It Starts Anew
Harry blinked awake to find he had been asleep in his own bed instead of on Quirrel's desk, causing him to leap out in surprise. He frantically scanned his surroundings, his eyes widening and his mouth hanging open in disbelief. His gaze fixated on his blond roommate, who appeared remarkably different from before. Gone was the deathly pallor, replaced by a vibrant complexion. His eyes sparkled with life, no longer marred by the stains of his own blood. The sight left Loki speechless, his astonishment evident in his wide-eyed stare.
Draco was looking at him with an amused face, Blaise standing beside him, looking annoyed by the fact that he had just been woken up.
Despite the knowledge that the rewind of time was foretold by Death, Loki couldn't help but be overwhelmed by his emotions. Tears welled up in Harry's eyes as he struggled to find his voice. "You... you're alive," he managed to say, his words trembling with a mixture of relief and disbelief. It was as if the floodgates of his feelings had burst open, leaving him sounding like someone who had lost control over their own emotions.
An eyebrow raised Draco crossed his arms together and gave him a judgemental look. "What in Merlins name is up with you today?"
Smirking, he continued, "Keep crying every morning and it won't be long until you're known all over Hogwarts by a nickname that matches your impending emotional outbursts." Draco's words were meant to lighten the mood, but his concern for Harry was evident in his eyes.
Even though his friend's words were amusing, Harry's heart tightened with happiness upon hearing Draco's voice and seeing him standing there. It was as if his eyes were playing tricks on him, unable to fully comprehend the reality before him, despite the undeniable proof right in front of his eyes.
The moment he got the chance, he put on his demeanor of enthusiasm. "And what's that? You even got a nickname for me, Dray? What's next, you'll introduce me to your family?" He joked.
That's when those pale cheeks got painted red. "If you don't want my father hearing about this, you better stop your manner of speech." Draco said, embarrassed.
Harry gave Draco a comeback that made the blonds face light up like a candle.
That should've changed the topic and made if less serious.
His gaze then shifted to Blaise, who, in contrast to Draco, maintained his usual stoic demeanor, observing the exchange with keen eyes.
Blaise glanced at Draco, a hint of disappointment evident in his sigh. Then, his gaze shifted towards his other friend. "Setting the humor aside, Harry, what was your dream about this time? Did it involve Draco by any chance?"
Observative little shit.
"You got me there, Blaise, as expected of you to uncover the mystery." Harry searched around for his wand. Flicking it once obtained, his pajamas switched with his Hogwarts robes. As he moved around the room, his two companions observed him meticulously tending to his appearance. He carefully brushed his hair, used a magical spell to cleanse his face, and applied various skincare products.
Once finished, he glanced at himself in the mirror and caught of Draco's startled expression, while Blaise, who had maintained his composure, was monitoring from the sidelines.
"How are you good at everything?" A flabbergasted Draco repeated the question he had asked Harry in September.
"I have my ways." He stole a quick look behind him, a smug smile adorning his face. "Don't worry, you'll get to my level in a few years, just work harder." And Draco started one of his dramatic episodes, threatening Harry with his fathers name for such mockery.
Now that he was done with his morning activity, Blaise had him cornered, he'd be interrogated for sure.
Let's get this over with. He turned to his frowning roommate with a smile, waiting.
"You were surprised Draco was alive, so that means, you saw him die in that nightmare of yours, am I correct?"
Draco gaped, listening in on them with high alert.
Straight to the point.
When Harry confirmed his question, Blaise nodded. "How did he die?" Harry peered to Dracos direction, eyes falling on the terrified face of a child, reminding him of that day.
Loki sensed a prevailing sense of negativity in every question, accompanied by Blaise's realistic perspective on the world. The child's profound and logical mindset weighed heavily on Loki, but he could understand the other.
"Draco got squeezed to death by a a troll." Harry answered, letting his mask fall for these two to see.
A gasp escaped Dracos mouth, he continued watching them silently, as if he lost the ability to speak.
