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Assistant: Title: Harry Potter and The Stone Of Life
        Author: angelicdisastor angelicdisastor 
        Chapter: 11/20 
        Summary: Freaks don't deserve to speak.And being a freak is all Harry Potter knows. Surprised by the reunion with family he had been told never wanted him and startled by the acceptance of magic in the wizarding world, Harry finds himself curious and in love with his new life. Everything is wonderful - well, as long as he ignores the ugly sneer on his twin's face, the disgust in his father's eyes, and the bearded man who has f@ck@ng twinkling eyes. Instead, he focuses on the airy blonde-haired girl that makes him smile, the steel-eyed boy who defends him, and the clumsy plant lover who is probably the bravest person Harry has ever met. He also can't help but focus on the shadowy figure that seems to float behind his Defense professor and the stone of life singing to him from its hiding place in the castle.I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER. J.K. ROWLING DOES. I'm just having fun
        Contents: Chapter 11: F@ck@ng Try It
    

    

        
          
          
            The monsters in Harry’s cage snarl and screech, claws digging at the padlock to be free. Not yet, Luna’s voice echoes in his mind. Not yet. 
          
        

      
        
          HELLO! I'm back! I had such a hell of week last week, but on the bright side I did manage to get the entire book planned out specifically with everything I want to have happen. I even planned hints/little screen shots. I'm thinking of doing the companion fic as well as a twitter. I'll try to have the companion fic up today with the first hint/post for the next chapter. I'll also have a twitter set up at some point which I'll link in for anyone that wants to see it. TW: Brief mention of death and suicidal thoughts
            
            (See the end of the chapter for  more notes.)
            
      
  

  
  
    
    
  Being on a broom made him feel free and weightless, like he doesn’t exist. Which - granted - he used to think about fading from existence a lot back at the muggle’s house. He would sit in the darkness of his cupboard and listen to the sound of the telly that Vernon sat in front of religiously. He’d listen to the Dursleys laugh and act like a real family - so very like the ones of the telly - even though they kept their secret locked inside a room under the stairs. 

  While he listened, he’d imagine what would happen if he just 
  
    faded away 
  
  into the darkness, becoming one with the misery and pain that followed him like loyal pets. Maybe dead, Harry would be given relief from everything and be free to float around the world and see everything he wanted to. 

  But now, just in this moment, Harry wants to just feel free and weightless without thinking about walking into the light that sometimes seemed brighter than the sun. Right now, he just wants to float and maybe catch the snitch that is fluttering about ten feet behind Cedric Diggory - a handsome third year with tan skin and gray eyes - who is too focused on watching the other hopefuls to notice. 

  Snapping out of his introspection, Harry urges his broom as fast as it will go and leans. Cedric doesn’t notice him until they are right beside each other, before the boy turns his broom and flies neck and neck with him. 

  They both start reaching out, hands curling towards the snitch. Cedric lets out a curse as they both watch Harry’s scarred fingers grasp onto the snitch tightly, almost crushing the golden wings. Jamie Smith - the current Hufflepuff Quidditch Captain - blows the whistle hard and the two of them turn to watch him fly up. 

  “Alright boys. Seeker’s match between you two. Whoever gets the snitch first, wins the spot as seeker. Cedric,” Jamie called before whispering after they both flew a few feet away, “Between you and me, don’t worry if you don’t catch it. I’ll throw you on as a chaser.”

  “That’s not really fair,” Cedric argues, but Jamie’s having none of it, “No, listen Cedric. You’re good enough to play any position, but you’ve been seeker for the past year. If you want to be captain when I leave - like you keep telling me you want to be, I’m going to need you to learn to play some other positions. We can’t win every single game on the points we get from catching the snitch. Trust me.” 

  Jamie turned towards Harry who stared at them, unabashedly. 
  
    It’s not my fault they can’t whisper. 
  

  
    No, but it is your fault I’m up here in the first place. 
  
  Raven hissed, unamused by being seventy feet in the air. 

  Harry grinned, 
  
    Nope. Pretty sure that’s your fault too. I told you to stay in the dorm. 
  

  Raven butted her head against the side of his throat where she was coiled, 
  
    I know. I know. But you were nervous, told me yourself. 
  

  
    I was. 
  
