I Just Want You to Know Who I Am

Chapter 2: The Accident

Simple living is my desperate cry

Been trading love with indifference, and yeah, it suits me just fine

I try to hold on, but I'm calloused to the bone

Maybe that's why I feel alone, yeah

Maybe that's why I feel so alone

'Cause me...I'm rusted and weathered

Barely holding together

I'm covered with skin that peels and it just won't heal

-- "Weathered", by Creed

The Sorting and Welcoming Feast went smoothly, although there was a noticeable drop in the number of children being sorted into Slytherin. Other than that, Harry Potter's sixth year began as normally as anything at Hogwarts can be. Unfortunately, that would all end sooner than expected.

***

September first was a Friday, so the students had the weekend to catch up on gossip, review their schedules, and finish their summer homework. As Harry, Ron, and Hermione studied their schedules on Saturday morning; they let out a collective groan. They had Double Potions with the Slytherins first thing Monday morning.

"What wonderful fucking luck," Ron whined.

"Ron, watch your language; prefects shouldn't be crude. Besides, at least we'll get it over with early, right?" Hermione said, trying to lighten the mood.

"It's not that, it's the fact that we'll be stuck in a room with that faggot Malfoy for two hours that's bothering me."

Hermione, who had figured out that Harry was less than straight, reprimanded Ron. "Ron, that's terrible! How do you even know if he's gay?"

"You slapped Malfoy in third year, and he didn't fight back. He's a pansy."

"Maybe he's just a gentleman."

"Or maybe he's just too much of a fairy to fight back, even if it's a girl he's fighting."

"So now you're assuming that girls are weak?"

"Weaker than boys. It's just common sense, 'Mione."

"Ugh...you are just so...ugh!"

Ron and Hermione didn't speak to each other the rest of the day. Harry was the go-between for them, despite the fact that he didn't say a word.

"Harry, ask Hermione if I can copy her homework."

"Harry, tell Ron that he cannot copy my homework."

"Harry, tell Hermione that she's being a hypocrite. She'll let you copy, yet she refuses to let me copy."

"Harry, tell Ron that I am not being a hypocrite. I never let sexist foulmouthed people copy my homework."

And it went like that for the remainder of the day, until Harry finally spoke and told them both to shut up.

***

When Harry woke up the next morning, he expected Hogwarts to be as normal, loud, raucous, and free-spirited. But that was not what he found. He found Hogwarts to be nearly as solemn as the day everyone finally acknowledged Voldemort's return.

"Why's everyone so downcast?"

"Don't you know, Harry?" Ron asked.

"Obviously not if I'm asking."

"Oh. Right. Well, after You-Know-Who killed his family, he laid low for a few years. His first victims after that were Cian and Ríonach Tierney. They were two of the best Aurors of their time, and both Muggleborn. Needless to say, he couldn't stand them. He thought they were a disgrace to wizards, fighting for the so-called 'Mudbloods' and other 'lesser beings', not to mention that they were 'Mudbloods' themselves. So he went right to their house, Crucio-ed them for an hour each (supposedly) and then Avada-ed them."

"Yes, it is horrible. But why would I know this?"

"They were your dad's godparents."

Harry was shocked. He had thought he learned everything about his family last year, but apparently this was far from true.

"But, what does that have to do with today?"

"Today's the fiftieth anniversary of their murder, mate."

"Oh."

The whole of Hogwarts was silent and somber for the rest of the day. Even Peeves was respectful of the lost souls.

***

With all that Harry learned that weekend, he was horribly depressed. On top of that, everything reminded him of his Godfather. By Monday morning, he needed a Cheering Charm every hour just to keep him from jumping off the Astronomy Tower. Unfortunately, all these Cheering Charms had an aftereffect; they gave you a high that wouldn't go away for a week. "Oh, well, at least the only thing I'll be able to feel is giggly and the munchies," was his last coherent thought.

Due to his "state", Harry was not at his peak in Potions class that morning. He had melted fourteen cauldrons that morning, nearly beating Neville's record of fifteen. On his fifteenth attempt at making Cielo di Seta (which was, ironically, a high-inducing potion), Harry made the near-fatal mistake of staring at the flame for twenty minutes, and then, remembering what he should be doing, threw all the un-cut ingredients (and possibly his homework) into the cauldron. As the potion turned the darkest shade of black (as opposed to hot pink and lime green swirls, the correct color), Professor Snape knew something was amiss, and attempted to keep Potter from doing anything dangerously stupid. Too late. Harry was drooling as he was looking into the potion, saying, "Ooooooooooh, preeeeeeeeettyyyyyyyy." And the moment his spit touched the surface of the inky concoction, everyone in the Potions classroom was transported to a place none of them would ever have suspected.