Chapter 7
Since the Pixie incident, the Potter-Twins had two different responses whenever they saw Lockhart heading towards them. Harrison would immediately duck out of sight, while Harley would discreetly cast different spells, like changing the man's hair color to neon pink or his clothes to a clown outfit. Draco, Ron, Fred, and George thought this was hilarious, while Neville, Hermione and Blaise were torn between worry, amusement, and stern disapproval.
Another development of the Pixie incident was that Colin Creevey had somehow been added to their group. If they were in the library, Colin was babbling to Hermione about something he'd learned in class, and how very different the magical world was from the Muggle world. He would eagerly greet them in the hallways and in the Great Hall when he passed them between classes. Blaise deduced that Harrison saw him as an adorable, naive puppy, so while the soon-to-be Dark Lord allowed the first year to hang out with them occasionally, Colin would never know what Harrison was like behind the mask.
Harrison's reaction to the Pixies had spread very quickly throughout the school, so by the time the first Saturday rolled around, almost every student was wary around Lockhart, even the ones who were previously obsessed with him.
Blaise wouldn't know this until later, because his day started at six in the morning with Harley jolting him out of his "sleep."
"Come oooon, Harrison, I want you to see me get Chaser!" Harley insisted.
Harrison growled into his pillow. "No."
"Pleeeeeease?"
Draco was already up and dressed, looking excited. "Come on, Harrison, Blaise and I are 'trying' out, too." He cast Blaise a dry look. "If he wakes up faster, that is."
Blaise rolled his eyes and stood up. Draco was surprised at his sudden alertness.
The elder Potter-Black grumbled something in Parseltongue, earning a pout from Harley and a hissed laugh from Vigil. "Fine. You owe me," he said sharply to Harley. The boy blanched.
Marcus Flint was already downstairs with Ron, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Miles Bletchley, Graham Montague, Cassius Warrington, and Adrian Pucey. It was a little harder for Slytherins to have a full Quidditch team, given how it was such a dangerous sport, so there were only two people trying out for Beater (Crabbe and Goyle) one person trying out for Keeper (Bletchley) five people trying out for Chaser, and one person trying out for Seeker (Draco). Because of this, Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and Bletchley had already been named part of the team.
There was a pile of Nimbus 2001s next to Flint. Harrison narrowed his eyes a little when Draco started and then looked embarrassed.
Montague, Pucey, and Warrington gave Harrison and Harley faintly frightened looks. Harrison ignored them, but Harley grinned brightly at them.
"Didn't know you were trying out, too, Potter-Black," Flint said dryly to Harrison, casting Harley a confused but amused look.
Harrison snorted. "I enjoy flying, but not death-defying acts." He gave Harley an exasperated look, and Harley gave him an innocent look. "I'm just watching my brother do the stupid thing."
Harley's grin turned slightly maniacal, causing Montague and his two friends to stifle shudders. The other four just assumed Harley had pranked someone and snorted.
"Everyone pick up a broom," Flint ordered. "They're for the new team." He nodded to Draco, who looked even more embarrassed.
"Draco?" Harrison asked quietly. Draco flushed.
"Let's go, then," Flint drawled, jerking his head at the door.
When they arrived at the field, however, the Gryffindor Quidditch team was already there. Percy, Ginny, Hermione, Lisa, Neville, and Colin were in the stands, Colin taking pictures with an excited look on his face.
"Hiya, Harrison!" he called, earning a nod and a slightly fond look. "Hiya, Harley!"
"Hiya, cutie!" Harley yowled back, waving both arms dramatically.
"What are you doing here?" Wood demanded. "I booked the pitch specifically!"
"And I have a signed note from Professor Snape," Flint replied sleekly as Harrison pinched his nose. "'I, Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today on the Quidditch field owing to the need to train their new Seeker."
"You've got a new Seeker?" Wood said in surprise. "Where?"
Draco stepped forward, but he still looked embarrassed. "Hi, Fred. Hi, George."
"Hi, Dragon," the twins smirked. Draco rolled his eyes.
"Aren't you Lucius Malfoy's son?" Wood asked Draco.
"Funny you should mention Malfoy's father," Flint said, smiling broadly. Harrison's expression cleared, and he shot Draco an exasperated look. "Let me show you the generous gift he's made to the Slytherin team."
Those holding the Nimbuses turned them so the Gryffindor team could read the golden lettering.
The twins laughed. "You kept that secret, little dragon," Fred said with a teasing grin as Draco turned even more red.
"I forgot," Draco complained. "And Father only mentioned it briefly right before I got on the train! Shut up," he snapped at Ron, Harley, Fred, and George, who were snickering now.
