Word had gotten around to the other staff about Harry and Neville's little project however. Monday after dinner professor Sprout came down to Gryffindor table with professor McGonagall and said, "I'd like to see your project under the Pitch Harry, Neville."

Neville didn't seem at all nervous and instead beamed up at her. "Would you like to go right now professor?"

"Yes. We have some time before it's completely dark." She seemed ready to go out in any case and so did McGonagall. They both had heavy winter cloaks on.

Harry and Neville led them out of the castle and across the grounds, Sprout and McGonagall chatting behind them about the upcoming holidays, and Harry was bolstered by the fact that Neville seemed in good spirits and neither professor seemed upset. When they reached the mushroom den and Harry had warmed the rocks and Neville had lit their little jars of moss, Sprout and McGonagall took a good look at all they'd accomplished in the past few weeks.

"You certainly seem to be taking this apprenticeship seriously Mr. Potter," McGonagall said to him with a smile.

He fidgeted, but felt comfortable enough with his head of house to tell her the truth. "It's best to find something to do out of the castle maam. With Quidditch gone I needed something that would keep me out of sight."

"Say no more," she said with a knowing look. "You're well understood Harry." She looked around the chilly little mushroom den again as professor Sprout stood up straight from where she'd been looking at their row of jars full of growth medium.

"This is a well designed project boys," she said to both of them. "How was the work and research divided?"

Neville described everything he and Harry had done and at the end Sprout said, "I'm awarding you each 50 points of extra credit for this. It's clear you both care very much about what you've been doing out here and have found good success through experimentation. If you'd like, I'll make space for your project in greenhouse five."

"Really?" Neville asked, clearly excited. He turned to Harry and said, "That's where they keep the professor's personal projects!"

Harry looked up at her. "Does this mean we have to move maam?"

"Not yet," McGonagall said. "For now the Headmaster has told Professor Umbridge to kindly shove off."

Harry raised his brows at her and she gave him a little smile.

"It won't be long however before she enacts some sort of rule that bans students, or you specifically from coming out here at all. When that happens, you'll be able to move your project into greenhouse five."

"Thank you," Harry said, fiddling with his snow cap which he'd pulled off when they'd come into the mushroom den. Then he looked up at professor Sprout and thanked her as well.

"The way the extra credit works is that it fills in for any points you lose on homework or tests. If you miss ten points on a test the extra credit will fill that gap until all of your extra credit points have run out. That doesn't mean you have an excuse to stop studying for Herbology however."

"Yes maam," Neville said for both of them.

As the four of them started back up towards the castle, McGonagall said, "I'm also awarding twenty points to each of you, for learning in the face of adversity and persevering towards your educational goals."

Neville and Harry both grinned at that. That was a lot of points to earn for Gryffindor all at once.

"Twenty each?" Sprout asked her.

"Ten from me and ten for the points Severus didn't give them but should have."

Sprout chuckled as the last of the light left the sky and they trekked through the chilly air towards the warmth of the castle.

Harry felt like his happiness at getting awarded points and extra credit was short lived however, because the moment they got inside the Entrance Hall, both Umbridge and Snape were waiting for him. Umbridge watched as he and Neville came in with McGonagall and Sprout and hung back, probably waiting to search Harry the moment he was alone, but before she could, Snape stepped out of the dungeon stairwell and said, "Potter. A word."

Neville tried to give him an encouraging look as they parted ways and Harry followed Snape down to his office in the dungeons.

When the door was closed and they were both seated, Snape said, "I would like to know about your project under the Pitch."

Harry wasn't sure what to tell him. Sprout had wanted to know the particulars of the project, and when he'd spoken to McGonagall he'd told her the truth. He didn't know if he was comfortable enough with Snape to tell him the truth though. He decided he definitely wasn't.

"What would you like to know sir?"

"I did not realize you had such an interest in mushrooms."

He looked down at his hands and fidgeted with them in his lap for a moment. "We spent a lot of time foraging for ingredients this summer."

"Is that something you enjoy doing?"

Harry nodded.

"Were you growing those particular mushrooms for a reason, or because you have a particular potion in mind you need them for?" It couldn't be that the boy had just grown those because those were the ones he'd found. He had asked Severus specifically about where to find shaggy ink cap weeks before.

"The library has books about defensive potions, and there were a bunch of chimeric potions that needed shaggy inkcap."

"Was there one in particular?"

Harry shook his head.

