their Ordinary Wizarding Exams. Fiona Merriweather studied with a Ravenclaw boy. Harry didn't want to bother them.

Seeing the older students prepare to take the critical exams for their future sparked a debate about which career was the best.

"Without a doubt, a Curse Breaker is the best thing to be," Justin Finch-Fletchley argued. Tobias Green and Daisy said having a Quidditch Career would be the coolest thing to be once they graduated.

"Auror," Susan said when it was her turn.

"You would say that," Wayne laughed.

"No, Auntie is just the Head of the Department for Magical Law Enforcement, not the Aurors. She doesn't order them around unless it's an emergency or official business. Aurors are amazing because they have to be the best at a little of everything. Hit-Wizards are loose wands who are good at what they do, just… not much for subtlety work. I don't think I want to be an Unspeakable. They are just too weird," she clarified.

Harry frowned. He supposed he could see why she felt that way. What little he knew of the dangerous profession, they sometimes went missing or had weird accidents that no one talked about.

"Magizoologist," Bridget said with a shrug when it was her turn.

It was Harry's turn. "I honestly don't know. A lot of them sound great, but," he said as he trailed off with an identical shrug to Lowe.

"Fair," Ernie said as he looked around. "I want to be…" he paused for dramatic effect.

"Peeves," Justin interjected.

Harry and a few others laughed.

"Fine, be that way," Ernie grumbled.

"Awe, come on. What do you want to be?" Hannah asked with a grin.

"Actually, I would love to work with Atmospheric Charms. My Mum does it at the Ministry. From what I've seen, it's terribly complex."

Susan nodded. Harry noticed that Gordon and Cauldwell also nodded. He wondered if their parents were in the Ministry, too.

"Do you know what N.E.W.T.s you need?" Tobias asked, suddenly serious.

Ernie grimaced. "Charms and Transfiguration, for sure. I think you also need Arithmancy and… probably Defense too. I don't know for sure," he admitted.

"Makes sense," Bridget mused as she looked around the table. "Does anyone else know what they must have to get the jobs they want?"

Justin grimaced. "Too many N.E.W.T.s," he snorted. "I doubt most of us will still want to do these jobs in six years. I just said Curse Breaking was cool, not that I wanted to do it. I don't fancy getting turned into a doctor's pet project or have someone try to put pieces of my body back together for my parents to bury."

"It is a little dangerous," Susan said softly.

"A little?" Wayne smirked. "Name one famous Curse Breaker that is still alive?"

No one could.