Sometimes, Occasionally, Blaise too experienced moments of vulnerability, where he allowed his pureblood wall down to crumble in order to console his friend, who was evidently struggling emotionally, and this was why Blaise was collecting this information, to cheer Harry up later.
Despite his brain telling him that he shouldn't fall for this act, mustn't let these Midgardians see him, he still felt warm inside, like he'd rarely felt back home.
From the beginning, Harry had been questioning Blaise and his motives when it was obvious, this kid had only wanted to support his friends.
"You need therapy, man." Blaise concluded like a friendly advice.
Those words came to Harry as a surprise.
"Hm. I didn't think I needed such a thing before." He answered with a considering hum of the voice.
"You're such a prankster my friend, I didn't know you had it in you." He told Blaise.
"Actually, I was being serious." His friend revealed to him evidently.
"You were? I never would've guessed. You should inform me more often."
"Harry, take this seriously. You have issues–every morning you wake up either screaming, crying or you're nervous." Blaise looked him dead in the eye. "You need help!"
Harry stood there, all fun and games instantly wiped from his face, staring back at Blaise was a completely different person. There was no way he'd listen to a boy who knew nothing about him, who never would. That's why, he ignored his worthless requests.
Harry glanced up at the clock. "Would you look at the time? Our classes will be starting soon, better get going before we get detention with the foul teachers." Ignoring Draco's protests and Blaise's logical arguments to stay, Harry walked out on them.
Since he knew about how his roommates had to be at a Quidditch tournament on that day, he went to the only location that those two Slytherins wouldn't check, which was the classroom of defence against the dark arts.
Cliche much.
Having such tedious classes so early in the morning was exhausting, especially when Quirrel kept on muttering about first year material with his way of speech for Norns know how long. Loki wanted to know who came up with this stupid study schedule for first years.
Setting foot in this class, he didn't feel the usually suffocating smell of rotten flesh, that would be torturing him and his classmates for the next few days. Indeed a positive thing... the only one.
When Quirrel started not showing up to class with the excuse of having a break from work, Dumbledore had been teaching them the subject temporarily. This time would be distinct, as Tom would be incapable of replicating the same actions.
Not only was Harry going to attend the class of someone who had caused the death of his friend, but also the person on whom Loki had enacted his revenge... the one who had apologized before meeting his demise. The weight of these circumstances added an extra layer of complexity and unease to his already troubling thoughts.
And it was even better now that they were alone in the whole classroom.
Scary wasn't something Loki would call this. Logically speaking, if this man attempted to harm Harry Potter, everyone in the castle would know about it. However, he also acknowledged that the headmaster probably wouldn't take the matters seriously or intervene. On the other hand, Snape, known for his extreme methods, would likely deal with Quirrell with extreme methods if necessary.
The person on Loki's mind had been sitting in his chair, engrossed in his paperwork, thankfully not paying attention to Harry. Until he stopped writing that was.
"Isn't it too early for a first year to be visiting my class?" Quirrell's voice lacked its usual stammer as he addressed Harry, now that they were alone in the room.
"My watch must've been malfunctioning. No wonder I didn't see anyone on the way here." Harry acted like a naive little child Quirrel thought he was.
Feeling a bit reckless, he asked. "Professor, I assume you have knowledge about dark magic, don't you?" As he observed a flicker of crimson in the professor's eyes, he received a confident response, "Indeed, Mr. Potter, I am well-versed in the subject."
A smile appeared on Harry's face. "What's your opinion on creating new cursed spells?" He asked casually. The teachers face stilled right away, like he wasn't expecting such a direct approach by a first year student.
"I believe that anyone with magical abilities, particularly those who have a desire to create harmful spells, can be susceptible to such curses," Harry acknowledged, his curiosity piqued. He eagerly awaited further explanation. "But could it also include individuals who are merely trying to defend themselves from harm?" the young boy inquired. "That is indeed a possibility, Mr. Potter," the professor responded, making the boy smile, as if he confirmed something.
"Why are you suddenly interested in dark magic? Should I be alarmed?" Harry shook his head. "I was just curious, that's all." With a polite reply, he made a move to stand up. "Apologies for interrupting your paperwork, professor."
