The blonde abandoned the two teachers and raven-haired boy before they entered the building. For this, Harry was grateful because Draco had made him extremely wary. Professor Schlone bid them a farewell and Snape led him to the boy’s dormitories. Already he was planning on how to best avoid Malfoy during his visit.

The building was furnished with items from the Victorian-era and grand paintings of past students and teachers. Along the staircase there was a moving picture for each year that had graduated and Harry found it curious that 1978 was missing while all the others were intact. Some of the students primped, others sat stiffly, and more still were joking around and making faces at him. On the way up he caught sight of a rather large library and her thought that perhaps this summer wouldn’t be a waste if he could find a particularly nasty hex for Malfoy. At last they reached a long hallway of doors, each with a plaque on the outside naming the inhabitant of the room.

Already, the door had been engraved with his name and the name above it was, to his shock Neville Longbottom. That isn’t possible, is it? Harry wondered incredulously. Snape knocked briefly on the door before opening it to reveal an elegantly decorated room with two beds. Both had a dark green comforter and light green sheets. There were black curtains and the walls and the ceiling was black with twinkling stars. The floor was covered with a creamy carpet and the furniture surrounding the fireplace was white. Beside each bed was a dresser and desk, both made out of dark mahogany.

Seated at one of the desks was a young man, with light brown hair and a stocky build. It was Neville! Harry nearly laughed with relief. Sharing a room with Neville was much better then sharing it with a Slytherin who he didn’t know and yet would most likely hate him.

"Mr. Longbottom," drawled Snape.

The boy scuttled to his feet and stammered, "P-professor S-snape."

"Your new roommate." He said simply, pushing Harry forward and moving back to where he would be as unobtrusive as possible.

"Neville!" He exclaimed happily.

"Hi, Harry. What are you doing here?" Neville asked shyly, bouncing up and down on his heels until Snape glared at him and caused him to come to an abrupt stop.

"My family, they, uh . . . passed away." Muttered Harry, staring at the fascinating carpet under his feet.

"Oh." Neville said, looking at him in an intent manner that made him uncomfortable. Eventually his gaze darted away and he went back to shuffling his feet.

"What are you doing here?" Harry countered, hoping to take the focus off of him.

"Gram thinks I need extra help with my magic and knowledge of wizarding politics." He fidgeted with his shirt, "I think she thinks that they’ll get rid of some of my clumsiness and bad habits."

Snape looked as if he was going to say something scathing but suddenly Malfoy appeared at the doorway. "Professor, may I speak to you for a moment?"

For a moment Snape looked like he might say no, but after a brief nonverbal exchange with his student he nodded, "Go wait in the hall." Draco immediately obeyed and left the room.

"Potter. Longbottom, will make a rather good roommate for you. He is dependable and neat, habits I hope you will pick up." Neville blushed deeply under the rare compliment and looked as though he wanted to disappear. "He can fill you in on the protocol but I will take the time right now to inform you that you are expected to pick up after yourself."

I think I can handle that, Harry thought bitterly. Then he remembered his relatives and their early end and felt a stab of guilt for thinking like that. Their professor turned on his heel and left, causing Neville to immediately relax.

Harry thought bitterly. Then he remembered his relatives and their early end and felt a stab of guilt for thinking like that. Their professor turned on his heel and left, causing Neville to immediately relax."That’s what she says anyway," said Neville with an uncharacteristic bitterness. For a moment Harry wondered whet he was talking about but then remembered; his grandmother. "She just doesn’t want to have to deal with me after what happened."

"What exactly did happen?" Questioned Harry, going over to the dresser and he began to tentatively unpack his meager belongings from his trunk.

"My father, at St. Mungo’s. He began to have delusions and he reacted . . . violently. Some of the other patients were injured."

"Oh. I’m sorry Neville."

The chubby boy stared at him for a moment and then shook his head, "No, you’re not. You’re just saying that because it’s what you’re supposed to say."

Harry was shocked by the bluntness of the statement and didn’t know how to respond. He knew how he wanted to respond; say that what Neville thought wasn’t true. However, he didn’t have the energy to argue his point when what Neville was saying was actually sort of the truth. Instead he decided to change the subject. While they were talking, he’d noticed the long, angry looking scratches on the other boy’s arms that were all, oddly enough, lined up in a straight row, "Neville? What happened to your arm?"

The other boy blushed furiously and violently tugged his rolled up sleeves down to cover it. "Nothing, it was an accident. I got caught in a thorn bush."

This made him wonder why it was only on his arms and why they were so neat but he let it go. Neville was explaining to him, " . . . and you missed classes for the day but dinner is in ten minutes. Want to come down?"

"No, that’s all right. I’ll be down in a few minutes. I want to get settled in before I go down."

"All right, but don’t be late. Snape gets mad."

"Right."

Neville pulled his robe on and rushed out into the hall and down to dinner. On his way out he had left the door open ever so slightly and Harry was about to shut it until he heard two voices coming from the other side of the door. Recognizing the voices as belonging to Snape and Draco and he paused, seriously considering continuing to eavesdrop. Well it’s not my fault Neville left the door open, is it? So if I just happen to overhear something . . . he crept closer to the door and perked up his ears.