"Chimeric potions aren't something typically gone over in the first two years of an apprenticeship. They are advanced potions usually taught in the second two years. However, I see no reason why we cannot attempt them now given that you have already grown and harvested some of the ingredients."

Harry looked up at him, surprised. "Really?"

"Yes. Any of the chimeric potions will require that we brew two separate bases with different properties, and then potions based off of those two bases that will then be mixed together. Do you have the book with the potions you were looking at?"

Harry did have the book with him. He hadn't studied it, but he browsed through the potions sometimes when he had a few minutes or was bored. He pulled it out of his backpack and handed it to Snape across the desk. He had used sticky notes to bookmark several pages and written notes on other sticky notes next to a few of the potions that he'd been looking at that needed shaggy ink cap and scarlet elf cap both. Since it was a library book, Harry had known better than to write in it and had found the sticky notes Snape had given him useful.

"Out of the ones you've been looking at, this would be the easiest. It will still take two full weeks to brew however." He slid the book back across the desk to Harry, and pointed at one of the potions. It was called Fire and Ice and it had intrigued Harry to know there was a potion that could both burn and freeze a person at the same time if it touched their skin. It would kill a person if enough of it was dumped on them, or if it was consumed as it would freeze them from the inside out. If not used to hurt someone it had several medicinal uses in combating frostbite and other ailments.

"I do not have time to start brewing this until Sunday. Return Sunday morning with a jar of shaggy ink cap ink approximately this big," he indicated a medium size jar with his fingers, "as well as enough dried scarlet elf cap to create a jar of powder this big." He indicated a smaller size jar and Harry nodded.

He looked at Harry again and said, "Did Professor McGonagall inform you that you may at some point need to move your project?"

"Yes sir. Professor Sprout said we could use greenhouse five."

He nodded and then dismissed Harry, reminding him not to forget about Sunday.

All in all, Harry thought the day hadn't turned out too bad. Snape hadn't been mad at him and he'd earned points and extra credit from McGonagall and Sprout. Best of all, neither Filch or Umbridge was waiting for him in the Entrance Hall as he left the dungeons and made his way up through the castle to Gryffindor. He only wished the rest of his week could have gone as well.

* * *

As Christmas neared, the Hufflepuff's insults seemed to intensify. "Wish Cedric were here to celebrate Christmas with his family." Several of the seventh year Hufflepuffs had been expressing this sentiment to Harry as November ended and they raced through the first week of December. He tried to ignore them, but the problem was that he agreed with them on just about everything they said.

"Cedric's parents will be missing him this time of year."

Harry was sure they would be. He wasn't a parent, and didn't even have a family of his own, but he couldn't imagine losing a loved one like that and having Christmas roll around. He'd never gotten to spend Christmas with people who loved him, but someday he hoped to. The closest he'd come was when Ron or Hermione stayed back to have Christmas with him at the castle. Ron was going home this year, but Hermione had planned on staying with him. They usually took turns. Last year Ron, Fred and George had all stayed back so Harry wouldn't have to spend the holidays alone.

"Hey Potter, how's it feel knowing you murdered Cedric?" This one wasn't a new taunt, but the Hufflepuffs had been throwing it at him more lately. Awful. It felt awful.

With the extra taunts and all of his friends busy with extra Quidditch practices, or studying for upcoming end of term exams, Harry was taking every opportunity to get down to the mushroom den before Umbridge found a way to make him move it to greenhouse five.

The weather had grown more wild and had been dumping snow on the castle and grounds all week, so Harry had been careful to bundle up in the warmest clothes Snape had provided for him. He was thankful to have his Gryffindor snow cap and scarf, and couldn't imagine being able to get down to the Pitch in this weather without them.

Saturday morning Ron was out at an extra Quidditch practice and his other friends were busy, so Harry bundled up and headed out into the sunlight and the frosty morning air to gather the ingredients he needed to take to the dungeons the next day to start work on the fire and ice potion.

After navigating the steps leading out of the castle which were buried in snow, Harry knew it was going to be a pain to get down to the Pitch when there was two feet of snow on the ground. A group of Slytherins was having a snowball fight near the greenhouses, and there were a few smaller groups spread out doing the same further away down towards Hagrid's cabin. The sky was blue and cloudless, and it was a great opportunity to get out before it started snowing again. Harry only hoped he wouldn't encounter any Hufflepuffs on his way to the Pitch.

Seamus passed him before he got too far away from the castle steps and Harry kept his head down and ignored him. It was the routine the two of them had fallen into. Seamus acted as though Harry didn't exist, and Harry tried to pretend he didn't when around him. It surprised Harry when Seamus called out to him then.

