Chapter Text
The stone barrier to platform nine and three quarters gave way and Harry found himself falling through to the familiar bustling platform. Ron and Hermione had already headed off towards the prefects carriage, and the twins had run off as soon as they spotted Lee Jordan. Having no desire to stay and listen to Mrs Weasley lecture Ginny about focusing on her schoolwork and not whichever boy she had been trying to write to all summer, he waved a vague goodbye and climbed into the nearest carriage.
The loud bustle of the platform muted down to a background whisper as he made his way further down the train corridor. Many of the compartments were already occupied and Harry slowly dragged his trunk along until he found an empty compartment towards the rear of the train. Pushing the large trunk up onto the rack he settled into the corner seat pulling out a random book from his satchel. As the whistle blew and the gentle rocking of the train in motion began, Harry let out a quiet sigh. The ever looming sorting was starting to play on his nerves and regardless of Remus and Sirius's reassurances, he couldn’t help but worry.
A quiet knock on the door pulled Harry from an interesting chapter on copper versus pewter cauldrons for healing potions. Looking up he saw Neville standing awkwardly by the door, his trunk at his feet.
“Uh, do you mind? I got kicked out of Lavender and Parvati's compartment when they started Divination practice and everywhere else is full.” He said sheepishly
“Not at all,” Harry grinned, moving to help his fellow Gryffindor place his trunk up on the rack. “Why wouldn’t you be welcome here.”
“I didn’t want to assume.” Neville shrugged. “Everyone knows that you only really talk to Hermione and Ron. I know we exchanged a few letters over the summer, but I didn’t want to suppose it meant anything would change once we were back at school.”
“Why would I only talk to you through letters and not at school.” Harry was affronted, alright he had been worrying the same thing about Draco. But this was different. Neville had been his dorm mate for the past four years.
“Well it is not unheard of for people to only allow correspondence through letters. Ron and Hermione have always said you preferred your privacy as you didn’t know who you could trust to actually be your friend. It was not too much of a stretch to think you would only want to talk through letters.”
“Is that why people don’t really talk to me?” Harry asked, a sinking feeling in his stomach.
“You didn’t know? I would have said something if I had known, why else would you let them get away with saying so much on your behalf.”
“Hang on, what do they say? I don’t tell them to tell people anything.” Harry felt his chest constrict.
“Don’t worry, it’s nothing bad. It is just things like Fae wanted to ask you to join the Charms club last year, and Hermione said not to bother as you thought clubs were a waste of time and took away from schoolwork.”
“There are clubs? I didn’t know there was anything aside from quidditch. A Charms club sounds kind of fun actually” Harry asked, he knew Sirius had alluded to them over the summer, but he was still unsure as to whether they really existed anymore
“Do you not look at the notice board?” Neville said with a grin. “There are all kinds of things going on. You never seemed to notice though, just sticking with Ron and Hermione.”
“Yeah, I dunno. I’ve been told I can be a bit unobservant.” Harry said with a grin. “I am trying to change that though, despite whatever you have heard.”
“So all of these opinions are probably just Ron and Hermione’s opinions.” Neville guessed with a frown. “Why do you let them speak for you like that?”
“To be honest until this summer I hadn’t really. I am not too good with social things and Ron and Hermione were my first friends, I guess I just didn’t notice how they treated everyone else, or that they were telling people things on my behalf.”
“Well it isn’t that surprising from Ron,” Neville admitted quietly, “Ever since first year he has been playing up being the best and only real friend of the boy-who lived.” Harry winced at the moniker, although he wasn’t surprised at what Neville said. Ron had shown his tendencies to be covetous of Harry’s fame on several occasions, especially last year with the whole Triwizard debacle.
The door rattled open revealing a lithe girl with dirty blonde hair, Harry looked questioningly at Neville but relaxed when he saw his friend smiling at the newcomer.