"–then don’t, Draco. It’s as simple as that, for once take charge of your life and stop letting your parents make all your decisions for you."

"Godfather," Harry was surprised by this, "You don’t understand what it’s like! They want me to–."

"I know exactly what it’s like. Look, Draco there are two paths in times like these and there is a time in every witch and wizards life when they need to choose which one they will go down. Unfortunately, you’re being asked to choose your own before many of your peers."

"I–I don’t want that for myself. They’re a bunch of disgusting monsters." The blonde hissed in a more vehement voice then was normal for a boy of only sixteen. Then he became apologetic, not something Harry thought he would ever see from the blonde, "I don’t mean you. I mean them."

"I know. Well it sounds like you’ve made your decision, now you just have to be strong enough to back it."

"...I don’t know if I can. It’s too late for that. They’ll never let me go now."

"Nonsense. Draco, Slytherins are famous for their strength . . . is everything all right? You have not been yourself since you came back here for the summer."

There was a moment of loaded hesitation, which seemed to confirm Severus’ fears, "Draco, what is it?"

With a sigh he muttered, "Nothing."

"Draco . . . " However there was a buzzing noise which he supposed signaled the beginning of supper and he heard Draco hastily excuse himself. Suddenly, he felt guilty for listening in and went to go down into the dining hall. However, when he exited, he found himself face to face with Malfoy. Their eyes locked and a tiny bit of red began to appear in the blonde’s usually pale cheeks. They ignored each other and both set off down the stairs until Harry realized that he didn’t know how to get to the dining room.

Although he considered asking for help, in the end his pride won out and he went to attempt to find it on his own. This took a considerable amount of time to do and he was very late by time he got there he was very late. A small group of teachers at the head table looked at him, as well as the students. Snape looked only a hairs-breadth from rolling his eyes, although Professor Schlone gave him a kind and sympathetic look. Whispering spread about what the golden boy could be doing at the small Spencer Academy.

"Mr. Goyle, would you care to inform Mr. Potter of our policy on tardiness." Requested a stern looking man with salt and pepper hair and a beige robe.

The oafish looking boy rose from his seat beside Malfoy and said, "Any student late is showing disrespect to the teachers and the other students and should remain standing and not participate in the meal."

Harry’s stomach chose that moment to growl particularly loud and he moaned at the thought of going the night without food. Again, the Dursleys had helped him prepare for such an occasion but he was still recovering from the attack. Feeling foolish, he stood for the entire meal, forced to watch everything that was going on and not being able to do anything to stop it. The students ate with impeccable manners and chatted happily and Draco and his friends seemed to have made a sport out of torturing Neville. Food magically pelted itself at him and Draco came over and stood there for several moments talking, and although he couldn’t hear what was going on he could tell by the look on Neville’s face that it wasn’t pleasant.

XxXxXxX

To his surprise Professor Schlone brought him up a tray of food later, much to the horror of a rule abiding Neville.

"Thanks Professor." He said, enthusiastically digging in which amused the woman who was used to her uptight, well-mannered Slytherins.

"Outside of class, you may call me Elvira." She said, sitting down at the chair in front of his desk.

"Okay, thanks. What do you teach?"

"Divination." Elvira informed him, much to his surprise.

"Oh, er, I have to say that isn’t my favorite subject."

"Yes," she said, pulling a slight face and picking at a thread on her red robe, "I’ve met your professor at Hogwarts. Now, don’t tell anyone that I said this but. . .the woman hasn’t the faintest idea what she is talking about. A load of fluff, if you ask me. I will be teaching you about the real art of divination. You should be good at it, you have a lot of power in you."

"Okay, looking forward to it. Thanks for bringing up the tray."

"Oh, no problem dear. Severus and I both think that you need to put on a little weight."

Harry nearly choked on his food, "Professor Snape let you bring this to me after I was late."

Elvira clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth and nodded, "Of course. Don’t look so shocked about it! He may be tough on his students but he’s worth your time. Give him a chance."

"Give him a chance? Tell him to give me a chance!"

She sighed and stood up, "I’ll see you in class tomorrow, bright and early."

"Okay. Good night."

That night Harry had odd dreams that his Aunt Petunia was sitting in a beautiful garden but when he got up to approach her she moved away. Soon he was chasing her, struggling to catch up and apologize to her for what had happened. Giving a dark laugh she shrilled, "Catch me if you can, Harry!"

Somehow the chase didn’t bother his though and soon he was running across open fields with no cares in the world. The deaths, the war, it all faded into the background for a few glorious moments. Until someone started shaking his shoulder and calling his name. With a low groan, he opened his eyes and peered up to see a set of blue ones looking back down at him through a sheet of long blonde hair.

"Pansy?" He asked, unable to fathom what she could want from him at this hour.

"Get up. Draco wants to see you."

"Well why didn’t he come tell me then?"

