Chapter 43: Restarts
October 30
After his introduction to Luna Lovegood, Harry found that he was unable to get over the sheer oddness of the girl. She had been quirky and fanciful with her talk of creatures that Harry had never heard about in his life, but pleasantly so. Now that he had time to think, the Slytherin found that he had enjoyed his encounter with the Ravenclaw. She was refreshing and had never once stared at him like he was some sort of freak show or a traitor. In fact, Luna never once glared at him or seemed weary of him. It had made Harry feel good.
Shaking his head, Harry began walking away with a smirk, adjusted his satchel on his shoulder. He would not be able to read anymore today, his thoughts were too unfocused now. It was funny how just one girl could make his completely lose focus. But Harry was sure he couldn’t read anything about Charms while the mystery of what the Crumple-Horned Snorkack really was loomed over him. He chuckled at the thought. As he began lazily gait across the lawn, Harry saw Hermione, Neville, and Ron going down to the lake. Even from a distance, Harry could tell that the Gryffindors were arguing, and he had a pretty good guess what it was about. Taking a deep breath, the Slytherin decided to sail into dangerous territory.
“—and I don’t think—”
“That’s just the problem, Ronald! You never do!”
“Hey guys,” Harry walked over to the quarreling group, hoping that he could distract them from their anger towards one another.
“Harry!” Hermione’s eyes went wide for a moment in surprise before she was able to calm herself. Ron simply scowled. “Hi,” the girl went on a bit uneasily.
“Hello, Harry,” Neville smiled gently.
“Hi,” Harry smiled uneasily.
“What do you want?” Ron snapped irritably. It was obvious that the other two Gryffindor had been giving the Weasley a rather hard time.
Scowling right back, the Slytherin hoped that he looked about as displeased as his father did when a first year blew up a cauldron. “I thought I’d just come over and talk to my friends.” He pinned Ron with a hard look. At Ron’s surprised expression, Harry sighed. “Look Ron, I know you’re still mad at me, but really, none of this is my fault! I can’t help that the Hat put me in Slytherin now. I didn’t want to be resorted, but that’s just what happened. Can we stop this feud and just be friends again? I’m still the same person. Really!”
Ron gave the other boy a weary glance before he turned to Hermione. “You told him that I was coming out here, didn’t you?”
“I most certainly did not,” Hermione huffed. “Harry was clearly outside before us and decided to be the bigger person and come over to talk to us.”
The red head looked back over at the boy that had once been his best friend. It seemed like there was a battle raging in the young Weasley’s mind, as though he were trying to think of reasons to continue his anger towards Harry. It hurt the Slytherin to know that his friend was behaving so childishly. Hadn’t Ron been excited to see him after he thought he’d been killed? Why then did he turn around and hate him?
“I…” Ron began. “I…It’s just so…weird, you know? I mean…we all thought that you were dead, and then the next minute you’re alive…only you’re not you anymore. You’re a Slytherin now, Harry. How…”
Getting the stubborn ginger to actually talk was an accomplishment, one that Harry recognized. “I’m still the same Ron! You remember I told you all about what the Sorting Hat said to me my first year, and how it tried then to put me into Slytherin…I guess I just really belonged there.”
“But you also said that Dumbledore told you that only a Gryffindor could pull Godric Gryffindor’s sword out from the Sorting Hat. You did that second year, remember?” Ron frowned. “You have to be a real Gryffindor, Harry! How could you have done that otherwise?”
“I don’t know!” Harry cried helplessly. “I don’t know why everything is happening like it is, but it just is. And if you can’t accept me for the things I can’t control then I guess we shouldn’t really be friends anymore. Goodbye Ron.”
Turning around and walking away, Harry had to fight the disgust and disappointment he felt. It was one of the worst feelings he had ever felt in his life. This was not the way he had wanted things to end between himself and Ron, but what else could he do? He knew he couldn’t make Ron like him, so what was the point of running after the Gryffindor? Funny, a year ago Harry might have kept trying, stubbornly never letting go until he had succeeded.
