"I don't know why I'm talking to you. You're in Slytherin and probably don't even care."
Ron Weasley's dejected tone touched a cord in Harry. He knew that all alone feeling very well. He had felt it most of last year. "I get what you're feeling. After last year, I empathize with the whole shunning business for something you can't help a bit too well."
Ron Weasley blushed as he realized that he had been one of the people shunning the boy across from him. Harry Potter was definitely not your average snake. He didn't hold his fame over anyone's head the way Draco Malfoy tried to hold his father's wealth and connections over everyone's heads. He worked as hard as most Hufflepuffs, and was as smart or smarter than most Ravenclaws. In fact it was disturbingly easy for the young lion to look across the table and just see a normal boy.
"Is Neville okay with you?"
"Yeah, actually he's one of the few who treats me decent. Why, after I was such a git to him last year, I dunno."
"Neville isn't one to harass another."
"Yeah, but… I was stupid. I gave him a hard time last year for doing the same thing we're doing right now. I gave him a hard time for talking to you. I guess it goes to show how wrong you can be when you judge other people without getting to know them."
"It does tend to limit your options."
"I guess it does. Thanks for listening anyway." Ron half smiled when the other boy answered him with a shrug.
That evening as Harry returned to the dorm from the library he turned everything he knew about the whole Weasley situation over in his mind. Possession via unknown means, the way Ron and his brothers were being treated, suddenly Luna's words came back to him. "Ginny isn't herself her only friend is that diary." Harry had a sudden sense of a-ha.
He needed to write a note. If he went to the teachers with this it would be brushed aside, but if he wrote an anomymous note and sent it to her healer… He opened the door to his room and was disgusted. Draco's crap was all over the room, again. He kicked what was on the floor on his side into a pile and he added the other things lying around his side of the room. He pulled the robe that Draco had draped across his desk off and thought of just discarding it to the floor. Just then Draco came in.
"What are you doing with my robe. Potter?"
"Moving it."
"How dare you?"
"Easily. it was on my desk. How many times do I have to tell you Malfoy keep your crap picked up?"
"What gives you the right to touch any of my things?"
That was it. Harry was fed up with the ferret faced twit. "Don't want me to touch your stuff then fine, I told you when you moved in here to keep your crap tidy. You haven't. This," He shook the robe in his hand. "was on MY desk. MY workspace! Which means obviously you have too much stuff. So how about I help you with that." Harry dropped the robe he was holding atop the large pile of mixed things that sat on the floor on his side of the room and pulling his wand said calmly, " Incendio."
Draco's shriek of "POTTER!" through the open door brought the prefects running.
Harry had cast the fire spell with a large, very hot, and almost smokeless blaze. By the time the prefects reached their room there was nothing of Draco's belongings to salvage.
Draco looked torn between fury and wanting to cry over the loss of his belongings. The fifth year prefect burst into the room. "What in the name of Merlin is going on in here?"
"I was just helping Malfoy get rid of a few things, is all. He has so much that he hasn't got room to keep it all tidy and on his side of the room." Harry smiled benignly at the older boy. The last bit of flame died in the pile of ash that had once been Malfoy's things.
The prefect looked around the room: Draco's side was messy, Harry's was neat as a pin. The pile of ash was on Harry's side.
"Next time Potter, use the fireplace in the common room, no incendio 's in the dorm rooms."
"That's it that's all you're going to say? He destroyed my stuff!"
"No. Malfoy, clean this room up. You're setting a bad example."
Harry calmly said, " Evanesco ." The ash vanished. "There, much better. I'll keep what you said in mind, Prefect Hollister."
Draco, still not allowed to carry a wand, burst into tears at this perceived unfairness. "You destroyed my favorite robe."
"Yes, well it should have been hanging in your wardrobe, not lying on my desk. I have been patient all term with you, Malfoy, but no more."
"My father will-"
Harry pushed the door to their room closed behind the departing prefect because he knew it had been silenced by Snape himself. The moment it latched, Harry exploded into action. He shoved Draco against the wall next to the door. "I don't give a rat's ass about your daddy, Malfoy. You go around talking big, but you haven't got what it takes to back it up. You are too bigoted to ask for the help you so obviously need; just because you would have to admit that muggles are as valid a life form as your own. You spout how the Malfoy motto is we bow to no one, yet both your father and grandfather bowed down to Voldemort. You brag about how you're so much better than everyone else but you're seated what fifth, or is it sixth in the class? It must really grate to be behind both me, a halfblood, and Granger, a muggleborn. All term you've been nothing but a pain in my arse, first, your slovenly habits, second, your nightmares because you won't suck it up and deal with what happened to you with Lockhart.. I despise you. You're a weak, whiney, spoiled, selfish brat who can't see reality. You have more in common with the Gryffindors than with Slytherin because you spout off and couldn't plan anything to save your life. You cunning? My ass.
"Your stated goal is to be just like your father. Your father, who had to bribe his way out of prison following the last war. Your father, who is clearly a bigot. Well congratulations, Malfoy, I think you're doing fine on your ambition to be like your old man. But if you talked to people on Diagon Alley would they say your father is a fabulous person? Or would they call him a dark, smarmy, pompous, bigot with delusions of grandeur? Because looking at you, I know which I would say you and he both are. Stay in your side of the room and shut up. If I have to deal with you again tonight, I will probably make you wish you were dead. Got it?"
Draco was smart enough to realize his roommate meant every word. So he nodded fearfully and -upon being released- shuffled quickly to retrieve his bath things and pajamas. Deciding that going to bed despite his nightmares would be safer that staying up and irritating his rather touchy roommate.
Harry sat down at his desk, pulled out a parchment and started writing.
....
Join my P@treon and get 60+ advanced chapters.
Link: p*atreon.com/0LordSilvere0 (Remove the *)
Free members get 5 chapters free.
Join Right Now