“The Wrackspurts are positively fleeing away from this compartment. What on earth are you both talking about.” The girl said as she settled herself into the seat next to Neville. Harry raised an eyebrow at the casual yet confident way she had joined them.
“Hi Luna, Harry and I were just clearing the air, so to speak. He didn’t know what Ron and Hermione had been doing, so I was filling him in.”
“Ah, it is good to have a fresh perspective.” Luna said with a smile, she held her arm out, “Harry Potter, I am Luna Lovegood, although some people call me Loony. I know we shall be great friends.”
Harry clasped her forearm, giving a slight bow as he did so. Even though the strange girl hadn’t given a traditional wixen greeting, he knew Sirius would drag him to Walburga’s portrait for a lecture on manners if he even thought of forgoing a proper introduction. Luna seemed satisfied and sat back, pulling a magazine from her satchel which she promptly spun upside down and began to read.
“You didn’t exaggerate in your letters, you have been learning a lot this summer,” Neville noted, an impressed look on his face. “Most of us had given up on you taking any interest in our culture.”
“Now I know there is such a culture I can say I am definitely interested. If I had known about all this sooner I would certainly have made more of an effort.” Harry sighed, “You don’t know how much of an idiot I felt this summer learning all the things I have been doing wrong these past four years.”
“Merlin, how can you have spent four years at Hogwarts and not know we have a culture.” Neville gasped. “I know you grew up with muggles, but surely you would have picked up something by now.”
“I didn’t speak to anyone except Ron and Hermione, both of whom think Wixen culture is Dark and Evil.” Harry pointed out dryly. “How did you expect me to learn anything. I was spending most of my first four years just trying to stay alive.”
“At least I get to rub it into Nott’s face. He was convinced that you were purposefully going out of your way to spite our culture.”
“Since when do you speak with Nott?” Harry asked, “He is that bookish Slytherin right?”
“I am surprised you even know who I am on about.” Neville laughed, “His father and my grandmother are old family friends, we have known each other pretty much since birth. Although I wouldn’t say we are close friends.”
“I am not completely antisocial.” Harry protested. Both Neville and Luna gave him a look, “Okay maybe I am, but I am not that bad, honest.”
“I know, and the fact you have realised it means this will be an interesting year.” Neville said with a grin.
The clatter of the compartment door opening interrupted Harry’s response. They looked up to see Ron and Hermione, both wearing slight frowns on their faces.
“Harry mate, there you are. We have been looking for you for ages.” Ron said, flopping onto the seat next to Harry. “Why are you hiding back here? Ginny has a compartment with the twins up in the second carriage.”
“I found an empty compartment and then Neville found me. I assumed you guys would figure it out once you had finished with your prefect duties.”
“Well you can come back with us now.” Ron said, moving to stand and leave.
“This is a quiet compartment, I can see the others when we get there. It would be rude to abandon Neville and Luna just because you found somewhere else.”
“Whatever mate. I still don’t understand why you want to hang around here though.” Ron grumbled, but he made no further move to leave. Harry just rolled his eyes and turned back to his book. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Neville rummage in his satchel and pull out a bobbly looking cactus which he proceeded to absently stroke as he looked out the window.
“You don’t honestly believe any of the rubbish they print in that thing.” Hermione asked scowling at Luna’s magazine, as she took a seat next to Ron. “I can’t believe they get away with half of what they print in there.”
“Not everything is printed in those books you value.” Luna said with an eyebrow raise. The effect combined with the mutlicoloured glasses she had donned was more amusing than anything, but Harry kept his mouth shut, especially with the glare that Neville was currently giving Hermione.
“No, but I doubt that a conspiracy rag like the Quibbler says anything even remotely true.” Hermione sniffed, still looking like she wanted to snatch the magazine and burn it right there.
“Neville, you were telling me about Charms club.” Harry spoke up determined to avoid the argument he could sense brewing.
