An Eclectic Catalogue of Ideas

Harry padded down the hallways, heading towards the Slytherin dorms. Another day was over, and he was really enjoying himself. Transfiguration was fun and Flora's suggestions helped him out a lot. Sure, Defense Against the Dark Arts could be better; the teacher absolutely reeked of garlic and he kept getting a headache in the class. But the book was interesting and he'd tried out a few of the spells in an empty classroom with Flora and Hestia. He'd gotten them down quickly. The girls even offered to teach him more spells that weren't in the books!

He still wanted to know what Astronomy had to do with magic, though. Perhaps he'd ask Flora and Hestia.

As Harry passed an intersection, he saw movement out of the corner of his eye, and a purple light streaked towards him. Instinctively, Harry tried to dodge out of the way but was hit, his arm shattering with a crack. Wincing, Harry staggered while trying to stay on his feet. Another purple streak came quickly on the heels of the first, and Harry dived to the side. I have to get out of sight, he thought. Scrambling to his feet, Harry ran towards the dorms. He said, "Serpentine!" breathlessly as he reached the door, and staggered into the Slytherin common room to lean against the wall, his broken arm feeling like it was on fire.

"Harry!" came a voice, and Harry looked up to see Flora approaching him, her sister behind her. "What happened?" There were a few mutters from the few who were in the common room at the time.

"I was on my way back here when someone attacked me. Some sort of purple spell. It hit my arm and I felt the bones break. Anyway, I dived out of the way of a second one, and ran." Harry paused, adding rather obviously, "So here I am. Was catching my breath. I think I might go see the nurse, though."

"Bone-Breaking Curse," was the response from Hestia. Her voice was deadpan with an almost cold delivery. Her hands were clenched so tightly her knuckles were white. "It breaks all of the bones near where it hits. It's usually lethal if it hits you in the head or near the heart." She added, "Did you see who it was that attacked you?"

Even as Flora touched his other arm, offering, "Let me help you to the hospital wing," Harry shook his head at Hestia.

"I didn't see anyone really. I just saw movement and the spell itself," Harry responded as he nodded at Flora gratefully, letting her slip his arm over her shoulders. "Then I was too busy running. I sure don't know enough about fighting yet to try to duel someone."

"Smart," Hestia stated. "The Bone-Breaking Curse isn't taught at Hogwarts, but it's about the equivalent of a fourth or fifth-year spell. Better to get away until you know more." She turned to follow them as Flora led Harry out of the common room.

They quickly made their way to the hospital wing, Flora calling out when they arrived, "Madam Pomfrey? Are you here?"

Coming out of her office, the older woman said briskly, "I'm here, dear, what--oh my. What happened?" she asked as she approached them, waving her wand at Harry and frowning. "His radius and ulna are both broken in multiple places, and there's some splintering of his humerus near his elbow."

"Someone attacked him," Hestia said, still in that overly calm tone. Flora looked at her sister in concern. "It was the Bone-Breaker Curse. It clipped him once, and he dodged the second and ran."

"Oh, dear. That's dangerous, if it'd hit the wrong place, it could have killed him," the nurse said as she gestured, "Go sit on a bed, dear. With the damage near your elbow, I'm going to give you a small dose of Skele-Grow, just to be safe."

"Skele-Grow?" Harry asked. "What's that, other than the obvious?"

"It's a potion that causes accelerates bone growth and healing. It cures fractures as well as skeletal damage due to malnutrition when combined with supplements," Pomfrey answered him. She frowned, pausing in her examination, "I'll be adding those supplements and adding a bit more Skele-Grow; your bones are a little brittle."

"I'm not surprised," Harry said, his usual chipper tone lacking as he shrugged at the nurse. "What sort of supplements are you talking about?" He ignored Flora and Hestia's concerned looks.

"Just a potion. It provides additional nutrients and energy to help your bones grow. It should help other deficiencies due to malnutrition as well," Madam Pomfrey said to him with a smile. "If you excuse me, I need to send a message to Professor Snape."

"Message?" Harry wondered.

"She has to tell him that you were attacked," Flora told him.

Harry blinked in surprise. No one had actually seemed to care about him being bullied or attacked before. He knew intellectually that people should, but he wasn't used to it. "Oh."

