I can tell that we are gonna be friends
Chapter 12: I can tell that we are gonna be friends
Tomorrow is the first day of classes; and Harry is full to the brim with so much excited energy, that he can barely sit still. It’s about 9am, and he’s fully dressed and reading the book professor Snape lent him, while lying on his back with his head hanging upside down of the bed.
“How are you comfortable?” Blaise asks with amusement, as he walks out of the bathroom dressed in expensive looking robes.
Harry grins and rolls his eyes at him. “No idea.”
“Do you want to go down to breakfast together?” Blaise questions.
“Sure.” Harry is still nervous about eating in the great hall, but it would probably be easier if he had people, he somewhat trusted near him, and maybe Luna would come and sit with them as well.
“If you wait a few minutes for me and Georgie to get ready we’ll come too.” Fred says from where he’s sitting on his four-poster bed tinkering with a something that looks like a wind-up toy mouse.
“We can wait.” Blaise says blankly. He’s warmed up to Harry after the whole thing by the lake, but he’s still speaking to the twins in an empty voice and keeping his face blank if they ask something. He clearly doesn’t trust them enough to be himself around them yet.
Fred smiles and then bounds off into the bathroom to get ready. “What are we going to do today?” Harry asks the room.
“How about… games! After breakfast we can come back here and get to know each other a bit better.” George suggests.
“Yeah, that would be great! Wixen games? I’ve never played Wixen games before.” Harry says curiously.
“Oh yes that sounds exhilarating, hours of exploding snap. Sign me up!” Blaise drawls sarcastically.
“Come on Zabini, we have to learn to coexist together we’re gonna be sharing a dorm for the next seven years.” George pleads.
“With any luck my mother will kill me before I have to survive seven years with you and twin two.” Blaise deadpans.
Harry burst out laughing and falls of the bed landing on his head. George just looks confused.
Blaise smirks at Harry, he seems quietly happy with himself that his dark humour is making Harry laugh. Blaise sighs (very dramatically). “Fine I’ll play the games.”
“Great!” George exclaims looking ridiculously happy, that both Harry and Blaise agreed. Fred walks out of the bathroom at that moment, so George gets up from his bed. “Okay, I’m going to go get ready now.” He gives them a little salute and disappears into the bathroom.
~~~
Half an hour later they’re moving through the great hall towards the Slytherin table. The hall is mostly empty now and there’s only one professor at the staff table, that Harry doesn’t know the name of; he’s wearing a purple turban and seems to be terrified of his breakfast plate.
As they sit down the strange professor’s head snaps up and he locks eyes with Harry. Harry’s scar flairs with pain, from the second they lock eyes. Harry is immediately put on edge; he looks away from the professor and rubs at his scar worriedly.
Maybe it was just a coincidence? Or maybe it wasn’t. This is the scar Voldemort gave him, it has only ever hurt when he dreamt of the night Voldemort killed his mum, and in the books, Harry read there are many people who believe the dark wizard is not dead but simply biding his time. And though this professor looks nothing like the man he saw in the dream where his mother was killed, Harry has the terrible thought that maybe they are somehow connected. why else would his scar hurt like that when the professor looked at him?
“Harry are you ok?” George asks, interrupting his steadily spiralling thoughts.
“Hmm? Oh, yeah. I’m fine, just thinking.” He says as he shoves his worries harshly into the back of his mind. He’s probably just being paranoid, but he decides to be wary of the strange professor anyway.
Blaise is looking at him quizzically, with his head tilted slightly to one side. Then he looks from Harry to the professor, and raises and eyebrow at Harry in question. Damn it! Blaise is to observant for his own good. Harry shakes his head slightly in response and stares at Blaise with a look that says ‘I will tell you later.’ Blaise seems to get the message because he nods and turns back to his breakfast.
“Did you two just have a silent conversation?!” Fred asks looking from Blaise to Harry. “How? You’ve known each other for less than two days, how in the name of Merlin’s saggy left trouser have you got a secret language already?”
Blaise glares at Fred with enough force to make any sane person run away as far as possible.
Fred puts his hands up in a placating gesture, “Ok, ok... yikes! I won’t ask.”
Harry rolls his eyes in exasperation, “We did not have a silent conversation, and there is no secret language.” He states plainly.
“Sure, Harry. Whatever you say.” Fred says in a mocking tone.
