Juxtaposition

“Are any of you trying out for the Quidditch team?” Harry asked, filling his plate up with bacon and other various breakfast items.
“It’s a waste of time. You should be studying for your future, not playing silly sports,” Tom declared, his tone dripping with condescension.
Harry sighed at Tom’s newest psychoanalysis. “Merlin, Tom, it’s just Quidditch, not a career choice. Besides, everyone needs a break from studying now and then.”
“Well, I have no intention of wasting my time on something as trivial as chasing a ball. You aren’t a dog.” Tom retorted.
“Suit yourself,” Harry shrugged. “But I will be going down to the pitch, if anyone wants to join me.”
“I’ll come,” Orion agreed, taking a sip of his water.
“I’ll be trying out for Chaser.” Druella responded, ignoring Walburga’s pointed looks.
Lestrange and Evander also said they would be trying out, but didn’t say for what position.
“Do you even know how to play?” Lestrange laughed and tried to cover his mouth with his hand.
“I do.” Harry said between mouthfuls of food.

The sun shone brightly over the Quidditch pitch as Harry, Orion, Druella, Lestrange, and Evander made their way down. The vibrant green of the grass seemed to stretch endlessly, and the three hoops at either end stood tall and imposing.

There was already a large group of students gathered in the middle of the pitch, and dozens of brooms in hand. Harry grinned to himself as he jogged up to the rest of the students, Druella, Lestrange and Evander following.
“Alright!” The Quidditch captain, Winky Crockett, yelled, “Chaser tryouts are up first. Everyone else either move off of the pitch or onto the stands, I don’t really care.”
Harry glanced up at Orion, who was watching from the stands, and began to make his way up.

Winky eyed the candidates with a scrutinising gaze. “Alright, let’s see what you’ve got. One at a time, take the Quaffle, and try to score on me. We’ll assess your aim, agility, and teamwork.”

Druella, the first in line, mounted her broom confidently and took off. She expertly weaved through the air, avoiding imaginary Bludgers, and launched the Quaffle toward the hoops. Winky, demonstrating the skill that earned her the captaincy, deftly blocked the shot.

Next up was Lestrange, whose flying skills were impressive, but his accuracy with the Quaffle left something to be desired. Evander followed suit, showing a mix of finesse and precision in his attempt. As the trials continued, Harry observed the competition, noting their strengths and weaknesses.

There were about 5 other people also trying out for a Chaser position, but none of them seemed as good as Druella, Lestrange and Evander. Harry was sure they would get the positions.

The Beater tryouts were up next, and 7 people tried out. None of them were as good as Fred and George.

Harry felt himself growing tired as he waited with Orion for the Seeker tryouts. It probably would’ve been wise to go inside the castle and have something to eat, but of course, Harry wasn’t particularly wise.

“Seekers! Gather up here!” Winky’s voice somehow travelled up to where Harry was sitting. Harry flashed a grin at Orion before grabbing his broom and flying down to the pitch. It would’ve taken ages to just walk down there.

“Alright. Wannabe seekers, one at a time you are going up in the air, and I will release 5 snitches. Your job is to catch them as quickly as possible. I will be looking at technique, how willing you are to take a risk, and mainly how quickly you catch them.”
Harry nodded, looking at his competition. The boy who looked like he could be Theodore Nott’s father, and 2 people he still didn’t know.
“Elias, you’re up first.” Winky pointed, kneeling next to the box containing the snitches.
Nott mounted his broom and kicked off, going high in the air.
Elias Nott managed to catch the 5 snitches in 9 minutes. Cassian Thorne, another Seeker candidate, had jet-black hair and blue eyes. He had a Seeker build, tall and slim. Thorne caught 5 snitches in 14 minutes. The last one, Silena Sanchez, had honey blonde hair and caught the snitches in 6 minutes.

“Peverell! You’re up.” Winky called out, scribbling on her sheet of paper.
Harry took a deep breath and mounted his broom.