"Where are you off to Potter?" Seamus asked. He looked irritated, but it was one of the first semi-friendly things the boy had said to Harry all term, so he stopped and looked up at him.

"The Pitch," Harry said.

"Off to have a good time then?" Seamus sneered at him, making Harry tense a little.

"Erm... no, there's something I need to do."

Seamus trudged over to him through the deep white powder until they were face to face. Harry wondered what the boy would say next but instead of saying anything to him he reached out and shoved Harry in the chest, knocking him over backwards into the snow. Harry was stunned and lay there looking up at the boy, whose face had now morphed into anger.

"You know I almost didn't get to come back to Hogwarts because of you?" Seamus shouted down at him. Harry didn't respond, which only seemed to make him angrier. He took a step forward and Harry stilled, waiting for Seamus to punch him, but the boy didn't, despite having his hands balled into fists at his sides. Harry could fight back if he did hit him, but Umbridge would see and he'd get detention for defending himself, or Snape would yell at him and take away privileges because Harry had caused trouble. Neither of them would believe Harry had only been defending himself. So Harry just lay there, muscles beginning to ache from the cold and the tension as Seamus said, "You said You-Know-Who came back and had kidnapped you from school, so my mum didn't want me to come back! Wanted me to go to school with the Muggles instead! She fought with me about it all the way til the day I left on the train. She wouldn't even take me to get on the train! I had to ask the neighbors for a ride because their son goes here too. And every week she owls me begging me to come home because you said You-Know-Who was back and she thinks if I stay here I'll be killed."

Harry's mind was spinning. All term he thought Seamus had been mad about Cedric. It had made so much sense to him given how the Hufflepuffs were reacting to Harry's presence. But Seamus had problems all of his own he'd been dealing with it seemed.

Seamus bent down over Harry and lifted his hand towards Harry's face, making Harry flinch back in anticipation of getting punched. The movement startled Seamus who frowned and looked disturbed for a moment. The boy reached out again and grabbed Harry's hat and pulled it off his head and then took his scarf as well. "You just go on down to the Pitch and have a ball then, how about that?" Seamus said. The boy looked like he was uncomfortable with the whole encounter... like he knew what he was doing was wrong. He turned and went back up the snowy steps, Harry's hat and scarf in hand, and Harry watched him go from his spot in the snow.

When Seamus was gone Harry let his eyes travel across the grounds to the group of Slytherins that had been having a snowball fight by the greenhouses. They were staring at him. Draco and Crabbe and Millicent were amongst them. Feeling the urge to move as his cheeks heated up, Harry got up from the pile of snow he'd been lying in and stuffed his hands down into his pockets as he turned for the Pitch again. The back of his pants and his shoes and socks were wet now and he'd be freezing all the way down there. It wasn't fair that Seamus had such trouble getting back to Hogwarts. It wasn't fair that Cedric had died. It wasn't fair that Harry had lost his new prized cap and scarf. It wasn't fair that Harry couldn't fight back and defend himself or that Umbridge was waiting for him to screw up at every turn.

None of it was fair, and there was nothing Harry could do about any of it.

* * *

That evening Ron yelled at Seamus for taking Harry's cap and scarf. Dean, Neville, Seamus and Harry were all in their dorm when Ron had come in, ready to punch Seamus in the face. He might have too if he weren't a Prefect. Harry kept his back to the two as Ron yelled at them, sitting at his desk and pretending not to listen as his face and the back of his neck turned red to have all the boys in his dorm there watching.

"You know he doesn't get decent clothes!" Ron shouted. "I don't care what you're mad about, that was a jerk move to take his cap and scarf from him! After all the things we've lent to him over the years you should know better!" For just a moment Ron reminded Harry of Mrs. Weasley and how she chastised her children sometimes. It was odd to hear Ron telling Seamus off like he was a child.

"I know all right!" Seamus shouted back finally. There was a shuffling sound from behind him and Harry looked into the reflection of the window in front of his desk and saw Seamus handing the Gryffindor cap and scarf back to Ron. "I felt bad about it the moment I did it."

"Yeah," Ron said with a huff, taking a breath and seeming to calm down a little. "Well just knock it off already."

"He didn't have to tattle on me," Seamus muttered, and Ron swelled up with anger again. Before he could say anything though, Dean jumped in.

"I told him."

Seamus didn't have anything to say to that and so he turned and left the room.

