"No way you're leaving alone. Absolutely not."
Harrison tugged his arm away, "I'm can take care of myself. Find someone else to follow for the next few days."
"You don't see the way they look at you, they're all eying you like prey to be feasted upon."
"You've said that one already. And wait, before you say it - they won't kill me."
"And it's a pretty good point! Just because you're magically powerful, doesn't mean Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Nott couldn't gang up on you!"
"What are we? Eleven? Twelve at most? You think us shooting some sparks at each other is gonna hurt?"
"Crabbe and Goyle don't need their wands to kill you," Blaise said grimly
"Ha!" Harrison laughed, "Again? Really?"
"Come on, please Harrison."
"I haven't seen any of them except in classes for days, and I haven't spoken to them at all. I'm sure this has all blown over."
"Trust me, it hasn't. Malfoy can hold a hell of a grudge. Just let me go with you at least."
"Merlin's beard, I'm not Malfoy. I don't want my own personal bodyguard."
"You need one though."
"You're just being paranoid, Zabini. I'm not spending one more day cooped up in this room anymore."
---------------
A week or so later, Blaise made a sudden declaration. "I think Malfoy might have forgiven you. That, or he's actually plotting to murder you and just wants you to let your guard down."
"Oh really? Why?"
"Nott has started talking to you again. He wouldn't ever disobey Malfoy, he understands that his entire family relies on the 'generous' support of the Malfoy family."
"What do you mean?" Harrison asked, "Why?"
Blaise grinned, "The Malfoys and Notts are both death eater families, but their connection goes far beyond that. Both houses are ancient, they've been in the same alliance for hundreds of years, along with the Crabbes, Goyles, Parkinsons, and Greengrasses. Bones and Slughorn recently having withdrawn over the last few decades, and the Gaunts - well they've been extinct for a while now. But the Notts and Malfoys have always been especially close."
"What do pureblood hierarchies have to do with this?"
"Everything," Blaise responded, "After You-Know-Who fell, the Malfoys got away scot free. But Theodore's dad? He was caught red-handed performing raids during the war, the public couldn't stand for his release - no matter how much money Nott Sr. offered the ministry. But that's just surface level, the Ministry didn't simply refuse the bribes that Nott Sr. offered. They actually took the money, obviously they lied. Nott was put on trial and found guilty. Then they closed the Nott vaults, all of them - making them inaccessible by anyone - except for Nott. Sr., they couldn't exactly close the master of a house out of his own vaults. But he wasn't a problem, he was rotting away in Azkaban. This way, the Ministry hoped that if the vaults remained untouched and stagnant for fifty years - the accounts would be closed and the money would be turned over to them. This left the Notts dirt poor, they had no access to the majority of their money. They still had their properties and a small portion of funds stored in other places, but all their prestige and power? It would've been destroyed, the Notts would be forgotten in years. If not..." Blaise trailed off, allowing Harrison to finish the thought
"If not for their helpful friend, the Malfoy family," he said
"Exactly! The Malfoys kept them afloat; young Theo Jr. and his grandparents lived comfortably, but only on the whims of Lucius Malfoy."
"That's...interesting," Harrison mused, "Anyways, that thing you said abou–"
"Heard my name, what's up?" Theodore slid into the spot across from Harrison
"Oh nothing," Blaise said casually, "Just talking about how you and Malfoy–agh!" Harrison kicked Blaise harshly in the shin
"Me and Malfoy, what...?"
"...how you and Malfoy are invited to the Potter Yule Gala, this year," Harrison made up quickly
"Really?" Theodore said skeptically, "The Lord and Lady Potter said that?"
"Erm...yeeessss..." he said slowly
"Hmph, you need to get better at lying," Theodore said, but dropped the matter, "Anyway, Draco's busy bothering Potter; other Potter, " he clarified, "and Crabbe and Goyle aren't much of a conversation, so what are you two up to?"
"Stuff," Blaise said vaguely
"Like what? I'm bored, I don't mind whatever you two talk about. Just talk, I want to listen."
"Stuff like making sure your crew isn't trying to kill us while we sleep."
Theodore chuckled, "Alright. Don't tell me."
