Another time

They had missed the sorting and the welcome feast. None of them seemed to really care. 

"Well, I may have to transfigure you into a pocket watch after all Mr. Potter." The headmistress stood outside the Great Hall, smiling towards the group. "There is a new common room for the eighth years which has several dorms by it. You will no longer be separated by your houses. Your fellow eighth years should already be there, they will inform you of the password. I suggest you all get to bed quickly, as lessons will start first thing tomorrow." 

She walked past them, disappearing round a corner. 

"A pocket watch?" Zabini turned to Harry.

"A joke from first year, when me and Ron were late to her class. It was that or a map." Harry smiled slightly at the memory.

"Ha a potter watch." Nott snickered.

"One of those already exist." Malfoy rolled his eyes.

"Wait what? Someone made a watch with my name on?" He looked round at the others. 

"No Potter. It's a group of people, all over world that are constantly on the look out for you. If they catch a glimpse of you, even if it's someone who looks slightly like you, they report it to the main people. Then everyone, including reporters will flock to that place in hopes of being the first to publish you or receive an autograph." Malfoy raised his chin. "It's quite pathetic."

"Oh please Dray, like you wouldn't run the damn group if they let you." Parkinson laughed at both boy's horrified looks. 

"Shut up Pansy. We have a dorm to get to. Potter, I don't want a word from you either." He stalked off towards where McGonagall had gestured to. 

"Well he didn't deny it." She nudged Harry's arm before following the blonde. 

He found himself smiling again as he followed the group.
There weren't any obvious pairs, they were just a group. No one was turning around and dragging him up the stairs because he was walking too slow. They simply slowed down. 
The conversations weren't focused on him, the jokes didn't make him feel like crap. The smiles and laughs were real. 
The sulking lasted two seconds before Malfoy joined in again and there weren't any sideways glances once he did.

Harry was enjoying himself.

"I still think she's mad." Zabini shook his head.

"Well yeah, but she's smart. I want to be like her." Parkinson rolled her shoulders back and attempted a strut.

"Uh right. I don't fancy being killed off just yet Pansy, thanks." Theo grabbed her by the waist just before she crashed into a younger year. 

"Oops, sor-" 

"Death eater scum." The boy spat at her before storming away. 

The group's positive demeanour seemed to deflate. 
Of course, it's not just Harry who would be experiencing a hard time. He had forgotten how the others would most likely be viewed.

"Well, it took longer than I had predicted." Zabini smiled slightly, his head angled down. 

"We haven't been near people, so of course it did." Malfoy scowled, his eyes scanning the hallway. 

Harry watched Theo wipe the spit and possibly tears off of Pansy's face. Moments before she had a light in her eyes that Harry didn't think could ever be extinguished. How wrong he was. Just one person, someone they likely didn't know, managed to kill it.

"If I had just been looking-"

"Then you would have got it later. Don't think this is your fault." 

The group turned to him, wide-eyed. 

"Potter, as much as I appreciate that, it is my fault. It's all of our faults. We became death eaters. We served him. I tried to get everyone to hand you over just so I could live a little longer." Tears streamed down her face again. "We're bad people and we deserve all that comes to us." 

Harry looked at each of them before speaking. Malfoy was now the only one looking back.

"Everything you did was for the survival of you and your families." He held a hand up to stop Pansy as she opened her mouth. "I don't blame you for wanting to hand me over. I wanted to give in years before then. I also wanted to run and hide from the world. I was prepared to let him kill everyone just so I could run away and live in peace for a few years."

"Potter-"

"Pansy, you clearly feel guilty for the things you did. Zabini, Nott, I assume you do too?"

"I was never a death eater, just hung around them, but I wasn't on your side either."

"I watched countless muggles and mud- muggleborns be tortured." Nott frowned slightly.

"And Malfoy, I don't even need to ask." The blonde sighed and dipped his chin slightly.

"You feel guilty for being forced into a life none of you liked. For your survival. You had no choice in that. When you did have a choice, you did the right thing. You didn't kill, you didn't torture, you didn't actually hand me over." He laughed slightly. "You, former death eaters and followers feel guilty for other's actions! You don't deserve the punishments you think you do. Your parents do. Voldemort does. Anyone who thinks differently is ignorant!" 

"Been practicing that one have you Potter?" The corner of Malfoy's lips were upturned. 

"No actually, it came to me in a dream last night." He rolled his eyes. 

"You truly think that? Harry, after everything we've done to you?" Pansy was crying again. 

"You were children." 

There was silence as they stared at him again. 

"You truly are an idiotic Gryffindor." Zabini ran a hand over his face, laughing slightly. "I'm starting to understand Draco's rants now." 

"Stuff it Blaise." Malfoy didn't look away from Harry as he pushed his friend. 

Harry smiled at him.

"You were a child too Potter." He swallowed. "Don't forget that." 

His voice was soft, softer than Harry had ever heard it before. 

"Harry! There you are!" Hermione quickly walked over to him, grabbing his arm. "What are you still doing out here? Are they bothering you again? Why did you miss the sorting? Harry, were you not told the password? Have you spoken to Ron?"

"Mione, please. One thing at a time." He patted her shoulder, trying to get her to loosen her grip, she didn't. "I waited until the station was empty before walking here to avoid people and-"

"Harry. I already told you that behaviour is isolating. You should have walked with me and Ron. We would have got you to the Great Hall on time and-"

"Calm you hair Granger. He was with us, not alone. We didn't feel like going to the feast so we skipped it." Zabini interrupted. 

"Harry, why were you with them? After everything?" 

He was beginning to get sick of his own name. 

"After everything, I decided to move on. There's no point in living with other people's mistakes for any of us." He sighed. "We were all children in a difficult situation, with unimaginable pressure on us."

"That's ridiculous Harry. I said that to you when you felt guilty about wanting to run away. This is not the same situation." 

"No, it's a more forgivable one." He gave her a meaningful look, which was met with a frown. 

"The password is Pumpkin Juice." She stalked off towards the portrait, leaving him with the Slytherins. 

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Somehow it didn't get caught on any knots. Even if it looked like a bird's nest, it was quite well looked after.

"We would have left you two to, uh, that." Pansy started.

"But there was nowhere to go." Zabini finished. 

"Besides, that was interesting to watch." Malfoy added helpfully.

"Git." Harry found himself smiling anyway.