Chapter 1
Chapter 1
“I’m here for Harry Potter.” Colin Creevey’s voice was an unexpected interruption to Snape’s lecture and the man narrowed his eyes at the third year Gryffindor. Once the boy was sufficiently intimidated, the professor shifted his attention to Harry and sneered.
“It seems our resident celebrity is too good for class.” Snape drawled and Harry grit his teeth. He hadn’t want to be in this cursed tournament but someone had entered his name and he’d lost everything because of it. Ron had abandoned him and Harry had no other friends in Hogwarts. He was alone now, utterly scorned by the rest of the school. His denial and fight with Ron had driven away his own house, the Weasleys closing ranks around Ron while his fellow Gryffindors all thought he was lying for extra attention.
The rest of the school was worse though, in fact it was almost a repeat of second year. Except instead of looking at him in fear and avoiding him, the other students were instead throwing insults and even spells his way. ‘And it’s only been a day.’ Harry thought, packing up his things and ignoring Snape as the man declared he had just received his third troll of the year for failing to complete his potion. ‘Bastard.’ Harry kept his mouth shut as he left class, his anger simmering away within him.
“Uhm, Harry?” Colin asked, glancing at the older Gryffindor as Harry followed him through the halls. Harry looked at the boy who was clearly nervous, shifting slightly as they walked. Colin’s lips pressed together before he took a large breath. “I uh, I know you didn’t do it. Enter your name and uh, well if you need help…” Colin trailed off as Harry’s eyes fell on his shoulders.
“Help?” Harry couldn’t hide his disbelief. Teachers were banned from helping him and Colin was just a third year. The boy nodded, clearly nervous and Harry came to a stop, the younger boy mirroring him and the two looked at each other. “How? Why? Nobody can help me.”
“Ah well, I just…” Colin glanced around and then leaned forward. “Hogwarts will always give help to those who deserve it.” Collin said conspiratorially. Harry raised an eyebrow and Colin wrung his fingers together before adding, “just keep and open mind. The castle will help if you go looking for it.”
“Uh, thanks.” Harry replied, unsure of why the boy was so nervous. Then again Colin, along with the other the muggleborn were distinctly separate from the rest of Gryffindor. They kept to themselves, avoiding the purebloods and magically raised halfbloods since second year. Colin had been a massive fan of Harry’s pestering him constantly and taking pictures of him at random before he’d been petrified. After that though things had changed.
“Remember, go looking for help. The castle will listen, I swear it works.” Colin promised and then resumed walking. Harry watched the boy, genuinely curious since he spoke with utter conviction and didn’t seem to be lying. Then again Harry was clearly a poor judge of character since he’d thought Ron would stand by him. Instead the redhead had abandoned him, leaving him alone and totally isolated.
“Here’s your stop.” Colin motioned to a door and Harry stepped through, finding himself facing the other champions alongside Olivander and a few choice members of the press. Before Harry could gather his wits, he was physically dragged into a broom closet by a witch who had declared herself Rita Skeeter, reporter extraordinaire. The woman had bombarded him with questions, all of which were rude, demeaning and outright painful. Harry didn’t even manage to get a word in edgewise as she spoke and once she was finished asking him questions, she dragged him back out of the closet just in time for Dumbledore to walk in.
After getting accosted by what passed for press among wixen, Harry watched as Olivander demeaned and insulted the wands of the two foreign champions before praising his own creations. It was decidedly poor form and not exactly in the spirit of building the international bonds that the tournament was supposed to promote. Fleur Delacour looked furious while Victor Krum scowled angrily at anyone who looked his way.
Fortunately the event was over quickly enough and Harry found himself free to leave after only a few minutes and a failed potions lesson. The bell rang as he began heading for the common room and the halls briefly filled with students, forcing Harry to take shelter lest he be jinxed all the way to the hospital wing. Leaning against cold stone, hiding in an alcove behind a suit of armor, Harry let out an exhausted breath and wondered how he was going to survive this time.
Colin’s words echoed through his head and Harry closed his eyes, considering them. He truly had nothing to lose at this point. He had no friends and while apparently Colin supported him that meant little considering how inconsequential the boy was. Running a hand over his forehead and then through his hair, Harry grit his teeth, desperately fighting off an anxiety attack. Rage sparked through his mind at the unfairness of it all and his fist slammed into the wall.