  Harry agreed, but his head flickered towards the stands where he assumed Neville, Draco, and Luna were sitting together. If he squinted, he could make out the hair colors and house colors and Harry didn’t know any other group like theirs. He grinned again, 
  
    They came to support me. Draco said I will be the youngest Quidditch player on a Hogwarts team in years. 
  

  “Harry,” Cedric called, interrupting the conversation between him and Raven, “Let’s do this match already.” They turned to watch Jamie settle on the ground and prepare to release the snitch. He lets go of the golden orb and a fifteen second timer flashes in front of Cedric and Harry. 

  He’s not paying a lick of attention to the timer though, his eyes softly following the snitch. He doesn't want Cedric to see where he’s looking after all. Thankfully, the Quidditch goggles Draco let him borrow were helping block his eyes from the side. 

  “Listen, Harry. Real quick,” Harry nods towards the older Hufflepuff, "I just want you to know there will be no hard feelings between us if you catch the snitch before me. Also, I hope you don’t mind me offering, but if you make the team, I’d like to help train you up for the seeker position.” 

  Harry slashed his wand quickly, “Good, I’d like that.” 

  The timer beeped and Harry let the broom carry him. Cedric let out a slew of curse words behind him before tailing the boy. Apparently, Cedric - while okay with not getting seeker - was not going to let Harry take the position without a fight. The two of them flew closer to the snitch and right as Cedric was about to grab it, the snitch dropped down twenty feet. 

  There we go, Harry thinks, immediately dropping into a dive with Cedric right behind him. The snitch gets closer to the ground, almost too close and Harry debates if being on the team is really worth the pain of slamming into the ground, when it juts to the side. 

  He quickly turns and has to barrel roll to avoid being thrown off the broom by the force. Arm out and hand reaching, Harry begged his magic to help just a little and soon enough, his hands were closing around the snitch with Cedric’s hand grazing across the back of Harry’s. 

  “Hell, Potter. Good job.” Cedric laughed out, eyes bright and not even looking a little sad that he lost to a first year. “That was some impressive flying; you’ve got some natural talent there.”

  Harry smiles with bright eyes, “You’ll still train me though, right?” Cedric’s nodding before his wand is even lowered from his mouth. Jamie flies up to them with a massive smile and yells out, “Harry Potter is the new Hufflepuff seeker!” 

  Cheers went around the crowd of the other people trying out for various positions, but the loudest came from his friends waiting on the field. Luna runs towards him and when his feet hit the ground, wraps him in a large hug. He flinches - hard - but the blonde doesn’t care, smiling so hard and shaking around that her turnip earrings are smacking against her cheeks. 

  “Well done, Harry!” She cheered and Harry shot her a massive grin, 
  
    Thanks fairy. 
  

  “Great job, Harry,” Draco cheered, a look of child-like glee on his face, “You’ll definitely have to wait till next year when I join the Slytherin team; you’ll have some real competition then.” 

  “Oi, you don’t think I’m real competition?” Cedric called from a few feet away. Harry stiffened, thinking maybe his friend was about to get into a fight, but Cedric’s face was full of laughter. Draco relaxed and laughed at the third year, “Nah.” 

  Cedric chuckled, “Brat.” 

  The group watched him go to say something else, but was interrupted by his friend, Cho Chang walking up to him for a hug. They started whispering to each other, but whatever Cedric said to her led to the Asian girl smiling wide. 

  Harry turned back to Draco and sent him a smile, “Why didn’t you try out this year?” 

  Draco sighed, “Because you have to have permission from both your Head of House and parents. Mother, father, and Professor Snape all told me it was too dangerous when I asked.” 

  “Knowing Draco, you probably just demanded your parents let you,” Neville laughed out, obviously reminiscing about how the Slytherin had found them in the library and demanded that they always sit together at lunch. Doesn’t matter which House table, but that they always sit together. 

  The blonde boy blushed and playfully smacked Neville’s shoulder, “Come on, let’s just go eat some lunch.” 

  Before he could leave, Harry looked around to find Jamie. The Captain was talking quietly with Cedric as Harry walked up. He could hear them talking about Cedric trying out with the rest of the chaser hopefuls before Harry flashed his wand over his mouth, “Would you like me to stay for the rest of the tryouts?” 