"Here," Ron said, seeming shaken from having to tell their dorm mate off. He held Harry's cap and scarf out to him but when he didn't take it, Ron turned and set them on Harry's bed.

"Thanks," Harry said, face still red and looking down. Everyone busied themselves with homework or studying then and no one spoke of it for the rest of the night, not even when Seamus came back in twenty minutes later. The matter was settled. Harry just wished it hadn't happened at all. He was embarrassed enough as it was to have had the Slytherins see the incident. Now all of his dorm mates knew too.

* * *

Severus drummed his fingers on his desk. Harry would be coming down to see him any moment now to start brewing the Fire and Ice potion. They couldn't start brewing until Severus had words with the boy about several disturbing things he'd heard the day before, and he wasn't looking forward to it. If Potter wasn't in his charge he would have left it to Minerva as his head of house, but as the boy was now his ward, he was responsible for dealing with incidents like this.

The evening before Severus had been on his weekly rounds through the Slytherin common room. He liked to have a presence there on Saturday evenings so any of his students could come to him with questions or ask him for help if they needed it. Sometimes it was daunting for students, especially younger ones to get up the nerve to go to his office to ask for help. On his rounds through the common room, usually the younger students let him know that they'd been picked on or bullied by kids from other houses throughout the week, and the older students asked questions about upcoming exams or asked for help on difficult assignments. This time around there hadn't been many issues to address, but Severus had paused when he heard some of his fifth years discussing Potter.

"Just not right. He's supposed to have defeated You-Know-Who and he just sits there waiting to get pummeled."

"I don't know why he didn't pull out his wand."

"Because he's stupid."

Severus turned and stepped towards the table in the corner of the room. Draco, Vincent, Millicent and Teddy were sitting there, books open but no homework being done.

"What is the topic of discussion this evening?" Severus asked. Draco looked panicked for a moment, but it was Vincent who spoke first.

"Potter sir."

"What about Potter?"

"He just lets kids pick on him all day long. Doesn't do or say anything about it."

"Are we talking about students in our own house Mr. Crabbe?"

"No sir."

When it was clear Severus was waiting for them to elaborate on their conversation, Millicent took it upon herself to relay what they'd seen between Seamus and Harry earlier that day.

"It's not just that," Draco finally said. "It's not that he just laid there waiting for Finnegan to punch him or steal his stuff. He lets the Hufflepuffs walk all over him too."

"He is being assaulted by Hufflepuffs?"

"They've been calling him a murderer all term," Draco said. "Lately they've been reminding him that Diggory isn't alive for Christmas and that his family misses him. It happens all day long in classes and in the halls. He doesn't say anything back to them. He just lets them be jerks."

"I'd pound them if they were doing it to me," Crabbe said, slamming his fist into his open hand for effect.

"Maybe we all would," Teddy said. "That's the point isn't it? How is he supposed to stand up to You-Know-Who if he doesn't stand up for himself here. It's..." he trailed off.

"Scary," Millicent said for him. She looked up at Severus. They all did. He knew most of them were going to be expected to join Voldemort's ranks as soon as they turned 17. Some of them might even be told to join when they turned 16. Teddy's parents weren't involved with Voldemort, but Draco, Millicent and Vincent would all be expected to become death eaters. His heart swelled a little to know that they didn't want to... that they were good kids. His heart fell at the same time to know they would have to and that they were just waiting for Potter to defeat Voldemort before that inevitability.

"Thank you for telling me about this," he said. "It will be handled."

It wasn't often that his Slytherins spoke out to help a student from another house, but they must have known Potter was his apprentice, even though it wasn't common knowledge yet. Or they were concerned because they needed him to stand up and defend himself.

Now Severus was tasked with talking to the fifth year Gryffindor. He didn't want the boy to defend himself so he could eventually fight Voldemort. He wasn't necessarily concerned with the boy standing up for himself at all. The fact remained that items of clothing had been stolen from him however, and he was being bullied by not one, but potentially dozens of students. It turned his stomach to think about Potter being blamed for Cedric Diggory's death. The child was a menace... he was full of himself and always in trouble, but he wasn't a murderer, and there was nothing he could have done in that graveyard to save the seventh year Hufflepuff, even if given the chance.

There was a knock on his office door and he waved it open with his wand. Potter was there with his dragonhide gloves and the two jars of requested ingredients.

"Sit down," Severus said. Harry shut the door to the office and then sat down, putting the jars of ingredients on Severus' desk.

"It has come to my attention that there was an incident between you and another fifth year yesterday morning."