"Oh?" Flora frowned, "What did you think was going to happen?"

Harry shrugged, "I was bullied a lot in muggle school; I'm used to it. No teacher ever actually seemed to care about it before. I'm just, well, surprised." This wasn't something he would have admitted before getting to know Flora or Hestia.

"That doesn't sound good. Do muggles usually let that happen?" Hestia asked.

"Not normally," Harry said with a sigh. He glanced over to make sure Madam Pomfrey couldn't hear, "My relatives are relatively well off, though not rich. They have a good reputation and Vernon knows a lot of people in the community. They don't like me and so they say I'm a delinquent. The teachers always assumed I was the one starting things." Remus had been the only one who actually cared. Harry didn't mention the time a nurse had tried to investigate and a few days later seemed to have forgotten him entirely.

Hestia was still frowning, even as the door opened and Professor Snape walked in. Madam Pomfrey returned with a small tray upon which three potions lay. "Mr Potter," Snape said, "Can you tell me what happened?"

"I was heading towards the dorms when I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. I saw this purple spell heading towards me and I tried to dodge," Harry began. "It managed to clip my arm and broke it. Hestia says it was a Bone-Breaking Curse." He nodded at the girl, "Anyway. I dived out of the way of another one and ran. I got to the common room and stopped to catch my breath. Flora and Hestia saw me and helped me come here."

"Did you see who cast the spell?" Snape asked.

"No, I'm afraid not," Harry admitted. "I just saw it right before it hit. They were probably hiding in a classroom; I did see movement near one of the doorways. I didn't want to go check; the only offensive magic I know is the Knockback Jinx, Stinging Jinx, and the Tickling Charm. Not really enough to duel someone who can break bones." He wrinkled his nose. "It was smarter to get to safety."

Snape looked like he'd bitten a lemon. Why was unclear. But he explained, "I'm afraid unless we can discover who attacked you, we won't be able to punish them. I will make inquiries."

Harry simply nodded; part of him doubted anything would come of it, but he'd give Snape the benefit of the doubt. "What should I do, sir?"

"You should listen to Madam Pomfrey. I need to speak to the Headmaster. Ladies, please escort him back to the dorms after she releases him." With a nod, Snape turned and left.

"Now, Mr Potter," said Madam Pomfrey. "Drink these. The first is the Skele-Gro. The second is a nutrient potion. The third will give you energy for the rest of the day, as you will be tired from the potions."

"You get tired from potions?" Harry asked curiously.

"Of course," Madam Pomfrey said. "Healing potions use your body's energy and magic with the magic of the potion as a catalyst. It's why we have to be careful giving potions to muggles; there's a far larger fatiguing effect as they lack magic and it can harm them if you're not careful."

"That's interesting!" Harry said, considering, "Is there any sort of reference for how much energy each potion uses?" With this, he gulped down the potions in turn, making a face after each one. The potions tasted terrible.

"Not in those terms, no," Madam Pomfrey says as she watches him drink the potions. "We do know which potions are more draining. We have to know for our patients, but it's more an art."

"Hrm." Harry made a note to look into healing. It sounded fascinating. "Thank you, ma'am." He considered, "Can I go back to the dorms?"

"You should stay for an hour or so. Rest. Then, your classmates can help you back to your dorm," Madam Pomfrey said, nodding at Flora and Hestia. "Just be careful, you don't want to overexert yourself."

"We'll make sure he's all right," Flora said even as Hestia nodded at her words.

With that, the nurse gave Harry a considering look and made her way back to her office.

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Hestia looked over at Harry while he lay on the bed, dozing. She gestured to her sister, moving a few steps away and gestured with her wand, murmuring a few privacy spells. "He could have been killed, Flora."

"I know, Hestia. I'm upset, too. The question is, was he simply supposed to be hurt or was he supposed to die?" Flora said after a moment. "It could simply be some idiot lashing out because The-Boy-Who-Lived is a Slytherin: either one of us or another house. Or it could be someone actually wanting him dead."