Quirrel bid him farewell with a polished smile, and as he did, he heard the boys small footsteps gradually fading.
Since morning, Voldemort has been consumed by the desire to acquire the stone, but his current physical state was hindering his progress. He understood the importance of being in optimal condition to achieve his goal.
To make himself busy, he went to his classroom early and started making tests, checking the papers of sixth years. Quirrel wasn't much of a teacher, but he was smart.
Hours flew by, Voldemort's attention was suddenly drawn to the realization that someone else had been in the room besides himself. Lost in his own thoughts and preoccupied with his plans, Quirrell had failed to notice Harry Potter quietly entering the room and making himself comfortable.
Curious about Harry's presence, Voldemort inquired about the reason for his unexpected visit. However, instead of a straightforward response, he received a childish excuse from the young wizard, who then proceeded to ask his own questions. But what intrigued Voldemort the most was Harry's fascination with dark magic and his query about the possibility of creating such spells as a means of self-defense when faced with harm.
Because at that moment, he thought that maybe Harry Potter had already been won over by the dark side. The last part about creating a curse in order to save yourself got him thinking, it must've happened to the boy as well.
They were similar in some ways.
What a curious child.
Despite Harry's curiosity and interest in dark magic, Voldemort's deep-rooted hatred for the boy remained unchanged. The mere existence of Harry Potter was enough to fuel his animosity, as he blamed the young wizard for his current predicament. No amount of love for the darker aspects of magic would ever change this hatred for that child.
Startled by the disturbing noises coming from the bed next to his, Draco quickly woke up to investigate. To his surprise, he found that it was just Harry going about his usual routine, causing the noises that had disturbed his sleep.
Frustrated by the lack of response from Harry, Draco attempted to call out to him, even going as far as waking up Blaise in the process. However, despite his efforts, his friend remained sound asleep, oblivious to the blonds attempts to get his attention. The pale one couldn't help but feel a mix of concern and annoyance, wondering what could be the source of Harry's nightmares this time around.
As two awoken Slytherins persisted in their attempts to wake Harry, Blaise went to the extent of raising his own voice to rouse their restless neighbor. After several tries, Harry slowly opened his eyes, but instead of a normal reaction, he stared at Draco with a peculiar expression, as if he had just seen a ghost.
To everyone's surprise, Harry was not only startled but also overwhelmed with emotion. He couldn't believe that Draco was alive, and his reaction was so intense that he was on the verge of tears.
Draco, eager to regain his comedic prowess, was momentarily interrupted by Blaise's question to Harry about the nightmare he had. Intrigued, Draco's attention shifted, and he found himself fully engaged in their conversation, temporarily setting aside his desire to retaliate with a witty remark towards his Slytherin friend.
It appeared that the decision to interrogate Harry may not have been the best idea after all. Despite the small number of questions being asked, the interrogation had provided some valuable insights. Harry had confessed to witnessing Draco's death in his nightmare, and to make matters worse, Draco had been murdered by a troll in that dream, which was truly horrifying to the blond.
While listening to the way Harry answered the few questions with an unwavering expression, Draco couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. The topic of conversation was his own death, and it was unsettling to hear it being discussed so casually.
Blaise's mention of something even more prying than the previous conversation added to the already tense atmosphere. However, it was clear that Blaise's intentions were not to pry but to express his concern for his friend.
Genuine concern bubbled its up inside in his chest when he saw Harry's consistent avoidance of Blaise's pleas for assistance, completely disregarding them and leaving the room.
The Malfoy heir was on Blaise's side in this matter, acknowledging that Harry indeed had unresolved issues that required attention from a specialized magical psychologist.
Draco could arrange it if he talked it through with his father, although it would take some convincing.
After Harry barged out of their shared room, Blaise had a talk with Draco, discussing this matter with him. They agreed on talking it through with their friend and if it was absolutely necessary, involving Snape.
Blaise had already suspected Harry of having a deteriorating mental state. He had looked around to find his peer had suddenly apparated because of some sort of pain that he was trying to get away from; The regular nightmares.