Harry's eyes immediately went down to his lap. "I didn't cause any trouble sir, I swear. I didn't do anything wrong."

"I did not imply that you did. Explain to me what happened."

"Nothing happened," Harry lied.

"I have a group of fifth year Slytherins who disagree."

Harry's eyes came up to meet his in a frown. "It was just a misunderstanding."

"That ended in your school scarf and cap being taken off of you forcibly?"

Harry looked down at his lap again and mumbled. When Severus asked him to repeat what he'd said so he could hear it, Harry said, "Ron got them back last night. It was just a joke."

"First a misunderstanding, and then a joke?"

"It was a joke," Harry repeated. "I didn't understand til' later." It was a lie and they both knew it, but Severus didn't call him on it this time like he usually did. The boy probably just didn't want to lose house points. The same thing frequently happened in Slytherin. If there was inter-house conflict, Slytherins kept it to themselves so staff wouldn't take points.

Severus sighed heavily and then said, "What about the Hufflepuffs?"

Harry froze. "Sir?"

"I was also told that several Hufflepuffs have been bullying you."

Harry mumbled something that sounded like, "just a joke," and Severus didn't ask him to repeat it this time. Instead Harry reached forward to the desk and pushed the jars of ingredients forward hoping to change the topic of discussion.

With another sigh Severus was willing to let the subject drop for now, though as they began work on a fire base with the scarlet elf cap a few minutes later in his private potions lab, Severus couldn't help but wonder about Potter in the same way his fifth years had. He could understand not wanting to get others from his own house in trouble, but what was his reason for not telling him the truth about the Hufflepuffs? Why did he just take everything they said to him?

Maybe it was because he didn't care, Severus reasoned as Harry left two hours later. Perhaps he knew the Hufflepuffs were wrong and didn't care about what they said. He didn't think that was the case, but it could have been. Whether he cared or not it couldn't be doing him any good having them call him a murderer constantly. His chest constricted for a moment at his own guilt over the deaths of Harry's parents. While he had never outright killed someone like many death eaters had, the deaths of Lily and James Potter were worn around his shoulders like a heavy cloak weighted down with boulders in the pockets. No one had called him a murderer, but he was certain many thought it of him. He was well aware that most people didn't like him. He couldn't imagine Harry not caring about the taunting from the Hufflepuffs even if he knew he was innocent.

As the day wore on, Severus really started to consider for the first time that Harry should be assigned apprentice quarters so he could have Prefect status. As a Prefect the Hufflepuffs, Mr. Finnegan and anyone else that wanted to bully him would have to leave him alone or he could take points from them. Any points Harry took would be reviewed weekly by staff, or could be disputed by whatever students he took points off of, but the word of Prefects was almost always taken over those of regular students.

Severus ran over all the consequences of giving Harry Prefect status in his mind through dinner. Potter could abuse his power. Severus was his guardian though and was there to keep a close eye on him to ensure he wouldn't. It could give the boy a bigger head than he already had, though looking at the boy now as he ate at Gryffindor table with his friends, head down as he picked his food, Severus was reminded of the rough term the child had already had. He certainly hadn't been strutting around or showing off his new status as an apprentice. The contrary was true, he seemed to be keeping his head down and trying to stay out of Umbridge's sight. If given apprentice quarters Potter would have to attend Prefect meetings and patrol the corridors on certain nights, but having his own quarters would mean a quiet place to study for his OWLs and apprentice exams, and to get away from anyone giving him trouble.

Severus leaned in to Albus and Minerva and said, "We need to talk."

"Hm?" Albus asked.

"I would like to request apprentice quarters for Potter."

Minerva looked alarmed and leaned around Albus to see Severus better. "What for?" she half demanded. "I happen to know he wants to stay in Gryffindor tower."

"He can be given quarters near Gryffindor," Severus half growled, not wanting to fight her about this. Umbridge was several seats away but they were still keeping their voices down.

"You realize this will give him Prefect status?" Minerva whispered.

"I am well aware. It is why I wish him to be moved."

She and Albus both looked surprised.

"You want him to be a Prefect?" Albus asked.

"It will keep others from bullying him, and thus keep his mind on his studies where they should be."

"If you're speaking about the incident with Mr. Finnegan," Minerva said, moving her plate away from herself, "that was taken care of by Mr. Weasley last night."

"That is only one incident. More than a dozen Hufflepuffs have been accusing him of murder all year."

Minerva gasped and Albus' face darkened.

"They haven't!"

"It was bad enough that Mr. Malfoy told me about it."