  Jamie and Cedric looked at each other for a moment before nodding, “Actually Harry that would be great. What we need you to do is fly around and just try and distract the chasers and even the beaters, since they will be trying out next,” Jamie said. 

  Harry grinned and turned back towards his friends. “They want me to stay for the rest of the tryouts, you guys go ahead without me.” Neville and Luna smiled, but Draco frowned for a second, “Just make sure you eat lunch okay?” 

  Warmth filled Harry for a second, because it’s f@ck@ng wonderful to have someone who cares about him enough to make sure he eats. He sends Draco a soft smile and signs that he will eat with the rest of the team after the tryouts. As his friends walk away, Harry flies up towards the middle of the pitch and when Jamie blows the whistle, he gives it his all to distract the hopefuls. 

  Two hours later, Harry finds himself sweaty and gross, but with the largest smile on his face that he can ever remember having. The team ended up with some great players at least as far as he thinks. Tasmin Applebee, Malcolm Preece, and Heidi Macavoy - all fifth years - made chasers. With a quick glance, Harry saw Jamie nodding to them. The three of them would need some more training, but those three did the best at not being distracted. 

  Anthony Rickett and Cedric both made beaters, which surprised Harry because Jamie had promised the third year a chaser position, but watching the other hopefuls made him realize that Cedric was one of the best beaters. Jamie kept his position as keeper but took on Michael Macnus as his reserve player. Overall, Harry thought, a decent team - if a little too male heavy. 
  
    Maybe next year, I can talk to Jamie about adding more girls to the team, 
  
  Harry said to Raven as he walked to the Great Hall with the new team, 
  
    after all - Hannah told me about how much she’s been wanting to play Quidditch at Hogwarts since her dad told her all about how fun it is. 
  

  Raven hissed gleefully at the grilled chicken on his plate and lunged for it, 
  
    Hatchling, I think you'll have fun. But from now on, put me on the moonlight girl when you go flying. I don’t like being that high up. 
  

  Harry rolled his eyes and grabbed a roll. Instinctively, he went to put it in his pocket, but stopped himself. 
  
    There will be food in the common room. There will be food in the common room. 
  
  He chanted while putting the roll on his plate instead. 

  “So Harry, tell me. Why did you only want to try out for seeker?,” Tasmin gulped down some pumpkin juice with a full mouth, 
  
    gross. 
  

  Harry couldn’t reach his wand in his pocket with Raven curled halfway on his arm and the table, so he ran his left hand quickly across his mouth and tugged on the warmth in his chest, “When I learned how to fly at the Potter Manor, seeker was the one I was the best at.” 

  “What’s Potter Manor like?” Anthony asked with a look of awe and mild anger on his face. Harry must’ve shown his confusion on his face because the older boy continued, “Since your brother is the Savior of the Wizarding World, only the elite are allowed to go to where he lives. So none of us have ever seen it.”

  “Elite?” Jamie laughed, “More like just the rich Light aligned families. The ones that stood with Dumbledore when He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named was gaining power.” 

  Harry quirked an eyebrow, “Light aligned?” 

  Jamie leaned closer to Harry, who backed away from him a little, “Yeah, you know. Light magic versus Dark magic. That was one of the main reasons for the battle anyways.” 

  Harry flashed his hand against his mouth quickly, “James and Lily said it was because Lord Voldemort” everyone around him flinched “wanted to kill all the muggleborns and muggles.”

  Cedric coughed, “Sure, the man had some insane ideas about muggleborns and muggles - no one is denying that. Even my father says the same thing, but the main fight was the argument between the light magic users and the dark magic users.” 

  Heidi groaned, “Listen, can we not talk about this? I’m trying to eat and the last thing I need to hear about is why my grandmother should have been killed for being a muggleborn and why my mother should be put in Azkaban for liking dark magic.” 

  Malcolm patted the dark-haired girl on the shoulder, “You’re right. Listen, let’s just talk about when we are going to have practices. Afterwards, Harry can tell all us poor people about the wonders and riches of the Potter Manor, alright?” The boy shot him a grin. 

  Harry grinned back, just to hide the look of confusion on his face. There’s already so much he doesn’t understand or even know about this world. He was just brought back in by his parents when they found out he was 
  
    actually worth something, 
  
  and nothing was really explained to him. Spooning some cut fruit on his plate, Harry glances towards the head table and sees Dumbledore talking to Professor Sprout with that weird twinkling look in his eyes. 