"What's going on?"
Percy, Ginny, Hermione, and Neville had come down from the stands. Hermione was the one who had spoken.
"Lookie!" Harley said in glee, showing off the broom he was carrying. "These are for the new team!"
"We haven't tried out yet," Blaise said in exasperation. "You don't know you're getting one."
"Whoa," Neville said, eyes wide. "My gran won't even let me use a training broom."
Montague scoffed quietly, then blanched when Harrison gave him a blank look.
"My father gave them to Flint because I was the only one to try out for the team," Draco complained. "I can win without the best broom on the market!"
"That's weirdly sweet," Hermione said with amusement.
"I booked the field!" Wood protested again.
"There's room for both teams," Harrison pointed out calmly. "Since this is just tryouts, you can both practice together, correct? You don't have to show secret strategies," he added wryly when Flint and Wood both looked indignant. "And if you're going to complain, Mr. Wood, my godfather's signature trumps your booking the field. You could go to Professor Sinistra, but she probably wouldn't give you permission."
Wood slumped.
"Harrison's idea has merit," Percy agreed. "Ollie, if you don't like practicing with the Slytherins, you don't have to do it again," he pointed out.
The Gryffindor Quidditch Captain flushed darkly at the nickname. "I... well, okay. Who are you trying out first?"
"Chasers," Flint replied, as the non-Quidditch players headed back up to the stands. Harrison and Ron followed. "We've got everyone else, since barely anyone signed up."
"Why?" Wood asked, looking shocked that people weren't as obsessed with Quidditch as he was.
"Slytherins have something called 'survival instincts,'" Blaise replied dryly, earning snickers from Harley, Fred, and George. "Well, most Slytherins." He shot Harley a look, and the boy cackled.
Tryouts lasted several hours, but Blaise had a lot of fun. Harley almost knocked Pucey out of the sky at one point, but Blaise had heard him call Hermione a Mudblood to Harley's face, so that wasn't surprising. In the end, Blaise and Harley were chosen as the other two Chasers. Montague and his two friends looked angry and frightened at the same time.
The Weasleys, Wood, Hermione, and Neville joined them as they headed back inside for lunch. As they did so, a voice rang out.
"Harrison, Harley, there you are," Severus said as he swooped towards them. "You'll be taking your detentions at eight o'clock this evening."
"What're we doing?" Harley asked, bouncing in place.
"Lines," Severus replied. "How were tryouts?" he asked, looking as though he could care less.
"Harley and I got the other two Chaser positions," Blaise replied. "Crabbe and Goyle were the only ones to sign up for Beater, Bletchley was the only one to sign up for Keeper, and Draco was the only one who signed up for Seeker."
Severus snorted. "That is better than last year, when we had to force Seeker tryouts...."
"You will be writing, 'I must not disrespect my professors in public,'" Severus told his godson and the red-haired brat. Harley smirked, and Harrison rolled his eyes. "If Lockhart asks, your lines did not include the 'in public' part."
They both snorted. Pleased, Severus went back to grading papers.
About five minutes later, he stopped them and said, "I'm sure you have homework to complete. You should not waste it on lines."
Harley snickered and pulled out his Herbology book, while Harrison began writing an essay, looking amused.
Severus lost track of time. The candles began to burn lower, so he cast a Lumos Maxima instead. He was just finishing the last stack of essays when Harrison and Harley suddenly froze.
"What?" he asked.
"Tenebris is out of the Chamber," Harrison said slowly. "He said he wouldn't attack the students -- he's supposed to protect Hogwarts, anyway."
Severus was startled. "Who is Tenebris?"
"He's a Basilisk," Harley replied, and Severus almost fell out of his chair.
"Tenebris can't hurt us, Uncle," Harrison promised. "Something is off, though... he sounds almost delirious."
"Did Dumblefuck do something to our baby?" Harley said indignantly.
"Tenebris is almost five thousand years old," Harrison said exasperatedly. "He is the opposite of a baby!"
Severus interjected before Harley could retort. "If the headmaster has done something to Tenebris, you should talk to Salazar's portrait," he told them.
"Salazar Slytherin has a portrait?" Harrison said slowly.
"I wanna meet Grandpa Sally!" Harley said in glee.
The boy's mood swings were giving him a heart attack. Severus rubbed his face and replied tiredly, "Yes, he was moved to the Slytherin head of house's quarters centuries ago, when the portraits of the other three founders disappeared. I believe the then head of house, Selene Slytherin-Trelawney, knew that she had to hide her ancestor's portrait or he would disappear, as well." He stood up. "His portrait is this way."