Harry shot into the air, his eyes scanning the sky for the glint of golden snitches. The wind rushed past him as he manoeuvred his broom expertly, chasing after the elusive magical balls. One by one, he spotted them and deftly caught each snitch with precision and speed.
It felt good to be in the air again, as the last time, he was saving Malfoy from the Fiendyfire, after he just watched his friend die. The wind against his skin felt familiar, and Harry embraced the once forgotten feeling.
He clung close to his broom, trying to be as aerodynamic as possible. It would help him be faster and be more agile.
Harry knew that the only real competition out of the other people trying to become Seeker was Silena. He was surprised he didn’t see her name on a plaque when he was in second year, looking for Tom Riddle. She was an excellent seeker, and even if Harry didn’t get the position, he knew she would do a good job.

Touching back down onto the pitch, Harry felt like he was back playing in first year. All of the joy from the game had returned, and Harry almost felt giddy.
“Okay! The team will be announced tomorrow in the common room.” Winky

Harry grabbed his broom and started walking off of the pitch. He felt fairly confident he would get it, but not overly confident to the point where he was being cocky.

“Hey! Peverell. Wait up!” Silena yelled out, running after him, “Hadrian. Do you want to come with me to Hogsmeade next weekend?” She asked stiffly.
“Uh. I don’t think I have plans, so, sure.” Harry shrugged.
“Great. Also, no hard feelings on who gets the position, right?”
“Right.” Harry agreed.

At that point, Orion had climbed down from the stands and joined Harry.
“Got a fangirl already?” Orion teased, batting his eyelashes at Harry.
“Sod off,” Harry rolled his eyes.
They both walked together back to the castle, and Harry felt content. Going to Hogsmeade would take his mind off of his situation, and he might even make a new friend out of it. Though, one thing did pose a challenge to his plan. He did need the signature to leave Hogwarts.
Harry guessed he could ask the Headmaster. Surely Dippet would let him. After all, he was a fresh orphan and a stellar student.

“Hey, I’ve gotta go to the Headmaster’s office, I’ll see you later.” Harry said, quickly going through another corridor.

Arriving at the gargoyle guarding the entrance to the Headmaster's office, Harry gave the password, and the staircase spiralled upward. He knocked on the office door, waiting for permission to enter.
"Come in, Mr. Peverell," Headmaster Dippet called from within.
Harry stepped into the cosy office, lined with bookshelves and magical artefacts.

Headmaster Dippet looked up from his desk, his kind eyes focusing on Harry.
"Ah, Mr. Peverell, what brings you here?" Dippet inquired.
"I was hoping to get your permission to visit Hogsmeade next weekend. There's a trip planned, and I've been invited," Harry explained.
Dippet nodded thoughtfully, "Of course, Mr. Peverell. I'll write you a permission slip. Is everything alright? How are you settling in?"
Harry hesitated for a moment, debating whether to share his thoughts about the Quidditch team. Finally, he decided to open up a bit, "Things are okay, Headmaster. I tried out for the Quidditch team, and I think it went well. I'll find out tomorrow if I made the team."
Dippet smiled, "That's excellent news, my boy! I'm glad you're getting involved in the school activities. Quidditch is a wonderful sport, full of camaraderie. Best of luck with the team announcement."
"Thank you, Headmaster," Harry said sincerely.
Dippet quickly wrote a permission slip for Hogsmeade, handed it to Harry, and offered some parting advice, "Enjoy your time in Hogsmeade, Mr. Peverell. It's a charming village with many delightful shops.”

Feeling a sense of gratitude, Harry left the Headmaster's office with the permission slip in hand. As he made his way back to the common room, he couldn’t help but feel slight resentment towards Dumbledore, who, in his time, denied giving Harry the permission slip for Hogsmeade. Harry understood that Sirius had just escaped from Azkaban and was supposedly hunting him down, but he had the right to be annoyed. The fact that Sirius never got a fair trial either also angered Harry. Dumbledore had the power to step in and help Sirius, but didn’t. If his godfather never got wrongfully imprisoned, maybe Harry would’ve been allowed to live with him. Maybe Harry could’ve actually had a family during his childhood.