  
    Just how much are they not telling me?  And what the hell is dark magic?
  
 
  -
 
  “Malfoy.” 

  Draco glanced up from his book to look at the large boy in front of him before going back to reading his rather interesting copy of 
  
    Potion Masters in History. 
  
  Apparently, Vincent doesn’t like that as he tries to sn@tch the book from Draco’s hands. His father taught him to always pay attention to those around him and saw the boy coming from a mile away. All it took was a quick movement to the left and the boy grabbed at air. 

  “Now, Crabbe, that was entirely too rude - even for you,” Draco said without even a glance towards the other Slytherin. Around the room, he noticed the other Slytherin students subtly glancing at the interaction. Everyone seemed curious about how the first year hierarchy for the boys was going to go. The girls figured theirs out the first night with Daphne Greengrass securing the top position and Pansy Parkison as her loyal and bloodthirsty second. 

  “Your father would be disappointed in you,” 
  
    Smart, 
  
  Draco thought, 
  
    using my father against me, 
  
  “You’re not acting like a true Slytherin. Gallivanting around with Longbottom and Potter. Not to mention Loony Lovegood.” 

  “I think out of the two of us, Crabbe - I’m the only one acting like a true Slytherin,” Draco responded calmly, licking his thumb to turn the page, before turning his eyes sharply towards the boy in front of him, "And her name is Luna. Get it right or shut up." 

  “Maybe in your dreams, Malfoy. Seriously, you’re aligning yourself with the Light and I know your father would never agree with that.” Crabbe snapped, yanking his wand out of the robe pocket. The boy looked shocked to see Draco’s wand already in his hand and aimed directly at his throat. 

  “Listen to me Crabbe because I am only going to say this once. We both know what side of magic I practice and protect. Who I am friends with will not change that. Now go sit down somewhere else and leave me alone,” Draco spoke in a slow tone. 

  The boy glared at him with dull blue eyes, “I, Vincent Crabbe, challenge Draco Malfoy to a Wizards Duel at midnight tonight on the third floor corridor in the trophy room.” 

  Draco stood and offered him a bow as is custom from duels, “I, Draco Malfoy, accept this duel.” Magic flared for a second, sealing the deal. “Your second?” 

  Vincent huffed before turning to Gregory Goyle, “Will you be my second?” The blonde shoots Draco a hate-filled glance before nodding. Vincent turns back to him and smirks, “Your second?” 

  Draco raised an eyebrow, “Harry Potter will be my second.” He hears a few gasps throughout the common room, but Vincent nods in acceptance. The two boys walk away and he collapses back in his chair. 

  “Well, Malfoy,” Theodore Nott says while sitting in the chair beside him, “That was a good show.” 

  Draco rolled his eyes, 
  
    hard, 
  
  “You going to challenge me next Nott?” The dark haired boy laughed before opening his book. 

  “No, don’t worry. I know my place. Besides,” the boy’s eyes follow Daphne’s as she walks across the common room listening to Milicent Bulstrode complain about getting the first year’s dorm a better fireplace, “Being the top year will be way too much work in the coming years.” 

  He sighed and rubbed his forehead, “Very true, but no one will leave me alone for the friends I have if I don’t defend myself. Might as well take top spot while I’m at it.” 

  “So Slytherin of you,” Nott laughs, “Killing two birds with one stone.” 

  Draco huffs, “Tell me about it.” He returned to his reading and it takes two more chapters before it clicks in his head, “F@ck.” 

  Theo startled at the noise in the relative quiet of the common room, “What’s wrong?” 

  Draco turned his silver eyes towards the other boy, “I got to ask Harry to be my second.” He got up and started walking towards the common room door to leave, ignoring Notts loud laughter. 
 
  -
 
  Luckily for Draco he found his friends - more importantly Harry - in the library debating the uses of Devil’s Snare as a defensive plant outside someone’s house. He stopped to stare at them, chuckling to himself at the look of despair on Neville’s face, the excited look on Luna’s and Harry’s grin and flashing blue words floating above the group. 

  “Harry, they are plants - living, magical plants - they aren't to be used that way,” Neville said exasperated and groaning over his homework. Harry grinned and waved his hand. Draco held in a sigh at the use of just casual, wandless magic. With what Draco knows of his new friend, Harry doesn’t even seem to understand the power that he has. He hasn’t seen someone use wandless magic their age ever. If there's one thing he's learned from his father, it's how to sniff out power. 

