Chapter Text
“There’s no way this is true” snickered a Ravenclaw first year as they passed by Harry, a look of disgust and amusement flashed by their face as a head of unruly brunette hair ran past the grand entrance of the Great Hall He ran across the marble floor in a rush, his legs screamed in agony as he steps echoed across the crowded hall, the newest copy of the Daily Prophet clutched in his hand as his eyesight began to blur with tears. “Potter? A Queer? I could’ve figured that out from a kilometer away” giggled a Hufflepuff third year as she glanced down the hall. More taunts and slurs volleyed across the dim hall as he ran into a group of students, their faces morphing from discernable faces of Ron and Hermione to silhouettes of people he considered friends, the Daily Prophet’s headline superimposed as a photo of a tormented Harry reflected back:
“GOLDEN BOY EXPOSED AS A QUEER”
“I-I thought I could trust you! I-I thought you were my… friends! Help me! Please! Please….Please…..
Little Whinging, Surrey, London
May 23rd
“Please…H-Help…Help!” Harry cried out before his eyes shot open. Harry hurriedly breathed in and out, the cold air prickling at his lungs as he took sharp breath after sharp breath. The frost of the air stinging his already sore throat as he held his knees close to his chest as he tried to stabilize his uneven breathing. After his breathing had finally settled, he opened his eyes to be met with his room illuminated by the faint moonlight outside, offering him some semblance of comfort as he grabbed for his glasses. Squinting, he looked around to see his surroundings. Instead of high windows and rows of other beds with boys looking at him in disdain, he was met with his desk and the comfort of silence permeating the room. His room. A staggered quiet sigh escaped him as he looked to his side to read the analog clock beside his bed.
“3:23 AM…” He read, it was Saturday Morning. He looked out the window as he wiped his eyes again. This was the third time this week he had woken up in a cold sweat from a nightmare. He was surprised he hadn’t woken up the Dursleys at all this time, let alone throughout his summer holiday thus far. He didn’t intend on jinxing himself, however. Getting up from his bed, he began to walk closer to his window, grabbing a chair from his desk and watching the moon glow from the midnight sky above as he sat at one of his other desks. He found that watching the moon offered him some comfort, especially on nights like this. Glancing behind him, the copy of the Daily Prophet continued to haunt him as it stayed folded on his other desk. Placed neatly next to Hedwig’s cage as he stared out the window, his eyes fixating towards the bits of London skyline peaking from Mrs.Figg’s roof. Staring into the lights, he felt his mind wander back to the headline. He shivered at the thought of the headline. It only felt like yesterday that his term had begun, and that maybe just maybe it would be normal. For once…
Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry
September 22nd
Harry eagerly sat with Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table as the other champions were announced from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, Fleur Delacoeur and Viktor Krum respectively standing to the full attention of the rowdy crowd as all of Hogwarts’ eyes flashed towards the Gryffindor table. “So, you planning on competing Potter?” asked Lee Jordan as he stood anxiously next to Ron, who’s hand grasped over his own as Hermione celebrated with Viktor.
Harry shook his head, “No I don’t think so…” He responded calmly as he took a sip out of his chalice of pumpkin juice, “I wanna take a break from being on the brink of death for once…” He chuckled as the goblet began to gurgle and sputter, whizzing neon blue sparks of magic in every direction as if it were a firework show, until it finally sputtered a slip of paper.
“And Hogwarts champion will be…” Dumbledore announced through the Great Hall, “will be Ronald Weasley!” Cheers erupted from the Gryffindor table as the other houses clapped in silent applause, their celebration cut short when the goblet erupted yet again, releasing yet another slip of paper. Dumbledore looked on in confusion as the paper seemed to fall like a feather from the sky, landing on Dumbledore’s hand as he read aloud, “And… Harry Potter.”
Harry could feel the oxygen in the room get sucked out from the air around him.
From that point onward, Harry became public enemy number one, even to people outside of his own house who didn’t care much for Harry or the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Most of the people outside of Gryffindor who were wearing “Weasley Rules, Potter Drools” and ‘Potter Sucks” buttons weren’t doing out of anger on Ron’s behalf, but more on the sense on getting a one-up on “The Boy Who Lived”.Even worse still, Ron and Hermione had completely left him alone, Ron because he believed that Harry purposefully put his name in there and was chosen as a replacement for Ron, and Hermione as she was dating Viktor and believed that Harry was not only cheating her boyfriend but her friend of a chance in the spotlight.
“Leave me alone Harry…” Hermione told Harry as he tried to come up to Hermione to speak to her two weeks later. “Don’t you think you’ve hogged the spotlight enough?” She spat.
A spotlight he didn’t ask for or want in the first place.
Harry swore he saw Hermione flinch after saying that but was only met with her heels clacking against the weathered marble floor and her dark brown bushel of hair walking away. Weeks had passed since the Golden Trio had begun to lose its luster and began to rust, but Harry was still trying to figure out how to at least salvage their friendship in any means necessary, and he thought he could at least try. Until the incident.
Harry finally came to and found that some more tears threatened to come down his cheeks.
Everything up to the “incident” as he liked to call it was all but blocked away from his mind as soon as the term ended. And he intended on keeping it that way.
Looking out the slowly frosting window, he saw a white dot get closer and closer. “Hedwig!” He exclaimed softly as he opened his bedroom window, to be greeted by the chilled air of the night and his pet owl landing on his windowsill, chirping happily. “Hi there girl, how was the flight?” Harry asked as the snowy owl climbed onto his shoulder and dropped a letter onto his hands addressed from “Snuffles” Sirius. He hurriedly opened the letter and began to read.
“Dear Harry,
Good News! I might be able to get you away from your horrid Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon for at least the Summer! Me and Moony recently cleaned up the dusty old place to be less gloomy and dusty then before, and even have a bedroom set up for you! Since Number 12 is being used for other business, we got to thinking (well I did, Moony only somewhat helped) and bought Number 11 next door to be our new home! Hope to hear from you soon! Maybe you can even invite Ron and Hermione over so you lot can hang out!
Much Love, Snuffles”
Harry smiled as he read the letter, his smile dropping suddenly as soon as it arrived.
Ron and Hermione.
He flinched upon reading their names, and it finally hit him that he hadn’t told Sirius nor Remus with what transpired over the last year. He read over the letter again and quietly sighed. He didn’t exactly want to tell everything through letter to Sirius and Remus, but he didn’t want to hide everything from the two men who he considered to be his family. “Looks like I’ve got some writing ahead me don’t I, Hedwig…” The owl trilled in response.