“Harry, wait!” he heard Neville call.
Determined not to turn around, the Slytherin kept his steady pace and kept on his march when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see Neville staring at him with sad eyes. “Harry, please don’t be too mad at Ron…he just needs a little time. He’ll come around. I know he’ll apologize once he realizes that to not forgive you would mean never to be your friend.”
“He’s right,” Hermione came back over. “I think that Ron just needs to actually sit down to think.”
Although he knew that his friends were trying to help, it didn’t make Harry feel much better. Would Ron ever come around and actually think about what Harry had told him? The Slytherin hoped so. He missed his best mate’s lively manner and loud laughing. But feeling as though he should do something, Harry tried to smile at the friends that did stay by him.
“Yeah. I guess he’ll come around when he’s ready,” Harry shrugged.
With that, the new trio went and sat down by the lake together, talking and laughing about what was happening around them. Hermione and Neville filled in Harry about the doings of the Gryffindors from the start of the year to the present. It was nice to listen to news about his old house mates. Harry found that as he listened, he missed all of his old house mates, even Collin and Dennis Creevey always taking his picture.
In turn, Harry told them everything he knew as well. But wanting to hide how hurt he really was, the new Slytherin felt compelled to make his stories energetic and funny. He told them all about his cold war with Malfoy, about how he and the blonde nearly hexed each other to kingdom come and how it didn’t work, and then lastly, about Luna. Although he had just met the girl a short time ago, he felt that he had really made a friend with her. Where Hermione and Neville’s friendship was safe, familiar, Luna’s was new and interesting. Harry wondered just what Luna would bring to the table…other than her Quibbler and Crumple-Horned Snorkacks!
“Luna?” Hermione frowned. “Luna Lovegood?”
“Yeah,” Harry nodded vigorously. “She was really strange, but funny.” A fond smile crept up on his face as he recalled how charmingly absurd the girl was.
“I think I know her.” Neville’s face was set in a concentrated mask. “I think she and Ginny talk some times. Ginny swears that that Luna girl’s cracked.”
Harry laughed. “I’ll second that!” he snickered. “But she’s really a good sort of person, just a bit odd.”
So the three went on talking until the sun rose high in the sky, signaling that it was time for lunch. And if that wasn’t enough, then Neville’s stomach growling was all that was left to convince the three that it was time to go in for a bit. So the three friends left their spot by the lake and began their long walk back to the castle.
Harry was actually having such a good time laughing and joking that when they began walking up the steps, he did not immediately see that there was someone waiting for them. It was only when the three children nearly collided with the Potions Master that they realized that there was someone there at all.
“Mr. Potter,” Snape looked down at the children in front of him with hard eyes. “Please follow me.”
Neville visibly paled in the presence of the teacher, making Harry feel sorry for his friend. One day, the Slytherin planned to help the poor Gryffindor get over his fear of his father. Knowing the Potions Master as well as he did now, Harry couldn’t help but find it a bit amusing that his friend was so terrified of the professor. Once you got under the spiky, sarcastic demeanor of the man, Snape really wasn’t so bad.
Looking back at his friends, he gave them each a small smile. “I’ll see you guys later.”
“We’ll meet you in the library later,” Hermione offered. “Hello, professor,” she gave a nervous smile to the Potions Master while Neville continued to look at his feet.
“Miss Granger,” Snape said, before he spun around sharply and began to stride back into the castle, not looking back to see if Harry were following. Brightening his grin, Harry nodded to his friends before he hurried after his father, hoping that he’d be able to catch up with the long-legged professor.
The two walked until they were in an empty classroom not far from the Great Hall. Once Harry was in, Snape closed the door and put several wards upon it, making sure that they could privately speak without anyone over hearing them. “We need to talk,” Severus said bluntly before he sat down gracefully in a dusty chair.
Harry followed suit and sat down near his father. “Is something wrong?”
“No.” Severus looked about the old room as though trying to spy if there was something amiss. “No, I merely wanted to speak with you before the other schools arrived.”
