Harry Potter gets smart and takes control - The Goblet

Chapter 82: Slytherins being Slytherins

I enjoyed this chapter, I hope you do too.

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Harry and Bill chatted as they walked down from the shack into Hogsmeade. Harry had seemed to be in a cheerful mood until they left the shack. When they started running into people he started to withdraw and close in on himself. Bill was astonished by how many people stared, whispered and pointed at him. There were glares and dirty looks and Bill even deflected a hex back onto a very unfortunate 7th year.

Bill glared at all of them putting a protective arm around Harry and ushering him into The Three Broomsticks. But Harry thought he saw at least one copy of the Quibbler, and got a few speculative looks too.

They took Harry's favourite table by the back fireplace and had just say down to wait for the others, when Bill spotted Snape enter, along with a grim-looking Flitwick and a puzzled McGonagall who seemed to be arguing with Flitwick.

Bill raised a hand in greeting, but for a moment, Snape just looked at him, with perhaps a hint of surprise on his face. A touch of hurt sparked in Bill's chest as he wondered if Snape would acknowledge him at all. But then Snape's expression shifted, softening slightly. He nodded at Bill as he followed his colleagues to the main fireplace, the corner of his mouth twitching in an almost smile.

Flitwick took an irritable looking McGonagall firmly by the elbow and ushered her into the floo, and after a moment Snape followed.

"I didn't know Professor Snape spoke goblin," Harry murmured to Bill, watching the teachers curiously.

"How'd you get to that conclusion?" Bill asked.

"Lip-reading," Harry said as if it were obvious.

"I didn't know you could lip-read," Bill replied, still not answering his question.

"Just English and that wasn't English. But his mouth made the same shapes, Professor Flitwick's sometimes does, and Professor Flitwick speaks Goblin, so the shapes were a bit familiar. So I assumed he was speaking Goblin."

Bill sighed, "he doesn't speak Goblin, just bits and pieces. That was just a floo address, " Bill said, "now don't be nosey, butt out."

Harry bit back his protest. Bill was right. It wasn't his business, and the last few times Harry had been nosy he'd almost been killed by Quirrelmort, a basilisk and eaten by a werewolf.

But then again, Harry was used to needing to know everything so that he could make sure he didn't end up hurt or dead. He needed to be aware of everything and everyone and what they were doing so he could see the threats coming. Being nosy had kept him alive in. It was not a habit he was going to break.

But he held his tongue, he trusted Bill, besides he'd gotten a little information. The teachers had been going to a Goblin Floo. Maybe it was Gringotts. Why were they going to Gringotts?

Hekate help him! He hoped they weren't bringing another Philosophers Stone back to the school! Before he could consider asking, Hermione, Neville and the Twins arrived, and the matter was dropped as the twins almost bowled Bill over in a hug.

They were clearly ecstatic to see their older brother. Harry felt a little wistful that they had siblings they were so close to, that they felt so secure in their relationship with, that they could just dive bomb in a hug.

But then, Hermione was there. She sat next to him, casually leaning into his side, silently telling him he wasn't alone. He did have a family. Suddenly he didn't feel quite so lonely. He had family. They were his family. He didn't need to envy them.

Lunch with his friends was always fun. Bill shared a few of his more recent curse-breaking stories, sharing some fun finds in some of the objects he'd been de-cursing for Harry. One had been a trolls head that sang rude Christmas carols and bit people's noses.