Soul Maties

Harry was in bad mood. Not the common, everyday grumpiness, but rather a hot, bitter rage. Rage at the wizarding world for their ignorance, the muggles for their stupidity, at himself for his inability to do something, anything, right and rage at Dumbledore for... for everything.

The weather was moody. It was evening and he was stalking the streets in the neighbourhood of Private Drive. He had been scavenging for newspaper again. For just a clue of what Voldemort was up to, now when he was back. Nothing of course. Nothing in the muggle news papers, nothing in muggle TV, nothing in the Daily Prophet, not a single word in the letters from his so-called friends and absolutely nothing from know-it-all bloody Dumbledore. Harry had the right to know. He was the one who had seen Voldemort coming back to life, not a full month ago. He was the one watching Cedric die. He was the one bringing the warning to the minister of magic and oh-so-clever Dumbledore. He was not a child for crying out loud! How he longed to have someone, anyone, from the wizarding world to talk to.

Lost in his thoughts, Harry did not really care where he was going. He knew these streets by heart anyway, them being the only place where he had been safe for the Dursleys for years. He had just turned into a small alley when a sudden sound made him look up and he realized that he was wrong. He did not long for anyone from the wizarding world, just anyone except for...

'Malfoy,' he gasped, gripping for his wand. 'What are you doing here?' The pale boy in the alley smirked at him, not making any attempts to produce his own wand.

'Really, Potter,' he said mockingly. 'Are you going to curse me? Here, in muggle area? Please go on then. I would love to see you expelled.' He lowered his gaze to examine his minutely manicured nails. Fuming, Harry lowered his wand.

'What are you doing here?' he demanded again. 'I thought you were back home with your creepy parents and celebrating with your pal from the graveyard.' Malfoy twitched, a red spot appearing on his cheek.

'You will regret insulting my parents, Potter,' he hissed. 'You will regret it sincerely, as you will regret your mixing with mudbloods, dealing with blood traitors and regret your whole, miserable joke of an existence.'

'Yeah?' Harry screamed. 'Is that why you are here, you piece of dung? To make me regret it?' Malfoy regained his cold calm and sneered again.

'Oh no Potter. I only thought that I would come by and say hi, old school friends and all that. I thought it would be amusing to have a little chat, you and me, without wands and without teachers disturbing us.'

'You think so? Think it would be fun to come and pick a fight with me? Sure, Slimeball. Be my guest. I'd love to give you some of what you have had coming.'

'Of course I could kick your ugly butt if you so sincerely want it, Potter, but you see, I don't know where you have been, and some of the horrible diseases you are apparently suffering from might catch if I touch you, so I thought I would just invite a few friends...'

Suddenly Harry was aware that they were not alone in the ally. Behind Mafoy, Crabbe and Goyle were towering, flexing their muscles. They were easy to overlook, he reflected, but then, on a sign from Malfoy, they took a step forward and started to walk towards him, and he realized that up close they were not easy to overlook at all. Their small eyes were fixed on him, their faces expressionless, their fists clenched hard at their sides. Angry as he was, Harry decided to run for it. Picking a fight with Crabbe and Goyle with no magic permitted could leave him severely injured. He turned to run, but the exit from the alley was blocked by what at first appearance seemed to be a large, ugly truck. Looking closer, he realized that it was his cousin, Dudley Dursley.

'Out of my way, Dudley,' he cried, hoping to scare his cousin enough to get him to move. But Dudley stood firm, eyeing the approaching Crabbe and Goyle with small eyes. Harry tried to push him, but he was easily flinged to the side.

'Who are you?' Dudley grunted to the Slytherins. 'This place belongs to The Gang, and I have not seen you before.'

'Don't fuss with the muggle,' Malfoy yelled from behind them. 'Get Potter!' But they ignored him.

'I'm Crabbe,' said Crabbe eyeing Dudley's arms.

'I'm Goyle,' said Goyle, eying Dudley's forehead. 'We are here to trash Potter,' he added.

'Who are you?' said Crabbe. Dudley flexed his muscles.

'I am Big D. Potter is mine to trash. Why do you want to trash him?'

'Don't deal with them, they are bad news,' Harry cried, still trying to get out of the alley. Dudley ignored him.

'He is nosey. Sniffing in other peoples business,' Goyle said, indicating Harry with a thumb thick as a sausage.

'And he talks smart to people,' Crabbe added, flexing his muscles.

'Yeah, he does,' Dudley agreed, eying Crabbe's arms. 'Still, I don't want anyone at my territory. Are you from that freaky school of his?'

'Don't let that insignificant muggle insult you,' Malfoy said loudly. 'Trash them both!' Crabbe and Goyle eyed Dudley's arms. They flexed their muscles.

'Do you call us freaks, muggle?'

'Do you call me muggle, freaks?'

Flex

Flex

Flex

Silence.

'I can beat you,' Dudley said.

'Yeah?'

'Yeah!'

Silence.

'Well, there are two of us and one of you Goyle said.'

'Yeah?'

'Yeah!'

'Stop talking, start fighting,' Malfoy screamed at the same time as Harry screamed, 'For God's sake Dudley, they are wizards. Don't fight them. Let's get out of here.'

'Stuff it!' Crabbe, Goyle and Dudley said in unison. Harry and Malfoy shocked closed their mouths, staring unbelievingly at the three bullies, eying each other.

'I can beat both of you,' Dudley said.

'Yeah?'

'Yeah!'

'Well, I can beat you on my own,' Crabbe said.

'And I can beat you on my own too,' Goyle said.

'Yeah?'

'Yeah!

'Yeah!'

Silence.

Dudley flexed his muscles.

Crabbe flexed his muscles.

Goyle flexed his muscles.

Silence.

'Big D, was it?'

'Yeah!'

'You are pretty cool for a muggle.'

'Yeah?'

'Yeah!'

'Crabbe and Goyle?'

'Yeah!'

'You are pretty cool for being freaks.'

'Yeah?'

'Yeah!'

'You can trash Harry any time you want!'

'Yeah?'

'Yeah!'

'Hey!' Harry cried, indignantly, but no one cared.

'We wouldn't trash anyone at your territory, Big D!'

'Yeah?'

'Yeah!'

'What are you morons doing?' Malfoy yelled, gaining no response whatsoever.

'I know a pub that serves me ale,' Dudley announced.

'No way!'

'Yeah!'

'Yeah?'

'Yeah!'

'Wanna come?'

'We can?'

'Yeah!'

The trio eyed each other, respect in their eyes. They nodded in unison, unclenching their fists.

'Let's ditch the weirdoes.'

'Yeah!'

'Yeah!'

Dudley turned, walking out of the alley and down the street. Crabbe and Goyle followed him. Harry and Malfoy were left behind, staring after them.

'Hey, come back!' Malfoy yelled, but neither Crabbe nor Goyle even turned his head as they walked down the street with their new friend.