  “But it’d be so cool, wouldn’t it?” Flashed in a bright blue over the group and Luna giggled. Neville groaned again before he caught sight of Draco leaning against the books. 

  “Draco,” Neville called with a smile, “Come over here and tell Harry that he cannot use Devil’s Snare to protect his house in leu of a guard dog.” 

  He grins at his friends before sitting down beside Neville, “I don’t know; guard dogs are muggle and plebeian. I think Devil’s Snare would be a great alternative.” Luna lets out a sharp laugh at his words and Harry does his huff thing that Draco has started to associate with laughter. 

  “Well I -” Neville started before Luna interrupted him in her sing-song voice, “One second, Nev - Draco has something he needs to ask Harry.” 

  Draco just stared at her for a second, “How do you do that?” The silver-haired girl shrugged with a soft “Nargles.” Harry turned to look at him and Draco found himself eye to eye with violently green eyes. For a second, he thinks about how he’s lucky to have befriended the Hufflepuff because if those eyes were filled with a glowing anger and directed towards him, he would be terrified. 

  “I need a second in a Wizard's Duel tonight at midnight in the trophy room,” Draco started and tried to stifle the slight guilt at volunteering the boy without his knowledge or consent, “I might have said that you would be my second.” 

  Harry smirks at him and waves his hand again, “Gladly.” 

  Draco stared at him incredulously, “Really? You’re not even mad that I volunteered you.” 

  Harry huffed again, “Nope. This’ll be fun. So do I get to hurt them?” The flashing words paired with the innocent - if not slightly excited look - on Harry’s face were a weird juxtaposition. 

  “I mean…only if they hurt me first and I lose the duel. As my second, you don’t actually fight unless I lose the duel and they decide to duel you as well.” Draco explained watching as Harry deflated at his words a little. 

  “Fine,” Harry signed, “But if they hurt you, I get to hurt them back.” 

  “Harry,” Neville asked lightly, “Why do you even want to hurt them?” 

  Harry looked at the Gryffindor with an offended look on his face before waving his hand, “They challenged him. They challenged my friend, obviously I got to do something. Especially for my friend.” 

  Luna giggled at Harry, “There’s that Hufflepuff loyalty for you.”

  Harry nodded towards Luna, “Exactly. You guys are my best friends. The first friends I’ve ever had.” 

  That broke Draco’s heart. He might not have had as amazing of friends as these three are turning out to be, but at least he had friends before. One day, when Draco got stronger and older and better at fighting, he would challenge Lily and James Potter. He would make them regret everything they’ve ever done to their son Harry. And as he glanced over the green-eyed, scarred boy, that feeling settled deep in his chest with a whispered promise of soon. 

  "You two should come," Harry's words floated in the air and Luna giggled. 

  "Don't worry, Neville and I will meet you there," Luna said with a smile.

  "What why?" Neville asked, but Harry just nodded eagerly. 

  "Yes - it'll be a best friend adventure! Like on the telly!" Floated in bright orange above them and Draco - although confused on what the telly was - felt something.  

  Draco felt 
  
    something. 
  
  Honored maybe, happy maybe. Something comforting and warm was blossoming in his chest and he felt like maybe Harry Potter is going to be the best friend that he’s never had. 
 
  -
 
  Eleven thirty found Draco pacing around the weird painting of fruit that Harry had told him to wait by so they could walk up together. Two minutes later, Harry just appeared in the corridor and Draco shrieked. Although if you ask him the next day, he will say that he DID NOT shriek. He let out a manly noise of surprise. 

  “Where? How? What?” Draco stumbled out and Harry just smiled at him. 

  “The castle’s way of making sure no one knows where the Hufflepuff common room is,” The boy signed quickly. 

  Draco snorted, “That’s just rude. One day, you should take me there. But come on - we got to go if we want to get there on time.” 

  Harry shrugged and the two walked in silence up to the third floor, creeping carefully around the corners and tiptoeing on the creaky stairs. Finally, the two of them got off the last staircase and rounded the corner to see Luna and Neville waiting in front of the trophy room beside Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. Draco started laughing at the fact that Luna was going on a rant about Nargles and the two boys were looking more and more confused by the second. 

