Moving Company

2. Earning Respect With a Little Hex

The next morning was cold and foggy, which Harry found oddly appropriate considering that circumstances of the night before. He sat by the fire, waiting for the other boys to come down and to get his schedule before going to breakfast.

"Well well, it's the Boy Who Lived."

Harry looked up and saw Montague looking down on him. "Congratulations, you found me."

"Aww, Derrick, isn't he cute?"

Harry rolled his eyes.

"Is wittle Harry all alone now that he doesn't have his friends anymore?"

"I bet he can't do shit now that he doesn't have that Mudblood following him around."

"Leave Hermione out of this." Harry's eyes grew cold, and his hand was fingering his wand.

"He's got a crush on the filthy Mudblood! How fitting, trash the both of your are!" Derrick wrinkled his nose.

Non parli malvagita!

A purple flash hit the two boys standing over him as Blaise entered the room. Blaise seemed curious, and perhaps a little dismayed that the two seventh years weren't writhing in pain.

"What did you do to me?" Montague demanded.

"To you, you mean to me!" Derrick scowled.

"You'll find out soon enough." Harry looked all too cheery.

"YOU..." Montague tried to launch into a tirade, but instead an aria from the muggle Bizet's Carmen filled the common room, much to the surprise of the others milling about, and the great amusement of Harry Potter.

Derrick's attempted ranting was suddenly replaced by a solo from The Magic Flute by Mozart.

Harry snickered.

Blaise tried not to laugh. Several first and second years gave in and started laughing at the two older boys, the laughter growing more and more as the frustrated seventh years tried to stop singing, but were unable.

The portrait suddenly blasted opening, revealing a harried Snape holding a stack of papers, trying to figure out why his common room was in hysterics.

"WHAT IS GOING ON IN HERE?"

The laughter immediately stopped, although the occasional snicker could still be heard.

"Potter cursed us!" Derrick cried out.

Montague blinked. "You can speak! And so can I! So much for your curse."

Harry looked innocent. "Who said the spell was broken?"

"Why you little...." Derrick lunged after Harry, singing something from The Rhinegold when Snape grabbed Derrick's collar.

"You will not attack your housemates."

"But he attacked us!" protest Montague.

Harry scowled.

And to Harry's surprise, so did Snape. "I'm not a fool, Mr. Potter does not attack unless he has, what he believes, to be good cause." He looked around then back at the two seventh years. "And considering your record, I'm sure he had very good reason."

He turned and looked at Harry. "You will finish the spell after dinner tonight. I will let the other professors know not to interfere."

"Yes, Professor." Harry almost swore there was something like approval in Snape's eyes. He then dismissed as wishful thinking.

Snape passed out the schedules. "Let this be a lesson to you all. If you must attack a wizard more powerful then you," he ignored the glares that Harry was getting, "then have a viable plan. Not everyone will cast the Speak No Evil curse when attacked. Now, to breakfast. All of you!"

* * *

Blaise caught up with Harry a few steps out of the common room.

"Nice spell."

"Thank you."

"What did they do to you?"

"Insulted one of my friends."

Blaise winced. "Well, I suppose it serves them right then. Even Draco knows better then that. It doesn't stop him, but at least he knows better."

"I'm still surprised that Snape didn't stop the spell."

The effeminate boy shrugged. "Snape doesn't suffer fools. They were stupid to attack you, so they have to face the consequences."

Harry nodded, and the two walked the rest of the way in silence.

* * *

Breakfast was its usual noisy affair. Harry slipped away from the Slytherin table right after Derrick and Montague started singing All I Ask of You while passing condiments back and forth.

He met up at the Ravenclaw table where Ron was also waiting, and the lot were staring at the unusually noisy Slytherin table.

"Why are they singing, Harry?" Hermione pointed at the two increasingly frustrated Slytherins.

"Oh them? They started going on about how you were a Mudblood. Thought I might shut them up."

Ron looked at Harry. "But they're singing!"

Harry nodded. "Exactly. If anything they'll think twice before trying again."

"Why isn't anyone stopping it?"

"Snape won't let anyone. I just have to take the spell off after dinner tonight."

"I really don't get you guys."

Harry shrugged the comment off, he didn't feel like explaining why he had to do it. "We're running out of time. What do you guy's have?"

"I've got History of Magic and Care of Magical creatures with you, Harry, and potions with Ron. I think we've got Transfigurations alone this year."

Harry scanned his schedule. "Well, at least we still have Divination with you, Ron. I've got Potions and Herbology with Gryffindor. I guess we have Defense Against the Dark Arts alone this term, although, that's funny, I don't see it listed on my schedule."

Hermione frowned. "Mine either."

"Nor mine." Confirmed Ron.

"Speaking of which, who's the new teacher?"

Just then, Dumbledore stood up and Harry and Ron quickly hurried back to their seats. Once everyone was settled and the hall was quiet, the Headmaster began to speak.