“Oh, yes,” Neville gratefully took the conversation change. “Fae has been trying to get me to join, but charms aren’t really my thing…”
“You really shouldn’t bother with clubs Harry.” Hermione said reproachfully. “You barely keep up with your classwork as it it. I don’t think you or Ron should get more distracted than you already are.”
“Hey, I study plenty.” Ron protested, although he flushed quite heavily at the look everyone sent him.
“You do the bare minimum.” Hermione pointed out stiffly, “It is OWLs year. You cannot be slacking if you want to get good grades.”
Harry rolled his eyes at Neville as Ron and Hermione fell into their usual argument about schoolwork. Neville grinned back reaching into his bag again and pulling out a quill. With a wink he took aim and jabbed at his bobbly cactus.
The effect was instantaneous, with a squelching sound the cactus erupted, spraying smelly gunk over everyone in the compartment. Ron squealed jumping from his seat as he received a face full of the stinking sap.
“Honestly, you are both fifth years now.” Hermione said reproachfully as Harry and Neville howled with laughter accompanied by the tinkling giggles of Luna, “You should be above this sort of behaviour.”
“Mate, this isn’t funny.” Ron complained. Harry pulled on all his occlumency training to straighten his face, just allowing a small smirk to break through. It did little to mollify Ron, who only seemed more annoyed that Harry would smirk at him in such a way. With a huff Ron stormed out the compartment his face bright red.
A chime rang through the carriage announcing their approach to Hogsmeade station. Harry cleaned himself from the last of the sap with a quick scourigrify and reached up to grab his school robes from his trunk.
Now they had arrived, he could feel his nerves building again. Where would he be sorted? Will his friends still want to speak to him if he was no longer in Gryffindor? Glancing across to Neville, Harry caught the smile that his dorm mate sent his way and relaxed slightly. If this train journey had proven anything, it was that there was more to Hogwarts than his limited experience this past four years. Both Neville and Luna seemed to be willing to be friends whatever happened.
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As the last first year, a Millicent Whitworth, was sorted to Hufflepuff, Harry started to move from his place at the doors to the great hall expecting his name to be called next. To his surprise, Professor McGonagall had already picked up the stool and was carrying it to the side of the raised dais.
“Professor, I think there has been a mistake. You have not yet sorted me” Harry said, his voice echoing in the silence.
“And why would you be sorted, my boy?” Dumbledore asked cheerily from his seat at the head table. “You are a fifth year are you not? Your place is in Gryffindor as it has been for the past four years.”
“That may be sir, however as I was temporally released from the school over the summer” Harry stated “I need to be resorted to be officially accepted back into the school and my house.”
“Oh! that is merely a formality. I am sure you don’t want to bother with all that.” Dumbledore said “Your uniform still shows your house loyalty, that is all that matters”
Harry felt his face flush as whispers and snickers echoed round the hall. He turned and stiffly walked to the far end of the Gryffindor table keeping his head down as he took his seat. He tuned out the headmaster's speech, and was slightly aware of the new defence Professor talking, but was too mortified to care. He had been publicly told he was not fully accepted back into the school, that his place in Gryffindor was merely a formality, instead of the magically sacred acceptance into one of the four families that were the schools houses. Any other year he wouldn’t have cared, but Sirius had explained the importance of such a bond, and sitting in the Great Hall surrounded by all the other students, Harry could feel the rift between them, marking him as different, not part of the magic that was Hogwarts.
Throughout dinner he kept his head down, and as soon as the prefects stood to guide the first years to the common rooms, Harry slipped out the great hall, making his way to the Gryffindor tower seeing no other choice for the time being. As he reached the portrait he faltered, realising he did not yet have the password. Harry sighed to himself, leaning against the opposite wall to wait for someone to either tell him the password or let him in.
Fortunately he only had to wait five minutes before Neville appeared, smiling broadly at Harry.
“Need the password?” He asked happily. Harry nodded wondering what had put his friend in such a good mood.