Minerva and Albus both looked upset by this news and Severus gave a little nod. Good, that statement had the effect he'd wanted it to. Everyone knew Draco and Harry hated each other, so if Draco was concerned about the bullying, it must have been bad.

"I will have words with Pomona about it after dinner," Albus said.

"I want Potter in apprentice quarters as soon as possible. As it's Sunday, now would be the appropriate time to make the change so he is not distracted from his studies during the week."

Minerva pursed her lips. Clearly there was more she wanted to say about it, but she didn't because Umbridge was watching them now from down the table.

"I'll prepare his quarters now. Will you be telling him?" She gave a pointed look to Severus.

"Yes. As soon as dinner is finished."

Minerva rose and left the table. There was only one set of apprentice quarters near Gryffindor tower, so Severus assumed that was where she was headed.

Severus watched Gryffindor table so he could catch Potter as soon as he rose, and when the boy was finished he told him to follow him down to his office.

"What- what do you mean apprentice quarters?" Harry asked a few minutes later in Severus' office.

"I was under the assumption the Headmaster went over all the rules for student apprentices with you at the end of the summer."

"He did, I mean, but why?" The boy's eyes were wide and horror was written across his face.

"Having Prefect status will mean you will have recourse against bullies. You will be able to take points away from anyone who is bullying any student, even if that infraction is against yourself. I warn you now however that you are not to abuse the point system for your own benefit. Every point taken by a Prefect is reviewed at the end of the week by the Headmaster or Deputy Headmistress."

"It was all a joke though," Harry tried. "I haven't been getting bullied. I swear. I can stay in Gryffindor with Ron and Neville and Hermione."

"The decision has been made Potter. Professor McGonagall is already preparing your new quarters. She will go over the rules with you. Return to Gryffindor and pack your belongings into your trunk."

"But sir-"

Severus held up his hand to cut him off, growing irritated. "I could demand that you stay in my quarters Potter."

Harry clamped his mouth closed, hands balled into fists at his sides for a moment before they relaxed and he brought them together to pick at his nails.

"Go and pack," Severus said, and Harry left his office. The boy could always be moved back to Gryffindor tower next year. He'd keep his Prefect status then, but a certain amount of time must pass with him in Apprentice quarters first to show he had been set apart from the rest of the student body as a true student apprentice. The boy didn't have to like it to know it was for his own good. He didn't even have to believe it was for his own good. He just needed to do as he was told. Severus was confident this would resolve the issue with the Hufflepuffs and with Finnegan. If he could just get rid of Umbridge somehow, the boy might have a chance to pass all of his OWLs and focus on his apprenticeship books. If only that were a possibility.

* * *

Up in Gryffindor tower, Harry bounced back and forth between anxiety, anger, indignity, and a slew of other emotions as he opened his trunk and began throwing things into it. It made his stomach roil and turn itself in knots from the fighting emotions. Only a minute had passed before the dormitory door opened to reveal some of the other fifth year boys.

"Harry, what are you doing?" Ron asked, standing in the doorframe, Seamus and Neville right behind him. They watched as he haphazardly threw his things out of his shared desk with Ron into his trunk and stuffed his clothes, unfolded, into the trunk as well.

"Moving," Harry said, anger and upset evident in his voice.

"Moving?" Neville asked. "What do you mean?"

"They're making me. I'm not allowed to stay in Gryffindor anymore."

"But why?" Ron asked. "They're not making you stay with Snape are they?"

"Because they think I'm being bullied. Someone saw you take my hat and scarf," Harry said angrily, turning to glare at Seamus. The other boys were surprised to see tears in his eyes. "So I'm not allowed to live in Gryffindor anymore. They're sticking me in a room by myself."

"Harry, I didn't mean it," Seamus said, looking stunned. It was the first thing all term he'd said to him that sounded genuine... like the old Seamus Harry had been friends with for all these years.

"I just want to be left alone," he said, throwing his hand out flat. "I just want to be left alone to do my schoolwork and get through this stupid apprenticeship I'm being forced to do."

Harry turned his back to them and stood staring down into the mess that was his trunk, breathing heavily.

"Forced to do?" Neville asked quietly from the stairwell.

"His uncle and Snape set it up. He didn't get a choice. Snape's his guardian now and you can guess how that's going," Ron said.