A true smile sprang up on Harry’s face at his father’s declaration. “I guess we haven’t really seen much of each other lately, have we?” he grinned.
“Indeed we have not.” The elder wizard gave his son just the smallest hint of a smile in return. “I am pleased to see that you’ve stayed out of trouble thus far.” Harry beamed. “But, I would ask that you maintain this new record of obeying the rules while the other schools arrive,” Severus pinned his son with a hard look. “I have no desire to go chasing after you at all hours of the night as you wander about the castle.”
“I didn’t always go wandering about, you know,” Harry frowned, crossing his arms with a slight huff.
The professor merely raised an eyebrow at the boy, looking putout. “As the man sent to always run after you, I believe that I know all about your…illegal activities over the years, Harry.”
The boy smirked shyly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah…I guess I always wondered why it was you that found me when I was doing something I wasn’t supposed to…”
Snape shook his head, but there was just the faintest touch of amusement. “I’ll say it once more; stay away from the Tri-wizard Cup. Stay out of the spotlight for once in your life, boy. Let the other schools take the attention off of you. It will be safer that way.”
“I don’t go looking for these things to happen to me, they just do, sir,” the boy shrugged. “But I’m not going to do anything. Promise! I don’t want to be in the spotlight anymore than I have to be. I just want to be normal.”
The two stared at each other for a moment, Snape looking the boy up and down before he stood up, muttering something that sounded an awful lot like “Yeah, good luck with that” before he dusted off his robes with all the grace and dignity of a prince. “Good. I’m glad we understand each other. You may go to lunch now, if you’d like, with your friends.”
Harry’s face fell a bit. “Oh. We’re…not going to talk anymore?”
The black eyes across from him looking a bit startled before going dull once more. Harry hated that. It made the man so much harder to read. “I…suppose we can talk later this evening, after the other schools have arrived. You can give me a quick report of your initial reactions of them.”
Green eyes lit up brighter than the fire under the potion cauldrons. “Okay! I mean, sure, that sounds good,” he tried to cover his excitement at the prospect. “I’ll, uh, just see you then.”
“Very well,” the professor nodded. “Before you go,” the boy stopped in his tracks. “The Slytherins…they’re treating you well?”
Thinking back to his fellow housemates, the new Slytherin thought about his experience in his new House carefully. “Yeah,” he said slowly. “They’ve been okay. I think Malfoy’s really been working hard to keep them off my back,” he admitted reluctantly.
The older wizard nodded approvingly. “Good. Off with you then. Go eat. We’ll talk later.”
“Okay, bye!” the boy smiled before he ran out of the room and towards the Great Hall. He was actually starving today for some reason. All that talk of magical creatures that more than likely didn’t exist seemed to have worked up an appetite.
As soon as he was in the Great Hall, the lone Slytherin sat down where he normally did at the end of the table near the professors, as he filled his plate. The other students were noisy and active as always, shouting and some attempting to do homework. Harry was so focused on his people watching while he ate his sandwich, that when books suddenly slammed down beside him, he jumped slightly before looking over.
Draco Malfoy planted himself down beside his roommate, looking extremely upset, and more than a little vicious. It took the shorter boy a moment to actually comprehend that the blonde had actually lowered himself to sit with the likes of someone like Harry before he found his voice. “Can I help you?”
“Belt up, Potter,” the blonde snarled. “I’m sitting here, so just shut it.”
The younger boy blinked, before frowning right back. “I don’t care if you sit here,” he said simply, watching as Malfoy looked at him in surprise. “I just wondered what the almighty Slytherin prince was doing here with the likes of me.”
“None of your damned business!” the other hissed almost reflexively before he stopped and seemed to think better of it. “I just…didn’t want to sit with the others right now…”
Seeing Draco like this was probably weirder than his encounter with Luna, but to his credit, Harry tried to remain calm and indifferent, just as he had seen his father and the other Slytherins do. He wanted to ask what the other was up to, why he seemed so upset, or even just tell the blonde to take a hike, but something stopped him. There was something about the way the other boy held himself that suggested hurt, like he was just being defensive because he didn’t want anyone else to know something was wrong.