  “Luna,” Draco said quietly, “Maybe we shouldn’t confuse them to the point that they can’t duel.” 

  Vincent growls at him, “You wish, Malfoy. Now come on so I can beat your ass.” 

  Harry lets out the loudest huff that Draco has heard yet before the words “F@ck@ng try it.” float in the dark corridor in a dangerous looking red. Gregory has the decency to look at least a little scared as the group files into the trophy room. It’s just as dark and dusty as Draco expected it to be. It takes them all of two minutes before Draco stands across from Vincent. Harry and Gregory off to the side. 

  Neville stands up, “Are both parties ready?” 

  Draco and Vincent nod towards the Gryffindor, “Alright, you may bow to each other and then proceed with the duel. On the count of three.” As Neville began counting, Draco took a deep breath and cleared his mind from the magic and noise in the room. He bowed and when he lifted, snapped his wand into his hand from its holster. Vincent shot off a quick disarming spell, but Draco side stepped it and shot his own back with a quietly spoken ‘expelliarmus’.

  Vincent’s wand shot into the air and clattered against the stone. Gregory and Vincent both sigh before nodding towards Draco. “Good duel, Malfoy. We will not challenge your position.” 

  Draco sighed, relieved and happy, and nodded back. 
  
    Now it’s just Blaise Zabini. 
  
  If Blaise wanted to be top first year, they would have to duel. But maybe, maybe Blaise will be like Theo and just not want to deal with it. Merlin willing. Draco turned back to his friends and caught Harry’s disappointed look. He couldn’t hold back the laugh if he tried and signed at him, “Don’t look so sad that you didn’t get to duel anyone, at least I won, right?” 

  Harry went to sign back but the group was immediately distracted by the sound of a trophy falling from its shelf. Draco and Harry shot off towards the sound and rounded a statue to see Charlus, Ronald, and some bushy haired girl. 

  “Bl@@dy hell, Hermione,” ah, that’s her name, “I told you your hair would knock something off.” 

  “Shush, Ron.” The girl snapped back towards the ginger, looking up at Draco. 

  “Well, what are you doing here?” Draco asked, smirking at Charlus’ glare, “Boy-Who-Lived breaking the rules, I bet you think you won’t get in trouble at all, don’t you Potter?”

  “Shut up, Malfoy. You’re the one out here having illegal duels in a forbidden corridor.” Charlus snarled and the bushy-haired girl snapped at him too, “You’re going to get in so much trouble. You’re breaking so many rules right now. You too Harry.” 

  Harry looked at Draco before turning a raised eyebrow to the girl, “Do I know you? Plus, you are also breaking the rules right now.” The girl paled slightly at his floating words, flashing a dark red, before she turned her anger towards Harry, “I’m Hermione Granger and I -” 

  Neville and Luna came around the corner and stopped short in surprise to see the other three. Luna laughed out loud at the sight of the three of them squeezed behind the statue and he couldn’t help but smile at the girl. Something about her was just so weird but comforting at the same time. 

  “Ugh,” Charlus said, “Of course, you’d be friends with Loony Lovegood.” Harry tensed up quickly and waved his hand. Draco watched amazed as the three others were pushed towards the door, stumbling against whatever force was pushing them. Draco and Neville shared a glance over Harry's head, awe echoing between their eyes. 

  Hermione gave a loud shout, “You are not allowed to use magic against other students!” 

  He flinched at the weight of Harry’s magic flood within the room before it vanished all together as a deep voice was heard in the hallway and a responding meow. 
  
    Filch. 
  
  He watched as Charlus, Ronald, and Hermione's eyes grew when Harry started smirking. All it took was two more waves of the boy’s wrist before the door opened and the three were shoved right out into the hallway, directly in front of Filch. 

  Neville gave a quiet chuckle at the sight before they heard Ronald yelling at Filch, “Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood are still in there. They are breaking stuff and dueling!” 

  Luna sighed, “Well sh@t.” 

  The four of them took off running to the other side of the trophy room and into a simple looking door. 

  Luna used a simple Alohomora and they pushed through with Harry turning towards the door and placing his hand on it again. Draco was so busy watching the boy seem to glow with magic for a second that he didn’t realize Luna and Neville had stopped dead in the alcove of the door. 