"It doesn't matter to me which it was. It only matters that he was hurt. He's become a friend and you know I don't have very many. Just you and Gemma, really. Avery too, before she graduated. It wasn't what I expected when I agreed to help you. I don't like the idea of someone hurting him. I'm going to take steps if I find out who did it." Hestia's voice was icy, her deadpan tone harsher than usual.

The way her sister phrased her words had Flora frowning, "Hestia, be careful. Remember the cardinal rule." She smirked, "Don't get caught."

"Oh, don't worry, Flora. You know me. I'm always careful. And when I find out who tried to hurt him, I will destroy them."

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"Headmaster, we have to talk," Snape murmured as he entered the man's office.

"Ah, Severus. What do you need?" The man looked up from the pile of papers he had scattered about his desk.

"It's Potter. He was attacked in the halls," Snape said with a frown.

"Oh?" Putting his quill down, Dumbledore asked in concern, "What happened, is he all right?"

"Yes. He was hit by one spell and avoided another and ran." Pausing, Snape added, "It wasn't just a prank or normal bullying. They were Bone-Breakers."

Dumbledore shook his head, "I was afraid of this," he said with a sigh. "It's to be expected with him being sorted into Slytherin. I had feared that some of the students would be upset to have him there. It might be wise to call for a re-sorting." He hadn't been happy that the boy ended up in Slytherin, anyway.

"We can't be sure it was a Slytherin. It could be someone from another house upset that he was sorted into Slytherin. Also, I don't think he'd agree to one," Snape said with a shrug. "He's getting along well with most of his fellow Slytherins. Even Draco Malfoy, which admittedly surprised me. I heard from one of the Prefects that Marcus Flint threatened him at one point, but that's been it so far."

Dumbledore frowned, "Is he friends with anyone outside of Slytherin?"

"He and Ronald Weasley seem to be friends, if not close ones. Also Neville Longbottom, Hermione Granger, and some Ravenclaws I hear," Snape said with a shrug. "I know he's talked to a few Hufflepuffs, but he doesn't share classes with them this year, so friendships are difficult."

"Hmm. I'm glad he's not alone," Dumbledore said after a moment. "It's surprising that he is making friends in Slytherin. I'd expect more to be against his presence."

"Oh, I'm sure there are some," Snape said with a frown, "But regardless of anything else, the Potters are considered to be an important family, and that helps. His advisers are doing a fine job teaching him."

"Advisers?" asked Dumbledore.

"As you're aware, Slytherin assigns each first-year to a student adviser to help them settle in," Snape said. "His adviser is Flora Carrow. She's always with her sister Hestia, who seems to be helping the boy as well."

"Ah, that's a surprise. From teacher reports, Hestia Carrow keeps mostly to herself and her sister," Dumbledore said with a blink.

"Well, her sister is his adviser, so she can't avoid him. And from what I heard from the Prefects, she seems to have taken a liking to Potter. She and her sister were the ones who helped him to the hospital wing," Snape explained.

"I'm glad he's having someone look out for him," Dumbledore said. "You seem to have mellowed on young Harry."

"He's got a lot of his mother in him," is all Snape said. He still didn't like the boy, but he could see him for who he was. "What are we going to do? I spoke to portraits in the area. They said they saw a disillusioned person running past not long after Harry did, but couldn't say if he went towards the Slytherin dorms or up the stairs."

"I'll speak to the house-elves, and see if they saw anything," Dumbledore answered.

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"Remus,

I'm doing well at Hogwarts. I wanted to wait a little while to write to you. I was sorted into Slytherin -- I hope you don't mind that. It seems pretty interesting so far! There are one or two prats, but I'm doing okay. I got two guys who were fighting on the train to talk to each other. I'm trying to avoid making enemies. One of them was a major prat, but I think he can learn.

Harry looked at what he'd written, and continued to write, telling Remus about his first week at school. Biting his lip, he leaned back in his seat, considering. He'd have been a lot more confused if not for the man. He'd showed up one morning while Harry was weeding Petunia's garden when he was six, and they just talked. Harry had found it strange to have someone act nice to him.

It'd shocked Harry when Remus talked about magic and proved its existence to him.