Harry sticks his tongue out at him, then starts putting some food on his plate.
He has no idea how he’s got to this moment. In the space of two months, he’s gone from living in a cupboard, in the Dursleys house. Having no friends. Not knowing anything about his parents or magic or the Wixen world. And having zero money. To having his own four poster bed, living in a castle. Being part of the Wixen world. Knowing what his parents look like. Having mounds of gold. And by some miracle having Luna as a best friend, Fred and George as dorm mates and friends. And Blaise who Harry thinks is now also his friend?
It doesn’t feel real or possible, he keeps expecting to be harshly woken up only to find he never left his cupboard; and strangest of all he trusts these people, well… he trusts Luna completely. Blaise a little bit and he doesn’t quite trust the twins yet, but he’s starting to (he thinks so anyway).
The sound of a musical voice breaks him out from his thoughts. “Hello Harry.” Luna slides into the empty seat next him.
“Hi, Luna! I was hoping you would be here.” He says, smiling warmly at her.
“I was going to come earlier; but then I had a feeling that I should take Panda out for a morning walk first. I got here at the right time in the end though.” She puts the squirrel in question down on the table, and Panda immediately scampers over to George and steals a strawberry from his plate.
“Oi! You little menace.” George laughs, and pets panda’s head.
“How’s she doing? Is she happy here?” He asks curious as to whether Panda’s managing alright with the change of moving from Luna’s house to the busy and very loud Hogwarts castle.
Luna smiles brightly, “Oh, yes. She’s quite happy here.”
“Solace and Selena, like it here too.” He says gesturing vaguely at the happily chirping raven on his head. “Solace likes the dorm because he can perch on top of the four poster beds, and Selena…” He trails of remembering that he hasn’t told the twins about his parsel-tongue abilities. He was going to say ‘Selena says she’s Happy to be back in Salazars school’ but he stopped himself last minute.
Luna hums in understanding, and begins to delicately compile a bowl of porridge with berries and honey. “I think most familiars like Hogwarts.” She tilts her head to one side like she’s listening for something no one else can hear. “The magic is stronger here.”
“Hmm, you know what Luna? I reckon your right.” He agrees, with a nod. He feels it too. The way the air seems to dance with magic, and the walls seem to fizz and buzz with life.
“What are you two on about?” George asks curiously.
Luna looks at him with a smile. “Oh, nothing to important.” She says in her floaty voice, before turning her attention to Blaise, “Hello, Blaise. I’m Luna.”
Blaise looks at her carefully for moment, he seems to be deciding whether to keep a blank face or actually have a conversation with Luna. “I’m Blaise Zabini... but you already know that.”
Harry is slightly surprised that Blaise chose to speak to Luna. But then again… Luna has this energy about her that just makes Harry feel safe, maybe Blaise feels the same.
“It’s lovely to meet you.” Luna says still smiling warmly and her blue eyes sparkling with knowing (A knowing of what Harry has no idea).
Blaise looks confused for a split second, like he doesn’t understand why Luna wants to know him; Then nods shortly at her and goes back to his food. Harry wonders if maybe Luna is a magnet for unloved kids who don’t really know the concept of trust or safety.
“Okayyy! Introductions aside. Let’s finish breakfast so we can go and play games!” Fred exclaims, literally bouncing in his seat with excitement. “Luna, do you want to come with us?”
“Not today, Fred. I’m meeting my roommate Hermione granger in the library, we are going to practice charms.” She tells them in a pleased tone as she draws strange symbols with her spoon in the porridge she’s eating.
“Oh well, maybe next time you can join us?” Fred says hopefully.
Luna hums happily in agreement.
“Where did you guys get your familiars?” George asks out of the blue, a thoughtful look on his face as he looks around at them curiously.
“Why?” Blaise asks sceptically, looking back at the red head in suspicion, as if he’s expecting George to spring at him from across the table and steal Freya or something as equally unlikely.
“Because I desperately want my own familiar and you have really cool ones.” George replies, not paying any mind to Blaise's obvious suspicion.
“I bought Solace from the animal emporium in Diagon alley.” Harry says. “The shopkeeper gave him to me half price, no one wanted him because he breaks out of cages is blind in one eye and has severe attachment issues.” Harry says with a smirk, and shakes his head fondly at the raven who is now hopping around the table in front of them, pecking at random crumbs.