Turning away from Malfoy, Harry went back to eating his sandwich, carefully keeping tabs on his company. “Fine. Whatever.”
The awkwardness increased exponentially as time went on, and soon the former Gryffindor wasn’t sure he could even eat. Draco wasn’t eating. He just filled his plate and sat staring down at it like it might jump up and bite him in the nose. There was always the possibility that such a thing could happen, of course, especially to someone like Malfoy, but Harry honestly had no idea what had gotten into the pureblood. Since he started living with the other, he had never seen the blonde look quite so pale before.
“So what do you think the other students will be like?”
“What?” Malfoy snapped his head up, narrowing his eyes. Harry just stared at the other boy coolly.
“I just asked what you thought the other students would be like. You know, from the other schools?”
Grey eyes narrowed farther into slits. “How the bloody hell should I know! What’s your game, Potter?”
“Nothing,” the younger wizard shrugged. “Just thought I’d make conversation.”
“Why?” the blonde pressed. “Snape put you up to this, did he? Wanted to keep tabs on me?”
“No,” Harry shook his head. Maybe his father did want to keep an eye out on Draco, but he had certainly never asked his son to deliberately spy on the other. Snape would just ask about his godson, but that was all. “It’s just rather boring to sit with someone and not talk.”
It seemed as though Malfoy was about to start screaming, or at the very least that he was maybe going to get up and walk away, but to Harry’s surprise—maybe even Draco’s as well—the blonde’s shoulders slumped forward and he turned away resentfully. “Those from Beauxbaton students will probably be very stuck up and those from Durmstrang aggressive.”
The black haired boy blinked several times in surprise. Had Malfoy actually answered his casual question? “Why?”
“Because, you dolt,” Malfoy rolled his eyes. “Beauxbaton are French and Durmstrang from Sweden. Don’t think England’s forgot its rivalry with the French, nor the Norse their proud Viking heritage. They hold just as tightly to tradition as the rest of us.”
Again, Harry blinked before looking down at his plate, feeling a big stupid for some reason. Probably because Malfoy had been so condescending. “Yeah, well, you should judge someone like that just based on cultural stereotypes,” he muttered.
“Even if they’re true?” The question was challenging as much as it was curious, and Harry wondered if no one had ever told the blonde something like this before. It seemed completely possible that in the Malfoy household, stereotypes were everything, that it was just an easy way for the rich to discredit everyone else.
And a thought occurred to Harry; maybe Malfoy acted the way he did not solely because he was a git—thought git he was—maybe he did it because he had no idea how else to act? It seemed entirely possible, at least. It didn’t excuse Malfoy’s despicable attitude or actions over the years, of course, but it did make a lot more sense as to why the other was such an ass.
“Yeah,” the former Gryffindor nodded. “Yeah, you really should judge like that no matter what.”
Draco frowned, seemed about ready to argue his point, but then, for whatever reason, didn’t. “What sort of drivel do they teach you in those Muggle schools,” he muttered.
Harry shrugged and another silence lapsed over the two Slytherins. Just when it seemed that it was going to be a completely silent affair between them, Malfoy started in again. “You know, you don’t have to sit here.”
The newer Slytherin looked up. “What?”
Malfoy seemed uncomfortable, as though he had just admitted a terrible truth. “You don’t have to sit here, you know,” he stated again, refusing to look at Harry. “There’s no rule saying that you have to remain seated at your own House’s table. You can go sit with your friends if you want.”
Was Malfoy trying to be…nice? It was so startling that Harry wasn’t sure if he had heard him right, even after the second time it had been repeated. “I-I know,” he found his voice after a minute. “I just don’t think the majority of them would really like it if I was over there.”
“Don’t see why,” Draco crossed his arms, still not meeting the other boy’s eyes. “Unless they really did want to get rid of you after all the trouble you caused.”