"No, I'm being serious, Nott," Blaise leaned towards him, "What are you and Malfoy planning?"
"Honestly, you've made up this entire thing where we all hate each other - the both of you aren't as important as you think."
"So what is important to you?"
"What is this? An interrogation?" Theodore joked, "I dunno, mate. Exams?"
Harrison grinned, "So...just to be clear, you do not want to kill me?"
Theodore raised an eyebrow, "No," he said clearly and slowly as if speaking to a child, "I'm eleven, I doubt I could if I tried."
"That's great. I know that of course, just making sure Zabini caught that." Harrison leaned back in his seat, casting a look at Blaise that said 'I told you so'. "Did you hear that Zabini? They DON'T want to kill me. Got it?"
Blaise rolled his eyes, "Yes, Potter."
Harrison's lips quirked up into a smirk, "You're welcome, Zabini. Oh!" A great horned owl swooped in front of them, scattering their plates aside.
"Did you order something?" Blaise asked as the owl nibbled at Harrison's hand
"No," Harrison's eyes widened slightly, "This...she's my family owl; Dorothea. But I wasn't expecting letters. I haven't gotten any since term started." Dora (which was the owl's nickname at home) blinked at him with her large brown eyes, and held out her leg to which a letter was attached to.
"Well, you'll have to take it - or she'll never leave you alone," Theodore said
"I guess, yeah," Harrison said. He untied the parchment from the owl's leg and sent her along.
"Do you think it's a trap?" Blaise wondered, while Harrison stared down at the clear Potter Crest on the back of the envelope.
"Are you always so paranoid, Zabini?" Theodore said, "It doesn't matter - we have our first flying lessons next and I don't want to be late." He stood, "Harrison, stop looking at the letter - just leave it, who cares? The Potters haven't written you at all, you honestly think the contents of that letter are good?"
No matter what Nott insinuated, all Harrison wanted to do was run back up to the common room - hide behind his curtains and read the letter. It would likely have some awkward apology for not writing and would ask something about how he was doing and how the people in Slytherin were treating him. And Harrison would've responded that he was doing okay, and had made a couple acquaintances that weren't so bad, that he was doing well in class, and that he missed them. He wanted so badly to write those words, to tell them something, anything.
But when he looked up Nott was looking at him with eyes narrowed. Theodore wanted something from him, he expected Harrison to make a choice, and it certainly wasn't the choice Harrison was fantasizing making in his head moments ago.
"I don't care," Harrison sneered, he dropped the envelope on the table, pulling out his wand he said, "Ignitus." A small spark landed on the paper, and he watched as the letter slowly blackened and shriveled up. He looked at Theodore again who had a coy smile on his lips, raising an eyebrow, the other boy said:
"Can we go now? As I said, I don't want to be late."
Harrison returned the smile coldly, "Of course, Nott." But as he, Blaise, and Theodore left the Great Hall, he didn't notice from across the hall another dark-haired boy his age staring at the remains of the letter with a horrified expression on his face.
--------------
"UP!" the entire class shouted. Harrison's broom popped right up into his hand, however it was one of the few to do so. Only him, Draco, Crabbe (surprisingly), Jayce, and a nameless Gryffindor girl got it up on their first try. Class overall had gone surprisingly well compared to Potions and Defence (the other classes Slytherin shared with Gryffindor). There was so far zero snide comments on Gryffindors being stupid and Slytherins being evil - or any sabotaging and hexing each other. Perhaps it was because of Madam Hooch's intimidating manner and the stern glares she'd give anyone who dared to spare even a glance at the other House that looked slightly hostile.
However peace didn't last. When they were to try flying their brooms, Neville lost control and suffered a fall. The moment Madam Hooch left to take him to the Hospital Wing all hell broke out.
"Ha! Did you see his face, the great lump?" Draco jeered
"Shut up, Malfoy!" A Gryffindor girl yelled
"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom," Pansy Parkinson mocked, "I didn't think you had a thing for cry babies, Patil!"
"Look!" said Draco, "It's that stupid thing his grandmother sent him!" Snatching a shining object out of the grass. A remembrall. He held it up in the sun, displaying it to everyone as it glittered brightly.