“My dad bought me panda from Diagon alley too. She was a going away present.” Luna says serenely.
Blaise frowns suspiciously at George, for a few more seconds before speaking slowly in a monotone voice. “I found Freya two years ago in the forest behind my house. She was a baby and her mother abandoned her so I fed her and looked after her and she became my familiar.”
“You raised Freya?” Fred asks, surprised.
“Yes. I did.” Blaise says curtly. “Why is that surprising?” He asks while glaring defensively at Fred.
“I don’t know. I just can’t imagine you feeding bottles of milk to a baby fox.” Fred smirks, is eyes dancing with amusement. Not unkindly, but Blaise looks just about ready to kill him anyway.
“Shut up, Fred.” George scowls at his brother, effectively getting Fred to stop asking for his own demise. “What about Selena? Where did you buy her, Harry?” He questions.
Then to both of the twin's astonishment, Blaise grins and starts laughing. “Go on Harry tell them how you ‘bought’ Selena.” He says through very badly restrained laughter, his previous anger gone.
Harry groans and drops his head onto the table. “I’ll tell them when we’re back in the dorm.” Blaise is probably going to make fun of him for committing a small act of larceny, for the rest of his Hogwarts years.
Fred and George look deeply intrigued now. “It must be a good story if it made Blaise crack.” Fred says looking suddenly gleeful.
“Let’s go back to the dorm I want to know how you got Selena.” George says getting up from his seat and bouncing on his heels excitedly.
“Oh, fine.” Harry rolls his eyes. Let’s go.” Harry replies with an exasperated sigh. He turns to Luna, “Will you be at dinner later?”
“Yes, I think so.” She smiles, blinking at him softly like a sleepy cat.
“I’ll see you later then. I hope you have a cool time with Hermione.” He smiles back at her as he gets up from his seat. “Bye Luna!” He waves at her as he follows after Fred George and Blaise who have already made it half way out of the hall.
“Goodbye Harry!” She calls after him.
~~~
Twenty minutes later the four of them are back in the dorm, they got lost on the way back, because they don’t know their way around the castle very well yet.
Now they all sit on the fluffy rug in the middle of the dorm floor and the twins are looking at him expectantly, waiting to hear the story.
“Go on potter tell them.” Blaise says, and then he dissolves into laughter. Harry has no idea why Blaise finds it so funny.
“Come on Harry tell us!” Fred demands.
“You broke Blaise.” George states, looking at hysterical Blaise with a combination of amusement and concern.
“He’s fine. It’s not even that funny, I don’t know why he finds it so hilarious.” Harry rolls his eyes at them all.
“Oh, for Merlin’s sake Harry! Just tell us!” Fred complains, looking about ready to explode.
He looks at them and sighs heavily. "I went on a trip to a muggle zoo with my relatives, and then I saw her in a cage and she wanted to escape. So, I broke her out and then she decided to stay with me and she became my familiar.” He says in a bored tone.
“You stole a venomous snake from a muggle zoo?! How did you know she wouldn’t bite you! How did you even manage to break her out, without the muggles catching you?!” George exclaimed.
Fred on the other hand was now rolling on the floor laughing with Blaise. “You stole her! Merlin Harry if you keep up that attitude, we’re going to have three Hogwarts pranksters!” He gasps out.
Harry looks at them in exasperation. To answer George’s question, he’ll have to tell them about the parsel-tongue. Blaise seems to sense what Harry’s about to do and he sobers up immediately blank mask back in place and eyes watching the twins carefully. Harry sighs, he doesn’t know if he trusts the twins enough for this secret yet, but he wants to be able to speak to Selena in the dorm freely.
“I will answer your questions George but first you need to promise me you won’t speak to anyone about what I’m about to say.” He says seriously.
Fred stops laughing and both of the twins look at him curiously. “We promise.” They say in unison.
He nods at them in thanks and takes a fortifying breath, before speaking. “I’m a parsel-mouth. I can speak to snakes. I knew she wouldn’t bite me because we were talking through the glass of her cage, and she told me that she wanted to be my familiar; and I used wandless magic to get her out of the cage.”
Then he looks around and spots Selena on his bed watching them, so he hisses to her. “Come here Selena.” She slithers off the pillow and crosses the room until she settles on his lap.