While Remus couldn't gain custody of him due to his status as a werewolf, he could help talk to Harry, encourage him in school, and in other ways act as a father figure. He could also ensure he was treated better; he didn't even have to reveal his magical status. Remus simply made subtle comments that led to them treating Harry a little better, if only to ensure they didn't get in trouble with the police.

They still hated him, though.

Harry continued to write his letter, and after a page and a half, ended it with, a simple 'Harry'. Sealing the papers in an envelope, he stuck it in his robe pocket, rising. He had more than enough time to get to the owlery before curfew.

"What's up, Harry? And how's the arm?"

Glancing to the side as he heard a voice, Harry nodded, "Hey, Daphne. It's okay. A little stiff, but Madam Pomfrey warned me it would be." He shrugged his shoulders. "How're you?"

"I'm good!" Daphne said. "I was finishing up my Potions homework, did you finish?"

"Yeah, the question was pretty simple," Harry told her. "It's interesting how much Herbology is useful with Potions."

"True, that's why I like it. My family's been into herbology and potions for generations." As she spoke, Daphne considered, "I was thinking of starting a study group. Just a few friends, not just Slytherins. I have a few friends in the other Houses. Are you interested?"

"Sure." Harry agreed, "Especially if I can invite Flora and Hestia, they help me a lot with studying. And it's always good to meet other people."

"Great!" Daphne said, smiling at him, "I'll go see if I can find one or two people in the library then," she said as she turned, heading out of the common room.

Watching her go, Harry turned and headed towards one of the couches, "Hey, Flora, you told me to tell you if I'm going anywhere. I want to send a letter. Where's Hestia, by the way?"

Flora smiled, "She's a bit busy right now. Sure, I can go with you." She hopped to her feet, "Let's go. Sending a letter to your family?"

"Friend of the family anyway. Kind of like an uncle, he knew my parents," Harry told her with a shrug. "He was a Gryffindor. I'm kind of curious what his response will be to my being sorted into Slytherin."

"You don't think he'll be upset with you, do you?" asked Flora in concern.

"Oh, probably not. Remus is a good guy. I learned a lot from him," he said. "I'd be clinging to you and Hestia even more otherwise," Harry admitted.

"He didn't teach you any magic?" asked Flora curiously as they found themselves in the owlery.

"I lived in a muggle neighbourhood, so he couldn't," Harry answered. "Remus was always big on learning muggle topics first. Said that I'd have time to learn magic when I got here, plus he always said it was dangerous before my magic stabilized. He mostly taught me basic stuff about the wizarding world and got me some history books and wizarding fiction books. Most of the time, he helped me with muggle classes. He wanted to make sure I did well in school."

"I suppose that makes sense," agreed Flora.

Harry smiled as Hedwig flew towards him and landed in front of him. "Take this to Remus, okay, Hedwig? He'll probably want you to stay so he can send a letter back." Once he finished attaching the letter, the owl flew off and Harry glanced at Flora. "Thanks for coming with me."

"It's no problem. I had to make sure you'd be okay. Don't want someone tossing another Bone-Breaker at you!" Flora said brightly.

Harry looked amused, "No, we can't have that. Is there a way to block that spell?"

"The basic Shield will do so. It's usually taught in the fourth year, though. You might not be able to cast it yet, but we can always try if you like?" Flora offered.

"Basic? There are more?" Harry asked.

"A few, yeah," Flora said, "The Greater Shield spell is better. It blocks everything except the Unforgivables, really, and can be used to reflect a spell back at the caster. But that isn't learned until NEWT classes. I don't think I could cast that yet."

"I'd appreciate that," Harry said to Flora, as they made their way back down to the Slytherin common room. Entering, Harry ran his fingers through his hair. "By the way, Daphne invited me to a study group. She said I could invite you and Hestia, do you want to come? I know you're a year ahead, but..."

"I can do that. I'm sure Hestia would be willing too," Flora said easily. "You can do your homework with the others and we can do ours and answer questions if you have any."

"Great, thanks!" Harry beamed at the older girl, as he turned to make his way towards his dorm room.

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The next morning, a Ravenclaw second-year found Marcus Flint lying in the entry hall unconscious. Every bone in the Slytherin's arms and legs was shattered, his limbs horribly twisted.

She screamed.