“Mimbulus mimbletonia,” He said proudly to the Fat Lady, “There is no way I will forget it this term!”
Harry laughed at his friends happiness, following him into the familiar warmth of the common room. Claiming tiredness, he made his way straight up to the dorm, coming to a halt as he realised that instead of the usual five beds there were only four. He checked the foot of each of them, and found that his trunk was also missing from the room. He turned to leave, bumping into Neville who had just entered the dorm behind him.
“Why are there only four beds?” Neville asked looking confused.
“I haven’t been resorted remember.” Harry replied bitterly. “Turns out the castle actually takes note of these things. I am no longer a Gryffindor so I do not get a bed.”
“Does Professor McGonagall know? Surely she can help.” Neville said anxiously.
“I will go ask her now.” Harry sighed, wishing that for once his life could be simple and he could just curl up in his bed as he longed to do after the long stressful day.”
“Let me know if you can’t get resorted, I will owl my Gran. She is on the school board so should be able to help you.”
“Nev.. I…” Harry smiled at his friend, “Thank you for your help.”
“It’s nothing,” Neville smiled, “you were always the nicest in this dorm, even when Ron was putting words in your mouth.”
“Urgh, I don’t think I want to know.” Harry groaned, dreading to think what Ron could have said in his name behind his back. No wonder people were so quick to turn on him in previous years if those were the opinions they thought he held. Heading back down the staircase he ignored the small gaggle of first years that surrounded the prefects, starting the walk back out the portrait hole and down towards McGonagall’s office.
The halls were quiet, with students happy to stay in their common rooms to unpack and catch up with their friends. Knocking on his old head of house’s door, Harry opened the door to see his head of house sat behind a large pile of paperwork.
“Ah, Mr Potter, what can I do for you?” She asked barely glancing up from the parchment in front of her.
“Well uh, I don’t have a bed and I was wondering if you could help me.”
“Oh don’t tell me the twins are playing pranks already. I do not have time for this.” She grumbled, her lips pinching together in disapproval.
“No, I don’t think it is the twins. I think it is to do with me not being sorted back into Gryffindor after I was expelled over the summer.”
“Albus said that it shouldn’t be an issue, he said it got sorted over the summer.” McGonagall sighed, “Only you Potter could manage to make the castle forget what house you are in. I have the first year files to sort, but once I am done I will come up to the common room and get you sorted. I take it you will be fine in the common room for a few hours.”
“Yes ma’am,” Harry said, relieved that the issue would be sorted sooner rather than later. Nodding to his head of house, he turned and made his way back to the common room. He was grateful to see Neville tucked away in a corner near the fireplace reading, occasionally petting his Mimbulus mimbletonia that was balanced on the arm of the chair.
“Hey Nev.” He smiled flopping onto the adjacent armchair, before remembering his grandmothers lessons and straightening his posture. Neville gave him a knowing grin over the top of his book.
“Hey Harry, you manage to get everything sorted.”
“Not yet. McGonagall said she would come up and sort things once she had finished with some first year things.”
“Hopefully you will get a bed soon then.” Neville smiled, putting his book away into his satchel and pulling out a deck of cards. “How about a game of Banshee’s Call while you wait?”
“Banshee’s what?”
“Banshee’s Call. It’s a card game, very popular in the pureblood circles. I am surprised you were not taught over the summer. Your guardian seemed to have taught you most everything else.”
“I had nearly ten years worth of wixen lessons over a single month of summer, it is not surprising something was forgotten.” Harry shifted in his chair, pulling the nearby tea table to sit between them. “I am willing to learn if you would like to play a hand.”
The game was not complex, and seemed to be more about bluffing your opponents than any particular skill. Once they had played a few hands and Harry was used to the rules, they relaxed a bit, watching the goings on in the common room, with Neville occasionally pointing out some tit bits of gossips that Harry had not been aware of before. He was just updating Harry on the current dispute between the gobstones club and the school choir, when Ron and Hermione appeared, settling down on the sofa.