Harry slammed the lid of his trunk closed and flipped the latch to secure it. "Thanks for getting me kicked out of Gryffindor," Harry said, storming out past the boys and leaving his trunk behind. He'd have to get it later. He didn't want them to see him crying. At the bottom of the stairwell he realized the common room was full so he turned abruptly and went back into the boys stairwell and into the boys bathroom where he locked himself in a shower stall and sank to the floor. This apprenticeship was slowly ripping everything from him, one thing at a time. The library in Little Whinging, his freedom, and now the safety of the dorms. Even his family... though he supposed, he had lost them before he'd even known them. He'd never had a family to begin with.

Minutes passed in silence, Harry's hitched breaths the only sound. No one came after him and he hoped they wouldn't as minutes ticked by into half an hour. Finally, when his breathing had calmed and his tears had dried, he heard Ron's voice outside the bathroom door in the boys stairwell.

"This is bogus professor. He doesn't want to leave."

"I'm well aware Mr. Weasley. I'm afraid the decision isn't mine to make."

The bathroom door opened and Ron called out, "Harry? You in here?" Without even waiting for a response he turned and said, "He's not here Professor. Must be somewhere outside of Gryffindor tower already."

"That's enough Mr. Weasley," McGonagall chastised him softly, no real sternness in her voice. "Mr. Potter, come out."

Harry unlocked the shower stall door and stepped out. Ron looked sorry where he stood in the door and Harry passed him without a word to meet McGonagall in the stairwell.

"Come along Harry."

Harry followed her out of Gryffindor and into the dark corridor outside.

"Not here," she warned him. "We'll talk in a minute."

She led him down the long corridor leading from Gryffindor tower and then to a spot where it merged at an angle with another corridor that went to McGonagall's office and back towards the Library. Where the two corridors converged there was a wall at an angle with a heavy wooden door.

"These are the Gryffindor student apprentice quarters," she said. She tapped the door with her wand and it unlocked, admitting them entrance. Once inside she closed the door and gave him a sad look. "I'm aware this wasn't what you wanted Harry. Unfortunately Professor Snape has the final say in this matter and feels this is what's best."

She pointed to the closed door and said, "Tap that with your wand and say a password you would like it to have please."

Harry turned to the door, giving it a look like it was the cause of all of his problems, and then tapped it with his wand and said, "Ink cap."

"That will be the password for the rest of the year. It won't admit anyone else entrance, only you, myself, the Headmaster, and Professor Snape. As these are student quarters it's required that your head of house, the Headmaster, and Professor Snape have access in case anything should happen that requires our presence. Professor Umbridge will not be able to come in unless you let her in, and even then not without myself or Professor Snape or the Headmaster present."

Harry gave a nod.

She motioned around the room and said, "You have a bed, a fireplace, a desk, bookshelves, a couch and chair, and a bathroom through that door. Everything you should need. The fireplace is connected to the castle Floo network, but it only goes to Professor Snape's office and quarters. It's too small to travel through, but you can firecall Professor Snape if necessary or he can firecall you."

She sat down in the comfortable looking living room chair for a moment and motioned for Harry to sit on the two seat couch. Harry did and she said, "You may have other students here if they are male. No female students will be allowed. There is a spell on the door in fact that will not allow girls under the age of 18 to pass through. This ensures that any girls that enter are not students. Because you have quarters of your own now, you may not sleep in the dorms in Gryffindor tower. You are however still a Gryffindor and are allowed in the Gryffindor common room, Gryffindor bathrooms and showers, and at Gryffindor table. Just ensure that you are sleeping in this room."

"Yes maam."

"That means that any friends you have over must also return to their dorms to sleep."

Harry gave a nod.

"You have Prefect status as well, though as you've already been told, you cannot be made Head Boy because of it. I'm certain Professor Snape has already explained the rules about taking points. There are other rules for Prefects but I'll go over those with you tomorrow after dinner in my office. For now you can unpack your things. I had a house elf bring them for you."

Harry let his eyes travel around the room and found his two trunks against a wall.

"Thank you," he said.

She gave him a sorry look and bade him goodnight. "Let me know if you need anything Harry," she said, and he gave a nod. She left and closed the door, and Harry was alone, like he always was. No parents, no friends, no house. Well, she had said he was still a Gryffindor, but being here alone in this room didn't make him feel like he was one.

He stood up and paced for a few moments before the crackling fire, and then flopped face first onto the four poster bed in the center of the room. He lay there for long moments wishing he could just block everything out, but was interrupted by a knock on the door. He prayed it wasn't Snape coming for some reason, or Umbridge come to look for contraband.