  “What is going on?” Draco mumbled, pressing between Neville and Luna. He looked up and froze himself as fear settled itself heavy on its chest. In front of him stood a Cerberus, an awake and drooling Cerberus. He felt hands on his back and scooted to the side to let Harry - who, he realized with a weird sort of half-minded thought, was a lot shorter than the rest of them - stand beside them. 

  Suddenly, Draco heard a scream that he just knows will echo in his dreams for years to come. Him, Neville, and Luna turn to see Harry still screaming; the boy’s green eyes filled with a deep fear that Draco just doesn’t understand. The Cerberus started growling deeply and took a massive step forward. As it did, Draco focused his eyes on the giant paw and claws before his eyes noticed a wooden trap door in the stone floor. 

  
    Interesting. 
  
  His thoughts were yanked out of his brain by the Cerberus teetering to the side and falling with a massive thud to the floor. Harry stuttered out his breath and fell to his knees. Draco lurched towards him with outstretched arms, but before he could actually touch his friend, Raven hissed harshly on the floor. He realized then that Raven had done something to the Cerberus, if the blood dripping off one of her fangs meant anything and the fact that she was slithering back from the Cerberus's limp body. 

  “Raven,” Draco said softly to the snake, not wanting to have her strike at him, “I promise I’m not going to hurt him.” 

  That seemed to snap Harry out of whatever state he was panicking in and Draco heard him take a stuttering breath and wave his hand, “I’m okay. I’m just terrified of dogs.” 

  Luna cooed at the boy, actually cooed, “It’s okay Harry. We all have fears.” The boy nodded and in a move that shocked Draco, leaned against Luna. He knows deep down that there’s a lot of reasons behind why Harry hates physical touch - why Harry flinches at loud noises and shoulder brushes. Watching him seek out physical touch warmed some part of Draco he didn’t really know he had. 

  Neville offered a sympathetic smile towards Harry who took another breath and smiled back. “How about we get the hell out of this room?” 

  Draco nodded quickly and stood as Raven slithered her way up Harry’s arm and around his shoulders. Together, the four of them make it out of the room and the trophy room, letting the door shut quietly behind them. Luna stopped with Neville and gave Harry a hug, moving slowly to let him back away if he wanted to. Once again, Draco is shocked by Harry sinking into the hug with “Goodnight you guys” flashing in a low lit yellow above them. 

  Fifteen minutes later found him and Draco in the dungeons at the painting of the fruit. Something was still itching in Draco’s brain and he found himself speaking for the first time since they left that room, “Hey Harry?” 

  Green eyes found his and he nodded to show he was listening so Draco continued, “The Cerberus was on top of a trap door. Do you think it may be hiding something?” 

  Harry sighed and turned to him before signing, “It might, but I think it is something that we should completely ignore, you know? There's so much we don't know about this place and a dog that size is protecting something that we obviously do not need." 

  Draco nodded and tried to push down the itch in his brain as far as he could go, “Okay, you’re right. Are you going to be okay?” 

  Harry looked at him sharply, eye guarded before they softened completely, “I’ll be fine. I got Raven. Are you going to be okay?” 

  Draco smiled at his friend, “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Hey, real quick, didn't Raven just kill the Cerberus so now it's safe to go and explore.”

  The snake hissed and Harry huffed towards Draco, "No, she's too young to kill something that big. She just knocked him out." 

  "Oh - oh okay, that's good. I guess I'll see you in the morning then, goodnight, Harry."  

  Harry shocked him again that night by reaching out and touching his shoulder slowly and gently. Draco realized then that Harry- terrifying and powerful Harry - had decided at some point that Draco was trustworthy enough to touch. That Draco's safe enough to be around and he smiled. 
  
    I couldn’t be happier about this.  
  
 
  -
 
  The past few weeks of school have flown by in Harry’s mind - full of homework and studying with his friends, preparing for his first real Quidditch practice, and 
  
    listening. 
  
  If one would just lay their ear to the stone of Hogwarts, they would hear many, many things. And the forgotten, abandoned, scarred child of James and Lily Potter manages to stay unseen in the hallways by almost everyone. 

  Which means Harry has heard Quirrell talking to himself without a stutter and isn’t that just interesting? 