“Damn it all.” Harry’s words were lost into the crushing silence as the halls cleared, the post class rush ending as students found their way to their next class or returned to their favorite haunts. “Nothing to lose huh?” Harry wondered if that was true. He could always die, but then again what was his life even worth? The people who called him the boy-who-lived and celebrated him where never actually around when he needed them. He was just a thing to gawk at, an object, not a person in their eyes and he was punished whenever he failed to live up to expectations he hadn’t even known existed before he was eleven.
Pushing himself up from the alcove, Harry decided there was nothing for it. He’d listen to Colin and if it somehow killed him, well at least he wouldn’t have to deal with the hell that was his life. He doubted the younger boy would try such a thing but at this point cynicism was easier then hope and Harry took off, walking through the halls, silently wishing for help.
He wasn’t sure how long he walked for, but suddenly a breeze pulled Harry from his thoughts as the world around him lit up. Sunlight cascaded down from several towering arched windows, stained glass casting a rainbow of colors over a large flight of stairs. A lone figure stood atop the stairs, the bright light falling around them shrouding them in darkness but Harry could just make out the green highlights of the Slytherin uniform.
It was on instinct that Harry’s wand slid into his hand and he blinked desperately against the sunlight only for a cloud to bathe the world in shadow, revealing the girl standing above him. She had wild midnight black hair, which tinted blue where the sunlight hit it, half of which was tied back in a messy bun, the rest falling around her shoulders in a riotous mess of curls. Intelligent dark blue eyes were set in an angelic face that easily rivaled any of the veela students of Beauxbaton. Magic seemed to swirl around the girl as she stood with her back to the stained glass image of Slytherin’s crest. She seemed unearthly, impossibly magical, like a dark fae that had come to offer him salvation at a price. Harry blinked and the illusion vanished, replaced by a familiar girl with warm golden brown hair, sharp amber eyes and a look of mild curiosity on her face.
“Do you need help Potter? You seem lost.” Hermione Granger asked as she stepped down the stairs at a measured pace. Her wand wasn’t out and Harry immediately put his away, aware the rule abiding bookworm wouldn’t curse him. Not to his face anyways. Everyone who bullied or bothered her ended up with a string of bad luck until they left her alone but not even the teachers had been able to prove anything and nobody messed with her after the events of second year, not even Snape, who had constantly demeaned and insulted the muggleborn Slytherin throughout her first year.
“I uh…” Harry trailed off and looked around nervously. He’d been offered a vision of salvation, a dark angel coming to his rescue only to find himself facing Hermione Granger, muggleborn extraordinaire and Hogwarts’ resident know-it-all bookworm. “I was just-”
“Looking for help as you faced an impossible challenge. I felt the castle calling me as well, telling me I should change my typical route to the library today.” Hermione mused, reaching the bottom step and stopping in front of Harry. She was slightly taller and Harry looked up into her amber eyes as the clouds cleared and a rainbow of colored light bathed the area once more. The sense of magic filled the air again, as if the castle was trying to tell him this was its solution, that help had been granted if he’d only reach out and take it.
“I uh, yeah. I just, I don’t know what I’m going to do…” Harry trailed off as Hermione’s expression became thoughtful. She motioned for him to follow and began walking through the castle at a relaxed pace. Normally she all but jogged through the halls, rushing from place to place with clear purpose and her current demeanor and behavior was a sharp contrast to the busy bookworm image he’d come to have of her.
“That’s understandable, the tournament does have a large number of fatalities and with your luck I wouldn’t be surprised if whoever entered your name was trying to kill you. You have no shortage of enemies after all.” Hermione’s reply was shockingly insightful and Harry looked at the girl who seemed to know everything. She had every answer in class, aced every test and essay, was never seen without a book in hand and practically lived in the library. He hadn’t expected all of that knowledge to extend to his own life and troubles, yet somehow it wasn’t surprising either.
“Moody said the same thing.” Harry replied and wasn’t surprised when the girl frowned, her expression icing over. “Not a fan?”
“While I can understand the benefits of training to resist the imperius curse, I think that simply casting it on students at full strength is unwise. Discipline is like a muscle, you have to train it. You can’t just throw someone into the deep end and expect them to swim. Some will manage but most will drown.” Hermione’s explanation made sense and Harry reconsidered Moody’s classes with her perspective in mind. He’d only managed to break the curse fully after several tries and even then he couldn’t do it instantly. Had he been given the chance to practice against weaker versions of the curse he’d probably have managed better.