Harrison stood quietly on the sidelines watching it play out until he saw Jayce start to get red with anger. He darted forward, grabbing Jayce's wrist while everyone else was busy yelling at Draco. "Don't," he whispered, "Don't do anything, it'll only make it worse. Wait for a professor to come."
Jayce looked at Harrison, his eyes were shining. He seemed hurt, maybe betrayed? "Let go of me, Harrison."
He winced, despite all the complaints of never being called his full name - he was hurt when Jayce didn't use the nickname which had always been a term of endearment by his family. "Jayce..." he said. Jayce glared at him and tugged his hand away without another word.
"Give that here, Malfoy!" Jayce shouted above everyone else. The field turned silent, all eyes turned to Jayce. Harrison watched hopelessly, his brother was going to get himself expelled.
Draco smiled nastily "I think not, mini Potter. Maybe I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find, like a tree or a roof top."
"Don't bluff, Malfoy. You don't have the guts to do that. Hand it over," Jayce snapped
"I wasn't bluffing, Potter." Draco leapt on to the nearest broom and took off. Hovering near the topmost branches of an old oak, he yelled down, "Come and get it, Potter!"
No.
"No!" someone shouted, mirroring his own thoughts; it was the curly haired girl who'd commented on the ceiling before the Sorting. "Stop! Madam Hooch told us not to move -- you'll get us all in trouble!"
Jayce ignored her. He mounted onto a broom and chased after Malfoy. No matter how good Malfoy was at flying, he couldn't beat the son of James Potter himself. It was in their blood. Jayce turned his broomstick sharply in the air, "Give it here, Malfoy! Or I swear to Merlin, I'll knock you off your broom!"
"Oh, yeah?" Malfoy sneered back, "Come and get it." Then he pulled his broom up and sped toward the sky.
Jayce followed, shooting up like a javelin, "You can't outfly me, Malfoy!"
Merlin, what are they doing? They'll both snap their necks from those old Shooting Stars if they continue.
Malfoy seemed to realize that there was no where to go. "Catch it if you can, then!" he yelled, throwing it up in the air and streaking back down to the ground.
Oh no. Jayce pulled his broom down in preparation to dive.
Don't worry, he's done this move before - he can catch it.
Can he catch it and survive? Harrison responded to the voice in his head
He's done it before. Jayce headed towards the ground at a sharp angle.
Not on a Shooting Star! The dive grew steeper and steeper, the glass ball and Jayce both getting closer to the ground.
He can do it, you can't help him anyways - do you know any cushioning spells?
He's done it on Comets and Nimbuses - not Shooting Stars! The class screamed as he neared the ground.
It's the same principle. Look he's doing it right now. Jayce began to pull his broom into a slight curve as he reached toward the Remembrall. He's doing it. His feet dragged onto the grass just as he snatched the ball out of the air, then pulled up.
The class cheered as Jayce hovered a few feet above the ground, his face flushed with pride, Remembrall clutched safely in his hand. Harrison sighed in relief.
"JAYSON POTTER!"
Oh shi–
"Professor!" Jayce exclaimed in surprise, landing his broom. "I-er...I didn't–". McGonagall came storming down the field.
"Never! In all my time at Hogwarts-- How dare you -- you could've broken your neck! Such recklessness!" She yelled
"It wasn't his fault, Professor!"
"Quiet, Ms. Brown!"
"But–"
"That's enough, Mr. Weasley," she snapped, "Potter! Come with me!"
"Which one?" Blaise asked loudly with a wild grin
McGonagall glared.
Blaise coughed, "Sorry, excuse me." He quickly looked away from the stern teacher. Theodore simply patted his back in sympathy. No one should suffer such a torturous gaze.
"Mr. Jayson Potter, follow me." clarified the Professor
Jayce nodded sullenly, trailing behind her as they went into the castle. Harrison looked back at Malfoy, who was sharing smug grins with Crabbe and Goyle, and hoped that the reasons for their celebration wouldn't come to fruition. Later that night his fears would be put aside when he learned Jayce had been made seeker for the Gryffindor team.