Chapter 7
A month passed quickly much like the first week. Harry’s classes were still easy for him, and he was helping Neville at least once a week. He even managed to work on his next animagus form. He found it easier to avoid Ron with Angelina’s inner Oliver Wood making the quidditch practice schedule. Hermione was a bit harder because she kept wanting to join him in studying. In Defense, Umbridge still tried to bait him, but it was Ron who always took the bait and got the detention. She also continued tormenting the other teachers.
Malfoy mostly stopped taunting him after Harry ignored him the first few times. He instead focused on tormenting Ron and Hermione.
Most of the other students started treating him as they would normally, seeing that he wasn’t shouting Voldemort was back at every turn. It probably helped that word went around about how he knew nothing about magic until Hogwarts and didn’t even know he was an heir. Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil had even asked him if he could help them with the Muffliato charm.
The next day, after he succeeded in teaching Lavender and Parvati, Harry was sitting in the common room reading the personal journal by Melantha of Ancient Greece. It was filled with all different types of dark and black magic. He was reading a very interesting ritual on how to create your own magical creature. That is when Hermione approached him.
“Harry, I have come up with an idea.” She began loudly, she then paused looking at his book.
Harry arched an eyebrow. He knew she didn’t know ancient Greek.
“We are not learning how to protect ourselves. We’re not learning how to pass our OWLs. Yes, we do have last year's teacher’s books and notes but it's not enough. We need a teacher, someone who knows what they’re doing.” She proposed loud enough to get others' attention.
“Your point?” Harry questioned.
“Harry, we need you to teach us. You have always been the best in Defense and are top of our class.” She propositioned. “You are already teaching Neville and you taught Lavender and Parvati yesterday.”
Harry sighed. “Hermione, I helped friends who asked me. I’m not teaching. I’m not qualified.” Well, he technically was but she didn’t need to know that. “My answer is no.”
“Harry, we need you.” She argued.
“No, you don’t.”
She huffed. “Fine, I’ll do it myself.” She marched away, grumbling under her breath.
A week later word had gotten around about Hermione’s proposal, not like she was being quiet when announcing it to him, and how he turned her down which caused others to also turn her down. What did it say about her that her friend refused to join?
Most students however had seen Harry distance himself from Ron and Hermione. Many had been wondering what had happened to split the golden trio, but no answers were forthcoming.
--*--
Harry was racing through the Forbidden Forest in his Shadowmane form. He wasn’t worried about anything in the forest, as he was the apex predator. He used to run through the forest in his previous lives. The forest welcoming him as with every step released a bit of wild magic that was absorbed by the forest.
He ran the trails he had made as Harris, that he always followed in every life since. There was no distinct trail unless you knew where to look. A fork in a riverbed that must have dried out a hundred years ago but still recognizable; Four ancient trees that all wrap around each other; ectara. This was his territory and had been since 1208. So, he ran stopping every now and then claw marked a tree.
A few hours later Harry was happy with his circuits and ready to head back. As he was wandering back, he heard someone else in the forest. Someone that seemed to be running from something.
Harry quickly turned and headed in that direction. As he got to a clearing, he saw a Troll attacking someone. The person, a boy, was dodging the club the Troll kept swinging and sending spells towards it. However, Troll skin is thick and magical resistant, and the boy was starting to slow.
Harry charged forward and roared at the Troll.
The Troll turned towards Harry, who in this form, was eye level with him. While trolls are not very bright, they, like all creatures, can sense when they are in danger. The Troll turned and ran
Harry turned towards the boy.
The boy was staring at him in shock. Harry noticed it was a student, Theodore Nott.
Noticing he was now being watched by Harry, Nott raised his wand in a fighting stance.
Harry nodded his head towards Hogwarts before pointedly looking at Nott.
Nott looked confused.
Harry looked in the direction to Hogwarts before back at Nott.
“You want me to go back to Hogwarts?” Nott questioned.
Harry nodded.
Nott looked hesitant.
Harry huffed before he crouched on his stomach in front of him. It seemed like he would be taking him himself. If it was anyone else, he would probably just leave; however this Theodore Nott looked so much like Henrik’s brother, who was Nott’s ancestor.
“You want me to ride you?” a voice squeaked incredulous.
Harry just nodded again and waited.
He felt Nott tentatively climb onto his back.
Once Harry was sure he was on, he slowly got up and began walking back to Hogwarts.
“What are you?” He heard Nott murmur. “You look like a giant, aquatic lion.”
Harry just ignored Nott; it wasn’t like he could or would answer the boy.
Harry stopped just as he neared the edge of the forest. He crouched back down on his stomach, indicating to Nott that the ride was over.
Nott carefully climbed off.
Harry stood up and nodded at him.
“Thank you.” Nott inclined his head and made his way back to the castle.
Harry waited until Nott was out of sight before he turned invisible and transformed into his snake form. In that form he makes his way back to his dorm using the snake tunnels Salazar himself had created.
--*--
Harry kept his ears tuned to see if there were any rumours regarding an “aquatic lion”. Luckily, he heard nothing. It seemed Nott didn’t say anything and if he did, they were keeping it quiet. Harry appreciated that; he liked being able to run in the forest without worrying about being hunted.