“I suppose you’re right.” Harry conceded as they reached the library. Hermione shot him a look that screamed ‘no shit’ but didn’t otherwise respond. Instead she made her way to the second floor and then through several rows of shelves before entering a space at the far back of the library where several students were sitting at a circular table with books out or lounging in large padded chairs. The area itself was remarkably cozy and Hermione soon took a seat at a lone chair set in front of the main table. With a wave of her wand, a new chair appeared across from her and she motioned for Harry to take a seat.
“Uh,” Harry began as he sat down and looked around. Colin met his gaze and the younger boy gave him a smile and a wave before returning to his homework. Harry vaguely recognized the others present. Nearly every muggleborn in the school was here, with a few halfbloods mixed in and only two purebloods, Daphne Greengrass, the Slytherin Ice Queen and Blaise Zabini, another Slytherin and the only child of the infamous Black Widow. “So…”
“So, you need help. You don’t know what the first task is, you haven’t taken your schooling seriously, your pants at magic beyond your patronus, which shows you have potential that you’ve neglected and you’re a social outcast.” Hermione summarized, an amused but understated smile stealing over her features. Harry swallowed, remembering how ominous her appearance before him had been. Hermione Granger was the school’s top student, the apple in the eyes of the staff and sported a record clean of misbehavior but she was followed by almost as many rumors as Harry simply for being a muggleborn in Slytherin house. The first in decades.
“I’m not even going to ask how you know that.” Harry replied, massaging his forehead as he remembered the events of third year. Sirius had been freed following Pettigrew’s arrest but he had still ended up going back to the Dursley’s as the man’s competence at looking after his godson had been openly challenged in the Wizengamot.
“Did you forget who caught Pettigrew?” Hermione’s question was pointed, though there was no heat behind it. She’d been the one to catch the rat at the end of last year. How she’d been in the right place a the right time was a mystery to all involved but she’d ignored any attempt at questioning. The rumors surrounding her had only intensified when her achievement had become front page news, each one becoming more wild then the last.
“No and thanks for that by the way.” Harry had thanked the girl at the time, but they hadn’t managed a conversation with Ron glowering at her constantly. The boy was behind at least a quarter of the rumors around her and had, from their first day at school, never been able to stand the obviously intelligent witch, accusing her of all kinds of crimes and conspiracies throughout their years at Hogwarts. “So how can you help me?”
“Well, that depends on what you’re willing to give.” Hermione’s reply reminded Harry that he wasn’t dealing with a Gryffindor or Hufflepuff. The girl was the only muggleborn in Slytherin for a reason and the way she looked at him, measuring his worth without an ounce of sympathy proved it. “This study group runs on reciprocity. You know what that means?”
“Everyone helps each other?” Harry offered and a charming smile blossomed on Hermione’s lips as her eyes softened.
“Just so, we help each other here. The more help you need, the more you’ll be expected to return. That way nobody takes advantage of anyone else. It’s fair, equitable, nobody gets burned and while I’m not in charge per se I will not tolerate any kind of bullying or abuse. That won’t be a problem, though, right?” Hermione’s smile shifted into a smirk as she flicked a pointer finger at Harry. The movement was casually disarming despite the underlying threat and Harry found himself smiling despite himself.
“Yeah, not a problem.” Harry promised and Hermione nodded in agreement as a book rose from her bag and set itself on the table in front of her. The leather bound journal flipped open on its own, the pages rustling slightly as Hermione’s fingers drummed out a steady rhythm on the table. “So, the tournament?”
“You’ll need to strengthen your practical magic.” Hermione stated as if it was truly that simple. “I’m going to quickly compile a list of useful skills based off previous tournaments and then we’ll see where you stand. Don’t worry, you’re not being graded.” Hermione smirked as her wand leapt from her sleeve and settled in her palm. With a flick of the wooden focus, Hermione’s journal began populating with words, though Harry couldn’t read any of them as they formed on the pages in front of him.