Something was definitely wrong with his friend, he knew. When Harry was crying, Blaise could tell it wasn't genuine, that he was acting, he could tell from those emerald eyes.
Despite his strong dislike for attending those pureblood aristocratic balls and gatherings with his parents, Blaise realized that it had its benefits. The experiences and connections he gained from those events proved to be valuable in some way.
By attending those events, Blaise had the opportunity to observe and gather information about the adults, their political beliefs, and their deceptive behavior hidden behind their affluent facades. However, Blaise noticed that there was a distinct difference in the way Harry lied. His lies seemed more convincing, except for the lack of emotion in his eyes. Harry even managed to conceal his body language, which is typically a telltale sign of deception or restlessness.
Harry was an actual professional at putting on a performance. Still, one would wonder, what was Harry doing it for?
As the sun began to rise, Loki found himself regretting his decision to wake up. Having his friend suggest he was a weak minded person, that he needed help was too degrading for him. If someone in his illustrious past life voiced out loud that he or she had issues in the head, that person would be the laughing-stock of all Aesir.
In the realm of Asgard, it was unheard of for a sane Asgardian to offer help unless someone was gravely injured. However, in this unfamiliar place, Loki encountered a multitude of individuals who seemed to lack common sense.
Loki was initially under the impression that Blaise was intelligent and not easily swayed by emotions. However, recent events had proven him wrong. This made Loki question his initial assessment of Blaise's character. Perhaps Blaise was not as level-headed as he had initially thought.
The location where an individual resides or spends time can have an impact on their thoughts, emotions, and behavior. The environment, culture, and social dynamics of a particular place can shape a person's mindset and influence their perception of the world.
Blaise was no exception.
In comparison to what had happened just a few minutes ago, being face to face with Quirrel wasn't much, but it had a great influence on Lokis nerves. He was conflicted. That man was just too difficult of a topic to understand.
Back to the present.
Harry didn't know what to do to pass time, but since he had always been fortunate, he met the Weasley twins on the way.
"Well, well. If it isn't our mischief." One of the twins said.
"Good morning to you Fred and George." Harry greeted them with a smile. "I'm delighted to see you both. I must admit, I'm already feeling a bit bored with the lack of excitement around here. How about we indulge in some good old art of trickery? Does that sound appealing to you?"
With a shared look and mischievous smirks, the twins expressed their enthusiasm. "Sounds like a plan," Fred chimed in, followed by George. "We're definitely in!"
"But first... mischief, you owe us one. All the teachers started blaming us for the morning feast."
"You should've seen how chaos erupted after the students heads started turning into pumpkins."
The Weasley twins were very satisfied with Harry's little scheme. Then they asked him, "By the way, why did you miss the morning feast? That was a sight to see."
As Harry shared the story of his friends' overreaction to his nightmare and their suggestion of seeking help, he couldn't help but express his frustration. "I don't know what they take me for, but I am not fragile as they think I am." He finished ranting.
"And that's why you missed the party you created?" George and Fred shook their heads, as if they were disappointed.
Fred placed a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder and said, "It all depends on if you want to get help, mischief." George nodded in answer.
Harry pondered for a moment, contemplating his recent actions. "Perhaps I should take some time to reflect on this," he thought. "I may have been too harsh on my roommates."
"Yeah, well. You three can figure your dillema later. Ronnikins got mad at us for the prank, even though it wasn't our fault." George delayed to Harry.
Fred continued. "Although we were partly to blame for that trick to happen in the first place, it was all your doing... that's why, you owe us one."–"you owe us big time, mischief." The twin finished the others sentence.
"Which is why we require your assistance in upholding our mischievous endeavors," Fred declared.
"I am at your service, my esteemed apprentices," responded Harry.
The mischievous twins led Harry through the corridors of Hogwarts. "During one of Fred's explorations in Filch's office, he stumbled upon something incredibly valuable for our current undertaking," George explained.
"We must acquire an old parchment," George instructed Harry, with Fred interjecting, "Correction, mischief needs to obtain it."
"I'm already on it."