“Your human friends are foolish, Star. You should have powerful serpent friends instead.” She informs him decisively, as she looks at the twins critically through her green and black eyes.
He pets her head fondly. “You liked them yesterday.” He points out, amused.
“Days are a foolish concept.” She hisses indignantly.
Fred and George are staring at him and Selena with dropped jaws, as he speaks to his familiar in soft hisses. “PARSEL-TOUNGUE!? You’re a serpent speaker?! Harry that is SO COOL!” George yells, looking extremely excited.
“Yeah, I’ve got to agree with Georgie, Harry. That. Is. So. Cool!” Fred says in awe, looking down at Selena with blatant admiration.
“And you knew?” George asks Blaise curiously.
Blaise inclines his head, “Potter told me yesterday.”
“Luna also knows, but no one else does. So please don’t speak about it to anyone else.” He tells them, his tone slightly desperate.
“I won’t say a word Harry, I promise.” George says solemnly.
“I won’t either.” Fred swears. “Now can we move back to the fact that you used wandless magic to break Selena out of a zoo?!”
“Oh, yeah, well. I can do magic without a wand, and I popped her out of the cage without breaking the glass.” He says rubbing the back of his neck a self-consciously.
“You have hidden depths, Harry.” George declares.
“You need to help us, when we start pranking people. Please Harry we’ll be unstoppable!” Fred says excitedly.
Harry smiles at them. “I’ll think about it.” He does like the idea of causing a bit of chaos for Dumbledore. But if he does join the twins in their prankster dreams, he’s going to do it without getting caught. “Thanks for not treating me different.”
“Why would we?” George asks bemused.
Whilst Harry was staying in the leaky cauldron, he had read a gazillion different books and newspapers, he had also asked barman Tom loads of questions about the Wixen world. He didn’t want to be seen as stupid when he arrived at Hogwarts so he did his best to educate himself on every aspect of the Wixen world, one of the things he came across was the fact that serpent speaking is often seen as a dark art. He had kind of assumed that the twins would think it made him evil. But he’s glad to be proven wrong. “I dunno, it’s just… sometimes seen as a dark art. I didn’t want you to think I was evil.”
“Maybe it’s seen as dark, but I don’t understand why. It’s just speaking to a snake. How is that evil?” Fred says with a shrug.
“Also, Harry, we may not know you very well yet, but anyone with common sense can see that you’re not evil.” George says firmly, his face stretching into a lopsided grin.
Harry doesn’t know what to say to that so he decides to change the topic. “Exploding snap? I’ve never played it before.”
The twins take the change of topic in their stride. “Sure, I’ll go find the cards.” Fred gets up and starts rummaging through his trunk.
“Am I expected to participate in your childish games.” Blaise drawls.
“Yep! We’re all going to play, and get to know each other!” George says nodding his head firmly.
“This will be worse than torture.” Blaise deadpans.
“I’ll take a round of card games over torture any time.” Harry deadpans back. Thinking of the last time he laid in his cupboard desperately trying to heal himself when Vernon had broken him to pieces yet again.
Blaise seems to pick up on the dark direction Harry’s thoughts just took. He looks at Harry with veiled concern and understanding. “Freya come here.” Blaise calls and the fox jumps of Blaise’s bed and trots over to them. Then he points at Harry, and Freya comes over to him and lays across his legs. It’s very comforting to have a fluffy orange fox laid across your legs, Harry feels any panic that might have been building in the back of his mind, melt away. He nods at Blaise in thanks, as he gently strokes Freya’s fur.
Blaise nods back.
“I feel like I’ve missed something important.” George says in bewilderment. “Fred was right about the secret language.”
“There is no secret language.” Blaise huffs.
“Ok, Zabini. Whatever you say.” George replies with a chuckle. Then Fred sits back down on the rug holding a small pack of bright yellow cards.
“Found them. Let’s play!”
Blaise rolls his eyes and looks at the ceiling as if he’s praying for some sort of God to save him from his fate. Harry smirks and shakes his head, in exasperation.
George sets the cards out, and they start the game.
They play until dinner. By the end of it they’re all laughing. All of their clothes have singe marks on them, and Fred lost part of his eyebrow. Selena Solace and Freya all retreated to the beds to get away from the explosions. Best of all, Blaise seems to be way more comfortable with the twins.
Harry thinks to himself as they head down to dinner, that this dorm has the coolest people in all of Slytherin.