Although it was a bit insulting, Harry was pretty sure he had heard a hit of humor in the blonde’s voice. Had Draco been attempting a joke, albeit a poor one? The idea of it seemed so ridiculous, and yet, there had been no real bite behind the accusation. Whatever was wrong with Malfoy see med to have opened up a new side of the boy, one that Harry found he was able to deal with and understand a bit better.
Instead of take the easy route of being insulted, the younger boy smiled slightly and shrugged. “Yeah, something like that, I guess.”
“That’s stupid,” the blonde rolled his eyes. Harry wasn’t sure what that meant exactly.
Just when they were nearly finished, or at least Harry was as Malfoy hadn’t eaten anything, a nasily voice flittered over from down the table. “Draco?”
The blonde blanched before turning to Harry with wide eyes. “I’ll give you ten galleons if you say I’m not here.”
“What?”
But before Harry to question it more, Malfoy ducked down and slipped under the table. In the next minute, Pansy was there, looking about frantically when her eyes landed on the black haired boy. She looked torn between asking and just ignoring the former Gryffindor, as she had been doing thus far, but at last, her desire for the other Slytherin led her to ask, “Have you seen Draco?”
Something grabbed Harry’s leg, and he knew very well that if he gave the blonde away, that Malfoy would be sure to hex him into oblivion. “Nope,” he said instead, continuing to eat.
“Are you sure?” the girl put her hands on her hips. “Someone said he was down here.”
“Why would he come down here with me?”
That seemed to make some sense to the girl and with another sneer, she walked away with a pug nose in the air. Another minute later, the blonde peeked out. “Is she gone?”
Harry smirked down his former rival, enjoying the way the other scowled at him when he realized his actions were actually quite childish. “Yeah, she’s gone,” the emerald eyed boy continued to smirk.
With a sigh, the blonde crawled out from his hiding space and dusted off his pants. “That was close,” he muttered. Almost as though it were against his will, the blonde looked at the other boy before mumbling a “Thanks.”
“So,” Harry drawled casually. “Is that why you’re in such a bad mood? Pansy hunting you?”
“It’s certainly a factor,” the blonde nodded before grabbing a slice of sandwich.
“I thought you liked her?”
“Are you kidding me?” Malfoy scowled at him, as though he were gravely insulted. “She’d got the face of a pug! Her only redeeming quality is that she’s pureblood. That’s the only reason she’s ever going to marry one day.”
The younger wizard frowned. “That’s harsh,” Harry frowned. Draco just shrugged. “And there’s more to a person than just who their parents are.”
For some reason, that seemed to strike a chord with the blonde, and he set down his sandwich again. “Maybe.”
For some reason, Harry had a feeling that he had just helped Malfoy out with one of his other problems too, though he wasn’t entirely sure what that other problem was.
oOoOoOo
Snape sat down at the Head Table watching the Hogwarts students intermingle with the students from the other schools. The Gryffindors were all jumping around excitedly, the Hufflepuffs were going out of their way to be friendly, the Ravenclaws were all being polite, and the Slytherins seemed dead set on making good impressions. Overall, it was a rather pleasing turn of events, especially after all of the excitement of seeing how they all arrived. It had been rather spectacular, everyone showing off. But the Potions Master couldn’t let the festive air distract him. No, besides watching the school, his son, and godson, now Snape had the unfortunate displeasure of being in the same proximity as Karkaroff.
The Headmaster of Durmstrang kept eyeing the Slytherin from next to Dumbledore, and it was taking all that he had not to turn and glare. Was that idiot trying to show the world that he had something to hide by looking that nervous? Honestly, Severus wasn’t sure how the man had survived this long.
Turning his attention back to his students, Snape was pleased to see that with the extra students around, Harry wasn’t by himself anymore. His son was in a mix of Durmstrang children, and more surprisingly, Draco Malfoy. His godson was sitting beside Harry talking to some of the other exchange students. That was odd. Where those two actually getting along now? But no, it had only been about two months, surely they hadn’t buried the hatchet that quickly.