Sitting up and rubbing his aching eyes, Harry went to the door and opened it and was surprised to find Ron, Seamus, Neville and Dean. They looked nervous.

"Are we allowed to come in?" Ron asked.

Harry stepped aside, glad Ron was there but not sure about the others. He was friends with them all, (even if Seamus had been horrible all term), but was exhausted and was only comfortable with Ron and Hermione seeing him at his worst.

They came in and closed the door, eyes roving around the new space. It was Seamus who spoke first.

"I'm really sorry Harry," he said. "For everything. I was so frustrated with my mum cuz she's been sending me more and more letters as Christmas gets near. I feel like if I go home she won't let me come back. I shouldn't have taken it out on you or taken your things. If I hadn't you'd still be in the tower with us."

Harry plopped back onto his new bed. "McGonagall said I'm still allowed, but I can't sleep there and no one else can sleep here but me."

"So you can still come into the common room?" Ron asked.

"Yeah."

Ron's eyes swept the room again as he sat down on the couch. Dean sat next to him, Neville took the comfortable chair, and Seamus leaned up against the wall by the fireplace. "Not too bad though," Ron said. "Pretty big. I was afraid they were gonna stick you in a-" he paused.

"In a closet?" Harry laughed out loud. That would have been his luck. Ron was the only one that knew he'd once slept in the cupboard under the stairs at Four Privet Drive.

"Wasn't gonna say that," he said, face heating up.

"What's through there?" Neville asked, pointing at the bathroom door.

"Bathroom. I haven't been in there yet."

Neville got up and opened the door and Harry went to look with him. There was a bathtub with a shower, framed in on two sides by a large wardrobe and a smaller cupboard that looked like it was meant for towels. There was a toilet, and a counter with a sink that had drawers and cupboards underneath. With the size of the other room and the bathroom it was almost like Harry had his own flat, minus a kitchen.

"Furniture's comfortable," Dean said, trying to sound positive when Harry and Neville came back out of the bathroom. The couch and chair looked more modern than the furniture in Gryffindor. It was a muted dark blue headed towards gray. The comfortable chair was the same color, and so was the blanket and hangings on the four poster bed. Harry would miss the reds and golds of Gryffindor tower, but thought he liked the calming colors in this room well enough.

"C'mon," Ron said, "we'll help you unpack."

Dean went to Harry's school trunk and opened it, then winced when he saw the mess inside from where Harry had stuffed everything in. His homework assignments were a wrinkled mess amongst his clothes and school supplies.

"Am I allowed to open your potions trunk Harry?" Neville asked as Dean handed Ron an armful of clothes and Ron took them to the bathroom to hang in the wardrobe.

"Yeah," Harry said, and Neville opened it up and then took his two cauldrons and put them on one of the empty bookshelves, along with some of Harry's books and tools.

Seamus put Harry's school supplies away in the desk which was against the wall by the door leading out into the corridor, and Dean used his wand to try to flatten the parchments and other things that had gotten wrinkled in Harry's haste to pack over an hour ago. His friends had everything put away so quickly that Harry hadn't gotten a chance to do any of it himself. His heart was swelling and he felt close to tears for a second time that day. Things looked bleak so frequently for Harry, but just when he thought he couldn't stand to deal with things any longer, his friends always made things bearable for him. Despite all that had happened this year he felt lucky once again to have them.

"If it's ok Harry," Seamus said quietly, "I'm gonna come by every day. I'll do my homework in here with you. I mean, if you want me around after the jerk I was being to you."

"Me too," Neville said brightly, "except the jerk part, because you know I wasn't."

Harry laughed and nodded.

"Well you're not getting rid of me," Ron said. "Just cuz you have your own room now doesn't mean you get to escape your best friend."

It was nearing curfew, which Ron noted on the clock above the fireplace, and so he started to usher the other boys out so they could get back to Gryffindor tower. At the door, he turned to Harry and said, "All right, yeah? We'll be back in the morning to get you on the way to breakfast if we don't see you in the common room first."

Harry gave a nod, and Ron closed the door on his way out.

They had left, but he didn't feel alone like he had before. Ignoring his homework, and the notes he needed to study for the Herbology test he had this week, Harry climbed under the covers of the new bed and waved the lights down with his wand. Snape was a nutter. This wouldn't help him at all. He was comforted by the fact that the other boys seemed willing to go where he went though... to spend time here in this foreign apprentice room with him when he'd been removed from the dorms in Gryffindor against his will. He wondered if Snape would ever realize just how much trouble he caused for Harry on a regular basis, or if he would even care.