  But right now, Harry can only hear the sounds of students eating lunch happily. Today, the four of them are sitting at the Hufflepuff table with Neville making awful plant-related jokes and Draco trying his hardest not to laugh at them. He looks over to see Cedric and Jamie eating lunch together, the third year looking up at the fifth year with stars in his eyes. 

  “Oi, Harry,” echoed across the Great Hall and he looked up to see his brother strutting across the room with a broom slung over his shoulders and his Gryffindor robes gleaming. 

  “Oh no,” Neville muttered and Draco sighed as Charlus got close - almost too close. 

  “Yes?” Harry let flash in the air. He looked up at the words and acknowledged the black flashing words, almost like a warning. 
  
    Hm, maybe I should talk to Sprout about why the colors change. 
  
  Before he could continue down that path and decide to go spend the rest of his free time in the library, his twin kept talking. 

  “Did you hear? Dad owled Dumbledore and Minnie about how it wasn’t fair that you got to try out and make the Quidditch team, so I got to try out and guess what - I got the seeker position,” Charlus spoke rapidly, “Dad was so happy he even bought me a new broom, look. It’s a Nimbus 2000.” 

  Harry pushed his anger and fury down as his eyes roamed over the broom. It was really nice looking and he could feel the protective magic woven into the thing. But the more he looked at it, the angrier he got. On one side of the broom, the words Charlus Potter were engraved into it and on the other side, BWL was engraved in gold. 

  
    How nice, 
  
  Harry practically hissed in his mind. So, they agree to let Harry try out but won’t send him a new broom to play on. Instead, they get Charlus special permission to play ‘because it’s not 
  
    fair
  
  ’ and buy him a new fancy broom with fancy protections and gold engravings. Once again, the words ‘abandoned’ and ‘forgotten’ bounced around in his head and he can 
  
    feel
  
   his eyes glowing dangerously. 

  His magic started rising in his chest and the same ice-cold anger that flooded him at the Dursleys starts to scream to be released. He's close, 
  
    so close, 
  
  to exploding and hunting down his 
  
    parents 
  
  and making them watch 
  
    every single f@ck@ng thing 
  
  the Dursleys ever did to him before doing it to them. See how they feel about a knife to carve up their pretty, rich faces. The table rattled and distantly, he heard Cedric yelp as his plate cracked down the middle. 

  Charlus finally seemed to catch on to the anger surrounding Harry as his eyes widened and he took a small step back. Suddenly, a gentle cool hand laid on his back and a voice started whispering in his ear, “Harry, hold it in.” 

  Turning towards the voice like a ship to a lighthouse, Harry’s eyes locked on to the deep brown eyes in front of him. Neville. Neville. He chanted to himself, trying to calm his magic down. Charlus stuttered an unintelligible sound before turning to leave, Harry focusing on the sound of footsteps and Neville’s eyes. Two minutes later found him shoving his emotions deep into the cage of snarling monsters he keeps in his mind. 

  “Later,” Neville hummed. Later - later, Harry will pull those emotions out and scream into his pillows and think - think and plan. 

  He turned back to his food and nodded at the concerned glances of Draco and Luna. With a sigh he grabs a spoon and a piece of chicken, offering the chicken to Raven while he eats the vegetable soup in front of him. He can feel eyes drilling into his face, so he looks to see Professor Sprout frowning and Severus giving him a level - yet maybe angry? - stare. Normally, he would be freaking out about the stare thinking he’s in trouble and going to get punished, but instead his magic sings with safety so he just shrugs. 

  Before he can go back to his food, his eyes glance over the headmasters and stop. The man was staring at him, eyes occasionally flickering to Charlus. A pleased grin formed on the man’s face, like he’s happy about the obvious show that just happened. 

  The monsters in Harry’s cage snarl and screech, claws digging at the padlock to be free. 
  
    Not yet, 
  
  Luna’s voice echoes in his mind. 

  
    Not yet. 
  

  
  

    
      
        
        
          I hope you guys really enjoyed this chapter! Let me know your thoughts and what you want to see next. Also, next time I need some research done for this fic, I'm asking all of y'all because I was amazed at how everyone was able to find that Hedwig information. Keep commenting please because even if I don't respond to everyone - I absolutely adore reading the comments - they make me so happy!EDIT: COMPANION FIC IS NOW UP! PLEASE GO CHECK IT OUT!'
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