“Did you see Viktor Krum there?” Flitwick said excitedly, pointing towards the Slytherin table. “He had a good season this year, don’t you think?”
Tuning out the reply, Severus did indeed spot the famous young Quidditch player sitting amongst his brood, Harry right across from him. So that’s why Draco flocked to him, he thought. Trying to make a good impression on the famous athlete.
While it made more sense that the boys were getting along because of a celebrity in their midst, it did disappoint the Potions Master all the same. Although it was foolish of him, he had hoped to see the two finally getting along…though that, again was complete and total bullocks. Putting Harry and Draco together and expecting them to get along was like putting him and James Potter in the same room; it just wasn’t going to work.
Or at least it appeared so on the outside. Thus far, neither boy had tried to kill the other, and despite their rivalry, it didn’t appear as though either boy were trying to make the other look a fool in front of their guests. That was a good sign, at least. Had it been Severus and Potter, the Head of Slytherin knew that his old enemy would have taken any chance he could to make Snape look like an idiot, and in return, Severus wouldn’t have taken it. It would have been a complete and total disaster. But then, maybe Harry and Draco were more mature that James and he had been at that age. It was a possibility due to the boys experiences in life thus far.
But when the welcoming feast had come to an end, and the students were all up and preparing for bed, getting ready for the next day of classes and the excitement about the Goblet of Fire, Snape stood, and watched rather pleased, as Harry and Draco walked off together. It didn’t look particularly companionable for either, but it was a start. The blonde had kept good on his word and didn’t let anyone touch Harry, and it seemed even now he was taking the task seriously. He was going to have to talk to his godson soon, perhaps commend him. Draco was always one that thrived on positive feedback, though how much of that he actually got now was debatable.
Just as he was leaving, however, a hand landed on his shoulder. Shrugging it off and spinning around, wand ready, though hidden, Snape found himself face to face with Karkaroff. It shouldn’t have surprised him, but seeing the other man made Severus want to groan. He didn’t want to talk to this nut, nor did he have time.
“Karkaroff,” he nodded politely.
“Snape…it’s been a while,” the other looked about nervously. “Perhaps we could talk?”
“Not now,” Severus waved off the Durmstrang Headmaster. “I have pressing matters to attend to.”
Just as he was leaving, the other man spoke again. “I heard what happened with you this summer.”
Turing back around slowly, Snape eyed the man up and down warily. “Oh?”
“Yes. I would…I would like to talk about it. Soon, if you could,” the other man was nodding to himself. “I believe you and I…have some similar issues that we could discuss.”
The other professors were filing out, moving around the two still men as they spoke, and Severus got the nasty suspicion that someone else was listening in on their conversation. He didn’t like it, any of it, even if they hadn’t said anything particularly incriminating. “I see,” he said slowly. “Perhaps tomorrow morning?” he asked. “I am rather busy this evening. We could have tea with Headmaster Dumbledore if you’d like. He…is aware and sympathetic to my plight.”
“Yes, yes of course,” Karkaroff nodded quickly. “That would be best. I will…speak with you in the morning then. Goodnight.”
Severus waited until the other man was gone before he let out a gentle sigh, rubbing his temples. Why was it that nothing seemed to be going well for him lately? Was a little peace really that much to ask? Apparently.
Stalking back down to the dungeons, Snape decided that perhaps after a day filled with grading parchments, talking to Albus, and worrying over the arrival of the other schools, perhaps it would be nice to just sit down and listen to Harry chatter away about his day. The boy needed someone to listen to him, and quite honestly, Severus needed someone to take his mind off of all of the terrible events that had been occurring recently. It was a match made in Heaven, or so Albus would think if he knew of the meeting. But the old man didn’t, and that’s just the way Severus wanted to keep it.
So, with the night coming to a close after all the excitement that had gone on, Severus retrieved Harry to allow the child to talk. It rather soothed the Potion Master’s nerves, knowing that for the moment, his son was safe and relatively happy. But as the child chatted on about how strange Draco had been acting, the older wizard knew that he would have to speak to his godson like this again soon.