Fred and George shared a look. "Mischief, you do realize that it's you who needs to infiltrate Filch's office to retrieve that ancient parchment, right?"
"I told you... 'I' am on it." Harry assured them. "Give it a minute, you two."
That's when his clone opened the door to Filchs office with that parchment, the gingers gaped. They didn't utter a single word until the clone handed them the parchment and they proceeded to follow him all the way to the library. "How on earth did you manage to do that?" George couldn't help but ask, a little too loudly, earning a stern shush from the librarian.
Sitting down on the chair, he invited them to sit in front. "Magic." He explained.
As Harry sat there engrossed in the book that Fred had fetched for him from the shelf, his mischievous friends began to tinker with the parchment, attempting various methods to unlock its secrets.
Harry delved deeper into the book about unicorns, he became more determined to learn all he could about these magical creatures. He knew that if he could help Tom acquire their blood without any harm coming to the unicorns, it would be the best possible outcome. Harry was determined to find a way to make this happen and ensure that no one would get hurt in the process.
When he finished reading, the twins were already nowhere in sight, so he walked back to his dorm for one thing, he'd apologize for storming out on his Slytherin friends.
Despite Harry's insistence that he didn't need a therapist, Blaise and Draco continued to encourage him to seek professional help. They understood that their support alone might not be enough to address the deeper issues Harry was facing. However, Harry was determined to make them understand his perspective.
With genuine emotion, Harry poured his heart out, expressing his desire to confide in his friends rather than a therapist. He emphasized the importance of their presence and questioned why they were making it difficult for him. Harry's words carried a powerful impact, resonating with Blaise and Draco like a spell.
Moved by Harry's sincerity, Blaise and Draco made a decision. They assured Harry that they would always be there to listen and support him, but they also encouraged him to consider professional help as an additional resource.
Good, my vulnerable speech worked.
Under the cover of darkness, Harry made his way out of the dormitories and into the forbidden forest. He knew that obtaining unicorn blood would not be an easy task, and he didn't have the luxury of time to go about it in a gentle manner. It was said, that the only way to convince a unicorn to willingly offer its blood was through a kind approach. However, Harry didn't have the time for such niceties and needed to find a more expedient solution. Too bad he wouldn't be a human when talking with the unicorns.
Transforming into a frail and ailing unicorn, Harry hoped to stumble upon another unicorn by chance. In this vulnerable state, he knew that any unicorn he encountered would feel compelled to offer its blood to help the suffering creature. By presenting himself as a helpless and innocent being in need of assistance, Harry aimed to elicit the compassion and cooperation of the unicorns he encountered.
Even if Loki assumed the form of another creature, his blood would remain the same. Without knowledge of the specific blood type or composition of the unicorns, Loki's transformation would not alter his own blood. The transformation only affected his outward appearance, allowing him to mimic the appearance of a unicorn in distress. However, the blood within his veins would remain unchanged regardless of the form he took.
But if a unicorn were to pour its blood on him, he would know and change the blood, providing a supply of willingly donated blood to Tom.
If a unicorn were to willingly pour its blood onto Loki, this newfound understanding would enable Loki to alter his own blood to match that of the unicorn, providing a readily available supply for Tom.
Loki's plan went smoothly as a foolish unicorn willingly donated its blood to him. He expressed gratitude to the naive creature and departed from the forest. Once he was a safe distance away, Loki reverted to his human form and made his way back to Hogwarts.
Although he had the unicorn blood now, he still wanted to make Tom wait until the next day, the time when Tom would murder his friend. Loki was determined to prevent this unfortunate event from occurring and ensure the safety of his friend.
In the meantime, Loki made his way to the Room of Requirement, where he discovered a Midgardian blood infusion set. Utilizing his magical abilities, assuming the form of a unicorn, he levitated the set and proceeded to extract a sufficient quantity of blood that left him feeling slightly disoriented.
Loki carried the vials containing the unicorn blood to his room and securely placed them within his trunk.
Loki bid his serpentine companion a pleasant evening and succumbed to a state of slumber. As his eyelids grew heavy, he drifted to sleep.