Harry entered the common room and walked down the stairs, feeling more tired with each step. Orion was already sitting at one of the tables, looking at a book, and Harry sat down next to him.
“Do you want to go down to lunch soon?” Orion asked, flipping a page.
Harry stretched, feeling the fatigue from the Quidditch tryouts settle in. "Yeah, lunch sounds good. I could use a break."
They made their way to the Great Hall, finding a spot at the Slytherin table. As they put food on their plates, Orion noticed Harry hadn’t placed much food on his plate.
“Are you not hungry?” Orion’s eyebrows drew together, pointing his finger towards Harry’s plate.
“Eh, not really.” Harry blinked. It wasn’t like he hadn’t put anything on his plate. He did have a couple yorkshire puddings, and a couple of roast potatoes. Sure, they were side dishes, but he would just have a bigger dinner. Maybe.
Orion shrugged, accepting Harry's explanation. They engaged in casual conversation as they ate, discussing classes, the Quidditch tryouts, and upcoming assignments. Despite the fatigue, Harry found comfort in Orion's company and the familiar surroundings of the Great Hall.

After lunch, Harry decided to spend the afternoon in the library to catch up on some reading and homework. Orion, always up for some quiet time, joined him. The library was a place of solace, with its towering shelves of magical tomes and the scent of old parchment lingering in the air. There were a few other students, one of them being Riddle.
Harry grabbed Orion’s arm and quickly steered him away from the maniac. He didn’t really feel like dealing with Riddle right now, especially since Tom would probably try and lecture him about trying out for Quidditch, again.

Harry and Orion sat in a small alcove in the library. Harry was reading about transfiguration while Orion was reading about potions.
“Do you know the ingredients for a polyjuice potion? Slughorn wants us to submit an essay before we brew it next week.”
Harry vaguely remembered them, but told Orion not to quote him on it, “Lacewing flies, leeches, bicorn horn, powdered, I think, some sort of grass, fluxweed, boomslang skin and some hair of the person you want to turn into.”
Orion thanked him while writing that down onto his parchment.
“Do you want to practise some more French?” Orion asked.
“I’ve got my book in the common room.”
Orion nodded and packed up his stuff, and Harry followed suit. They left the library and headed back to the common room, where a buzz of excitement filled the air. Students chattered about their expectations and hopes for the team.

Harry dumped his stuff on his bed and Orion grabbed the book in French, which was lying inside of Harry’s trunk. Orion began quizzing him on French words, most of them Harry got wrong. Harry knew it would be easier to just get Orion to translate the whole book for him, or even find a spell, but he enjoyed the challenge, especially since this challenge wouldn’t result in certain death.

On Monday morning, Crockett gathered all of the Slytherins into the common room. The anticipation in the air was palpable as students huddled in small groups, discussing the upcoming Quidditch team announcement. The room buzzed with excitement and curiosity, and all eyes were on Winky as she prepared to reveal the names of the chosen players.
"Good morning, Slytherins!" Winky's voice echoed through the common room, cutting through the chatter. "I hope you all had a pleasant weekend. Now, without further ado, let's announce the members of this year's Slytherin Quidditch team!"

The room fell silent as everyone eagerly awaited the revelation. Winky unfolded a piece of parchment and cleared his throat.
"For the Chaser positions, we have Druella Rosier, Reinhard Lestrange, and Evander Rosier. Congratulations to the three of you!"
Cheers erupted from the assembled students, and the newly appointed Chasers exchanged triumphant looks.
"As for the Beater positions, we've got Luke Montague and Cassandra Bulstrode. Well done!" More applause followed, and the two Beaters acknowledged the recognition with proud nods.
“Of course, I am the keeper.” Winky paused for a moment, building the suspense. "And now, the moment you've all been waiting for—the Seeker. This year, our Seeker is Hadrian Peverell!"
A mixture of cheers and applause erupted in the common room. Harry's eyes widened in surprise, and he exchanged a glance with Orion, who gave him an encouraging nod.
Winky beamed at the team. "Congratulations to our Slytherin Quidditch team! I'm confident that you'll make our house proud. Practices will be announced shortly, so be ready to hit the pitch and show everyone what Slytherin is made of!"
Amidst the cheers and celebrations, Harry couldn't help but feel a surge of pride. It seemed that his decision to try out for the Quidditch team had paid off, and he was eager to represent Slytherin in the upcoming matches. It would definitely be weird playing Quidditch for Slytherin.