“Hmm yes, battle magic goes without saying of course. Flame freezing charms and other environmental protection spells should prove useful.” Hermione paused before huffing out a laugh. “I think you’d be all sorted if the first challenge was a basilisk, no?” Hermione’s lips quirked upwards as Harry remembered his only session of Lockhart’s disastrous dueling club. “Unlikely though, they wouldn’t give one champion such an unfair advantage. No, the first task will be something else but it’s always a magical beast of some variety.”
“Daphne, Blaise,” Hermione called out the names of the two purebloods who were both midway through essays. Daphne was sat in a large plush chair, sharing her seat with a raven haired witch that Harry recognized as Tracey Davis, a slytherin halfblood. It was a bit odd for them to be sharing a chair like that but it was large enough and they looked comfortable so Harry didn’t question it and instead glanced at Zabini who put his quill down then aimed a charming smile at Hermione.
“What can I do for you capo?” Blaise asked, playing up his italian accent as he made eyes at Hermione. The witch ignored his attempt at flirtation and motioned for them to come over. Daphne slid out of her seat with the same effortless grace she always displayed in class while Blaise got up and walked over with his usual swagger.
“Calling in your favor?” Daphne asked conversationally and Hermione chuckled.
“My first favor, one per class remember. Unless you’d rather attend Moody’s lectures again?” Hermione countered and the two Slytherins grimaced and shook their head without argument. “It’s only a minor favor. Could you find out what magical animal reserves have been contacted by the British Ministry of magic and been transferred extra funds?”
“No need, my father mentioned that the Romanian dragon reserves were in talks with the ministry. They were being hired to provide special services this year. Do you need anymore information or is that enough?” Daphne asked, smirking at Blaise who looked slightly miffed at being so obviously upstaged. Harry watched the interaction curiously, having never witnessed the dynamics of Slytherin house before.
“Dragons then, if you could find the details and dates I would appreciate it. After all nobody likes surprises.” Hermione replied and Daphne gave a dutiful nod before returning to her seat. Harry watched the way she leaned into Tracey as the two girls returned to their previous positions. Harry knew what uncle Vernon would say about that and quickly returned his focus to Hermione and Blaise. “Blaise, unless you can come up with something before Daphne…”
“I could look into the second task I suppose. Madre has connections with the french ministry.” Blaise replied, recovering from his loss and giving Hermione a charming smile. He turned his onyx eyes onto Harry and winked playfully. “Anything to help our new friend.”
“I’m glad you’re so clearly motivated.” Hermione chuckled, giving the boy a grin before waving him off. Blaise gave her a nod and then returned to his seat, sending one last charming smirk at Harry before he focused on his essay. “Don’t mind Blaise, he’s harmless.”
“Uh, right? Um,” Harry began then paused. He looked around and noticed several people looking his way but most weren’t paying him any mind. The scratching of quills and pens was constant and Harry was almost surprised by the sight of paper and muggle notebooks. It was a nice change of pace from the thick parchment and fiddly quills that were required in class. “So what do you expect me to do? I’m not really…”
“Good at school? Well read? Informed? No, you’re not but I’ll figure something out. Of course this is a study group, not a save Harry Potter from the Triwizard Tournament group. Feel free to actually open a book and learn for once. Who knows, perhaps you’ll find something that actually catches your interest.” Hermione quipped and Harry felt his cheeks flame.
It was no secret that Harry and Ron’s grades were abysmal as they normally ignored their studies in favor of playing around. Ron never studied and simply ignored his grades while ridiculing anyone who actually put effort in. Before today, that combined with his experiences being beaten by the Dursleys for outperforming Dudley had ensured his lack of effort but now Harry didn’t know what to do.
“Harry,” Hermione said slowly, startling him with the use of his given name. He looked at the witch and blinked as he saw a far more gentle expression then he was used to seeing on the her face. “Nobody here will bully you or judge you for just being yourself. If you’re behind in classes and want to catch up, bring your homework and some work ethic and we’ll help. As I said, this is a study group and we help each other. Just remember to return the favor if someone else needs help, understand?”
“Yeah I, I do.” Harry replied as his throat tightened. It took him a second to realize the emotion he was feeling as it was something that had been almost literally beaten out of him. Harry gave Hermione a grateful nod then stood up. He rapidly retreated from the study group, hoping nobody saw the tears in his eyes. Reaching a quiet, isolated corner of the library Harry gathered his wits and for the first time since Sirius’s removal as his legal guardian, hope bloomed within him.