“Bloody hell, I thought they would never shut up.” Ron groaned
“Ron! They are first years, of course they have questions.” Hermione snapped, her hair looking slightly frizzy. Harry knew it was from where she had been running her hand through the curls.
“Did you manage to get them settled in alright?” Neville asked, shuffling the deck of cards back together.
“Yeah. Don’t see why we had to spend an hour answering their questions though.” Ron groaned pulling a chocolate frog from his pocket and tearing it open, “Who cares if we have to wear our uniform to dinner, we showed them their rooms that should be enough.” He bit the head off the frog with a bit more violence than usual, making Hermione wince.
“Well I don’t know about you Ron, but I take my position as prefect seriously. We should be proud of the honour we have been given.”
“Yeah you won’t be saying that when they interrupt your study time in a few weeks cause one of them misses their mummy.” Ron sniggered, tossing the frog card in Harry’s direction. Giving it a glance, Harry saw that it was yet another Agrippa, and tossed it straight into the fireplace behind him.
“Well, if you took your studies seriously you would have the same thoughts.” Hermione snapped, “But I can both take my duties seriously and adjust my studies accordingly. I doubt I can say the same for you.” With that she stood and stomped up into the girls dormitory, Harry and Neville raised their eyebrows at Ron who shrugged.
“What? She’s been getting really bossy all day. We didn’t need to do half the stuff that we did. The firsties can figure it out on their own easy enough.”
“Did you tell her that?” Neville asked with a sigh as he started to deal a new hand of cards
“Well, maybe I did sort of say something along those lines.”
“In front of the first years?” Harry asked, now understanding a bit more why Hermione had stormed off so quickly.
“Well yeah, but what’s the big deal?” Ron protested
“Well this whole prefect thing is important to her so she wants to do a good job.” Harry pointed out picking his cards up and trying not to grimace at the terrible hand.
“You probably upset her that you don’t take it seriously.” Neville added, “Being a prefect is an honour, you shouldn’t take it lightly.”
“Whatever,” Ron huffed, “She’ll get over it by tomorrow. I’m gonna head to bed, you coming mate?”
Harry shook his head, indicating the hand of cards he held. Ron shrugged, and walked off to the staircase, clearly too tired to try and push the issue one way or another.
“That was enlightening.” Neville said with a grin, once the red head had disappeared.
“For you maybe,” Harry sighed, “I had to live with that all summer.”
“Ah well, at least it will give some entertainment to the year.” Neville laughed, ducking as Harry threw one of his cards at him.
The chime for curfew rang through the common room, and Harry sighed handing back the rest of his cards to Neville.
“Do you reckon McGonagall is coming?” He asked with a frown towards the portrait which remained stubbornly closed.
“I think she would have been by now if she was going to.” Neville said with an apologetic smile. “I know you don’t officially have a house, but you would still get in trouble being out after curfew. It might be best if you find somewhere to bunk in the tower. I guess you wouldn’t want to try and share in the fifth year dorm?”
“I could, but I don’t want to put you in an awkward position.” He admitted, “It might be best if I find somewhere else to sleep that won’t start a gossip mill running.”
“Did we hear correctly?” Fred appeared at Neville’s shoulder causing the timid boy to jump.
“You require a place to sleep?” George said, from the left of Harry.
“You know we do have two beds.” Fred offered
“Yes, but there are two of you.” Harry pointed out.
“We have shared before”
“Are happy to do so again.”
“It will only be for a night or two.”
“Until you get your shiny new sorting.”
“And Lee won’t say a word.”
Harry glanced at Neville who was watching the exchange with wry amusement. Sighing he nodded at the twins who gave identical whoops and pulled Harry to his feet and towards the stairs. Looking back the last Harry saw of Neville was him failing to suppress a laugh at his predicament.