Chapter 7
Harry woke up to a shy hand lightly rocking his shoulder to wake him the morning after Harry's name had been called out of the goblet of fire. Harry opened his eyes slowly and looked up to the person leaning above him.
“Ron?” He asked sleepily and sat up to reach for his glasses. The hand on his shoulder paused before removing itself.
“No,” The voice said timidly, which Harry recognized immediately. As he slipped his glasses on the blurry image that had been Neville came into focus, he was still in his sleepwear and his hair was slightly messed up from sleep indicating he hadn’t been up long himself.
“Oh good morning Neville, I thought you were...” He trailed off.
“Yeah, I figured.” He answered looking down at his feet, seeming not to know what to do now, while Harry stood up and looked around the dorm just noticing it was empty.
“Where is everyone else?” Then he looked quickly at his clock to make sure he didn’t wake up too late. “Oh good I’m not going to be late for breakfast, but then why is everyone gone? Ron usually doesn’t leave until...” But stopped himself, the answer already forming in his sleep-addled mind.
“Well, I guess they just felt like getting up earlier today?” Neville nervously stuttered out.
“And I guess I just forgot to turn on my alarm last night when I could have sworn I had.” Harry bit out a little sadly and somewhat sarcastically.
“Ah ha,” The other boy laughed nervously. “Funny that.”
“And you just happened to notice that it was off when you never have before.” Things were coming together in Harry's mind, and it made him more sad than angry. The three other boys had woken up early to avoid him, then to make him late for class had turned off his alarm, but they had forgotten about Neville (which happened quite a lot) and the boy was trying to still make it seem like it was all just a coincidence.
“Yeah, lucky I guess.”
“Thanks, Neville,” Harry said, giving the light-haired boy a meaningful look to say he understood, to which he just nodded and left to get ready. Harry soon followed suit.
The two of them walked down to the great hall in silence, Harry feeling too depressed to talk at the moment. When they made it there it was obvious just by looking at the Gryffindor table that he wasn’t welcome to sit with anyone, including Ron. The only thing that made him feel a little better was that it seemed that Hermione wasn’t acting like that.
Neville looked torn apart about where he should sit, not wanting to seem to turn his back on Harry but also not wanting to become an outcast himself. Harry solved this problem for him by gesturing to him to sit with the other boys of their year. He looked hesitant but after the look Harry gave him moved down there with a nod of his head. (He later gains his courage and sits by Harry, also tells him that he believes Harry, later Harry asks him why he believed him and...)
Harry ate fast, wanting to avoid the looks he was getting, then headed to his first class getting there earlier than normal. Throughout the day he had to endure a long day of nasty looks and snide comments. Surprisingly Malfoy didn’t take part in any of those activities. He seemed to be keeping up the truce they had made over the summer, besides the condescending looks they had both been giving each other since school started they had left each other alone, which made Harry feel more glad than ever that they had come to terms- sort of.
(Author notes: I don’t remember the plot I had for this, or what I was going to write happened over the summer between Harry and Malfoy. I may take some of this and combine it with another story idea I have. I love Neville and I’d like to write about him and Harry getting a chance to become good friends.)
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Ever since that morning with the event of Lavender Brown going up to Dumbledore and handing him something, all of the Gryffindors were looking at him weirdly. Some with apprehension or guiltiness, but mostly glee. He had walked past groups of people whispering but when they saw him get close would either stop talking or disperse.
So by the time dinner came around he was feeling decidedly twitchy knowing something was going to happen. And something did. Everyone had been eating for a few minutes when both Mrs. McGonagall and Dumbledore walked in together, the former holding the sorting hat. She walked to the front of the table where first years would usually sit, while Dumbledore took his normal place at the table but didn’t sit down.
“Attention everyone,” He announced in the polite but firm tone he used, he was smiling but Harry just felt like something was off. Everyone almost immediately quieted and looked up at the headmaster. “It has come to my attention that the Gryffindor house had petitioned for a resorting for one of their members. While yes it is not common it is allowed.” Harry already knew where this was going but it was still such a huge hit when it was said out loud. “Harry Potter, will you please come up here for your resorting.” He asked as he gestured to the stool that appeared.
Harry looked down to the other side of the table to look at the redhead who he still considered his best friend even after everything. Ron refused to even look his way, his head was downcast and he just continued to eat even if a little slower. At that moment he felt something snap, he tried over and over to suppress his anger trying to let it go. It just came back up and out and he shot out of his seat slamming his fists against the table loud enough for everyone in the hall to hear.
“What the hell! You can not just kick me out of my house.” He yelled his face contorting in rage. At the Lavender stood up a proud and arrogant look on her face.
“Actually we can,” she said in her pompous tone, and at that moment she just raised levels on his hate list way above Malfoy. “Over half of the Gryffindor house petitioned to have you resorted, it’s in Hogwarts rules.” Harry turned the focus of his glare onto him and she practically shriveled underneath it and whimpered as she retreated back into her seat. After she sat he looked back to his housemates, well at least for now apparently.
“What have I ever done to any of you? Have I ever hurt a single person? Betrayed you? Or is this just some petty drama? Bullying? Where's your virtue? Nobility? How bout your goddamn courage?” He found himself looking at Ron, who still wouldn’t look at him but seemed to be shirking under the words as if knowing they were for him. “Not even fucking house loyalty.”
“Mr. Potter!” Mrs. McGonagall shouted at him seemingly just getting her wits together after the initial surprise of his outburst. “35 points for language and shouting.” He deflated under her glare but couldn’t help interjecting one more comment.
“Oh good, lose some points before I leave.” He added sarcastically. She narrowed her eyes as she just realized what she had done before adding in a softer voice.
“Potter, just because you are being sorted again doesn’t mean you won't end up back here.” Harry looked at her slightly surprised and would have had the decency to be embarrassed if he still wasn’t furious. After the huge release of his anger, it didn’t feel so pressing inside of himself anymore, so he put back on his blank mask, everything about him was not expressive besides his rigid posture and glare he put on to everyone in his house as he walked behind her up to stool.
When he sat down, the hat was placed down, and then everything changed.