Harry did keep a discreet eye on Nott. The boy was usually in the company of Blaise Zabini and seemed to be more on the quiet side. Harry briefly wondered why Nott was alone in the forbidden forest at night but pushed the thought aside; it was none of his business.
--*--
GOLDEN TRIO NO LONGER GOLDEN
By: Rita Skeeter
My dearest readers, it is with a heavy heart that I inform you that the so-called Golden Trio who consist of Harry Potter, Rod Weasel, and Hermione Ganger are no more. According to my sources, The-Boy-Who-Lived has been seen avoiding the other two and instead seems close with fellow Gryffindor Neville Longbottom. Is there going to be a Potter-Longbottom Alliance?
Sources say that Weasel and Ganger have been getting into trouble and disrespecting the professors at Hogwarts. They even had been given detention on the first day. Madame Umbridge unfortunately had to be the one to assign the detentions as the other teachers refused to do anything about their behaviour. The spread lies of You-Know-Who being back telling everyone while Mister Potter hasn’t said a word about it.
They have been seen badgering and insulting other students including Harry Potter. Ganger who is known to use love potions and used them on both Victor Krum and Harry Potter last year. It would seem she isn’t happy that Harry seems to be free of them. Was the potion the reason The-Boy-Who-Lived told lies?
While as per usual Weasel’s greed and jealousy has broken their friendship. He turns on his friends when they show their wealth and fame but seems to only want famous friends. Weasel was also seen threatening Harry Potter causing Mister Potter to quit the Gryffindor quidditch team which he has been apart of since his first year. Now sources say Weasel is on the team.
The two fame hungry friends are well suited for each other.
Harry Potter if you are reading this, we believe you can do better. You deserve true friends, not ones that make you lie.
Was the trio always fools gold? How long has Harry Potter been threatened by his fake friends? Chances of a Potter-Longbottom Alliance?
I, Rita Skeeter, will find those answers for you my dear readers.
Rita’s article caused a lot of public outrage. The implications that Harry was being controlled by Ron and Hermione caused a lot of hate mail towards them. The student body was already against them for constantly saying You-Know-Who was back, and knew Harry was no longer friends with them so not much changed.
--*--
Harry and Neville went to the first quidditch match of the year. Gryffindor vs Slytherin. Along the way they ran into Luna who was wearing a roaring Lion Hat she constructed. Harry invited her to join them to watch the game.
As the Gryffindor quidditch teams entered the Slytherins began to sing.
“Weasley cannot save a thing,
He cannot block a single ring,
That's why Slytherins all sing:
Weasley is our King.
Weasley was born in a bin,
He always lets the Quaffle in,
Weasley will make sure we win,
Weasley is our King.
Weasley is our King.” (-JK Rowling)
“It’s very catchy.” Luna smiles.
“It is.” Harry agreed.
The Gryffindor team lost. While the majority of the team played amazingly, Ron let every Quaffle in. It seemed like the Slytherins got it right. Draco even caught the snitch while Ginny wasn’t even close.
Unfortunately, Ron lost it in the common room.
“It's all your fault!” he hollered at Harry. His face red while he scowled. “If you didn’t quit, we would have won.”
“It is possible, but we could have also lost.” Harry shrugged, not too concerned.
“That’s all you can say!” he asked incredulously. “We lost because of you!”
“No!” Angelina spoke up from the other side of the common room. She marched up to Ron. “We lost and it has nothing to do with Harry.”
“It's cause Weasley let the Quaffle in every time.” Cormac McLaggen sneered. “I could have done much better.”
With those comments the rest of the house added their opinions, and most were blaming Ron. Some blamed Ginny and some blamed the others on the team.
“Quiet!” Angelina shouted. “It just means we need more practice.”
The team groaned at that.
“McLaggen, if you’re not all talk, I’ll see you at practice as well.” And with that everyone dispersed in their regular groups of friends.
Ron glared at Harry before leaving him alone.
--*--
Albus was not happy. Harry Potter was not acting how he should. Albus checked his wards that would allow him to see if anyone in the school was being possessed but nope. The wards even gained enough power that they would stop possession. The brat was just being difficult. He quit quidditch and is studying. He was staying out of trouble, not acting out. His marks had shot up and he received an O on everything except potions but that’s just because of Snape. He is also getting close with Longbottom and is barely with his pawns. He was being secretive and somehow found out he was an heir.
Albus had gone to Gringotts as soon as he could, after he knew Potter knew, but somehow the brat had him removed as magical guardian. Those filthy goblins refused to tell him anything about Potter's accounts. He checked his own and saw he last received payment in July. Albus had been paying his pawns and contacts from his own funds. He still had a lot to keep paying but he hated using what he considered his money.
He was also dealing with figuring out this new prophecy. He didn’t know who the first three lines were about. The next two lines could mean that during a storm, Tom could regain his sanity. Which would not be good. He has no idea about the last lines. He could even be wrong, and it has nothing to do with Tom.
On top of that Albus had to deal with Delores messing with his school. The Ministry and Prophet were still calling him senile but now were just attacking him, not Potter. He had also lost some of his dark artifacts. All the ones that were tied to the brat and any other student were destroyed.
Albus needed to know what happened to the brat over the summer, and he had an idea.