"In the excitement of last night, I forgot to mention a change in your schedules. As you've all surely noticed by now, none of you have Defense Against the Dark Art classes listed. This is due to the fact that I was unable to find a suitable professor in time." He waited until the commentary about Quirrell/Lockheart/Barty-Crouch-as-Moody had died down, before he continued, "In the mean time, Defense instruction will be held in the evening after supper. Professor Snape will teach Gryffindors and Slytherins. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff by Professor Flitwick. Your respective Head of Houses will arrange timetables for these lessons. Do take these lessons seriously; while you will not be graded on them, what you will learn may yet save your life. Now! Let's sing the school anthem and get this year underway!"

Harry sang it to the fight song of the Chudley Cannons. Draco picked a funeral dirge. The curse on Derrick and Montague picked an old witch's lullaby and Albus Dumbledore smiled above them all.

* * *

History of Magic with Professor Binns was every bit as boring as he remembered it. Harry couldn't get over the fact that there were as many goblin rebellions as there had been, and found himself bemoaning the fact to Blaise after class.

"You can't tell me that nothing else of significance happened in how many years have wizards been around?"

Blaise shrugged. "Don't look at me. I'm not quite sure what we're supposed to be learning anyway."

Draco trailed behind them as Hermione ran to catch up. Draco caught her by the robe, stopping her from interrupting, nearly tripping her in the processes.

She turned around and hissed, "What do you think you're doing!"

"What does is it look like? I'm letting Blaise and Harry talk without you interfering."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm his friend, Malfoy. I have every right to talk to him."

"And I'm his Housemate. Listen, Granger. Harry got sorted into the one house that loathes him the most. Right now, he needs someone that he can confide in until the rest of us get used to his being around, and vice versa. He will not be an outcast in his own House, and I won't let you do anything that might make him one."

"I just wanted to ask him if he wanted to study..."

"Do it at lunch." With that he let her go and walked away. Hermione looked for Harry but he was no longer to be seen. She watched Malfoy head off before leaving for Transfigurations, with a lot on her mind.

* * *

By the time dinner rolled around, everyone was ready for the day to end. Despite a pitch-perfect rendition of "Eat It" during lunch, and apparent glorious performance of "Ode to Joy" by Montague during Charms (at least that's what he heard from a seventh year named Aaron Carter, who was apparently quite relieved that he wasn't on the receiving end of the curse--Montague had gotten detention for his outburst), the two boys singing was starting to grate on everybody's nerves. However, none of them were about to go to against Snape's orders and remove the spell themselves. As soon as dinner was finished though, and Harry was headed towards the Slytherin dungeons, when Montague and Derrick ran up to him, practically begging to take the spell off.

With a solemn look on his face, Harry pulled out his wand and muttered Finite Incantatum.

The two boys sighed in relief, quickly bolting for someplace that wasn't near where Harry Potter was.

Harry went to his room, and pulled quill and parchment out, deciding he wanted to write to Sirius. He briefly debated using one of the end tables, but decided that complete privacy was even better. He grabbed his things and headed up to the Owlery.

* * *

The Owlery was relatively quiet when Harry entered. Many were out delivering notes, or hunting. He situated himself on a windowsill.

Dear Sirius,

I'm not quite sure how else to say it, so I guess I'll be direct. I'm a Slytherin now. I guess I'm not really surprised. The letter I got did say I was going to be re-Sorted. Where else would the Hat have put me? Hermione is in Ravenclaw; I'm not surprised by that either. The only person smarter then her that I know of is Dumbledore! Ron is in Hufflepuff. He's not very happy about that, and we only have Divination together. It's weird being away from them, but I'll get used to it, I suppose. The other big shock was Goyle getting resorted into Hufflepuff. I wonder why Dumbledore would pick him, and no one else from Slytherin who we know that have Death Eater parents? Maybe he thinks that if he separates Goyle from the others that maybe he can be saved?

I'm still not sure why Dumbledore would do this though. Hermione says that this has never happened before. What's so special now that he'd change the rules?

Anyway, on the bright side of things, Snape is being less awful towards me. He didn't even end a non parli malvagita curse that I put on two obnoxious seventh years. Blaise Zabini tells me because they deserved it. I'll say this much, I doubt they'll bother me again for a while. It may have not been painful, but it will take some time before they live this one down.

Otherwise things are pretty much going as expected. Draco still doesn't like me, although at least he's calling me Harry now. Crabbe just stares at me. It's kind of creepy. Blaise has been helpful, and a few second and third years at lunch asked me to teach them that curse.

Oh! And one last thing. We have no official DADA classes this year. I guess Dumbledore didn't want a repeat of incidents from last year. Snape will be teaching us informally. I'm not sure when that will be starting.

Hope you are well, and Buckbeak,

Harry

Harry rolled up the parchment, and tied it to Hedwig's leg and sent her on her way. He hoped that one day he'd be able to write these letters in the open again. For now, he didn't dare to.

He slipped back to the Slytherin dorm, and was back before curfew.