A Darker Form of Magic, book one: Dark Affinity

Chapter Thirteen

Harry spent the remainder of the holiday with the Weasley twins, mucking about the castle and in the warmth of the Gryffindor common room, much to the displeasure of the other two Weasley boys present and the Fat Lady who had to let him in. Even with the company, Harry was glad to see the holidays come to an end and the rest of the school come back, to be surrounded by Slytherins once more.

The small Slytherin glanced at those around him as they walked to the Great Hall for breakfast, together once more after too long apart. He watched as Balise and Pansy pressed closer to him almost instinctively and remembered the pitying looks that the pair had given him in the days leading up to their departure. He knew that he would need to speak with them about it soon, but not just yet. Not this morning at the least.

Today they had other plans.

—-

From the High Table, the professors watched as the students all came down to breakfast on the first day of the new term, smiles on the children's faces as they recounted their holiday for those that would listen to them.

Everything seemed normal, blissfully even. That was until the post came.

The owls swooped down in a great flurry, carrying with them more post than most of the professors had seen since one removable Valentine's Day in the seventies, but ever on the day after a holiday where the most that they should be expecting was some forgotten jumpers. Hundreds of letters soared through the air in the clutches of the school's owls, enough that McGonagall was sure that the sender had used just about everyone that the school had to offer.

The letters were all unceremoniously dropped onto the tables, and as a long beat of silence rang out, the Deputy Headmistress couldn't help but wonder if that would be it. But then she saw the Potter boy reach for one, his fingers barely brushing it before they all sprung to life.

I don't give a damn 'bout my reputation

Living in the past, it's a new generation

A girl can do what she wants to do and that's what I'm gonna do

An' I don't dive a damn 'bout my reputation

Oh no, not me...

Most of the Professor's eyes went straight to the Weasley twins as the Howlers came to life, finding them staring at the scene with false looks of innocence that no one in the Great Hall believed as the Muggle song continued to play. Though all of the professors were sure of where to put the blame, only the Slytherin Head of House saw the covert way that the twins glanced at a certain young snake across the hall, and the smile that the three shared. There was no question in the potion master's mind as to where the peculiar song choice came from.

The man sighed and took a sip of his tea, wishing silently that it was something stronger. He supposed that he should have expected something like this sooner or later, they all should have. Even if the boy wasn't much like James Potter, he had still befriended the Weasley twins. Snape figured that no other Professor would figure the boy's involvement though, so he only drank his tea and waited for the song to end.

Harry grinned as he watched the muggle born students start to sing along with the song, much to the confusion of the purebloods who were staring at the entire scene as if they had no idea what to make of it. When Blaise sent the other Slytherin a questioning glance, all Harry did was wink and mouth along to the chorus.

It hadn't taken the Slytherin very long to figure out how to cast the spell that had played the music at the common room party, especially when all he needed to do was envision orbs filled with magic as no one else was around to expect him to use a wand. The hardest parent had been figuring out how to create the Howlers themselves, but the Weasley twins had come through on that end. Then all the Slytherin had to do was sneak into the Owlery underneath the cloak that he had been given on the first day before term.