After the announcement, the day carried on with classes. In Potions, Slughorn tasked them with brewing a wound-cleaning potion. The classroom buzzed with activity as students chopped, stirred, and mixed ingredients. Harry focused on his work, surprisingly understanding each instruction in his book.
Reinhard approached Harry, looking a bit desperate. "Peverell, could you help me with this? I'm a bit lost."
Harry hesitated for a moment. He wasn’t that good at potions, so he didn’t understand why Reinhard would be asking him. He supposed his skill had improved ever since he had Slughorn as a potions teacher, and since he did have Snape’s potions book for a while.
Harry agreed and switched places with Nott, who didn’t seem too bothered by the request.
Reinhard seemed especially interested in Harry’s book, “Did you write all of these notes?”
“Yeah, just some things I picked up.”
Harry had done a lot of studying when he first arrived. He did try to replicate Snape’s book, even down to the spells that could probably land him in Azkaban. Harry didn’t know whether it was a good idea, but he wanted to have spells on stand-by in case he needed to use them. Now, he knew what “for enemies” meant underneath the spells.

“Well done! You have both brewed the potion perfectly!” Slughorn beamed as Harry and Reinhard handed in their potions. Reinhard swiftly thanked Harry while he was packing up his potions equipment, ready for their next lesson, DADA.

Defence was rather boring, as they were just learning about Banshees. Harry began to think about how he could stop Riddle from making a horcrux. He could possibly try and find passages or anecdotes about the negative effects of making them. Surely that would dissuade him.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows through the windows of the castle, Harry made his way to the library. He had his wand ready to cast a disillusionment charm on himself, as he knew the books he wanted were in the restricted section.
He really needed to ask Slughorn or another weak-minded teacher for a permanent permission slip to enter.

Entering the restricted section, he started pulling out books that looked like they could hold the information he was looking for. Carefully navigating the dimly lit shelves of the restricted section, Harry selected books with titles that hinted at the dark arts, Horcruxes, and their potential consequences. The mere act of handling these tomes sent shivers down his spine.

The restricted section of the library was eerily silent, and the flickering candlelight cast dancing shadows on the ancient book covers. Harry's concentration remained unbroken as he meticulously scanned each page for relevant details. Spells, rituals, and the intricacies of dark magic unfolded before him, painting a grim picture of the path that led to creating a Horcrux.

After finding multiple books, Harry snuck out of the restricted section and back into the regular part of the library. He carefully sat the books down onto an old wooden table and sat down, beginning to read them. The table creaked slightly as Harry opened the first book. The pages were yellowed and brittle with age.
If Harry did gain the Basilisk’s trust and loyalty, Harry could plant these books in the library in the Chamber for Tom to find.

“Peverell?” Abraxas’ voice cut through the silence. Harry froze and slowly looked up at Abraxas. He hoped his face didn’t look as guilty as he felt.
Harry subtly tried to cover the books with his arm, hopefully before Abraxas could read the titles.
“Malfoy. Hello.” Harry rubbed the nape of his neck. His right foot was bouncing as Abraxas spoke.
“What are you reading?”
“Shit.” Harry mumbled to himself.
Abraxas arched an eyebrow at Harry, curiosity etched on his features. Harry quickly scanned the titles of the books on the table, mentally gauging which ones he could share without revealing the true nature of his research. His mind raced, contemplating whether to deflect or offer a partial truth.
"Just some research for Defence Against the Dark Arts," Harry replied, sliding one of the less ominous-looking books toward Abraxas. The title was innocuous enough, promising insights into protective spells. However, it was merely a cover for the dark truths hidden within the other volumes.
Abraxas picked up the book and glanced at the cover, his gaze flickering over the title. "Defence Against the Dark Arts, huh? You're quite dedicated, Peverell."
Harry nodded, attempting to maintain an air of nonchalance. "Yeah, trying to stay ahead of the game, you know? Never know when you might need some extra knowledge."
“Right. Have you finished?”
“I think so. For tonight at least. What's up?” Harry offered a half-smile in return, his mind racing with the need to divert Abraxas' attention. He subtly slid the other books into his bag
“Do you want to come for a walk with me back to the Great Hall for dinner?”
Harry considered the invitation, weighing the potential benefits and risks. A walk with Abraxas could provide an opportunity to build trust, gather information, and possibly establish a closer connection. On the other hand, it meant spending more time with someone who could become a potential ally or, if things took a wrong turn, an adversary.
"Sure, why not?" Harry replied, managing a casual tone. He closed the book he had been using as a cover and stood up, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

