If I survive you survive

Chapter 9: The Shrieking Shack

Hermione was quick to ask Harry again if he would consider teaching them defence. Due to his conversation with Tom Harry told her that he had thought about it and was willing to do it.

"That's amazing Harry. I thought we could all meet up in Hogsmeade this weekend and see who wants to come and where we could practice" she was glowing with happiness. Harry briefly wondered what it must be like to be so focused on schoolwork.

"Eh, Hermione what if Harry has plans?" Ron interjected looking embarrassed. To Ron's credit he hadn't mentioned the small love bites on Harry's neck after the last Hogsmeade visit and Harry was eternally grateful. None of his friends had mentioned them but of course that didn't prevent the Slytherins and Malfoy in particular from making snide comments. Malfoy asked him if he was dating a vampire.

"I don't have plans" Harry could feel himself warming up with embarrassment. He didn't have plans that weekend at Hogsmeade because he did have plans to sneak out the castle the next day. How he was going to manage it was a mystery, but he'd steeled himself enough to try.

On Thursday during his last lesson of the day Harry was a mess. Snape got so annoyed with him he moved him to the desk right in front of his and paired him with Malfoy who looked scandalised.

"Don't worry Malfoy you're not my type" Harry sniped at him.

"Oh, get over yourself Potter" he rolled his eyes and a slight flush crept over his normally pale cheeks.

Hermione had asked Ron if it was a pureblood thing to be against homosexuality, but Ron had confirmed that it was in fact just Malfoy being a prick.

"There's never really been an issue over it the way muggles seem to" Ron shrugged "I imagine there's the usual concern over children and continuing the bloodline from the parent's perspective, but I don't know, it's not really a big deal" articulate as ever but at least it confirmed that Malfoy was in fact just being himself.

Harry's potion was vanished with a wave of Snape's wand at the end of the lesson.

"Abysmal Potter" Snape sneered, and Malfoy snickered. Harry just glared at the pair of them.

Harry ate dinner as fast as possible before rushing up to the common room leaving Ron and Hermione still eating. He grabbed his school bag and filled it with everything he would need for Friday's lessons and a spare shirt, underwear, and toothbrush. He closed the hangings around his bed and messed up the sheets a bit so that hopefully in the morning they would look slept in.

Harry bounced on the balls of his feet for a moment thinking. What on earth was he doing? This was stupid. This was dangerous. This was not a good idea.

"You belong to me" Tom's voice echoed in his head.

Harry threw on his invisibility cloak and pulled out the Marauders Map. Decision made.

Although Harry was perfectly within his rights to be walking about the castle, he didn't want to risk someone seeing him vanish. A couple times Harry had to push himself back into the walls to avoid groups of students walking past him, but he mostly used the map to try and avoid people.

By the time he was at the Whomping Willow his hands were sweaty with anxiety. The tree wasn't moving much as it couldn't detect the invisible boy approaching the knot on its root. As soon as he did so the tree froze completely, and the tunnel appeared. Harry shimmied down it and began walking. He had forgotten how long the tunnel was as he was in a state of delirium after his last meeting with Tom.

When he finally reached the shack, he was a nervous ball of energy. It looked so different to the last time he had been there. The dust was gone and the hallway was lit with candles. He wandered through to the kitchen, it too was clean and there was an empty mug on the table.