"Because he’s preparing things downstairs. Look, if you’re too much of a coward then don’t come with us. We can make your life a lot easier if you just cooperate with us. You’re lucky. Draco wants to make peace with you." Pansy explained quietly, although not quietly enough.

"Harry, you shouldn’t be wandering around the manor after hours. It’s against the rules." Unfortunately Harry could see in the boy’s eyes that he secretly wanted to go with them and was rather put off by not being invited.

"Mind your business Longbottom! Oh, by the way I’ve been meaning to ask you," she purred, standing up and making her way toward him. "Do your parents recognize you when you go to visit them? Or do they simply sit and drool?"

Harry was struck by the cruelty and boldness of the statement. Neville went pale and turned over in bed, pretending (rather pathetically) to be asleep. Satisfied, Pansy made her way back over to Harry and leaned over him.

"Are you coming or not?"

"Yes, fine. But it better be worth it." He got up and pulled on the blue robe, wondering what the blonde was doing in the boy’s dormitories anyway.

"Oh," she said with an unpleasant light in her eyes, "it will be."

Suddenly his head exploded and he was lost in a vision of vivid color and sounds until the room came into focus. No one was in the room except for Neville who was seated on the bed with his legs crossed and tears running down his face. There was a blade in his hand and he pushed it down on a part of his unblemished arm and pushed down, part of the blade disappearing into his arm. With a choked sob, he drew it across bringing forth a small stream of blood fell down his arm and onto the green bed sheets.

And then it was over and he was returned to the present where Neville was laying in bed and Pansy was waiting impatiently for him to join her. It was just a dream, he told himself. The logical part of him responded sarcastically, You’re not asleep. And what about the cuts on his arms? Doing the only thing he could he walked over and whispered to Neville, "Listen, I’m going to go with her but how about tomorrow, you and me explore the manor for ourselves?"

The boy hesitated but then gave him a radiant smile and nodded, "Sounds great Harry."

Quietly they made their way down the stairs and into the front foyer. "Wait!" Harry said, grabbing her arm, "Won’ the teachers hear us."

"Taken care of," she said with a dismissive wave of the hand.

Draco and his two goons were down in the foyer waiting for them. They were deep in a conversation that came to a halt when they spotted him. "Took you long enough. Look Potter, there’s an initiation at this school for those who are accepted. You have to steal a potion from Snape’s office."

"What?" He asked, horrified. After all, he didn’t have a death wish.

"You heard me. What’s the worse that can happen, after all, we all did it." Draco was testing him, challenging him to see what he was made of. Determination and pride swelled up in Harry causing him to say, "Fine, I’ll take it. Show me where the office is."

Oddly enough, the office was above ground in a room that actually received sunlight. Well, I guess he really isn’t a vampire. The Weasley twins owed him some money, Harry thought with a small, private smile. Draco somehow had the key to the room and Harry slowly crept into the room and over to the potions store cupboards. The moment he laid a hand on the potions the door slammed shut and he heard the laughter of the four Slytherins outside. Shit! He thought, running to the door and struggling with the knob. He almost pounded on the door but luckily he realized that was a bad idea beforehand.

There was a window that he decided to try to wiggle through but it wouldn’t open all the way. There was a small space though and he decided to try to get through anyway. People had always told him he was small. This worked until he got about halfway through when his middle caught and he couldn’t slide in or out of the window. He was stuck! Once in a while he would struggle vigorously to get out but it was to no avail. Pretty soon the sun came up and then the potions’ classroom began to fill up. There were footsteps and he felt someone standing behind him.

"Mr. Potter." He drawled, as if it were the most natural thing in the world to see the boy hanging out of his window. "Dare I ask what you are doing?"

For a second he paused but he couldn’t resist, "Just hanging around sir." Something hard hit the back of his calf causing him to yelp in protest. At this point he decided that it was a good time to elaborate. "I’m stuck, sir."

There was a wildfire of laughter in the classroom until Snape rose his wand and sent Harry sailing into his seat. "How did this happen?"

The look on his face said that if he lied, Snape would quite possibly maim him. "Draco locked me in here."

Eyes narrowing, the man turned to glare at his godson who was looking angrily at Harry. Neville was looking at Harry with admiration for standing up for himself. "Well then, you both can give the classroom a good scrub down after class." They both groaned but silenced themselves with one look from Snape.

Sitting on the cold stone floor Harry snuck a look over at draco who had, to his surprise, agreed to wash the room without much of a fight.

"Draco, can I ask you a question?"

"Ask me two even."

"Wha–oh! Right . . . " He paused for a long moment, "What were you talking about with Snape in the hallway yesterday?"

Draco’s head shot up and he gave Harry a fierce look. "Why? Were you eavesdropping?" Then he bitterly added, "It’s nothing you’d understand."

Harry admitted defeat and went back to scrubbing the floor and was surprised when Draco spoke up again, "No, no. Maybe you do understand. After all, you’re a slave to the past mistakes your parents made just as much as I am. Every day you pay for your parent’s decision in this war, just like I do."

Shocked by this sudden openness, he ruined it by responding, "The difference being that my parents made the right decision."

"Depends on whom you ask."