“Are you excited for Quidditch?” Abraxas tilted his head towards Harry.
“Yeah, I love flying. It feels very… freeing, in a way.” Harry placed his hands in his trouser pockets.
“I get it. I quite like Quidditch, I’d just rather spend my time studying for my future.”
As they strolled through the corridors, Harry nodded in response to Abraxas's comment. "Studying is crucial, no doubt. But sometimes, you've got to find a balance, you know? Quidditch is my way of unwinding, I suppose."
Abraxas chuckled. "Fair enough.”

They walked through the dimly lit corridors, and the sound of their footsteps echoed in the quietness of the castle, though the quietness decreased as they got closer to the Great Hall.
“Where were you two?” Orion asked when they sat down in their respective spots at the table.
“Just in the library,” Abraxas took some roast beef and put it on his plate. Harry ate some side dishes, as he still didn’t feel very hungry.
Orion chuckled, accepting the vague explanation. The conversation drifted to Quidditch, with Druella expressing his excitement about Harry making the Slytherin team.
"You'll be a great Seeker," Druella said, a genuine smile on his face. "We'll have to celebrate once the season starts."
Harry appreciated her optimism. "Absolutely. I'll do my best to make Slytherin proud."
As dinner continued, the atmosphere in the Great Hall buzzed with the energy of students discussing their day, plans for the week, and the upcoming Quidditch season.

Walburga started talking about how her parents proposed the idea of her marrying someone, and how she desperately disapproved of them picking her partner.
“They can’t make you, can they?” Harry said, his eyebrows drawing together, and his lips pursed.
“They can’t, but they can disown me.”
“Shit, that's horrible.”
“It's not that bad, I suppose. I guess I do trust my parents to find a reasonable bachelor, and anyway, it’s my responsibility to marry into another pureblood family to maintain our lineage. It's expected of me,” Walburga explained, a hint of resignation in her voice.
Harry frowned, finding it difficult to comprehend the pressure placed on individuals within pureblood families. The notion of arranged marriages and the expectation to preserve bloodlines weighed heavily on Walburga, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for her.
"I can't imagine having my future decided like that," Harry admitted. "I mean, I don't really have family to worry about, but the idea of being forced into something so significant just for the sake of blood purity... it's messed up."
Walburga glanced at Harry, a subtle appreciation in her eyes. "You're lucky, Peverell. You don't have to deal with these traditional burdens."
“Well, it wouldn’t be so nice to have no family.” Abraxas sighed.
“Yeah, I don’t think I would be able to deal with the fact that I had no living relatives.” Evander piped up.
“At least I can’t disappoint my parents. Or rather, they can’t express any disappointment.” Harry half-heartedly laughed.

"You really surprised us, Peverell. Didn't expect to see you zipping around on a broomstick," Lestrange admitted, changing the topic.
"Well, life's full of surprises, and I guess I've got a few tricks up my sleeve." Harry said with a playful grin.
“I thought you were going to fall off, honestly.” Tom said with a huff.
“You went?” Druella asked, staring at Tom in shock.
“I should show up to support my house.” Tom replied in a laid-back manner.
“In the six years we have attended Hogwarts, not once have you ever showed up to Quidditch tryouts.” Druella glanced towards Harry quickly before returning her attention to Tom.
“I have realised there is something interesting about the game, is all.” Tom said casually.